Todays childhood cancer fact is 1 in 285. Back in the 70s and 80s our family did not have the internet,and our odds would have been different than they are today. If you can imagine color one more figure in this picture post in Gold. The picture of all of us kids was taken in the Summer of 1973. This was our blended family at that time with my mom. My brother Dave is far to the left barely in the picture, I was 13 years old, standing next to my step-brother Steve (wearing the white safari hat) who was 16 years old, my little sister Michele was the littlest blonde, and Debbie, Lynn, and Tina were Steves sisters my step-sisters. I hate the word step but it helps to figure the family dynamics out here and that there was no bloodline connection to the cancer. Steve and his sisters lived in California with their mom and some summers came to Rockford and stayed with his dad at our house. This actual summer picture Steve had came and spent almost the entire summer with us. When he left that summer we had no idea he would never return because the next summer he would be diagnosed with cancer, have his leg removed, start his senior year of high school, this is his Senior picture and pass away all in just a few months. I do not remember any other child or teenager with cancer before Steve. It was shocking to us, he would never be back, his life was over. His senior picture was dated Aug. 28th 1974 and his date of death was Sept. 28th 1974. I had no clue about cancer and that there were different types, I thought it was for old people. I asked my step dad Jim for anything of Steves he could give me when he came back from California frm the funeral. I had a few pictures, I had a letter addressed to Motor Mouth my nickname Steve gave me and only called me by. Jim will eventually give me a copy of Steves death certificate. I will file it away with my little keepsakes of Steve. When Jeremy was struggling through chemo one month, I thought of Steve and wondered what type of cancer did he have, he was still considered under the childhood cancer title as a teenager. I thought of him and how short his battle was, even with the loss of his leg. Jeremy was diagnosed with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma which is the head and neck area. When we made it home from the hospital that visit I pulled Steves death certificate out that was about 12 years old from the time Steve had died, and there is was ...Steve died of Rhabdomyosarcoma. Steve had Alvelor Rhabdomyosarcoma which attacks the Torso, arms, and legs. It was shocking to me to say the least. I shared the news with the Pediatric Oncologist who of course thought the odds of this happening was off the charts because he will tell me when Steve was diagnosed with Rhabdo back in 1974 he was one of the first ones documented in having this type of childrens cancer. There was no blood line connection, Steve was my step brother, the odds werent as they are today, have no idea what the numbers were back then but It had to be a lot more in the favor your child would not get cancer than it is now. But be aware because it struck us twice with no blood connection. Jeremy for half of the month looked like he was just skin on bones. He never ate for entire week every month during chemo he was hooked up to IVs but he lost every bit of weight he would try and gain back the 3 weeks he didnt have the toxic chemo running thru him. He was weak and at times had a hard time walking. When he felt good and could travel you could almost always find us in Central Il. visiting my mom and sister Michele Ozley Fitzjarrald I shared every other weekend with Perrys parents Tom and Barb Tennison. Perry had left before Jeremy was ever diagnosed for a life on the road traveling and loving what his passion was. So on this one trip my dad took us all to Arkansas first and then on to Sulligent Alabama and Birmingham Alabama. To get that far with Jeremy in this time frame was very rare. The oncologist did not want us to travel with Jeremy, anything could happen so Im not sure if we just were being rebels and took him that far from home...or if I had the doctors consent. My memory fails me there. Anyway it was a trip we will never forget. While in Arkansas we were able to spend one day with Perrys family on the Dobbs side, which sadly I have no pictures of and Alabama was full of memories to last forever also. Jeremy is sitting with my cousin Camille. Please share some Gold for the kids, Be Aware not afraid but Aware. Early detection could save the life of your child.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 12:56:22 +0000
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