Life is Fragile and Precious

Steven and St. Jude patient Elizabeth

We attended a fundraising dinner last night for St. Jude. It's an annual event, we went last year also.

I bought new clothes for the boys for last year's dinner. After that buying experience, I was most grateful to see that last year's clothes still fit.

Steven's friend Elizabeth was there again this year. Steven loves her, she's adorable. She's almost 8 years old, but she's the size of a 3-year old.

Her small size is due to her condition, osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease. Children with this condition used to die young, St. Jude is one of the main places doing research in the treatment of this rare disease, and recent advances have greatly increased the life span of these kids.

Elizabeth has had four broken bones this year, but she looked great and was walking on her own with the help of a walker.

Zach got moved to a regular room yesterday and he's started rehab. He's able to walk on his own, but with weakness on his left side. He may get to go home tomorrow, an answered prayer.

I keep trying to sit down and write something cheery, but I'm not having an easy time with that this week.

We just found out that our four-year old St. Jude friend Jay lost the battle with his brain tumor today. Jay was at Ronald McDonald House when we were there, with the same sort of tumor as Steven.

The last time we saw Jay was at Steven's followup visit last August, Steven danced with Jay (dressed up as Woody from Toy Story) at a country western dance for the patients.

Godspeed, little Jay.

Life is fragile and precious...

- Kathleen