As I get ready for my own medical drama tomorrow, its nothing compared to what the Barron family is going through. Everyone who reads this today. Please. Please. I beg you. Do something. Say a prayer (and that is a big request coming from me, because I’m not a believer) send a check. Send your thoughts. Little Cruz, who is just about the Princess’s age, may be in his toughest hour yet. This email was just forwarded to me and was written by Cruz’s mother, who is keeping vigil at his hospital bed. Grab a tissue. And click on my link to the Cruz Fund on the left. Or click THIS. Please.
His breath is a rattle finishing with a whistle. Cruz’s body works with every inhale and collapses with every exhale. My confidence is directly tied to the vital sign monitor (“sats” monitor would be the hospital jargon.) How is a clear breath able to push through to its destined place? Isn’t there too much rattle, too much blockage? According to the monitor, we’re OK for right now. Mucositis is the term. It’s an ugly finish to an ugly treatment. We are at day 2 of a probable 7-10 day stretch of intensive side effect illness. Cruz is battling a high fever and working for every breath he takes. The details are troubling but he is stable for now.
I remember when Kyler was born. We were changing his first poopy diaper and I broke down in tears. I’d never had much, if any, experience with such a little person. Bruce had to take over until I gained enough confidence and practice to attempt my own diaper changes. Now we do just as much as most nurses. The tasks at hand seemed virtually impossible in the beginning. Then with a little practice they became normal; our normal. We have a “new normal” (a term I learned from Jody’s Dad who uses this term when referring to life after her Mom died.) We’ll never go back to normal as we knew it before. I am sure eventually it will be a better normal.
So now we wait. We wait for Cruz’s new cells to engraph into his system and reproduce to become his new White Blood Cells. We wait for his body to heal through this horrible mucositis (sores running from his throat down to his rear end.) And finally, we wait for the day we hear that Cruz is cancer free. One day at a time will take us there. I am thankful for so much. I am especially grateful for our army of Cruz soldiers who remind us on a daily basis that we are not alone and that everything will be all right!
im so sorry to hear. My prayers are with them. I know what it is like to see a little one in hurt like that. Hanna wasnt mine but she was my niece and it was hard enough to see her go.
yeah. no one should have to go through this. not a child. not a baby. i’ve been holding my breathe every time I open an email update.
Absolutely, my prayers are with them. I’m so sorry.
I don’t even know this family well. The mom and I were in a stroller strides class together with our first borns years ago. I remember when they made the decision to move away. And I remember hearing she was pregnant with her second the same time I was pregnant with mine. Then I got an email from the same stroller strides group saying he was diagnosed at his 2 month check up. And I’ve been following along every since. There is an encouraging update on his website tonight if anyone is interested. Apparently he stunned the nurses and sat up and played and smiled for a short time. We can only hope that continues.
Omg. That’s horrible. Is there an update? I haven’t read any blogs in a few days and I’m just now catching up. Please let us know, I’ll definately be praying for this family. 🙁 It makesyou so thankful, even when they annoy you, for every moment you have.
After reading his site, I said a prayer for his recovery, strength for his family, and a prayer of thanks for my healthy children.
Such a beautiful little baby.. my heart breaks to read of his suffering. It’s not fair.
Our thoughts are with them.
It’s just not right that things like this happen.
Oh my God. I can’t even imagine how terrifying that would be.
Thanks for bringing this family’s plight to everyone’s attention. They need all the good wishes they can get. I hope and pray the treatments are successful and that Cruz will grow up with no memory of the trials he suffered during his first year of life — only stories about how brave he and his family were during this difficult time.
I wish YOU the best of luck as well for your own medical exam today. Long may the Queen reign supreme!
(Even if she doesn’t like the Canucks…:)