Blake right after his first surgery, Dec 30th, 2008
Daddy with Blake and Alexia
Family photo!
Blake, currently cancer free.
Posing for a picture for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
2014
It seems like so long ago, but the memories are all still fresh in our minds. Blake's diagnosis day will always be an anniversary, although we have a bigger anniversary now that we always celebrate, April 21st, 2011, Blake's last dose of chemo.
We are still overwhelmed by all the blessings that were poured out on us while Blake was in treatment. The kind words, prayers, gifts, meals and most of all, the care of an amazing medical team that had Blake's best interest at heart every step of the way.
We don't really celebrate diagnosis day, it is still an ache in our hearts that Blake ever had to go through the long and strenuous treatments, we still don't know all the different side effects his medications could have caused. What we do know is that he is here. We can hug him, we can see him. We have conversations with him. He is such a sweet kid, he has the biggest heart. To meet him is to love him and that is even for people who don't even know what he has been through already in his life.
Blake still has wellness checks every 3 months to make sure the cancer has not come back. His last one was late November, it is all clear counts and blue skies for him. To celebrate we went to Disney, out first time there in 5 years, our first time back after his Make-A-Wish trip. It was such a blessing, we had so much fun.
We have all grown through the process, we are all that much more thankful for what we are blessed with. We may seem extra optimistic, a little too Pollyanna for the dismal world we are living in, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Having been where we've been and after seeing what we've seen, we know what could have happened. We know we could have an empty spot at our dinner table, an empty place in our pictures. We are so thankful for the time we get to spend with our miracle boy.
We still have friends who are going through a similar, painful experience, with children in the process of being treated for cancer. Our hearts break whenever we hear of a cancer diagnosis, especially a child. For those who have prayed and are praying for Blake, please add his little friends in your prayers. No child, no family, should ever have to go through this. While we count our blessings, we pray for them to be where we are, 6 years from now, counting their blessings as well.
Words can not express how thankful we are.
The Parrack Family
