I am so lucky.
We went to an amazing event on Saturday. It was called A Celebration of Life and it was put on by the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children's Pediatric Oncology department. There were so many things that were unbelievable about it. I loved seeing all the kids - some had all their hair, some of the kids had recently finished treatment and their hair was growing back. And, there were a few of the kids that we still on treatment and came down from their room with their IV poles tagging behind them.
The kids came with their parents and siblings if they have them. We were so honored to give out BraveHoods to the kids. I loved the smiles they get when we tell them they are for them. Sometimes the kids would stand back and wait for someone else to come to our table. If I wasn't busy, I would always bring them a shirt and tell them it was theirs to keep.
One man asked if he had to make a donation to get one. I was so honored to tell him that someone else has already made a donation, so that his kiddos can have a shirt. It was like seeing all our hard work come together.
The thing that amazed me the most is the conversations I had with moms, dads and even grandparents. I can't tell you how many times I heard the words "We are so lucky…." Everyone had their own reasons for being lucky - the cancer was caught early, their son is their only child so they can devote all their time to his care, we found the perfect doctor, he survived when we thought he wouldn't. If I hadn't gone through this myself, I would be pretty confused because you wouldn't expect anyone in that room to feel lucky - but we all do. Unbelievably so.
Cancer changes a person in so many different ways, there is no doubt about it. I am truly lucky and I will never forget that.