Let me just start off with a visual for you all. Imagine yourself as a parent (some of you already are). Now imagine having a perfect life, with a perfect spouse, and 3 beautiful children. One day your child comes to you and mentioned that his knee hurts. What do many parents do? They look at it, brush it off and say “you’ll be ok kiddo”. But what if they aren’t? What if the reality of the situation was that something was actually wrong with your child? He keeps coming back to you, expressing that his knee just keeps hurting. Yet you don’t see anything wrong with it. There are no apparent cuts or bruises that you can see. Again you tell him everything will be ok. But what if it’s not? Days, weeks, maybe even months go by and still no change in your son. You finally take him to see the doctor. The doctor doesn’t see anything but refers them to go get the knee scanned to make sure there’s nothing wrong with the knee itself. You leave the office with hope that it could just be nothing, but still curious why he keeps saying it is bothering him. The knee gets scanned and you’re waiting for the results. The doctor calls you in and asks for you to please sit down. You begin to get nervous and you can feel the hairs on the back of your neck start standing up and tingling. “Your son has cancer” comes out of the doctors mouth. Your heart stops and you feel empty, like someone has just ripped your heart straight out of your chest. What do you do? You start to question what you did wrong. Why this could be happening to your child. What will happen? What’s the next step? How is this going to change everyone’s life? Emotions run wild. You calm yourself down and pay attention to what the doctor says next, and the necessary steps that follow to give your child the best chance of beating this.
The scary thing is this can happen. And it does. Unfortunately for the most part it is something we cannot control. I had the privilege to meet a young boy named “Super” Sam Bish. No “Super” isn’t really part of his real name but this little boy in himself is an incredible human being. Sam is an eight year old little boy with two younger sisters. He will be turning 9 on January 25. He attends French Run Elementary School in Reynoldsburg, OH. His cancer was diagnosed on August 10, 2009. This mass began in his knee in a form called Osteosarcoma (stage 4)—a type of bone cancer. The cancer is in his right knee and has spread to both of his lungs. Most of the time when it moves to the lungs there will be tumors found in the single digits—not the case for Sam. Doctors have counted tumors “in the teens” on his lungs. A few days after being diagnosed Sam went to the hospital where an aggressive form of chemotherapy was started to fight the rapidly growing cancer. A Chemo-port was placed in Sam’s chest where all his treatments are administered.
I sat down with Sam along with my good friend Courtney Hodges. She was the first one who told me about Sam and that he would love for me to come visit him. I asked if Courtney would take us to see him. We pulled up to the Bish’s home. It looked like any other normal home, only difference was inside lay a boy who could no longer enjoy being free and running around outside. Most of his day is spent on the sofa or taking a nap in his mothers bed—which to Sam was the most comfortable bed on the planet. I sat down with Sam, we took him some presents to open and also took some goodies for his little sisters as well. He is a good big brother to them and genuinely cares for them. We walked into the family room where Sam was sitting, awaiting our arrival. He greeted us with the biggest smile. Next thing we knew we had him, his two sisters, mom, dad, and dog all in the same room sharing stories and just enjoying everyone’s company. Sam told us that when he grows up he wants to either be a police officer or a cook. From what I was told, he makes the best eggs. Sam was full of energy and said that he was having a good day and that he wasn’t in pain. Like most people who are treated with chemotherapy, he lost his hair. To him this was devastating. It wasn’t until he realized that his idol, Daughtry had a shaved head, which he thought it was pretty cool to look like his idol. Sam’s smile could light up the room and his energy could be bottled up and used as a weight loss pill and sold to millions. He loves chocolate chip cookies, anything Star Wars, video games on his Wii, Batman, Hulk, Ironman, movies, and reading books. He wanted me to stay forever and play video games with him, which next time I’m in town I’ll have to let him show me how it’s done and kick my butt at Wii. But since his chemo began, he started noticing some changes. His taste was changing and foods he once loved he couldn’t even swallow anymore. Smells—he could pick up on smells that no one else could pick up on (some of which bothered him). He now walks with crutches and isn’t allowed to do anything weight barring on it. When he uses his crutches he is to have his leg in a brace. He and his family have a tough decision to make now. Do they have a surgery done that allows him to keep his leg but have it unusable after the surgery, or do they have it amputated and have a prosthetic replace his leg? This is a decision that is going to take some hard thought. Even then he isn’t out of the woods as the cancer in his lungs is the next task at hand. The bills are high and very overwhelming. Already at the age of eight, Sam has already maxed out his insurance and the family is scrambling to pay off his medical bills. There have been donations given and every little bit helps. Meals have been prepared for the family and people across the US have stepped up to help if they were able. I hope everyone continues to pray for Sam Bish as he is one of the strongest and coolest little boys I have ever met. If you could meet him without a doubt you would leave there with a new friend. I hope you also pray for the family, to help them stay strong during this difficult time. I want Sam to grow up and reach all his goals in life and live life to the fullest. We all deserve a chance, and that’s all we want when helping Sam. Give him a chance to beat this cancer and live.
I want you to all think for a minute. What is campaigned all across the US in the month of October? Breast Cancer Awareness. But did anyone every stop to realize that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month? Most people never even heard of it. This is another case where unless it happens to you or someone you know, it simply doesn’t apply and you don’t think about it. I for one am one of those people. I never knew about Childhood Cancer Awareness in the month of September. My question to everyone is (and maybe someone has a legitimate answer for me) why don’t more people know about this? We all know when breast cancer awareness month is, why isn’t there a huge campaign for the children in the month of September? THIS IS OUR FUTURE! These kids are what will make up this world when we are gone. Who is protecting them and giving them a chance and bringing up awareness to all of us Americans? It is truly sad that this campaign does not get more attention. I’m not downplaying any other campaign, just looking to shed some light on something that is not apparent to most.
Here are some extremely scary facts for you to think about:
• 1 in 300 kids have a chance of being diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20
• Cancer is the #1 killer of kids under the age of 20
• Cancer kills more kids every year than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, asthma, and AIDS combined
• The 75% survival rate has not improved significantly in nearly two decades
• You can count the number of newly approved treatments on one hand
• Each day 40,000 children undergo treatment as they struggle to beat this disease
• Pediatric cancers are different than adult cancers and require specialized treatments
• More focus is needed on childhood cancer survivors as they transition from pediatric to young adult care and are faced with a 60% chance of developing secondary cancers, major organ damage, developmental problems and/or infertility from “the cure”
• Childhood cancer research is vastly and consistently underfunded
• The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion—of that money breast cancer received 12%, prostate cancer received 7%, and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined received less than 3%
I wanted to share this story and facts with all of you. Put yourself in this family’s shoes. If you can help out and touch just one person in your life, please do it. Not only does it feel amazing and rewarding, but it helps give hope to those who need it most. We all take life for granted. At any point our life story can change, and you might not have the pen to write the final chapter. Please supply the ink for all these children, Sam included. Help them write their own story. Don’t let the chain of love end with you… To follow Sam please visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/sambish
*Update* Today Sam Bish at 8 years old had his leg amputated. It was the decision he and his family came to. Last I heard he was out of surgery and in the recovery room. He is awake and is talking to some of the nurses. Little Sam is still not out of the wood. Please continue to pray for this strong little boy.
The scary thing is this can happen. And it does. Unfortunately for the most part it is something we cannot control. I had the privilege to meet a young boy named “Super” Sam Bish. No “Super” isn’t really part of his real name but this little boy in himself is an incredible human being. Sam is an eight year old little boy with two younger sisters. He will be turning 9 on January 25. He attends French Run Elementary School in Reynoldsburg, OH. His cancer was diagnosed on August 10, 2009. This mass began in his knee in a form called Osteosarcoma (stage 4)—a type of bone cancer. The cancer is in his right knee and has spread to both of his lungs. Most of the time when it moves to the lungs there will be tumors found in the single digits—not the case for Sam. Doctors have counted tumors “in the teens” on his lungs. A few days after being diagnosed Sam went to the hospital where an aggressive form of chemotherapy was started to fight the rapidly growing cancer. A Chemo-port was placed in Sam’s chest where all his treatments are administered.
I sat down with Sam along with my good friend Courtney Hodges. She was the first one who told me about Sam and that he would love for me to come visit him. I asked if Courtney would take us to see him. We pulled up to the Bish’s home. It looked like any other normal home, only difference was inside lay a boy who could no longer enjoy being free and running around outside. Most of his day is spent on the sofa or taking a nap in his mothers bed—which to Sam was the most comfortable bed on the planet. I sat down with Sam, we took him some presents to open and also took some goodies for his little sisters as well. He is a good big brother to them and genuinely cares for them. We walked into the family room where Sam was sitting, awaiting our arrival. He greeted us with the biggest smile. Next thing we knew we had him, his two sisters, mom, dad, and dog all in the same room sharing stories and just enjoying everyone’s company. Sam told us that when he grows up he wants to either be a police officer or a cook. From what I was told, he makes the best eggs. Sam was full of energy and said that he was having a good day and that he wasn’t in pain. Like most people who are treated with chemotherapy, he lost his hair. To him this was devastating. It wasn’t until he realized that his idol, Daughtry had a shaved head, which he thought it was pretty cool to look like his idol. Sam’s smile could light up the room and his energy could be bottled up and used as a weight loss pill and sold to millions. He loves chocolate chip cookies, anything Star Wars, video games on his Wii, Batman, Hulk, Ironman, movies, and reading books. He wanted me to stay forever and play video games with him, which next time I’m in town I’ll have to let him show me how it’s done and kick my butt at Wii. But since his chemo began, he started noticing some changes. His taste was changing and foods he once loved he couldn’t even swallow anymore. Smells—he could pick up on smells that no one else could pick up on (some of which bothered him). He now walks with crutches and isn’t allowed to do anything weight barring on it. When he uses his crutches he is to have his leg in a brace. He and his family have a tough decision to make now. Do they have a surgery done that allows him to keep his leg but have it unusable after the surgery, or do they have it amputated and have a prosthetic replace his leg? This is a decision that is going to take some hard thought. Even then he isn’t out of the woods as the cancer in his lungs is the next task at hand. The bills are high and very overwhelming. Already at the age of eight, Sam has already maxed out his insurance and the family is scrambling to pay off his medical bills. There have been donations given and every little bit helps. Meals have been prepared for the family and people across the US have stepped up to help if they were able. I hope everyone continues to pray for Sam Bish as he is one of the strongest and coolest little boys I have ever met. If you could meet him without a doubt you would leave there with a new friend. I hope you also pray for the family, to help them stay strong during this difficult time. I want Sam to grow up and reach all his goals in life and live life to the fullest. We all deserve a chance, and that’s all we want when helping Sam. Give him a chance to beat this cancer and live.
I want you to all think for a minute. What is campaigned all across the US in the month of October? Breast Cancer Awareness. But did anyone every stop to realize that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month? Most people never even heard of it. This is another case where unless it happens to you or someone you know, it simply doesn’t apply and you don’t think about it. I for one am one of those people. I never knew about Childhood Cancer Awareness in the month of September. My question to everyone is (and maybe someone has a legitimate answer for me) why don’t more people know about this? We all know when breast cancer awareness month is, why isn’t there a huge campaign for the children in the month of September? THIS IS OUR FUTURE! These kids are what will make up this world when we are gone. Who is protecting them and giving them a chance and bringing up awareness to all of us Americans? It is truly sad that this campaign does not get more attention. I’m not downplaying any other campaign, just looking to shed some light on something that is not apparent to most.
Here are some extremely scary facts for you to think about:
• 1 in 300 kids have a chance of being diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20
• Cancer is the #1 killer of kids under the age of 20
• Cancer kills more kids every year than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, asthma, and AIDS combined
• The 75% survival rate has not improved significantly in nearly two decades
• You can count the number of newly approved treatments on one hand
• Each day 40,000 children undergo treatment as they struggle to beat this disease
• Pediatric cancers are different than adult cancers and require specialized treatments
• More focus is needed on childhood cancer survivors as they transition from pediatric to young adult care and are faced with a 60% chance of developing secondary cancers, major organ damage, developmental problems and/or infertility from “the cure”
• Childhood cancer research is vastly and consistently underfunded
• The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion—of that money breast cancer received 12%, prostate cancer received 7%, and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined received less than 3%
I wanted to share this story and facts with all of you. Put yourself in this family’s shoes. If you can help out and touch just one person in your life, please do it. Not only does it feel amazing and rewarding, but it helps give hope to those who need it most. We all take life for granted. At any point our life story can change, and you might not have the pen to write the final chapter. Please supply the ink for all these children, Sam included. Help them write their own story. Don’t let the chain of love end with you… To follow Sam please visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/sambish
*Update* Today Sam Bish at 8 years old had his leg amputated. It was the decision he and his family came to. Last I heard he was out of surgery and in the recovery room. He is awake and is talking to some of the nurses. Little Sam is still not out of the wood. Please continue to pray for this strong little boy.
