Three and a half years ago, a childhood cancer diagnosis threw our family into unfamiliar territory.  On top of being worried about my son’s health and what the future would hold, he and I were sent 4 hours from home to live near the hospital where he was to begin treatment.  The first 6 1/2 weeks were filled with so much change.  It felt as though cancer had literally ripped my son and I out of everything comfortable and dropped us on an island.

The island we landed on was filled with moms, dads and grandparents who were also dealing with the changes brought about by a childhood cancer diagnosis.  I had seen pictures of this island when fundraising commercials aired on TV and would tear up at the sight of a child with no hair, laying in a hospital bed.  But, I can tell you it is nothing like personally walking the hallways of the hospital, living day in and day out with the precious families fighting the cancer battle and watching your own child dealing with cancer treatment and its side effects.

If you’ve never experienced this first hand, I hope you never have to.  But, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, please know you’re never alone.  It is really easy to feel lonely and isolated when your child has a serious illness.  I believe the enemy loves to try and use the storms in our lives place us in a pit of loneliness and isolation.  But, if you allow him to, God will use others who have similar circumstances to help pull you out of the pit and give your world some light again.  Thankfully, God sent quite a few amazing people dealing with similar circumstances to pull me out of the pit of loneliness and isolation, but for today I want to tell you about one particular friend.

EVERYONE NEEDS AN ANNIE.

Had it not been for cancer, our paths would likely never crossed.  Different towns, different occupations, different aged kids with different interests would have made it very difficult to find friendship with one another.  But, 3 years ago, we found ourselves in conversation while sitting inside a cancer clinic on a Thursday while our boys received chemo.  For 2 1/2 years…we sat in conversation EVERY Thursday for 3-4 hours at a time.  Try spending that much time with someone and not forming a good friendship.  It’s pretty much impossible.  Our boys became friends, their siblings became friends, then our families became friends.

Annie’s occupation is in the medical field.  She has more cancer and blood count knowledge in her pinky than I do in my entire brain.  Yes, she has a ton of information packed inside her brain, but…she just gets it.  She’s walked the childhood cancer journey personally and that just forms a special bond.  She is calm, caring and encouraging.  I am confident she is a blessing to her patients, just as she is to me.

Annie is very dedicated to her family.  It doesn’t take very long during a conversation to realize her husband and boys mean the world to her.  Recently, her son’s cancer came back and their family has been dealing with all the changes that come along with it.  She is back on the island, 4 hours away from the comforts of home, helping her youngest son fight for his life again, while dad and older brother try to manage life on the home front. Being apart is hard.  Add in not being able to be present for back to school, soccer games and band performances for her oldest child and it just doesn’t seem fair.  But, I know their family.  They will keep plugging away, one day at a time until they can be together once again.

Annie has many great qualities, but one of my favorite things about her is she still calls on the phone.  Nowadays, it seems more people send a quick text.  Have you noticed we can go weeks, even months without hearing a friend’s voice?  This isn’t the case with Annie.  She’s a busy gal, so usually I’ll send a text so she can get to it when she’s not busy.  But, many times, she’ll text back and ask if it’s an OK time to call.  It always makes me smile because I’d much rather have an in-person conversation like our “old days” (Thursday clinic days).

Today is Annie’s birthday.  I wish so badly I could be with her to celebrate, even if it’s celebrating in the hallways of the hospital.  Next year, we will have to do something special.  Annie, if you read this, I hope you know how much I value our friendship.  Happy birthday, my dear friend!  Hang in there!  You and your family are loved by many!

Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”