Talia is the Reason We Fight
Learning your child has cancer brings your life to an abrupt halt.
The little girl on the photo is my daughter Talia. That radiant smile meant the world to me, especially after everything our family has been through.
Learning your child has cancer brings your life to an abrupt halt. Ours came to a stop in November 2016. That’s when doctors at the Children’s told us that Talia had Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that would require surgery, followed by months of exhausting chemotherapy and radiation to save her life.
What do you tell your 9-year old daughter when she asks you: Mommy, am I going to die?
There are no words to describe the anxiety we felt as we drove our child to the Children’s for chemotherapy treatments. It was rough.
Not long after she started chemo, Talia stopped talking, eating and drinking. My baby was literally shutting down. There was no choice but to put a feeding tub through her nose.
It was a dark time but as we headed into the holiday season there was a light that shone through. That light came from generous donors like you. You helped Talia benefit from the best medical treatment possible.
On November 20, I was the mother of a daughter who I thought had a cold. On November 21, I was the mother of a daughter with cancer. As a parent, you never think it could happen to you. But I know from experience that this hospital is here for us, to take care of our children and to give us hope. And this hospital needs as much of your support as possible.
During our frequent hospital stays, we met many families who struggled to make ends meet. Parents whose children were in the fight of their lives who also had the additional burden of worrying about paying the bills. Thank goodness the Tiny Tim Fund lightens this burden by helping with the extra expenses that come with having a sick child.
Thank goodness people like you are there to take the hospital from great to outstanding.
YOU give parents the opportunity to focus on the most important thing in the world – helping their child get well.
Today, Talia is doing well but we’re only in year 2 of her remission. We don’t know what the future may hold. However, it is a great comfort to us to know that, come what may, we will have your support.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Sincerely,
Talia’s mom, Joy
*Give by December 31st and P.K. will match your donation dollar for dollar! (Up to a maximum of $250,000).