I just pulled this off of Maddesons Care page: I couldn’t resist sharing as it tears my heart in 2 imagining what this family is going through.
An AMAZING day
Posted 21 hours ago
Tuesday, Aug 18 2009 – Maddeson had a great day today! They now have her pain under control and she is comfortable. She sat in the wheelchair and did a craft in the activity room and was awake for most of the afternoon.
Here’s my testimonial on how amazing the Make A Wish foundation, UI Childrens’ Hospital and Sea World are….since Maddeson won’t make it to Sea World, Sea World is coming to her! Our hospital social worker coordinated this wish for Maddeson and with the help of several others people today, Maddeson’s room is decorated in a Sea World theme. I’ve posted pictures in the photo gallery for you to see.
But that’s not even the tip of the iceberg…..the head of Sea World is making Maddeson’s wish a priority for them in Orlando. In the morning, at 8:30 central time, Maddeson will be watching the Shamu show LIVE! Through unbelievable technology, Maddeson will be connected via satelittes and a camera (like a web cam, I guess…i’m so not a techie), and headphones and microphone, Maddeson will be communicating LIVE during the show with the dolphin/whale trainers. If I understand how this works, I believe she is getting her own private show and they will be talking back and forth with Maddeson during this show. We have a huge flatscreen tv in her room that she keeps asking about, but I just keep telling her it’s a surprise! She is going to be sooooooooo excited!
Not to rain on my own parade, but the bad news still exists, we were just able to put it in the back of our minds today and tomorrow. There is still nothing else that we can do for Maddeson and the chemo is not working. The tumors continue to grow. After Maddeson’s “trip” to Sea World tomorrow, we will be stopping the Amicar medication that helps with the clotting. After that, only God knows how long we have with her. Maddeson is at peace with her fate and is ready to go. She is tired of being in pain and lying in a hospital bed. Maddeson told me on 2 occassions “I want to go to Heaven.” She says she is not scared. As much as it feels like my heart is being ripped out of my chest right now, I know that this is the best thing for her. She will never be able to leave this hospital and there is no hope for even getting her well enough to bring her home. The tumors are spreading like wildfire and any other chemo drugs that we could try would be like putting a drop of water on a forest fire. And because of the toxicity, she could only recieve chemo every 3 weeks and with no chance of it affecting the tumors, it’s unfair to put her thru all the days and weeks of this “life” that she has right now. Maddeson needs to go where she can run and play and be free from this evil beast called cancer.
Please continue to pray for Maddeson’s comfort and peace. Please keep praying for all our cancer friends and their families, especially Jenna. She was getting ready for a liver transplant in Omaha and the family has just found out that her cancer has spread to her lungs. Please say so many extra prayers for their family. We have come to love them like so many other families we have met through this journey.
stan miller
