March update

Hello everyone!

Zachary is fully involved in school and loves it! Today will be the second field trip he has went on since he started. First was the Fairbanks Museum and today is a bus trip to the meadows in Danville to look for signs of animals in the winter. He is so excited to be riding a school bus for the first time. He seems to be adjusting wonderfully to the "new" routine and loves being around other kids. Today walking in he says "I'm so glad I'm going to school today. School is fun!". Thank you to the staff, especially his teacher!

Yesterday was a trip to Burlington for his checkup. He looks great, gaining weight, growing taller and getting his hair back like I added miracle grow! I haven't gotten results of the blood test yet, but his dr says he looks great from medical perspective. He loves to go back and see everyone. Thursday is the clinic day for the hem/onc kids and he was able to spend time with his friend Sean, who just finished his chemo and is doing great and he also met up with Jack, who showed us how to shoot the little rubber bracelets like rubber bands! The Dr's say he is good to be seen once a month but I find that I can only go about 2 weeks, which they said fine...we will see you in 2 weeks. Over winter break I got nervous as he looked pale....so I watched it for a few days and then called because I thought "it" was back. But, its a trigger for me...pale was the symptom that got him diagnosed. The arnp "Beth" was great and said its normal for me to panic, and just to take him up to the local hosp for a quick blood test....I did and all was fine. Whew! But that incident was at the 2 week mark. So, with that said, Zach's make a wish trip is coming up April 5 and I told them I would like him to be seen and blood checked right before we go so that I won't have that worry on my mind and if he does look pale on the trip, I will know that its related to something else.

Zach has been having a lot of fun being "free" from the hospital. He has ridden a snowmobile with Grammie Ann, 4 wheelers with Steve, the neighbor next door and he has gone ice fishing as well. Life is good!

Last night we attended the kickoff meeting for Relay for Life which will be in June. I was invited to go this by a wonderful lady, Jenna, who is the aunt of little boy who is also a cancer (leukemia) survivor. She wrote on the blog faithfully during the whole ordeal and was a wonderful support and cheerleader for Zach and me, even though we had never met. So now, we have met and will be heading up a team who will participate in the relay for life event in June. So, if anyone who reads this wants to participate during the event or would like to send a contribution, please let me know: jsporter008@gmail.com.

I have explained the importance of fundraising to Zach and he understands that money is important in continuing the research to find a cure for cancer. He understands that's what has gotten him to where he is....scientists and doctors researching, testing, trialing new medications (which Zach is part of a study and received experimental/trialing chemo). He understands that 30-40 years ago, children who had AML had no hope and that more and more children are being diagnosed with this form of leukemia that used to be seen in people over 60 only. He is proud that he is part of something that may make a difference to other children, of course he states he wished he didn't have to have leukemia. He knows that he is part of a medical study/clinical trial and that's how medicines are found to be useful in treating and hopefully curing cancer. He also says that he is glad that they found medicines that made him better so he didn't have to die like kids with AML 40 years ago. Zachary is amazing when it comes to understanding things....it amazes us that when we explain something, like this, to him, he "gets it". He processes it, asks questions until he settles it in his brain. So, he wants to be involved in helping find a cure. He has said to me that when he gets older he wants to invent a medicine that only kills the cancer but doesn't effect the kids (hairloss, nausea, no immune system etc..)

A special request: We have seen first hand the power of prayer with Zach. there is a little boy, Jack, who is suffering with a terrible cancer, neuroblastoma, up at the hospital. There is no cure, all the medicines treat it but it comes back worse. One of Zachs drs heads up special studies/trials for neuroblastoma children and these kids come from all over country and world to see this dr. She is also part of the research and study of this awful cancer. Anyway, Jack is at the hospital again after being part of another trial/study last summer. The parents have taken him everywhere for treatment, they are from England and come to the US for the newest studies and trials hoping for a cure. He has had everything out there available, but its back. the dr is opening up a new trial of medicine on Monday which he will receive but he is having pain. I met up with him and his mother yesterday. I let her know we pray for Jack and for them and I'm asking for all of you to also pray for this child. I can only imagine what the parents are going through as well as Jack. Anything is possible with God, I don't care what drs/scientists say.

So, thank you in advance for adding this boy to your prayers. The power of prayer...its amazing!

Happy almost spring
Steph