Some days start like any other, but end up changing your whole life. You never expect it. One moment, everything feels normal. Then suddenly, nothing is the same. That’s how it happened to me.
It was a busy Thursday. I had packed week full of appointments. As I parked outside the pediatrician’s office, I heard my kids talking in the backseat. When I glanced at my reflection, it was Jonathan’s bright blue eyes staring back at me.
He was going in for his 7-year checkup. He’s always been talkative and full of energy. I had no worries about him. My baby, Jameson, was also with us. He was 4 months old and had a routine checkup too. He was healthy and happy, but I wanted the doctor to look at his belly it looked a little big and had a new bump.
My daughter Regan, sitting next to her brothers, reminded me to hurry up. She had just gotten her first pair of glasses that week. Regan has cerebral palsy, caused by a stroke before birth. We’ve spent years going to therapies. She’s strong, works hard, and unless you knew her story, you wouldn’t guess anything had ever happened to her.
We walked into the office. The waiting room was chaotic as always. Finally, our turn came. Jonathan’s exam went great. Then I placed Jameson on the table. When I asked the doctor about his belly, her face changed. She touched his side and said, “I can feel his spleen. He needs an X-ray.”
The X-ray showed his liver and spleen were enlarged. She ordered an ultrasound and blood work. But before the lab could take his blood, she called and told me to rush him to Children’s Hospital. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
At the hospital, they did more tests. Then the oncologist came in and told us Jameson had multiple tumors. They suspected cancer neuroblastoma. I broke down. How could this be? He was smiling and happy. He didn’t look sick at all.
He had an MRI, a biopsy, and then a central line placed in his chest. He was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. The cancer had already spread. He needed chemo right away. Just one week after his regular baby checkup, my tiny son began fighting for his life.
Caring for him is now my full-time job. The chemo, the central line, the risk of infection it’s all terrifying. But I’m his mom. I have to be strong, even when I’m scared. This is our life now. And even in the darkest moments, I try to hold on to the small, beautiful things.
