Hellobee Boards

I read it a few minutes ago and am still sobbing. Both my kids have been on and off mildly sick and just that watching and worry of regular childhood stuff made me sit and take a break from being stressed. Then I read this and wow, the suffering people go through, so devestating and horrible.

I've been ugly crying at my desk for the past 2 weeks. It's been so upsetting. DS had a brain MRI last year to look for tumors, and it was literally the most horrifying thing I've ever experienced. And it was only the possibility of a tumor. I do not know how you go on when your child has cancer. Those kids (and their parents) are rock stars.

I'm in tears. So, so unfair.

@Mae: I work in the field (not as an amazing researcher - just doing PR!) and it is really amazing how far things have come just in the last 5 years. Still a very long way to go - this series has been heart wrenching.

@mrbee: Did you hear the recent This American Life about a Chinese woman whose family kept her terminal cancer a secret from her? It was called "In Defense of Ignorance" and I was like

I've been reading it every day. It is so heartbreaking but I feel like if these people can share their stories, the least I can do is read them (on one of my Facebook groups, there are many moms who have blocked HONY until this series is over because they can't even bear to read about it). I think HONY has done an incredible job once again. This was the third or fourth time that he has moved me to donate to a cause that I previously knew next to nothing about.

I've struggled to read these and honestly have intentionally skipped most. Sickness in kids is a trigger for me. I really do want to read because HONY always does an amazing job of telling the stories.

The series has been so hard and today's was by far the worst. God. But there had to be one that didn't have a happy ending, of course. So so terrifying.

I've been following this series on Instagram, and it breaks my heart. It's tempting to turn away because it's so painful, but I don't think that's fair. It makes me so thankful for my healthy girls, but at the same time I start to worry so much about the "what ifs". Max nearly did me in, though. I'm glad they were able to use social media to raise awareness and money for research.

I just posted on FB yesterday about how this has been killing me and making me cry every day on the bus.

This series, especially Max's story, has really just torn me apart. I can't imagine. That part at the end where she says she thinks he knew he was dying because he asked her if they spoke English where he was going? Ugly tears.

My brother had some sort of auto-immune disease before I was born. My mother was actually arrested because one day anytime she even touched his skin it bruised, and when she brought him to the hospital they assumed child abuse. I'm fuzzy on the details, but I know he ended up with a bone marrow transplant. My mom is still haunted by it 35 years later.

These parents and children have had to be stronger than anyone should ever have to be. Max's story killed me.

It's been really hard to read. I recently visited St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis and I cried for nearly the entire tour. Whenever I am having a bad parenting day, I think of the sick babies in wagons getting chemo and hug my little guy a little tighter. I could cry just thinking about it.