Today, I got bad news.
After a series of other setbacks, my car has given up the ghost and
needs a new engine. Since my job was
ended due to funding back in October, I didn’t need this. In addition, my tax refund this year was
spent catching up on bills and making repairs to my house that were
critical. It was draining to get this
latest news, and I have been in full pity party mode all day.
I picked up my phone and logged onto Facebook, and saw an
update on a young friend of mine, and suddenly my car doesn’t seem like a big
deal.
Cooper is only ten years old, and I’ve known his parents
so long I don’t remember how or when we met.
I remember about 24 years ago or so, laughing with his dad Don as he
celebrated his sister’s baby being born that day. Cooper’s mom is Joanna, and her dad Gary was
my dentist for years.
Gary died on
December 13th, within days of doctors discovering a cancerous tumor
in Cooper’s kidney, which had spread to his lung. He would need to have the tumor shrunk enough
to remove his kidney, then more aggressive treatment against the rest of the
cancer.
I have carried Cooper and his lovely parents in my heart as
they dealt with the memorial arrangements for his grandpa while trying to
absorb this incredibly devastating news, out of the blue.
On Christmas Eve, as I opened presents and celebrated with
my family, Cooper dealt with mouth sores, jaw pain, and abdominal
cramping. He was in so much pain he was unable to eat, and was losing a
lot of weight. Two days after Christmas, his hair began to fall out. All in all, a horrible and devastating
holiday season for him and his family.
On January 5th, as I sat in the dentist’s
chair, feeling sorry for myself because I hate getting my teeth cleaned, Cooper
and his parents were saying their final goodbyes to Cooper’s grandpa, and he
was laid to rest.
On February 3rd, as I sat waiting for my
granddaughter to come out of her tonsil surgery, I was anxious and worried,
even though I went through the same procedure with her mom and her
brother. As I sat agonizing and
fretting, Cooper’s parents were celebrating that their boy had been able to
come home to finish recovering from the removal of his left kidney. The day prior he had had radiation simulation
in preparation for his upcoming radiation and chemo.
The month since has been hell for Cooper. Chemo and radiation have battered his poor
little body, while his parents helplessly watch.
His mother updated his Caring Bridge page
today, and it was heart wrenching. This
is the kind of pain no parent should ever have to withstand. While the last month has been wretched, they
are praying that this aggressive treatment kills the remaining cancer and
restores their son’s health. They are hopeful to get good results from an
upcoming scan on the 10th of this month, and could use all the
support they can get.
I am providing a link to Cooper’s gofundme page, if
anyone is so inclined to send money their way.
It would mean a lot.
If you don’t wish to donate, or can’t afford to do so,
there are other ways to help. Positive energy
and prayer goes a long way, and they’re free.
If you want to spread the word to others who can help, that’s also great.
A friend of the family, Elisabeth, is selling bracelets
to raise money for Cooper. There is even
a contest, which involves Portland Trailblazer tickets for whoever sells the
most tickets. So if you are interested
in purchasing or helping to sell bracelets, please email her
at helpinghands@eaglehm.com.
It breaks my heart that there are thousands of kids out
there like Cooper, and parents enduring what his parents are enduring. How Don and Joanna have maintained even a
shred of sanity is beyond me. Yet they
are gracious, humble, and appreciative of every card, meal, prayer, and gesture
on their son’s behalf. Poor Joanna has
not even had the chance to properly grieve the death of her father, yet she
remains positive and hopeful. Every kid
deserves parents that love them as much as they love Cooper.
As I scrolled Facebook today, I saw so many petty and
negative things, and I’ve certainly been guilty of it too. Yet here is Cooper, who always seems to be able to smile, no matter what. He and his parents can provide us all a lesson,
or at least a reminder, about what really matters. I hope that short of directly helping this
family, you are at least able to stop for a moment, and remember how blessed
you are no matter what.
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