Flickers of Hope

We had a health scare with Caleb that led to a trip to the Emergency Room!

 

You can see the pain in David’s eyes, but Cal put on a brave smile, even though he felt terrible.

 

 

We were on a fun Camp-Out with his Pack of Cub Scouts and looking forward to sparking a fire.  Instead, Caleb spiked a fever.  It was a tough hour and a half race to the hospital.   

It turned out to be Paraflu (a virus that’s different from THE flu.) 

Luckily, Caleb’s blood levels were high enough that he got to be released and not admitted to the hospital!  He was so happy to go home.

Prayers are definitely still needed though!  Chemo patients often suffer a big drop in their levels about 4-6 weeks after they are diagnosed with Paraflu.  We pray this doesn’t happen and that he doesn’t become severely neutropenic (low levels), which would make him more susceptible to infections.  His doctors will closely monitor him, and they are not going to increase his chemo right now, as they had planned to do.

My parents will agree - there aren’t enough words to say how thankful we are for our friends at Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance.  When the goin’ gets tough, they really get us goin’ in the right direction! 

They do an amazing job of never letting Caleb be a candle in the wind.  They help keep him uplifted and shining brightly. 

They honored him as a Light of Courage.

 

 Former New York City Mayor & cancer survivor Rudy Giuliani offered encouraging words of hope  to Caleb.

He truly felt so special that day!

While tucking Caleb in to bed later that night, I told Caleb how very proud I was of him for being brave and for handling his treatments so well that he was honored as a light of courage to others.  He quietly giggled, “The award made me feel like I’m real special, Mommy.”  Oh you are, my sweet child.  You are my hero.  It was so beautiful to hear those words coming out of his little mouth. 

The Candlelighters also honored Caleb at their golf tournament last week. 

He got to help make some big announcements!

He also REALLY enjoyed meeting former Astros’ great Brandon Backe!

 Backe was so encouraging and kind to Caleb & Zachary!  

He even gave them a stack of games he won in a raffle.  How fun!

Caleb had a BLAST at my 15^th annual golf tournament yesterday, that benefits the incredible group, Children at Risk.  For the first time in 20 months, I had to miss Caleb's appointment at Texas Children's Hospital.  I was able to pull it off with the help of Nicole, Caleb's loving babysitter he's had his entire life.  That, and a conference call to his medical workers, worked out well. 

I was so happy when Nicole showed up at the course with the boys!

 

Caleb even had enough energy, after his hospital visit, to enjoy his annual tradition with my boss, the GM of FOX26, D’Artagnan Bebel, with water gun fights!

It was a fun day with family, dear friends, and successful fundraising.

We usually have the kids rake the sand traps -but just this once -  let Caleb leave his HAPPY smiley face message behind.  :)

 

Caleb is wrapping up his baseball season with the Dodgers.  

He loves his team and is very excited to be heading into the play-offs next week.

His end-of-the-year party was on the field of the Minor League team, the Sugar Land Skeeters. He loved being so close to the big players!

Caleb is far right in this photo.  We were VERY proud of him for taking his hat off during the National Anthem.  When he got a similar experience last year, he just couldn't get up the nerve to do it.  Way to go, Cal!

It’s hard to believe there are only eight days of school left.  We are thrilled that Caleb excelled in the first grade!  Thanks to his loving teachers and administrators, he thrived this year.  We are praying for continued success in all he does and of course, continued good health.

A wonderful man, whom I've always looked up to, my Uncle Frank Harris, just passed away.  It was very hard to "say good-bye" last week, although I know he is another angel in Heaven watching over us.  I will always miss him.  He was a beautiful human being and such a Godly man.  

Luke 11:33-35

"No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness."