While parents worry about the birds and the bees talk, cancer parents worry about the cancer talk. The dreadful talk of diagnosis, treatment, life after treatment, potential secondary effects, relapse and death.  Ariana went through the excruciating physical treatment and I went through the emotional/psychological trauma right beside her. As a parent when your child…

I would like to thank the Michael Hoefflin Foundation (MHF) and all of the sponsors for all they do for our children. We became part of the MHF Family in 2014 when Ariana was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia. We were experiencing a pain beyond words and sought help from different organizations. Unfortunately, we did not…

No one tells you that life after treatment will never be “normal” again. By “normal” I mean the life you had before diagnosis. The carefree life you took for granted. The life where a fever, bruise, body ache, rash, growing pains, decreased appetite, etc. didn’t trigger the worst feelings in the gut of your core.…

The night we were admitted to the oncology floor I felt like I was sleep walking. In my mind I thought there had to be a mistake  The lab must have confused my daughters blood with someone else. I was in complete denial. My daughter had never been sick. What had I done wrong? How…

Going through my pictures last night and hearing the words “she doesn’t look sick” today at Costco reminded me how insensitive our society can be. Just like adults, children lose their hair, eyebrows and eyelashes during treatment. Childhood leukemia treatment for girls ranges from 2.5-3 years and boys 3.5-4 years. These numbers are all contingent…

It is hard to believe that tomorrow is the first day of September. September is childhood cancer awareness month. Twenty-three months ago I had no clue. I use to hear the word cancer and immediately picture the elderly.  Cancer does not discriminate and it can happen to anyone at any point in their life. Little did I…