Update

So Miss Gracie is doing great, she is sleeping less, but still more than most 2 1/2 year olds, but has lots of energy.  Her appetite has slowed somewhat and this is a good thing as we thought she would blow up at one point!  Gotta love steroids.  We patiently await September 30, which is Gracie's next PET Scan.

But as I sit here at 4:30 in the morning unable to sleep, I write with a heavy heavy heart and tears in my eyes as our friend Grant and the son of my friend Mel passed away on Friday from a complicated battle with Leukemia.  He was a shinny penny in all of this for us, this 14 year old boy was beautiful on the inside and out. Grant and his Mom kept me laughing through most of our recent 3 month stay on ward and Mel became a dear friend.  Grant was so good to Gracie, and truly what 14 year old boy do you know that would take any interest in a two year old?   He was a hit with everyone up there for his warmth, humour and true strength.  This was not supposed to happen to him, it's not supposed to happen to anyone, but him?  I did not see this coming at all.  How can God find justification for calling home such an amazing person?  I feel that he was not done, he had a lot of things to do, he needed to go on to become a camp counsellor, he would have been so great at that as he had so much compassion, but he had a tough side too.  He needed to go on to play basketball and go to his graduation and find his life purpose making a difference somewhere, I know this is what he would have done, he was supposed to be allowed to become the man he was meant to be.  This all just gets to be to much sometimes, the only positive I can come up with here is that Grant and his family can finally get off this crazy ride we call cancer and be at Peace.

My heart breaks for his family, Mel, Jim and his sister Ali.  And just like when some of you don't know what to say to me sometimes, I am at a complete loss as to what to say to this family.  I have been up most of the night trying to find something, but I come up blank.  I know they will have the strength to get through this time, although they will never be the same, they will be able to find a new normal, or at least this is my hope.

A quote from an unpublished blog post I wrote two days ago "Like I have said before when you go up to the Oncology department in the beginning you go up there with one child, but you come out with so many more in your heart. Their battles become your personal goals, you wish nothing more than them all to be strong and healthy. You get kicked in the stomach everytime they have setbacks. These families become your lifelines."

Rest in Peace Grant, I do know one thing for sure heaven is a much better place now.