Thursday, September 12, 2013

Hurricane




"Hurricane"  ~Natalie Grant

You're spinning out of control again
Your life feels like a sinking ship
You're wondering how it came to this

Is it too late?
Is it too far?
For Him to reach you
And come to where you are

Step out on the edge
Don't be afraid of it
And when you feel the rain
Call His name
He'll find you in the hurricane

You're in the wreckage underneath
Your hope is buried somewhere deep
You're wondering how long it will keep?

It's never too late
Never too far
For you to reach out
And take a hold of love

Step out on the edge
Don't be afraid of it
And when you feel the rain
Call His name
He'll find you in the hurricane

Don't back down from the fight
He'll shelter you tonight
Just hold on for the change
Call His name
He'll find you in the hurricane

There's a place, there's a place you can run
When you fall, and it's all come undone
You'll be safe in the raging storm
So just let go
'Cause you are held in His arms

Step out on the edge
Don't be afraid of it
And when you feel the rain
Call His name
He'll find you in the hurricane

Ooo ooo...

And when you feel the rain
Call His name
He'll find you in a hurricane

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Parents: The unsung heroes of pediatric cancer

September is pediatric cancer awareness month. Obviously, this is a cause very close to my heart. I hope to write many posts this month about various aspects of pediatric cancer. And while it is the children that go through the physical battle of these diseases, it is the parents who fight a whole other battle. 

"Mom" and "Dad" turn into doctor, nurse, researcher, advocate, blogger...even politician. The daily conversation about numbers goes from baseball scores and stock market options to blast counts and platelet counts. Figuring out how to maintain a work/life balance turns into figuring out how to maintain caring for your sick child and making sure your other children feel loved and cared for.

Here are some of those super-parents, battling right alongside their children.


Kristen and Doug Strauss
Gloria Strauss (Neuroblastoma) +
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rachel and Rob Byers


Jenessa "Boey" Byers (Rhabdomyosarcoma) +
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Karen and Gregg Gerstenberger
Katie Gerstenberger (Adrenocortical Carcinoma) +
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Karen and Jeff Fantozzi
Peter Fantozzi (Ewing's sarcoma)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Karen and Anthony St. Martin
Nicole St. Martin (Osteosarcoma)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jason and Sara Andrews
Judah Andrews (Lymphoblastic Lymphoma)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


To read more about pediatric cancer and find out how you can help, check out these links: