A Very Touching Gesture

To underscore just how remarkable it is that Emmett responded to his experimental medicine, I wanted to share a touching experience from Emmett's clinic appointment last Friday.

After a brief visit with our primary oncologist when we first arrived in clinic, she left the room briefly to go get something.  When she returned, the first words out of her mouth were "Without violating any HIPAA regulations...." -- I can tell you that Katy and I were both confused at this point and didn't know where this was going -- but then she continued "....without violating any HIPAA, I sometimes talk about the goings-on at work with the people on my street.  Naturally, a lot of people are anxious to hear how work is going for a pediatric oncologist...(which is a nice way of asking how the kids are doing).  Often there's not a lot of good news to share.   But this past week I couldn't help sharing how well things were going for 'unnamed patient X'.  The group of women I shared Emmett's news with were very excited to hear it....and they wanted you to have this!"  At this point we saw what she was holding in her hand:  Visa gift cards totaling $150 dollars!  Holy cow?!  Our hearts were touched deeply by the kindness of these women, an act of service bestowed anonymously upon a family they had never even met or seen!  Five years after Emmett's initial diagnosis, we continue to witness the goodness and generosity that abounds in the people everywhere.  It always catches you by surprise and moves you deeply.

A heart felt thank-you to everyone who reaches out in love to serve and bless those around you, in whatever forms your service takes.  Those who receive your kindness are blessed and strengthened beyond measure, and they feel the love of God through you.

The other take away from this experience is how remarkable Emmett's response to this medicine is to our medical team.  Clearly this is not everyday news, clearly this is something rare, something so novel that even the the doctors are anxious to talk about it and share.

And to me this reconfirms, that yes, this is a miracle!

Let me also add here how much we love our primary oncologist in Denver.  She is so real, so personable, so amazing.  This story illustrates so perfectly how human she is and how much she cares.  She also has three kids and they're about the same ages as ours, and I think helps her understand even more perfectly what we're going through.  And you don't always find that in an oncologist.  She's absolutely amazing and we consider her to be another one of the great blessings in our life!