life is NOT FAIR!

Remember my nephew Nicholas? He was diagnosed with leukemia in Sept 2006 at the age of 4. The picture above was taken last month at an event called St. Baldricks. Nick's in the front, with his big brother Ted directly behind him and a friend beside Ted in the blue shirt.

Nick will be 8 this month. He had a bone marrow transplant in March 2009. Just this week they've been doing their long term follow up, the last set of visits before Nick is released from Seattle Cancer Care's care and allowed to live a 'normal' life. Yesterday, they received the most devastating news a parent can get--Nick's leukemia is back. He will be readmitted to the hospital soon...go through chemo...have another bone marrow transplant. It's hard. There are tears all around. Anger. Frustration. Discouragement. And other emotions too...

Please pray for Nicholas. Pray for his body and his strength as he goes through another 12-24 months of treatment. Pray for his big brother Ted. Ted's 10. The last 4 years have been hard on him. Pray for my sister and brother in law, Pam and Tony, as they work through this and make new adjustments in their lives, just as they were finally starting to feel 'normal' again. Pray especially for Pam today--it's her birthday. This is not how she had anticipated spending the day. And one specific, significant request for Nick: He spent his 5th birthday sick. And his 6th. And his 7th. Pray that they will be able to delay his hospital admission and his chemo until AFTER April 24, his birthday. They'd really like Nick to have one birthday, one party that he can enjoy. The odds aren't good for next year (since he'll be in treatment)...

Today my heart aches for my baby sister and her family.