As the girls were off to their 2nd day of school and B and I got lost in our work for the day, we received horrifying news from B’s sister. Our niece, Reagan was admitted to Children’s hospital and was diagnosed with B cell Acute Lymphatic Leukemia. There were tests to be run and treatments to discuss, but the day just stood still and everything else seemed to stop around us.
I wish my response to the news was articulate and eloquent, but it went something like this…”What the F***?!?!” (yeah, my mom reads this, but you know what I said). That’s about all you can say when an eight year old is diagnosed with cancer. A sweet, sassy, strong eight year old that is right between your own girls in age. An eight year old that just started 3rd grade a week ago. An eight year old that lost her grandmother to cancer less than two years ago.
I picked the girls up from school with tears in my eyes but held it together until we could get home and we could talk. Annabelle got very angry. Gwyenth got very scared and cried. They have heard the words “____ has cancer” far too many times in their short little lives.
They dove right in to preparing a care package for Reagan with stuffed animals and Madlibs and our whole family went to the hospital to see Reagan and to give her and Jen (B’s sister) big hugs. The very next day she had surgery, a spinal, and started chemo. Life can truly change forever in the blink of an eye.
B went back down on Thursday while the girls were at school and I took the girls again on Saturday. The treatments are taking their toll and Reagan was not feeling great, but oh boy were these gals happy to see each other. The frowns quickly turned to smiles and giggles and then hysterical laughter. As the girls and I were leaving a nurse stopped me and said that their laughter filled the entire floor and there was no greater sound than the giggles of little girls. I very much agreed!
Reagan and her entire family have a tough road ahead; several years of treatments. We are grateful to live close so we can see her often, hug her often, and help where we can. She is home now and the girls have a High School Musical marathon in the works.
I have a heavy-heart for Reagan, for her brother and her parents. I’m sad for our entire family. The past few years have not been the most kind to the Meyers. It has been a tough journey through illnesses and I feel we’re all a little broken. Thank goodness for sweet smiles, big laughs, and even bigger hearts proving you can never have too many monkeys in one bed…
Meyered...With Children 