Joey

It was Joe's first recurrence and he was facing 8 months of chemotherapy, lung surgery and all of us were soaked with anger and fear. Then we met Joey on the 11th floor of LCH. A small spit of a two year old diagnosed with neuroblastoma. His formal name was Joseph Michael, the same as Joe's; and he was the only patient our Joe ever spoke to or visited in all of his time at LCH. I don't know why we gravitated to Joey and his mom Maggie, and Joe followed Joey's progress through his treatments and 2 1/2 years of remission. We are not "best friends" with this family, it just evolved into a "I know you are there" relationship. We would keep each other updated on Caring Bridge, and Maggie follows my blog.

This past week Joey relapsed and is back at LCH facing another year of chemotherapy and surgery plus multiple trips to Sloan-Kettering. After this long I was stunned. I wanted to write her or call; but I knew that would never be enough. So under the guise of delivering donations I made my way back to the 11th floor to see Maggie.

In the hallway, with her hair in a towel and fresh out the shower, we talked, hugged and fought back tears. Our conversation ran the gamut of how this changes your family, the financial strain, the anger, isolation and of course the under current of fear that races through your mind and body with a recurrence. You are simply frozen, but somehow you find the strength to keep moving ahead with hope for your child.