Leukemia sucks. Leukemia sucks. LEUKEMIA SUCKS! No, I don't have leukemia, nor have I ever, but my eight-year-old cousin does. He was diagnosed two and a half years ago on my sister's sixteenth birthday. Ever since, we've been counting down to March 10, 2012, the day we get to hear those two glorious words: cancer free. In the meantime, there's still plenty to be done, such as cursing leukemia's existence while raising awareness, and educating people as much as possible. I'm not an expert by any means, but I'll do the best I can.
For those who don't know, September is Child Cancer Awareness month. Earlier in the month, my cousin and his family spent a night in Toronto, as the CN Tower was going to glow gold, the result of a campaign from a young girl who understood cancer all too well. Her goal? Make the public more aware of childhood cancer. Unfortunately, I missed the occasion, but I'm of the understanding that it was quite the spectacle. I hope that by the time all was said and done, she was able to say to herself, "mission: accomplished".
Naturally, when you hear "leukemia", many negative thoughts swirl through your mind. It's human nature. When we first heard, "it's leukemia," trying to find something positive in amongst the Sea of Not Fair and What the Hell?! wasn't easy, but we managed to find things to smile about. A little over a year ago, my cousin and his family came over for an afternoon visit. As we'd had plenty of rain, our ditch was flooded, so I'd suggested that we make boats. Bear in mind that at this time, my cousin had lost most of his hair, thus revealing a few birth marks. Next thing we knew, my mother had taken a bright green marker, and played connect-the-dots on the side of his head, creating what looked like a sail boat. My cousin giggled at the silliness. Before long, his younger brother had a green boat on his cheek to match the one on the side of his big brother's head. We'd rather have something silly like the green marker boat, or a fascination for electricity define my cousin, not his cancer. However unlike playing connect-the-dots, not all positive aspects result from happy endings. To better understand such a proclamation, you must first travel back in time, approximately 82 years ago.
My great gram once had a brother who was a year older than her. When he was in his teens, he became incredibly unwell. Naturally, great gram's family sent for the doctor, however, he couldn't figure out what was wrong. In an attempt to find answers, doctors from the city were called upon with the belief that they would certainly have a cure. Sadly, a few weeks later, at the age of sixteen, great gram's brother passed away. Back in the 1920's, doctors had no clue what leukemia was, resulting in those city physicians chosing to study my great uncle. From what I've been told, great gram's brother was one of the earliest cases of leukemia in the area. To this day, my family firmly believes that those doctors found something with my great gram's brother 82 years ago that's helping my cousin conquer cancer today.
I've definitely become more educated since my cousin was diagnosed. For instance, I've learned that there's more than one type of leukemia, and that the side effects of my cousin's meds have resulted in everything from temporary weight gain, to hair loss, to mood swings. I've also learned that low neuts allow opportunistic viruses to have a field day, but most of all, I've learned that he's tougher than I'll ever be. He has the bravery beads to prove it.
September may be over, but being aware of child cancer must never cease. Knowledge is power, and one day that power will make leukemia all but a memory. Five more months, and counting...
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