Tori

Lately I have been pausing when I look at my oldest, feeling as though her cheeks are becoming slightly more round. It kind of wrenches my heart when I notice this, as it is due to her being on high doses of steroids. Even though it is very subtle, it brings my heart back to a time when she was several years younger, on steroids, with a very swollen face. These moments that bring me back to those memories, in a way, take my breath away for a just a second, and cause my eyes to tear up. I of course, am well trained to blink fast and push those thoughts quickly away to continue on in my day.
I think that is what it means to be a mother with a sick child. To be strong enough to watch your child experience terrible things, and to keep yourself together until you are alone in the shower, your cries unheard over the spray of the water. To be that pillar, that unphased strength in times of great need. Seeing the hint of chubbier cheeks has had my heart on edge.

This has had me contemplating the heart of another mother I know who also has a daughter that is sick. I know so deeply that mother-daughter bond, that love that seems to reach all parts of your being, never to be shaken. I also know how deeply that allows the pain and grief to settle. I know that when your child is hurting and in a place where you feel like your hands are tied behind your back, you want people to simply know. I know from experience how important it is to spread the knowledge and awareness of what today's sick children go through. I know what that means for these children, and I know the difference it can make.

So, I thought I would take some time this weekend to share a bit about this mother's beautiful daughter, Tori. She was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma at age 13, through the discovery of a mass the size of a baseball localized on her 5th rib. Ewing's Sarcoma is a primary bone cancer that effects children and adolescents. It is rare, accounting for only 1% of all childhood cancers, and is a very aggressive cancer that needs to be treated aggressively. Please click here or here to learn more about Ewing's Sarcoma. If you would like to learn more about Tori, please click here to view a Facebook page dedicated to sharing her journey. If you would like to help aid this family during this most difficult time, please click here to learn more about how you can help. 

One of Tori's drawings.

 I will have a link in my right sidebar for the rest of the month of March that will take you to the Facebook page that is dedicated to Tori's journey, so that you can easily follow along. And please remember to let those around you who are also suffering know that you care about them, it can sometimes mean the world to them!