Christmas Letter – 2007, a Year in Review

We usually put a Christmas letter in with our Christmas cards. But this year was a bit different than other years for us. We instead publish our lives on-line! It’s a strange thing, sharing the details and events of your personal life on-line, allowing anyone to read it. But for this instance, it’s a wonderful thing. Technology has allowed others to join us on this difficult journey, who have been willing to share their strength, hope, prayers, and energy with us.

Anyhow, I still want to do a Christmas Update…but didn’t include one in our cards. This may be a bit redundant to those dedicated blog followers. Because as we live this journey, it becomes routine, regular. But it isn’t…it’s dramatic. And this letter recaps the eventful year we’ve had. We continue to be strong, although quite honestly, don’t always feel very strong.

We’ll travel back to our last Christmas letter of 2006…We were anxiously awaiting insurance approval for Ethan’s second cochlear implant (CI). We received word in March that Blue Cross finally changed their policy and would cover Ethan’s second CI! Ethan had surgery on April 27 to receive his CI in his left ear. Finally his left ear would learn to hear!

10 days later, on May 7, 2007 ( a date we will never forget), Ethan was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. We were devastated. This began our journey of a lifetime…
We learn so much…high risk…chemotherapy…pneumonia…the list goes on. The words “bone marrow transplant” send chills, no…not chills…tremors…throughout our bodies as we hear them. And who comes to the rescue?…A 3 year old…Eliot…Ethan’s baby brother. He saves Ethan’s life on August 20, 2007 by donating his bone marrow to his big brother. Ethan survived 3 rounds of strong, strong, chemotherapy…8 sessions of total body radiation…and leukemia.

We return home on September 19…where Johanna’s mom has taken over for the last 5 months…being the caretaker of Emma and Eliot, and the house. We have a new appreciation for home, family, and life. We will not be allowed to have anyone in our home until at least May, and Ethan is not allowed to go anywhere else inside, or near crowds, until that time too.

We have spent the last 3 months at home, homeschooling Ethan and Emma. Ethan has to stay at home for the year, and we chose to keep Emma home from school to reduce germ exposure, and catch up on lost time. While difficult for Emma and Mommy at certain times, it’s already proven to be the best choice for all of us.

We’ve all stayed healthy (knock on wood), and haven’t got cabin fever yet (knock on wood). We built an ice rink that the kids, especially Em, love! She spends a lot of time every day on the rink…learning new spins and tricks. Ethan has met up with a friend at a playground, and has briefly seen a couple friends outside, so he doesn’t feel completely isolated. Emma keeps busy outside of the house too. She treasures getting out to a friend’s house, going to ballet (her new favorite activity!), Girl Scout meetings, and soccer. Of course she didn’t miss the Pumpkin Ball at school this year!

And Eliot, he just loves being around Emma and Ethan. He continues to be a complete ham, loving making people laugh…continuously, throughout the day and night, regardless of who may be around. He’s a BIG boy…currently weighing more than Ethan. People often think he’s four or five. But he’s only 3…almost 3 ½.

And Yancy and I stay sane…I think. We never bargained for this journey. Thankfully, we never imagine these times in life…they just smack us in the face…or maybe plow us over like a mack-truck is more appropriate.

We look forward to Christmas…we’re home…together…healthy. Ethan turns 6 on Christmas Day! The last time we were home on Christmas was the year Ethan was born, 2001. We will miss spending the day with family, but will make our own memories together as a family in our home on this special day.

As I mentioned before…we didn’t travel this journey alone. So many family and friends, even strangers, supported us along the way. We could have never done this without Grandma Mary, being way more than a grandmother to her grandchildren. Stepping in as a mom, and caring for our kids, keeping them in their home, like no one else could do. Johanna’s sister, Kate, and her fiancé, Nick, postponed their ginormous September wedding, as it wouldn’t have been the same without Ethan there, as the ring-bearer. Instead, they have now chose to get married in Hawaii in February. A sacrifice proving their love and dedication to family and each other.

Family, friends and the entire Rowley community rallied for us, holding countless events to support Ethan and our family: an Ice Cream Social, the Pine Grove Jog-A-Long, a 5K Family Walk/Run, a Texas Hold ‘em Tournament, a Golf Tournament, a Cocktail Party. And the number of people that responded to our call for platelet donations…PLATELET HEROES…at Children’s Hospital…Amazing! Anonymous donors, friends from out-of-state, former colleagues at Fidelity of Johanna’s (the entire department actually!), family, college friends, Rowley friends, friends of friends…the list goes on and on. And what a gift…a gift that helps not only Ethan, but so many other Superheroes at Children’s Hospital.

We look forward to our New Year. While we still don’t plan ahead too far, only a week or so, never knowing what’s in store…we know next year will be filled with fun. We look forward to reuniting with family and friends that we haven’t seen in some time. Meeting new babies that have been born this year that we haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet! We look forward to living another year together.

And in this Holiday time, and for all the days to come, we will not forget how fortunate we are to receive such amazing medical care. We will not forget the families we’ve met along the way. We will not forget to pray every day for the sick children. We will not forget to have HOPE…something that doesn’t always come easy. We will be thankful for each day, every day.

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Thank you for being here with us. May the New Year be filled with tons of PEACE, HAPPINESS, HOPE, and AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL HEALTH for ALL!