February is known as the month of love, and here at Here to Serve we wanted to share some stories of family love. The love of pediatric cancer patient caregivers is inspiring and difficult to measure. A cancer journey is difficult, uncharted territory; it challenges the best of us. What we have witnessed, though, is that one thing never falters: the dedication of the caregivers in our Here to Serve community. These families, and the many more we have been privileged to serve, inspire us every day.

For little Harper, it was a family team that watched over her during her intense chemo treatments. Her parents, Krista and Derek, were always at her side. Her grandparents, Dana and Steven, took turns at her bedside while also coordinating with Here to Serve to help with food, finances, clean clothing, and other necessities. That allowed the family to focus on Harper and her healing.

Lauren and Aaron fought a long fight with their sweet baby Hazel. Having a child too young to explain their pain, Lauren tells us how frightening their days could be. Aaron continued his full-time job while caring for their other four children, while Lauren dedicated herself to caring for Hazel. Through five years of chemo, radiation, transplant, immunotherapy, surgery, clinical trials and multiple periods of remission, Lauren, Aaron, and Hazel’s siblings never gave up hope. And today, they all express thanks for all the joy Hazel gave them for the short seven years she lived.

Here is Zein with his siblings and parents Radwa and Tamer. As a family, they did everything together, giving Zein the love and support he needed to battle the beast named cancer. They faced each day together with faith and a smile. Here to Serve was with them even as they traveled to New York’s Sloan Kettering for a clinical trial. In fact, Here to Serve, through their partnership with the Lazarex Cancer Foundation, helped them with free flight, accommodations, and much more.

An athletic teenager in his senior year of high school, Chris and his family were shocked by his sudden illness and diagnosis. His entire family, and community, stayed by his side during his cancer battle. He left them one short year later. His family is strong in their Christian faith and are grateful his suffering is over and know he is in a happier place.

Rather than focus on their loss, his family has dedicated themselves to helping others and giving back.  Indeed, they have been strong supporters of Here to Serve, letting other families know that help is at hand.

These stories are just a few of the many inspiring families we work with. The love of pediatric cancer patient caregivers is inspiring, and we offer support to them. During their cancer journey, Here to Serve coordinates many day-to-day needs so that they can focus on their families. Things like running errands, making dinner, house cleaning, pet care, go-fund-me pages, transportation, medical trial resources, legal resources and more are taken care of while they focus on their child and their care. In this month of love, please help us share our mission with your community. If you know of a family that needs our services, or would like to volunteer to help a family, please visit our Here to Serve website.

Author Valerie Cox

All information on this blog is for informational and educational purposes only. Always consult a medical provider in your particular area of need before making significant changes in your medical decisions or lifestyle.