It’s been fifteen and a half years since a malignant tumor the size of a grapefruit was removed from the left kidney of our son, James. The feelings of despair and the fear of losing our eleven-year-old constantly gnawed at our hearts. Every time I meet a parent of a child faced with cancer, I empathize deeply with them. As James’s treatment progressed, we muddled through the pains and disruption of surgeries, tests and multiple days and nights in the hospital. It dawned on us that, while this chapter in our lives was difficult, there were many families on the oncology floor going through much worse. First, James had the benefit of being a part of a research trial, which gave us added hope that he could beat this dreadful disease. Many parents are told the only protocol available for their child is the same old treatment that has been around for decades. (Childhood cancer research is...
A Letter from Elaine
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