My View Looking Forward
Before cancer, I was never a morning person, but now I love waking up in my home with the entire family under one roof. Most nights, I wake up around 3 am in a panic. Did I dream up this terrible nightmare that my 4-year-old son had cancer and had four inches of his leg cut off? I rush to Gus’s room to check on him and sometimes lay next to him. I tell him I love him to the moon and back and that I am so proud of him. I know these moments are what matter most in life. Right now, it is easy to get sidetracked by arguments over vaccine hesitancy or mask mandates that are still in place. I wish everyone would slow down and view this as an opportunity to help their neighbor. Believe me, it could be so much worse. I have watched a handful of families lose their children to childhood cancer and have been humbled and blessed by their friendship. We share the common bond of childhood cancer....
Gus’ Journey Through Cancer
Gus, my 4-year-old son, was chasing me down the stairs on our way to the basement for our early morning workout. This particular morning, Gus jumped from the stairs onto the floor and took an extra step. Something seemed off, but he didn’t complain after he landed, so we moved on with our day. That afternoon, Gus complained about pain in his leg when his mom, Heidi, picked him up from preschool. But by that evening, he was running around again. The following morning, he was limping, though not complaining, but by night he had a low-grade fever and intense leg pain. DIAGNOSIS The next morning, Heidi took Gus to Urgent Care, and after an X-ray, they were immediately sent to the Children’s Hospital. After 24 long hours and some preliminary imaging, Heidi and I were told by a seasoned diagnostic radiologist that he was 98% sure Gus had a bacterial infection in his leg. The radiologist...
Dear Presh
Dear Presh (a.k.a. Sarah), My heart gets a little heavy this time of year. I start to wonder why and then realize that it means another year has passed since I last saw you. Last held your hand. Last hugged you. You fought Ewing’s Sarcoma with such poise, grace and unwavering faith in the Lord that I could only stand in awe. I didn’t meet you and your family until after your first battle with Ewing’s. I actually remember exactly where we met and how we immediately hit it off. I remember we laughed and laughed. From there our friendship just grew. You visited the Rally office, filmed videos and spoke at Rally events. There were Subway and Chick-fil-A lunches. There were also relapses, hospital visits and doctor’s appointments that you invited me to. There are so many Presh memories. Indulge me as I recall a few. You found it so funny that any medical procedure, while it fascinated you,...
You Above ALL: Rally Kid Ava Paige’s Songwriting Story
A PATH TO SUCCESS Rally Kid Ava Paige has been writing songs and playing guitar for most of her life. She always dreamed of becoming a successful songwriter, and her natural talents put her well on her way at a young age. Ava has played live shows in Nashville for many years, even holding a standing gig at The George Jones since age 13. She has played iconic venues such as The Listening Room and The Bluebird Cafe and frequently participates in songwriter shows around town that include some major hitmakers. She earned several music industry awards and was named Best Singer/Songwriter in the 2019 Nashville Scene Readers Poll. A SHOCKING DIAGNOSIS With her music career traveling in the fast lane, Ava was delivered a blow just before her 15th birthday—she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL for short. Gigs and songwriting were put on hold and replaced by hospital stays...
Dear William
Dear William, There are so many memories. So many. You were the inspiration for Rally. The first Rally Kid. Your driveway was the prayer circle driveway. The driveway where, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning at 9:30, God took a minimum of six to as many as 15 women on an unbelievable journey to pray you and your family through your first relapse with medulloblastoma—a pediatric brain tumor. We were an interesting crew made up mainly of baseball moms from all different faiths, denominations, neighborhoods and schools. We had ladies who “named it and claimed it” and ladies who said, “This is God’s will” and ladies who said, “We just don’t get it, Lord” and ladies who never said a word but faithfully showed up. Where Rally Started From your driveway to your hospital room, Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research was birthed. Rally was never about one kid, one type of...
Cleaning Out the Medicine Cabinet
17 BOTTLES A few weeks ago, I cleaned out the medicine cabinet. That doesn’t sound super exciting, I know, but I threw away 17 bottles of expired chemotherapy and cancer-related medications. Last year, these bottles were strung out across our counter at all times, ready to be administered to my daughter, Lexy, every 4-12 hours. A lot changed in a year. BACK TO “THAT” PLACE I was reminded that fear can strike at any time. I had tried to clean the medicine cabinet after Lexy’s port removal surgery. That was months ago. Those bottles were something I just couldn’t bring myself to get rid of—like some kind of crazy cancer superstition. But then I noticed that seeing the bottles was hard—not only for me but for Lexy. They took us back to “that” place. A piece of it always stays with you. You never forget seeing your child gasp for air or the sound of the alarm notifying everyone she was in...
My View Looking Forward
Before cancer, I was never a morning person, but now I love waking up in my home with the entire family under one roof. Most nights, I wake up around 3 am in a panic. Did I dream up this terrible nightmare that my 4-year-old son had cancer and had four inches of his leg cut off? I rush to Gus’s room to check on him and sometimes lay next to him. I tell him I love him to the moon and back and that I am so proud of him. I know these moments are what matter most in life. Right now, it is easy to...
Gus’ Journey Through Cancer
Gus, my 4-year-old son, was chasing me down the stairs on our way to the basement for our early morning workout. This particular morning, Gus jumped from the stairs onto the floor and took an extra step. Something seemed off, but he didn’t complain after he landed, so we moved on with our day. That afternoon, Gus complained about pain in his leg when his mom, Heidi, picked him up from preschool. But by that evening, he was running around again. The following morning, he was limping, though not...
Dear Presh
Dear Presh (a.k.a. Sarah), My heart gets a little heavy this time of year. I start to wonder why and then realize that it means another year has passed since I last saw you. Last held your hand. Last hugged you. You fought Ewing’s Sarcoma with such poise, grace and unwavering faith in the Lord that I could only stand in awe. I didn’t meet you and your family until after your first battle with Ewing’s. I actually remember exactly where we met and how we immediately hit it off. I remember we...
You Above ALL: Rally Kid Ava Paige’s Songwriting Story
A PATH TO SUCCESS Rally Kid Ava Paige has been writing songs and playing guitar for most of her life. She always dreamed of becoming a successful songwriter, and her natural talents put her well on her way at a young age. Ava has played live shows in Nashville for many years, even holding a standing gig at The George Jones since age 13. She has played iconic venues such as The Listening Room and The Bluebird Cafe and frequently participates in songwriter shows around town that include some...
Dear William
Dear William, There are so many memories. So many. You were the inspiration for Rally. The first Rally Kid. Your driveway was the prayer circle driveway. The driveway where, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning at 9:30, God took a minimum of six to as many as 15 women on an unbelievable journey to pray you and your family through your first relapse with medulloblastoma—a pediatric brain tumor. We were an interesting crew made up mainly of baseball moms from all different faiths,...
Cleaning Out the Medicine Cabinet
17 BOTTLES A few weeks ago, I cleaned out the medicine cabinet. That doesn’t sound super exciting, I know, but I threw away 17 bottles of expired chemotherapy and cancer-related medications. Last year, these bottles were strung out across our counter at all times, ready to be administered to my daughter, Lexy, every 4-12 hours. A lot changed in a year. BACK TO “THAT” PLACE I was reminded that fear can strike at any time. I had tried to clean the medicine cabinet after Lexy’s port removal...