As a mom with a 7-year-old undergoing treatment high risk ALL, I know way too many nurses by first name: Gina, Libby, Heather, Cassie, Robyn, Jean, Aaron. It is impossible to learn all their names. It is also impossible to separate them out by inpatient or outpatient. Partly because some float between the cancer care inpatient unit, infusion and clinic and partly because they all feel like one big family.

Ewan is back in the hospital. In the hall, a nurse that I haven’t seen before just stopped me and said, “You are Ewan’s mom, aren’t you?”

“Yes”

“A bunch of us were doing the Big Climb and saw his poster in the hall as we were huffing and puffing our way up. We are cheering for him!”

Its always nice to hear that people are thinking of him and hoping he gets better. Its even better to hear that people are taking steps to make a difference. 

Nurses don’t have to participate in LLS fundraisers in their off time. They are already on the front line fighting leukemia and lymphoma and many other cancers and blood disorders when they badge in for their long days and nights of work. It is a testament to how much they care; how much each and every kid means to them. 

Take Nurse Cassie, who was featured on king5 news for a song she co-wrote, “The War for the Cure“. Daily, she is deep in the trenches and in her off time, what does she do? She writes a song about the bravery of kids battling cancer.

A glimpse into their world

As I walk through these doors, I feel I know this place.
I get a shiver to my core and you can see it on my face.
My life gets different when I enter through those doors,
People using words that I never heard before,
They sit my family down, all the people who are closest.
Tell us that I have cancer, this is my diagnosis,
They give a prognosis, I get more testing done,
They keep me there until I’m stable and get seen by everyone.
Try to paint a life outside while your stuck up in a box,
I stopped keeping track of clocks and all the time that I had lost.
But it’s beautiful today and everyday their after,
Best thing for me right now is positivity and laughter.
I come back some days to have a quick chemo stay,
Wonder if it’s really safe what their putting in my veins.
There’s all types of fluids, different meds for my organs,
My fight has just begun, I consider these my war guns.

I’ve been praying for this day and I can finally see the light,
And when we hear the word recovery my family starts to cry.
Tears in my eyes, lots of joy in my chest,
No long facing death, we put this cancer mess to rest.
I’m feeling so blessed I might finally get to leave,
But I’m going to miss the people that were all so good to me.
Without the doctor’s and the nurses don’t know where that I would be,
And I made a really special friend, he wears the number 3.
He came to see me once a week, he always gave me faith,
Like he does on the field, yeah he helped me win the game.
I wear a Seahawk’s jersey, no more hospital gown,
I got a message for you cancer, there’s no way I’m going down.

– Cassandra (Cassi) White

Give a loud shout of thanks out to our nurses!