We went to a memorial service last weekend to celebrate the life of 8-year-old Thomas. Thomas was diagnosed with a rare form of brain tumor in July 2008. He fought his battle with courage, strength, love, laughter; all the while comforting and telling jokes to those around him. He went through things that no person let alone a child should have to go through. All who had known him, or had met him knew that he was special. I think he touched more people in his short life than many have touched in their entire long lives. That was evident by the church that was filled with close to a thousand people. Family, friends, people that have known Thomas his whole life and some that have only met him over the last several months.

It was truly a hard and emotional day for us. It is really hard to explain the bond that oncology parents have with each other. We know what each other are going through and the feelings that we have all experienced. We have become family. Watching our babies go through such tough treatments, surgeries, hospital stays, MRIs, fevers, infections, all the medicine they take, countless shots and so on, all to save or extend their lives. Any one of us parents would trade places with our children in a heart beat. We are truly blessed by these amazing children of ours and what they endure so gracefully.

We are also blessed by such amazing nurses, doctors, nurses, assistants, and hospital staff, all who treat our children so wonderfully. I don't even think we express to them how much they mean to us and how important they have been through this whole experience.

Hilary