3rd Re-Birthday/Hero Day - A Love Letter to Sick Kids and CHEO

[Photo Description: A split image. On the left is a photo of mom Dawn with eyes closed while lying with Ollie, cradling him from behind as he slept in his hospital bed at Sick Kids Hospital in the Oncology ward in April 2020. It had just been confirmed that Ollie had relapsed in his central nervous system a second time while readying to go to transplant. On the right side, in April 2023 Ollie stands on the stairs at home in Ottawa with one arm in the banister and the other around Dawn who has her arms around him. Both are smiling and healthy.]

There are many kinds of love. The first love one has for one's parents or whoever nurtured you from birth. Some are lucky enough to have the love of siblings. Others simply the love of extended family. Love for friends, especially those who share your history and/or hard times. Romantic love for your partner made even bigger if you become parents together. Love for your children, whether born to you or gifted another way. 

But over the past 1337 days since my child was diagnosed with a critical illness that left me contemplating a possible life without him and ultimately getting to keep him, I have come to understand that there is also a special love that you have for the medical team that saves your child.

[Photo Description: Ollie sleeping after receiving the Benadryl before his stem cell transplant, while a Sick Kids nurse in PPE prepares to start the transfusion of Abby's stem cells.]

And so I am writing this love letter to my son's medical teams at Sick Kids Hospital and CHEO on this, Ollie's third re-birthday and our daughter Abby's 3rd Hero Day. Three years ago when then 8 year old Ollie (who had gone blind during his first of two relapses of his Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma ALK+) finally got his sister's half match stem cells at Sick Kids Hospital after a very intense and bumpy cancer journey, we breathed a sigh of relief, but knew that the hard work of recovery and survival was just beginning and there were no guarantees that it would work. 

[Photo Description: a split screen image of a video chat that we had with Abby while the transplant was started. Given out was early pandemic she was not allowed to be there in person even though she was the donor, so this is how we made her part of the momentous occasion. The top image shows Abby smiling as we show her the bottom image, which is the bag of her incredible stem cells hung with other bags of fluid and medication to be administered.]

To recap, it was just months after the COVID-19 pandemic had started. We'd arrived at Sick Kids from CHEO the first time for stem cell transplant in the second week of the very first lockdown after 6 intense months of cancer and relapse treatment at CHEO. Because of the pandemic, planes were being grounded, so his then 11 year old sister suddenly became his donor. Her cells were harvested at Sick Kids on March 31, 2020 and just 8 days later he relapsed in his central nervous system a second time. Unfortunately this was the week before he was supposed to start his total body radiation. We stayed in Toronto for 5 weeks after this to try a cancer inhibitor drug to no avail. 

[Photo Description: Abby watches as her stem cells collect in a bag hung on the Apheresis machine in the Dialysis Unit at Sick Kids Hospital on March 31st, 2020. The lines running her blood through the machine to strip out her stem cells can be seen beside her.]

After consulting with our CHEO Oncology team we opted to go back to Ottawa to try brain and spine radiation (thank you to the Ottawa Cancer Centre Radiology team at the Ottawa Hospital) combined with a brand new TKI obtained under compassionate grounds.  

[Photo Description: Members of the radiation team at The Ottawa Hospital put Ollie's radiation mask on him while he lies on the table. The team had his mask decorated with the cartoon character Johnny Test, which was his favourite. This radiation mask now hangs proudly like a trophy head in his epic playroom.]

To our delight and to the shock of his transplant team, this back pocket plan (designed by his CHEO team after his first CNS relapse) worked! By the end of June 2020 he was back in remission and 6 days later we were back at Sick Kids to ready for a second attempt at a transplant. 

Total Body Irradiation (TBI) at Princess Margaret was intense, but went well and we are grateful to the team there for their patience and help. 

To our shock, transplant went very smooth (a far cry from our very bumpy cancer treatments before) despite the added stress and fear of doing it during the first months of pandemic. Chimerism (which measures the number of donor cells present in the recipient) was 100% from the first test and has remained so the entire three years since. Our cheeky daughter promised us her cells would be overachievers and they certainly were!

[Photo Description: Abby, Mario, and Dawn surround Ollie in his wheelchair in the Atrium near the elevators on the 8th Floor at Sick Kids on discharge day +38. All are wearing masks and looking jubilant.]

Ollie was so well that after being discharged on +38 after transplant, we only stayed nearby until +58 and then were sent back home to have CHEO do the post transplant care since. We are about to have our final of three years of regular bloodwork and checkups post transplant at CHEO in August and I am actually weepy at the thought that we'll only see our oncology team once a year after this, despite how grateful I am to be at this point.

He's now fully re-vaccinated, breezed through COVID-19 just two weeks after his third vaccine for it in March 2022, has been unbelievably well, stopped his Lorlatinib TKI a year ago this week, lost 26 pounds of the weight gain from the TKI, is mentally well thanks in large part to CHEO Oncology's Psychologist and Social Worker, and remains in remission as confirmed by scans last month. 

Even better, he's living his best life, continuing to take skateboarding lessons, earning his orange belt in karate this year through Kids Kicking Cancer Canada, playing with the Canadian Blind Hockey Association last winter, Beep Kickball in the spring and summer, and representing his elementary school (grade 5) on their floor hockey and track and field teams. 

[Photo Description: Ollie poses for a photo during hockey practice with the Canadian Blind Hockey Association/Ottawa 67s Blind Hockey team in February 2023.]

He also does an amazing job advocating for better childhood cancer and blindness care and awareness whenever he's asked. He was featured (skateboarding blind) in a national Canadian Cancer Society Palliative Care campaign in January and spoke to Parliamentarians on behalf of children with cancer at their Day on the Hill in April. He and his CNIB Buddy Dog Hope will also be featured in an episode of AMI-TV's Blind Trust: A Guide Dog's Journey on August 22, 2023.

He will also be speaking on behalf of Young SIOP and I on behalf of Childhood Cancer International in the session on patient-centred care at the upcoming SIOP Congress in Ottawa this October. So if you're there, come by and say hi! I am also thrilled to contribute to several childhood cancer advocacy activities, many within CHEO and perhaps most notably with the new Canadian Pediatric Cancer Consortium (CPCC) as one of the Persons With Lived Experience Co-Leads for the Education and Training Matrix. We never take for granted how very lucky we are to be here today and do our best to give back where we can.

[Photo Description: Ollie and Dawn pose in front of the Canadian Cancer Society backdrop on their Day on the Hill. Ollie looks very handsome in a white dress shirt with bow tie and black dress pants and holds his mobility cane and Mom's arm.]

This love letter is for each and every single person in hospital who helped my son to survive. No contribution was too small and we are grateful for all of them including, but not limited to (in completely random order):

- The ENT clinic at CHEO who helped us to get to the bottom of the bump on his neck and get to diagnosis in 28 days after trying to figure out with our pediatrician for 4 months what it really was;

- Our incredible team of Oncologists and transplant doctors, lead by Dr. Abbott, Dr. Alexander and Dr. Ali;

- The people who cleaned his rooms and kept them bacteria free (especially when he had no immune system after transplant and during the pandemic); 

- Health care aids who transported him safely to so many operating rooms, scans and tests, all while keeping him and mom calm and often while telling us great stories that distracted us during stressful times;

[Photo Description: The 4 North Oncology Team and fellow patients at CHEO cheer and celebrate as Ollie rings the last planned admission gong (after his first central nervous system relapse during front line treatment) with Mom and Dad supporting him as he stands without his wheelchair to do so.]

- The incredible nursing staff in the MDU (especially our nurse case manager, post bone marrow transplant nurse, POGO Interlink nurse, and Nurse Practitioner), 4 North, Surgical Day Unit and PICU at CHEO and the Sears Clinic and 8th Floor, especially BMT Unit at Sick Kids; 

[Photo Description: Nursing staff in the Sick Kids BMT Unit give Ollie a send off with cheers, music and pom poms while daddy pushes him in the wheelchair on +38 discharge day in August 2020.]

- Lab technicians, pathologists and researchers who did the many tests to arrive at a rare diagnosis, identify infections, and to help us monitor too many risks to count over the past three and a half years;

- Imaging technicians and radiologists, often who dealt with our urgencies and were called in the middle of the night to do scans when he was relapsing or had to deal with our intense "scanxiety";

[Photo Description: Ollie sits with his leg in a bone density scanner at CHEO while a technician sits at the computer beside him.]

- The CHEO Genetics team and those at PROFYLE for helping us to identify his specific mutation that lead to a targeted therapy that was obtained under compassionate grounds, and got him back into remission and on to transplant after his second relapse when it looked doubtful that anything would;

- Pharmacists who helped us to find the right cocktail for every situation, creative ways to get adult meds down his hesitant throat, and ensured that despite it all happening during a global pandemic across two cities, we never had to worry that the lifesaving drugs wouldn't be available to us;

- Palliative care at both hospitals and the PICU team at CHEO who taught us that they do so much more than pain management and calling them in does not mean end of life;

[Photo Description: Ollie sits in his wheelchair at CHEO while recovering from his first relapse and is surrounded by therapeutic clowns, who were causing mischief and giving out lollipops.]

- Psycho-social teams including child life specialists, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, therapeutic clowns, music therapists, art therapists, volunteers, etc. You brought fun and compassion to a very scary situation for us on a daily basis and I am certain we could not have walked away with any good memories of this period without you;

[Photo Description: Ollie strums a ukulele in his hospital bed while a Music Therapist at Sick Kids plays the xylophone in an isolation room while waiting to engraft during transplant.]

- The radiation teams at the Ottawa Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital who worked together flawlessly to calibrate both brain and spine radiation and total body radiation within mere weeks of each other and made something so very scary almost easy for us;

[Photo Description: Princess Margaret Hospital radiation team prepares Ollie for total body radiation, sticking a device to his back to measure the exact amount of radiation being delivered.]

- Other "ologists" and specialists that treated his specific relapses and side effects including neurologists, endocrinologists,  cardiologists, ophthalmologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, respiratory therapists, bone specialists, auditory specialists, retina specialist, dental clinic, etc.

[Photo Description: Ollie prepares to have a pulmonary function test in February 2021 at CHEO. The respiratory therapist in PPE with his back to the camera is a childhood cancer survivor himself.]

- ER staff at both hospitals - when you are a cancer family you are bound to spend a lot of time in emergency and we are grateful for your efforts to minimize our wait to be unexpectedly admitted when needed;

- The Vein Access Teams (VAT) in both hospitals who quickly became among the most important people on our team;

- All others in senior leadership, administration and services - e.g. scheduling, admitting, cafeteria, laundry, maintenance, technology, parking, HR, finance, fundraising, communications, etc. I am certain you rarely get thanked by families, but all of you keep the hospital running seamlessly and we know during the pandemic this took extraordinary effort;

-  The Apheresis/Dialysis Unit for helping us so much on stem cell collection day and showing us what a fun place Sick Kids could be with your Tick Tock Dancing to entertain your young dialysis patients;

- Food services and restaurant/cafe staff who stayed open and served us during the early days of COVID despite the fear and unknowns;

- Anyone and everyone else I have forgotten to mention by clinic unit or specialty here. It literally took an army and my poor brain is still reeling at the magnitude of what you all did for us.

Gratefully we remember all of you and your contributions on this day and every time we look at Ollie, as he is living proof that an army working together with science and hope makes miracles together. We will never be able to adequately thank you all for saving his life, so we will keep doing whatever we can to help you to at least save others, too, through our advocacy and fundraising efforts. Know that we will never forget the thousands of kindnesses that you sent our way.

With love and gratitude always,

The Acosta-Pickering Family:

Dawn, Mario, Abby and Ollie

P.S. - Please share this with any who may have helped us at all four hospitals or who just need to be reminded of how important their work really is today and everyday.

Survival and Summer

Photo description: Ollie wears sunglasses and stands with his cane in front of the sign for the Cancer Survivor's Park in Ottawa.

In early May 2020 we came back to Ottawa from Toronto feeling deflated and stressed after missing the first opportunity to get him a lifesaving stem cell transplant when he relapsed a second time in his central nervous system. We spent 8 anxious weeks doing 13 sessions of brain and spine radiation, taking the new drug called Lorlatinib (that they obtained under compassionate grounds and was untested in children) and waiting to see if it worked. On June 24, 2020, we got the news that his scans were clear and he was officially back in remission!!! Last week he was officially one year in remission!!! So he did it again...proved that he could defy the odds and do 365 days of survival after we were told there were "few options left" to treat him after his second relapse. Sometimes I wonder if there's any challenge he hasn't overcome yet! 

 Photo description: Ollie raises his arms in triumph with a big smile on his face while wearing a t-shirt that reads, "Survivor: Cancer. It came. I fought and won."

Remission in this week last year started a new series of anxious weeks getting ready, going back to Toronto and finally getting his stem cell transplant with his sister Abby's incredible stem cells on July 20, 2020.

Photo description: Ollie stands with his cane in front of the Cancer Survivor's art installation in Cancer Survivor's Park in Ottawa. He stands in front of a tunnel of frames as behind statues of patents holding the issues of a child between them after emerging from the cancer journey.

One year in remission sadly isn't enough to say he's cured. I'm not sure we will ever be able to say that as even science doesn't really know who will walk away and never have cancer again and who may get it again. But, it's clear he's a survivor and we're hopeful he'll remain so. He and I made a visit to the Cancer Survivor's Park in Ottawa near the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and took some photos so he'd have his rightful place there.  As I shared in an earlier blog, we drive by this park every time we go/ have gone to CHEO and The Ottawa Hospital and many times during treatment it reminded me that people survive the unbelievable torture and agony of cancer and end up survivors.

Photo description: Ollie stands with his cane in front of the Cancer Survivor's art installation in Cancer Survivor's Park in Ottawa. 

Not surprisingly his survival makes us want to help others to survive their darkest hours and help their children, too. So we were thrilled to share Ollie's story for the 2021 CHEO Telethon, which raised a record-setting $10.9 million dollars!!! 

Photo description: A brown paper bag reads "Ollie +Abby" with CHEO stickers on it.

When Ollie went into CHEO for his regular monthly bloodwork and checkup the day after the Telethon, the staff treated him like a celebrity after seeing his story. He felt pretty proud to be part of it and this helps to boost his confidence.

Photo description: A gift bag including two teddy bears wearing yellow CHEO shirts and purple capes and various CHEO items including certificates for Ollie and Abby was dropped off for them by CHEO after the 2021 CHEO Telethon.

Photo description: Ollie wearing a mask walks the halls of CHEO with his white cane.

He also had an opthamology consult at CHEO two weeks ago at my request. The last time he had one was just after getting back from transplant last September and recently he's complained of things seeming darker again, causing him more fear and reducing his confidence. Naturally that stresses me out more as I worry something is happening in his brain (the fear always immediately goes to a relapse) and he becomes more needy, making my day to day activities with him harder. I'd also noticed a free weeks before that the blue in his right eye appeared to be bleeding out of the circle and into the white of his eye. Thankfully our oncologist always takes me seriously, so when I asked for the consult, she and her team immediately arranged it. 

Photo description: Ollie walks Hope while using his white cane at the Central Experimental Farm near his home in Ottawa.

Dr. O'Connor is the Opthamalogist at CHEO who has seen Ollie for the 17 months since he became blind. He told me this was the best look at Ollie's optic nerves that he's gotten since he went blind. He confirmed that in Ollie's right eye there is the extensive damage they've assumed based on the previous inflammation in that eye and on the scans. He was impressed by how much peripheral vision Ollie actually had in that eye considering that he could see that the optic nerve was almost chewed away at by the lymphoma. He said unbelievably there is still some minor inflammation and bruising in that eye (that's what the blue in his white was!), so it's still possible that he may recover a bit more light/vision in that eye. He told me noticing the bruising was a really good catch that most would never notice. I told him it's now my job to notice every little thing about my son.

He then told me he'd reviewed Ollie's case notes before seeing him. He asked me if anyone at Sick Kids had ever mentioned that Ollie's left retina was detached as he hadn't seen it in the case notes and he hadn't noted it himself last fall. I told him I was certain I would have remembered that! So he said, this would explain the sudden darkness for him and congratulated me in following my instincts to ask for a consult. He's referred us to a retina specialist as we'd like to reattach the retina to avoid pressure issues, for the  chance that he may recover a bit if that vision and just in case science and medicine make it possible for his optic nerves to be repaired one day. As I told the doctor, 60 years ago a stem cell transplant wasn't possible, they're currently using stem cells in the US to regenerate damaged retinas and he's still very young so has a lifetime of medical progress ahead to hope for. Retina reattachment is a relatively quick and easy procedure done through laser eye surgery now. We'll keep you posted on this.

Photo description: Dawn wears a mask and a bandaid on her arm in an arena after getting her second COVID-19 vaccination.

In other news, Mario and I are now double vaccinated and Abby has her first and is awaiting her eligibility for her second. The vaccine still isn't approved for kids under 12 and it will have to specifically be okay for immuno-compromised kids like Ollie before he can get it. We remain hopeful that news will come soon.

Photo description: Abby's arm with a bandaid after she received her first COVID-19 vaccination.

Another beautiful thing that happened to us recently was that my dear friend Vanessa Kelly arrived at my door with a gift of her latest book for me. Vanessa is a USA Today Best-selling Author of historical romances. I have long been a closeted fan of historical romances and when I met Vanessa at my church a few years ago, got to know her and found out what she did for a living, I immediately began devouring her books as my guilty pleasure. Since Ollie got sick she's so kindly brought me advanced copies of all of her new books! So I was excited at this one arriving just as school was out and I'd have a bit more time to read. When she left and I opened the package there was a card for Abby and I with the book that said she hoped we didn't mind that she'd dedicated her latest book to us!

Photo description: Cover of the novel, "The Highlander's Irish Bride" with a photo of a shirtless man in a red kilt embracing a woman in a pink dress. Novel by USA Today Best-selling Author Vanessa Kelly.

So I quickly opened the book to the dedication page and wept as I read her dedication and personal message (see photo below). I was also thrilled to be in the incredible company of our dear friend Maria who does have THE most loving heart around and has been the most generous friend before and throughout Ollie's cancer. She was the one who arranged the meal train and had everyone feed us for the months we were in Ottawa, arranged prayer circles, came to hospital and fed us there, played Beyblades in hospital with Ollie, fed me and sat with me in the pediatric ICU when Ollie first relapsed and Mario and Abby had strep and couldn't come to hospital, etc. 

Photo description: Dedication page of the novel, "The Highlander's Irish Bride". The printed dedication reads, "To Abby A-P, a bright, brave lass, as well as an excellent writer who will adorn the world with her talent. And to her mom, Dawn P, also a bright, brave lass. Your dedication against all nodds defined love and courage. And to Maria C. It's been a true pleasure getting to know your loving heart!" A handwritten note says, "To Abby & Dawn, Real life heroines!  Vanessa XOXO"

To say that Abby and I were touched by Vanessa's love and public admiration through this dedication is an understatement. Vanessa has also been a constant source of positivity and prayer during Ollie's cancer treatment and stem cell transplant and I am blessed by her friendship. I don't know how I got so lucky to have such fantastic people in my life, but I am grateful to God daily for all who have loved and continue to love us. 

If any are interested, her new book will be available to buy on July 27th through Amazon and other book retailers. Warning though - they're addictive so make sure you start it in a weekend when you have lots of time to read! 😉

Photo description: Mario helps Ollie tie on his new yellow belt from Kids Kicking Cancer.

The kids finished off an inspiring year of martial arts with Kids Kicking Cancer with their Yellow Belt Grading Ceremony. Imagine that my blind cancer- and stem-cell transplant surviving son who was in a wheelchair and hardly able to walk to the bathroom last September earned his yellow belt this year! I am 100% convinced that Kids Kicking Cancer contributed so much to getting him to wellness, strength and a hugely improved range of movement over the past 8 months. It's also built his confidence as he gave several talks to senior federal government and corporate leaders on how to overcome challenges and use power breathing to calm your fears and anxiety during these difficult times. 

Photo description: Abby and Ollie show off their new yellow belts from Kids Kicking Cancer.

At Kids Kicking Cancer they tell their powerful martial artists that their mission is to teach the world. He and Abby HAVE been teaching the world how to face adversity with bravery and determination these past two years. Abby agreed to do the martial arts classes simply to help Ollie, but she ended up getting so much more out of it than she expected and was pretty proud of her yellow belt (even if as she pointed out she was the oldest in the class). I couldn't be prouder of either of them or more grateful to Sensei Lyne and Sensei Cody as well as Jill, Julie and all who have worked so hard to bring the gift of martial arts to kids fighting cancer and their siblings in Canada.

Photo description: Ollie rides his new orange BERG pedal go kart while wearing an orange helmet and giving a thumbs up. 

Ollie and Abby ended online school last week. It was not an easy year between cancer/stem cell transplant recovery and the pandemic, but they hung in there and both made some astounding progress considering everything they had to deal with at the same time. One of Abby's teachers really got our situation this year as her son needed a kidney transplant, so she was part of a kidney transplant chain (she was not a match for her son, so donated for another child for whom she was a match and someone who was a match for her son and had a child for whom they were not a match donated to hers). Thankfully both her and her son are also doing well. What a year for everyone!

Ollie's vision itinerant teacher Mrs. Shepherd was retiring at end of this year and no doubt Ollie was one of the most challenging and yet impressive students she's ever had. She says he learned Braille faster than most students she's taught over her long career and I am one of only two parents she's ever known to learn Braille with their child. She was a gift to us with her expertise and determination to get Ollie into advanced (called grade 2/contracted) Braille and back on track for school next fall with his regular class (assuming it is safe enough for him). Ollie was genuinely sad to hear that she would be retiring and wouldn't be his teacher again next year, but we know he'll be in great hands with his next teacher given the great transition Mrs. Shepherd did. 

Photo description: Ollie gives two thumbs up while sitting in front of his 9th birthday cake about to blow out the candles.

In addition to his remission anniversary and end of the school year, it was also Ollie's 9th birthday last week. Since we knew it would be another fairly quiet one with only a small family party and we promised to have a real party for 9.5 or whenever it's safe to, Ollie got an extra special present in lieu of a party. 

After much discussion about his desire to ride a bike again (and he meant alone, not tandem) and deliberation about the merits of a three wheel bike vs. tandem bike vs. other options, we finally agreed to buying him a pedal go kart. Since it's hard/more dangerous for blind/low vision people to ride a bike independently, he agreed this would be a great and exciting alternative. We take it out to the Central Experimental Farm near our house and he's had a complete blast on it, being so much more confident than we expected. We do have to give him a bit of verbal feedback if he's getting close to an obstruction or hill, etc., but otherwise it's all him and you can tell he feels free and like a completely normal kid when he rides it. 

Photo description: An ad for the Great Make-A-Wish Campout that reads, "I've accepted Oliver's Campout challenge...Now I'm challenging you!" With photos of Ollie from his Wish Day and Abby camping last year for the event.

In honour of Ollie's birthday, and of our dear friend Hillary McKibbin's birthday, (which is the same day as Ollie's!) the two kids were Co-Wish Ambassadors for the Great Make-A-Wish Campout last weekend. Although it rained most of the weekend, we had some fun and raised some money to Wish It Forward for other kids with critical illnesses. Thanks to all for your generous donations for our many causes. We're taking a break from financial donations for a bit now...

Photo description: Ollie and his CNIB Buddy Dog Hope stand in front of the Canadian Blood Services sign as it flashes, "Blood for Life".

...so now all we want is your BLOOD! 😄 In honour of Ollie's upcoming  re-birthday (1 year anniversary of his stem cell transplant) and his sister's Hero Day (when he got her lifesaving stem cells) on July 20th, we're doing a blood donation clinic from July 19th to 24th. When Ollie was sick he got every blood product there is multiple times including blood, plasma, IViG and stem cells and each one saved his life every time. In gratitude we want to help to save more loved ones like Ollie with blood donations. 

We're hoping to get 100 donations. You can join our campaign from anywhere in the country and new donors are welcome. It's safe even during pandemic. I have donated every 84 days as I am allowed since Ollie got home from transplant last September. It takes less than an hour and you could meet a friend there to chat and catch up during your collection as I have! 

To join our campaign, simply:

1. Register or sign in if you're already a donor and have an account.

2. Select "Partners" from the menu.

3. Search "Donate for Ollie & Abby".

4. Book an appointment to donate between July 19th to 24th.

If you prefer you can also call 1-888-2- DONATE and ask to be added to the "Donate to Ollie & Abby" campaign that week. 

If you can't donate, please share this with others who might. If your loved one is ever critically ill or in an accident, you want to know that blood will be there to save their life. I have sent silent prayers of thanks to the kind donor each and every time my son has been saved by a blood product. What an incredible country we live in that you can count on free lifesaving blood!

After this campaign we're going to take a little break from giving back to recharge. I sometimes forget that we went right from cancer to stem cell transplant to school and "regular life" so rapidly last fall with no time to process or rest. We plan to do that and only that for August to ready for the next transition back to in-person school in the fall if it's safe enough for Ollie.

Wishing you all a beautiful beginning to summer. Don't forget to find the joy in life every day no matter what your challenges may be. It's there if you look for it and helps you to survive even the worst things you can imagine.

He's going to ring that bell!!!

It's late and I don't have time to write a real post, but since all of you have been following along so amazingly all year, I don't want you to miss this...

Ollie is going to ring the bell at CHEO tomorrow (Friday, November 6) at 1:15 pm EST and has asked us to live stream it so friends and family can be virtually present. Apparently you don't need an account to watch here:

https://fb.me/e/fsCiiwL2E

Recording it and will share if you can't make it.