History

Wednesday, June 5, 2019 11:28 AM CDT

Life has gone on since my last post....over a year ago. I find myself missing John more than normal. He should be graduating high school this week. I wonder how tall he would have been. What college was he going to play football at?

Tamara recently received a message from the mom of John's best friend. That friend is graduating this week. She shared that he still has a birthday card hand made by John when he turned 5. He has kept it all these years. That is awesome.

John had an affect on many people. That impact is still happening today. Unfortunately, we are not sending out graduation announcements for John. However, I do have some suggestions if you would like to honor John. Perhaps you could donate blood or consider a donation to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

KT

Thursday, April 12, 2018 2:55 PM CDT

Two years have passed since I last posted. We still miss John and are reminded of him frequently. Knowing that we will see him again when it is our turn to be called home to Heaven is comforting.

This year John would be turning 18 on August 18th. I wonder what he would look like. Where would he be looking to go to college? Would he still like 7eleven slurpees?

As we get closer to summer, we are reminded of John and Alex's lemonade stands. No, we are not coming out of retirement to host one at the Irvine Spectrum. However, John's siblings are hosting one with Sequoia Middle School on April 28th. It will be held on the corner of Reino and Borchard in Newbury Park 91320.

I am attempting to attach a link for the web presence. Thank you for considering a donation. Thank you for hosting your own stand. Thank you for remembering our hero John Kelly Taggart who so bravely battled disease and showed us all how to live life in the present.

www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1437328/member/5647

Thank you,

The Taggart Family

Sunday, April 10, 2016 4:14 PM CDT

Summer is coming and that means our annual Alex's Lemonade Grand Stand is fast approaching. We have held a stand the last 11 years. Cumulatively, we have raised over $101,000! After some reflection, we have decided this will be our last year as a Grand Stand host for ALSF. Hayley is graduating and off to college in the fall. We felt it was time to take a break from hosting a Grand Stand. We still are devoted to the ALSF. We are committed to helping find a cure to pediatric cancers. We will simply going from being a Stand host to a Stand participant. We will still keep our Stand in case we need it in the future. Perhaps one of our children will resurrect our Stand.

We hope that you have been inspired by the past stands to perhaps host your own. We hope that you will come support us in our GRAND FINALE this June 11th at the Irvine Spectrum Center.

We will have one final amazing Stand from 11:00 -5:00. This will be our only location this year. Please come by to support our Stand as we try and raise $12,000 for our 12th Year. As usual, we will have cookies, carousel rides, face painting, balloon making, and gallons of lemonade. Come by and look at our picture books to see how many Stands you have made it to over the years. Donations are always welcome on line as well.

The event website/link for our Grand FINALE Grand stand is:

https://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1219824

Thank you for continuing to support us and folow our efforts to raise money to cure pediatric cancers.

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal, and Kate

Tuesday, June 2, 2015 2:06 PM CDT

We will be hosting Alex's Lemonade Grand Stands this coming weekend. It will be our 11th year hosting. Cumulatively we have raised over $92,000 for the Foundation. With this year's effort we hope to cross the $100,000 mark. Help us exceed this milestone. Event details can be found at

June 6th, 2015 at the Irvine Spectrum: http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1122645

June 7th, 2015 at the Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks:
http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1122646

Family friendly event. Come help make a difference and enjoy some lemonade.

Love,
the Taggart Family

Tuesday, October 21, 2014 8:46 AM CDT

Today is the 9 year anniversary of John Kelly Taggart going to Heaven. It does not seem like that long. I can still hear his high pitch voice. I can almost feel his smooth bald head. I can almost envision him riding his Razor scooter to the neighborhood 7eleven and filling up on cherry slurpee.

I am so proud of John. He still is the bravest person I have known. In 2 and 1/2 years of fighting Neuroblastoma cancer, he never complained nor asked "why me?" I cannot even recall him ever crying.

As I have said before, he lived life they we all of us should. John did not care what treatment may be in the future for him. He did not worry about what procedure he had yesterday. He lived life for the present. We all should follow his example.

Of course, I selfishly would like John here with me. However, John is cancer free in Heaven. His little hands have held the Hands of Jesus. And someday, I will see him again.

Until then, I will continue to brag about the bravest person I have known. I will tightly hold on to the memories of him going to preschool, taking swimming lessons, meeting his "girlfriend" at OCf-OCF camp.

I also am determined to help others who have a child with cancer and encourage you do do the same. Some great ways to help are:
1. Donate blood to your childrens hospital.
2. Write them a note odf encouragement.
3. Follow their story on Caringbridge.
4. Talk to a kid with cancer as you would any normal kid. (all they want is to be a "normal" kid.
5. Be the mtach in the bone marrow registry.
6. Offer to take the "healthy" siblings somewhere fun. (often times sibling gets forgotten.)
7. Donate to www.ocf-ocf.org
8. Volunteer and "buy" a glass of Lemonade at our Alex's Lemonade Grand Stand next June 13 & 14.(www.alexslemonade.org)

Thank you for remembering John and I hope you remember to be thankful for all the blessings you have in your life.

Kelly T

Friday, September 26, 2013 0:04 AM CDT

Today marks the 11 year anniversary our lives were forever changed. In 2002, John was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. Remember to tell your family you love them. Do not take anything for granted.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 0:55 AM CDT

WE will again be hosting our Alex's Lemonade Grand Stand. This year will be Sunday June 9th from 11:00 to 5;00 at the Irvine Spectrum.

The event website is www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/93070

Hope to see you there. This is our 9th Stand and we hope to break our record of $10,600 that we set last year!!

Monday, October 21, 2012 10:30 AM CDT

7 Years have now passed since John breathed his last breath on that CHOC hospital bed and woke up to the Loving Arms of Jesus in Heaven. I would do just about anything to hold and wrestle with him one more time. However, I believe I will once again see John when it is my time to be called Home to Heaven.

Until then, I will cherish the memories of him sipping on a Slurpee, watching him ride his Razor Scooter, and delighting when he got to go to preschool or OCF-OCF camp.

The Lord has blessed us with 5 other beautiful children to be stewards of. They add a certain amount of "busyness" to our life. It does not replace John's absence, but it does make time go by quickly. In Church this morning, we got a nice little "touch/reminder" of our beloved John. Almost to the minute John left this world seven years ago, the song "Open the Eyes of My Heart" was played. Oh how I remember John singing that very same song on rides back from CHOC. It was his favorite and we even played it at his memorial service. To hear it on this anniversary was special and really brought back his memory.

I love you John and will see you when it is my time.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012 11:05 PM CDT

Well school has started for the Taggart family. I already miss summer. Our youngest, Kate, is now in Kindergarten. She is the only sibling John did not get to meet in person. My how time has flown by since John went to Heaven on October 21, 2005. John likely would have been in 7th grade this year. I am sure he would have been a terrific student.

The summer was great for us. We beach camped and camped at Yosemite as well. Our annual Alex's Lemonade Stand was a record breaking success. We raised over $10, 500 for that Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) dedicated to fighting childhood cancers. Alex, the namesake and founder had the very same cancer (Neuroblastoma) that John had.

If you wish to see how we did or even help as well, visit www.alexslemonade.org and type John Taggart in the search frame and he is famous enough to get you to the correct link for our Grand Stand.

Thanks for checking in on us and Blessing to your families.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012 12:41 AM CDT

ONE MONTH to go until we host our 2012 Alex's Lemonade Grand Stand. This year promises to be another great way to honor John's memory and raise funds to help cure pediatric cancers via the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (www.alexslemonade.org)

Thank you for your support and we hope to see you in June.
Details of the Grand event are below:

ALEX’S AMAZING LEMONADE STAND

Saturday, June 9th
Irvine Spectrum Center --- 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(In the Carousel Court)

▪ Gallons of Country Time Lemonade ▪ Fun For the Family

Complimentary Carousel Ride for the entire family with minimum $10 donation
Sweet Life Cookies
Balloon Making and Face Painting by Magic Fredy Events
95.9 KFSH will have a booth
Appearance by the Orange County Fire Authority

To Volunteer – Please contact Tamara Taggart:
krtfamily@verizon.net

Donations big and small welcome.
Would like to make a donation but can't make it on June 9th?
View: www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/80445
Keyword: Taggart

For more information about John Taggart and his heroic fight against Neuroblastoma cancer, visit www.caringbridge.org/ca/johntaggart

Irvine Spectrum Center --- 71 Fortune Drive, Irvine, CA 92618

Friday, October 21, 2011 8:29 AM CDT

October 21, 2005 is the day John completed his battle with cancer and began eternity in Heaven. It is hard to believe it has been 6 years. He has been gone now longer than he was alive. None the less, we still feel like he was just and in some cases still with us.

I sure wish I could see what John would look like as an 11 year old and that I was going to watch him play Pop Warner Football tomorrow. I do take comfort knowing that John is pain free and in Heaven. Some day when I am called Home, I look forward to seeing him again.

Remember to appreciate your loved ones and tell them you love them.

The Taggart Family

Saturday, May 21, 2011 5:05 PM CDT

Hello friends,

We are all set for the 2011 Alex's Lemonade Grand Stand. It will be held Saturday June 11th at the Irvine Spectrum from 11;00 - 7:00 at the carousel court. In addition to gallons of lemonade, we will have face painting, balloon animals, sweet life cookies, and an appearance by Orange County Fire Authority.

For a complete listing search "John Taggart" at the www.alexslemonade.org website.

Things are going well for the taggart family. Tamara completed the Oceanside 70.3 (half) Ironman in a faster time than her brother. Kate is now swim certified and looking forward to going to grandmas and papas houses by herself. The twins are wrapping up Kindergarten. Hayley, was "Pappy" in the school play "Lil Abner." Luke is doing well in baseball. His team just won and are advancing to the League Championship game.

As you can imagine we are looking forward to school being out and to summer. We have plans to attend OCF-OCF camp, camp at Yosemite, and beach camp another 2 weeks this summer in between our regular beach days.

i hope all is well for you and your family and that the summer is fantastic.

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal and Kate Taggart

Friday, January 28, 2011 6:27 PM CST

As life gets busier, I find myself neglecting to update the caringbridge site as frequently as I would like. So much has happened since my last post this past summer. Hayley started 7th grade and has a speaking role in the student play. Luke is now a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do. The twins, Lindsey and Cal, have started Kindergarten and are loving it. Little Kate now is old enough to go to preschool on Tues and Thurs.

Tamara is training for a half Ironman this April in Oceanside with her ultimate eye on completing a full Ironman in 2013. I am still an Engineer with the LAFD, but now assigned in the heart of Downtown LA at FS 3.

As we put up the new calendar, we are reminded of the event we have coming up to honor and remember John and try to help other children battling cancer. Updates to follow, but the St. Baldricks Day Event is March 12th at LAFD FS89. We will be hosting our Alex's Lemonade Stand this June on Saturday June 12th at the Irvine Spectrum Center.

Thank you for checking in on us and we would love to hear from you. Our home email is krtfamily@verion.net.

Thursday, July 1, 2010 6:07 PM CDT

Another successful Alex's Lemonade Grand Stand has come and gone. THis was our 6th year of hosting a stand. We will continue to host these stand in John's memory as we rasie money to cure Neuroblastoma and other pediatric cacner thru the foundation started by Alexandr "Alex" Scott who battled the same cacner John did.

Our most recent Stand was Saturday June 12, 2010 at the Carousel Court in the Irvine Spectrum. To date we have raised another $9,052!! Since we held our first stand in 2005 with JOhn serving, we are now close to having raised a cumulative of $50,000!!

Thank you for all who have volunteered, participated and donated on-line. This year was another fun event. It always brings back some of my favorite memories as I re-live John behind the counter serving lemonade to all who came by.

If you would like to see some pictures of the event, or possibly donate, please visit www.alexslemonade.org/stands/4674

Thank you for continuing to check in on the Taggart Family.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 1:14 AM CST

St. Baldricks is here again. This is my 5th year participating in this unique and family friendly event. If you can join us for a day of fun and fire engines, please check out the St. Baldricks event at Panorama City (Los Angeles) at LAFD Fire Station 81 on Saturday March 20th.

I still vividly remember John attending this event in 2004. He had a terrific time as the guest of honor and posing for picture with Wilshire the (Dalmatian) Fire Dog.

You can check out the website www.stbaldricks.org for more information. If you wish to donate, go to the website and write my name in the search bar.

Thursday, October 22, 2009 0:28 AM CDT

October 21, 2009

At noon today we remembered John taking his last breath on this side of Eternity. It is hard to believe 4 years has passed since John went to Heaven. We still think of him often. His pictures, crafts, and clothes still are constant reminders that Tamara and I were blessed to be his parents.

Although 4 years may have passed, my feelings and love for John only grow stronger. I have said it many times, but it needs to be reaffirmed. John Kelly Taggart is the bravest person I have ever met. John never once cried during any of his procedures(bone marrow aspirates, chemo, changing his dressings, hundreds of IV injections) Also, John lived life as a perfect example for all of us to follow. He did not care what happened yesterday. He did not fret about what lay ahead tomorrow. John lived for the present. To John the "present" was a gift. He loved going to preschool, drinking slurpees, wrestling with Luke, feeding the twins Cal and Lindsey, and going to swim lessons.

If we all treated life as a gift like John did, we could change the world.

Thank you for remembering John. Help us continue his legacy as we host Alex's Lemonade Stand to fund a cure, donate to his favorite camp O.C.F.-O.C.F. (Orange County Foundation for Oncology Children and Families), and donate blood regularly to help those children battling cancer who will require scores of transfusions.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 4:57 PM CDT

Another successful Alex's Lemonade Stand has come and gone. This year we raised $8,500. We held one at the Irvine Spectrum Center on Saturday June 6th. Then we loaded it all up and held one in our home town at Newbury Park First Christian Church.
We are very happy with raising the money to fund a cure, spreading the word about Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, and sharing our beloved John's legacy with everyone.

It has been a busy summer so far for the Taggart Family. I went to Yosemite for the week after the Stand. We got to be with both sets of grandparnets and both uncles. It was great riding bike in the Yosemite Valley Floor, eating s'mores, and actually seeing 3 bears this trip.

We have gotten our beach trips in. The twins are finally grasping the swimming concept with all the lessons they have had.

We rented a motor home and spent 3 days waterskiing on Lake San Antonio. Everybody had a great time.

It is sad that the summer is half over. However, we are going the Orange County Fair with Grandma Bonnie and Papa Bear. Then we are going to San Diego next week for Luke' birthday and stay with Grandma Mary and Papa Tagg. On Labor Day Weekend, we are planning on going to the Cal Golden Bear Home opener football game.

Thank you for continuing to check in on our family.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009 0:37 AM CDT

We proudly announce another Alex's Lemonade Grand Stand is happening this June 6th from 11:00 - 7:00 under the GIANT WHEEL at the Irvine Spectrum Center.

We look forward to this event every year because it brings back all the great memories of John. Especially the huge grin he had all day long when he hosted our first stand in 2005.

Won't you please support and better yet, come and join us this year? We would love to celebrate this event and help make a difference in battling Neuroblastoma cancer.

Email us if you ned more information. Most of the details and volunteer sign up is on the following website

www.alexslemonade.org/stands/4674

Thank you agin for standing with us as we remember John and further his legacy.

Thursday, April 2, 2009 5:18 PM CDT

ITS COMING. OUR 5th ALEX'S LEMONADE GRAND STAND!!!!!

WHERE: IRVINE SPECTRUM (IN FRONT OF THE BIG FERRIS WHEEL)

WHEN: SATURDAY JUNE 6TH, 2009 (11:00 - 7:00)

WHY: TO HONOR JOHN AND RAISE MONEY TO FUND A CURE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME HAVE A FUN FAMILY FRIENDLY DAY

FACE PAINTING, FIRE APPARATUS, BALLOON, TATTOOS, COOKIES, CARROT CAKE,AND GALLONS OF LEMONADE

For those who are unable to make it, we have a link on the ALSF website to make a contribution if you wish. It is
www.alexslemonade.org/stands/4674

Wednesday, January 7, 2009 4:34 PM CST

Happy New Year. It is our hope that 2009 will be filled with good health and wonderful memories for you and your families.

We had a great Christmas season. We still have many ornaments that John made as well as crafts and pictures. So I still feel he is a part of our celebration. I remember in 2002, when John was first diagnosed, he spent a lot of time in the hospital in December. So he never really got to listen to Christmas music. I remember Grandma Bonnie used to play Christmas music for him all year round to make up for it. Whenever I hear "Come on Ring Those Bells..." I think of our Angel John.

The Taggart kids are doing fantastic. Seeing that they are the only grandkids on both sides of the family, they do very well at Christmas. They are all very busy with the Smart Cycle video game and trampoline.

Thank you for checking in on our family. We will, again be hosting another Alex's Lemonade Grand Stand in June. Please check back this spring for the details.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal, and Kate Taggart

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:38 PM CDT

Today is another emotional day. At noon, 3 years have now passed since John went Home to be with the Lord. We still think of John constantly. I would give anything to hold him tight, rub his bald held and smell him one more time. However, we do take comfort in the fact that John is cancer free, pain free, and has now held the Hands of Jesus. For this reason we are thankful. We also have Hope, as we know the ending for all of us Believers is to go to Heaven as well. We look forward to the day Jesus calls us Home too.

Until that perfectly planned time, we intend to live our lives for betterment of others. On this anniversary of John's going to heaven, I urge you to remember his special life. John meant a lot and inspired many. John was the example of how to live for the present. John did not worry about the past. John was certain what lied ahead in the future for him. So John, lived in the present. He enjoyed every moment. Some of his treasures in life were swim lessons, sleeping in his own bed, going to preschool, cooking, wrestling, riding his Razor scooter, drinking a Slurpee, and playing with his siblings. That is right. The items listed above were his TREASURES. Oh how do we take these same things for granted. I urge you to stop taking the "simple" joys in life for granted.

Life is short and life is a gift. We need to realize that start letting it direct our lives to try and better others and society.

Thanks for remembering John and our family. There are 3 things that everyone can do to remember and honor John's legacy. You can pray for all those battling cancer to be strong and fight. You can host your own stand or support our Alex's Amazing Lemonade Stand the first Saturday in June. Finally, you can commit to donating blood/platelettes. Donating blood really helps and is always needed.

Imagine if we all lived as John did by enjoying the present for the gift that it is?

Love,
Kelly,Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal and Kate Taggart

Tuesday, September 16, 2008 10:54 PM CDT

Well, the summer has ended. The Taggart family is now putting many miles everyday on the family truckster as we try and get everyone to there things. There is preschool for the twins, Jr. Kindergarten for Luke, piano, swim, tae kwon do, MOPS, Awanas, soccer, and play dates. I sure enjoyed the summer pace compared to now. How far away is summer vacation anyways?

This past weekend we went to OCF-OCF Family camp after a 2 year absence. OCF-OCF (Orange County Foundation for Oncology Children and Families). We had a terrific time. Many of the same families were there plus many new ones to the cancer "coaster" experience/life. OCF-OCF is a unique and fantastic org. There events are for the WHOLE family in addition to the affected child. Cancer not only affects the child, but is really takes a toll on siblings and the family as well. This is where OCF-OCF hits a homerun. All their events include everyone. No sibling is left out and it allows families to do something special as a complete group.

The Family camp is amazing. I have seen many kids with cancer. Almost universally they all want the same thing.... They want to be a normal kid. They want a fun childhood. What could be more All-American than summer camp. It is up in the mountains. They share a cabin with counselors and kids their same age. The counselors decorate and have tons of treats for them. They do crafts, archery, horseback ride, canoe, etc. Additionally, the cabins perform songs (ditty's), dress up incostumes, and perform skits before meal time.

I wish you could see the joy on these childrens' faces. All of them. Affected by cancer or not, they light up. Some of the older survivors display the many bad affects of chemo (slurred speech, stunted growth, hair loss, etc.), however, at OCF-OCF family camp everyone has total acceptance. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for some in the "real world" and public school. At least for this weekend they are totally accepted and "a normal kid."

John loved this group and especially the camp. John would have been excited to see the twins spend the night in the cabins with the other kids (no parents). It was really fun for all of us. I have terrific memories of John at this camp. In fact, we were ate camp in September 2005, six weeks before he went to Heaven on October 21st.

Anyways OCF-OCF is a parnet run group. If you would,like to learn more or help out (even registering your Ralph's grocery club card every September would help them) Their website is www.ocf-ocf.org

Thanks for checking in on our family.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal and Kate Taggart

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 0:24 AM CDT

August 18th is John's birthday. One thing he loved was the joy of taking a wagon ride to 7 Eleven and getting a Slurpee. We did it often and it was always a big hit with him. So to remember what would have been his 8th birthday, we went as a family and each had a Slurpee. Little Kate could hardly believe she got her very own. She was excited.

Well the summer has come and gone. We had a great time. We probably got over 12 beach days, a trip to Lake Shasta, the Orange County Fair, and logged many hours at the park. We hope you all had a safe and terrific summer. Hayley is going to home school again this year doing 5th grade. Luke starts Jr. Kindergarden Aug. 27th at the public school. The twins start preschool in Sept.

Yes, the summer is over and back to our reality of getting everyone to there busy schedules.

This Fall we have some Cal football weekends, OCF-COF Family camp, a Vegas trip, and our annual trip to Whitewater Wisconsin for Pumkinfest.

Thanks for checking in.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal, and Kate Taggart

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 2:04 PM CDT

We had another highly successful Alex's Lemonade Grand Stand. It is such an honor to host these stand in John's memory and send the money to rund a cure for Neuroblastoma via the ALSF. I still remember our first stand in 2005 where John joyfully served lemonade all day.

I think John would be pleased with our event this year. It was a perfect setting at the base of the Giant (ferris) Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum. The weather could not have been any better. It was quite an event. Country Time handled the Lemonade, cups and Easy-ups. We had candy, cookies, face painting, balloon twisting, KOST radio, and the Orange County FIre Authority on scene with their Engines. It was great.

Thank you to all who volunteered. We had scores of helpers who merrily served lemonade.

So far we have raised over $10,200 which is our new record. If you tallied the 4 stands together we have accumulated $37,000 in donations. I think that is a testament to the great volunteers and generous friends of John.

If you would like to know the final count, keep checking www.firstgiving.com/johnkellytaggart and it will be listed.

Thank you again for remebering John and for supporting our Grand Stand benefitting Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF)

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal, and Kate Taggart

Monday, May 26, 2008 10:50 PM CDT

Hello friends,
I hope you all are getting thirsty for some Lemonade! It is that time of year again when we participate in Lemonade Days as a GRAND STAND for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. This is our 4th event. This year is going to be HUGE. It is Saturday June 7th from 11:00 to 7:00 at the Irvine Spectrum in front of the Giant Wheel. Yes this is a NEW location and LONGER hours.

We hope you all can join us as we host a family friendly fun event to honor John's memory and raise money to find a cure for Neuroblastoma. For those that cannot make it we have another website: www.firstgiving.com/johnkellytaggart

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal and Kate Taggart

p.s. We just got back from the annual Yosemite trip. I have posted a picture in the photo section.

Sunday, February 24, 2008 11:42 PM CST

We are officially moved into our new home in Newbury Park, CA. I have attached a photo from our dual housewarming and Kate's 1st birthday party in the photo section. Life is going well for us. We are already acclimated. We are surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains and can see thousands of stars at night. The house is perfect for us. Luke and Cal love their bunk beds in the "boys" room. Little Lindsey and Kate have their special room. Hayley has her own and can see the mountains and sunset from her window. Tamara and I have our own bathroom. No longer do we have to move the animal shaped towels and kids' soap out of the way to take a shower.

We have had some sad news from two families close to us. One family who also has twins close to the same age as ours recently lost one as a result of a complicated heart issue. We are all numb. The second involves a family we met at CHOC. We met Micheal as he was beginning his battle with NB as John was ending his. Sadly, Michael's fight ended much the same way. We know that both of these children are now in Heaven and pain free, but it is still difficult. For those of you who have been close to someone who has lost a child, you can empathise. For those of you who haven't, consider yourself fortunate. Honestly, I hope I never have to go to another "celbration of life" of one of our friends' children.

I know I have mentioned it before, but donating blood is a very important thing. Both of the two children mentioned above had blood transfusions. I encourage all of you to donate blood in 2008. You can even make it you New year's resolution. (Hopefully you will be more successful than what you originally had as your resolution) It really is very painless and easy. A little sacrifice goes along way to treating children in need.

We again will be honoring John's memory in a big way in 2008. The St. Baldricks Day event is scheduled for Sat. March 15, 2008 in North Hollywood at Fire Station 89. Check out the www.stbaldricks.org website for the details. You can also see my "before" and "after" shots. I have been growing it out for this. I should have a lot to shear off.

And of course we are continuing the Alex's lemonade Stand. We again will be a National Grand Stand. We have a conference call with the ALSF Foundation on Wed. We are moving it to the Irvine Spectrum to accommodate the magnitutde of this year's event. Stay tuned for more details about the GRAND STAND the first Saturday in JUne JUNE 7th. www.alexslemonade.com

Saturday, January 5, 2008 0:51 AM CST

A NEW YEAR... A NEW HOME.
We are now finally home owners! On Jan. 3rd we moved to Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks (90 miles north of Costa Mesa) in Ventura County. We are very excited. It gives us the much needed room for our family. We were renting a 3 BDR. You can imagine how tight it was getting with the 5 kids.

It is a Tri-level, 4 BDR, 2.5 BA with bonus room and a great back yard with a tree house as well as tether ball. We are 200 yards from the Santa Monica Mountians and all the trails it offers. We are sad to leave Costa Mesa, but could not pass up this home. After much thought and prayerful consideration we made the move.

The Alex's Lemonade Stand will still be held in Newport Beach this June. The Stand itself is still in storage in Costa Mesa. So, we hope you all can see us then if not sooner for one of our trips down or your's to visit us.

The new address is:
1216 Knollwood Drive
Newbury Park, CA 91320

We hope you all are off to a great start in 2008. Thank you for checking in on our family.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, lindsey, Cal, and Kate Taggart

Sunday, October 21, 2007 0:15 AM CDT

Octber 21st is a happy and sad day. It has now been 2 years since John has been callled Home to be with the Lord. We still think of him often.
John was a one-of-a-kind "superman." We are so thankful we were able to enjoy him even though it seemed to be such a short time.

Thursday, October 4, 2007 10:37 PM CDT

We are rapidly approaching the 2 year anniversary when John went home to be with the Lord. October 21st is the date. Hardly a day passes that I don't think of him. While at the same time, it seems so very long ago we were spending so much time in the Hospital. A lot has happened since October 21st, 2005. The twins are 2 and 1/2, Luke is now going to the preschool John enjoyed so much, Hayley is in 4th grade, and we have the 8 month old Baby Kate.

Life is very busy in the Taggart family. Potty training, Home schooling, Gymnastics, learning to ride a bike, etc. are daily events.

Thank you for checking in on us. It will probably be difficult the closer we come to October 21st, but we are continually comforted knowing John is cancer free, pain free, and in the presence of Jesus.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John. Luke, Lindsey, Cal and Kate Taggart

Saturday, August 18, 2007 9:31 AM CDT

Hello Friends,

We have had a very nice summer. We hope you are all enjoying it as well. Today is August 18th. It will always be a special day for us. John was born on Aug. 18, 2000. Today he would be celebrating his 7th birthday. I am not sure if they celebrate birthdays in Heaven or not, but I will be singing him "Happy Birthday" none-the-less.

I still remember John's 5th birthday very well. It was a great weekend. One day he came up to the Fire Station and we gave him a great tour even letting him help tiller(drive the back end). The firemen even presented John with a birthday cake. The next day we had a party for John and a dozen of his friends. John had a terrific time. Bounce house, pinata, water balloons, presents, and all his friends. I still remember how vibrant and excited he was. It is ironic that at the same time the cancer was ravaging his face and body which would ultimately come to an end 2 months later.

I am comforted to know John is cancer free in Heaven. Also, John knew that we love him deeply. Finally, I know that some day I will be called to Heaven as well and look forward to seeing John again. I'll bet he will be every bit as vibrant and excited as he was on his 5th birthday, to show me around.

Thanks for continuing to check in on our familly,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal, and Kate Taggart

Wednesday, June 13, 2007 0:30 AM CDT

Another Alex's Lemonade Stand has come and gone. We held our 3rd effort at hosting an Alex's Amazing Lemonade Stand at Fashion Island last Saturday June 9th. It was another great success. Logistically it was the smoothest ever. A Ralph's refridgerated truck delivered the donated Minute Maid Lemonade on time and icy cold. The Sweet Life cookies were nice and fresh. Our team of balloon fillers were in force and we served probably a couple thousand glasses of lemonade. This year we were in front of babystyle. They were great hosts and partners offering discounts to our donors and raffling off two strollers.

So the obvious question...How much did we raise? Well, as of June 13, we have a total of $8,809.08 including the on-line donations. This is a solid result for our simple stand. It would be nice if we could break thru the $10,000 mark. If we could, that would be our best effort yet. So if there are any who would like to donate to reach this lofty goal, please go to www.firstgiving.com/johntaggart

Thank you for all that have donated on-line, sent us checks, and for those who came by to support the Stand. It is a great event. John loved the event he was part of. Seeing John behind the Lemonade Stand serving friends is one of my fondest memories. We plan on continuing to host these stands every June to honr him and raise money to cure Neuroblastoma.

Thank you for being a part of it.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal, and Kate Taggart

Tuesday, May 15, 2007 10:30 AM CDT

Our 3rd Annual Alex's Amazing Lemonade Stand is rapidly approaching. It is going to be Saturday June 9th from 11:00 - 5:00 in front of the store babystyle adjascent to the carousel in Fashion Island Newport Beach. This year we have been selected by the Alex's Lemonade Foundation as one of the few "GRAND STANDS."

We are very excited. This year again will feature Minute Maid Lemonade and Sweet Life cookies. We will also have Luna Bar samples and discounts inside babystyle with a portion of the proceeds being donated to our stand. There will also be a balloon twister and an appearnce by the Newport Beach Fire Department.

Please plan on attending and supporting our biggest effort yet to continue John's legacy and raise money to fund a cure for Neuroblastoma research. Some have asked how to make a donation if they cannot attend. If you wish you may link to www.firstgiving.com/johntaggart to make an online donation.

We are getting very excited for the Stand. I have such fond memories of our first stand in 2005 when John was the guest of honor. He enjoyed every minute of that day. I still vividly remember his huge grin all day long.

This really is a fun family day. Please come by.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal, and Kate Taggart

Sunday, April 15, 2007 9:39 AM CDT

Hello friends. Before I catch you up on the Taggart family, I want to let everyone know we will be hosting another Alex's Amazing Lemonade Stand to raise money in John's memory for research to cure Neuroblastoma. This year we have been selected by Alex's Lemonade Foundation as one of a dozen "Grand Stands" thoughout the nation. Consequently, this year should be huge. We are getting a lot of support already from underwriters and sponsors. Now all we need is some thirsty lemonade drinkers. Details to follow but here they are so far:

When: Saturday June 9th from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Where: Fashion Island in Newport Beach in front of Babystyle (near the carousel)

Minute Maid will again be donating the delicious lemonade and Ralph's grocery will help keep if properly chilled. The store babystyle is donating a portion of its proceeds that day and offering discount coupons to those that come by the stand. There will also be a balloon twister and appearance by the Newport Beach Fire Department.

We hope that you can come by an support this fun, worthwhile event. For more info. about Alex's Lemonade Foundation, check out www.alexslemonade.com

Now for the latest in the Taggart family. Baby Kate is fully acclimated, doing a decent job of sleeping and an exceptional job of looking cute. Cal officially cannot be contained by his crib. It jumps in and out as he pleases. You never know what room you'll find him wandering in the middle of the night. Keeps us on our toes. We hope he doesn't decide to go into Kate's crib again though. Lindsey, not wanting to be left behind tried to climb out of her crib once. Once. She ended of with a slight fracture to her left clavicle. It did not require a cast and is already healing fine.

Luke thrives on preschool just as John did. He also is starting a gymnastics class on Fridays. Hayley is doing very well in 3rd grade. She has been taking piano lessons and picks it up quickly. It is still hard to believe, but Hayley will be turning 9 on May 12th.

Tamara is back into running and deciding what race to set her sights on. As for me, I just sit back and take it all in.

Thanks for checking in on us. We hope you can come support the Lemonade Stand and please help us to promote and get the word out about Alex's Amazing Lemonade Stand.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cale, & Kate Taggart

Tuesday, February 27, 2007 11:30 PM CST

The final installment to the Taggart Family decided to come 8 days early. This baby will break the tie if 2 boys and 2 girls. The envelope please.....

And "the toilet seat will stay ... DOWN!"

Yep, girls have recalimed the majority in the Taggart house. Kate Jane Taggart was born today Feb. 27th at 10:15a.m. She weighed in at a full figured 8 lbs. 11oz and measured 19.5 inches.

She is beautiful and has a full shock of dark hair. Kate was having a pretty good fisrt day. She was adjusting to the whole being outside the womb pretty well. She enjoyed having a Mommy, Daddy, and grandparents to hold her. Then her worst reality came true. SHE IS THE BABY of a family of giants! This evening her older siblings barged into the room demanding to see the new princess. It was a whirlwind of activity. Kate intially tried to fend them off with her "cry weapon", but it was no use. She gave in. She accepted her role in the Taggart Family heirarchy. Besides big brother Cal was so happy she had the same hair as he did.

Well, that is all for now. PICTURES NOW AVAILABLE IN THE PHOTO SECTION.

Thanks for checking in,

Love,
the "complete" Taggart Family
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal, and KATE

Friday, January 19, 2007 11:36 PM CST

I hope all of you are off to a great start in 2007. The final installement of the Taggart family is due March 7. We are anxiously awaiting to find out WHO is in there. It will tip the current balance of power. Will the toilet seat stay up or will it be down?

In preparing for the new baby, we have made some modification to the room assignments. Thanks to the Grandmas, we have a beautiful bunk bed in what is becomming the "kids" room. Luke loves it. Cal and Lindsey are in cribs still. However, I think Cal has other plans, since I caught him 3 nights ago cruising the hallway at 4:00a.m. Apparently, the crib no longer conatins him. It was good I had the bunk bed ladder unattached and on the top bunk or Cal would have staked a claim to the top floor.

Hayley has been very understanding. When the baby comes she is going to give up her own room and sleep in the top bunk until the baby is old enough to be put in the general population (older kids). By then we will know which way the boy/girl power has shifted and make room assignments accordingly.

2007 is going to be a great year for us. We look forward to the continued blessings the Lord has in store for us. While we are eager for the future, we still have a tight grip on our time with John. His things and pictures still fill our house. Just today I noticed another one that brought back great memories. Outside we have an easel. One side for painting and the other side is a chalk board. John was the painter in the family, so it has not had much use in awhile. However, on the chalkboard side was a list from John's 5 year birthday party. We hade a jar filled with Starbursts and the kids made guesses as to how many were inside. The winner got to keep them. There was John's guess of "40" and the guesses of his 10 friends. It made me flashback to his birthday on August 18, 2005. Little did we know he would go to Heaven 2 months and 3 days later.

Anyways, his 5th birthday was a fantastic day. John reveled in it. He was feeling great and above all else he was what he (and all kids with cancer) want to be...he was normal for the day. His past and future were irrelevant. At that momnent he was a normal kid enjoying his birthday with his best friends.

This memory is another rememinder to me , and all of us, to live like John did. He lived for the present. What happened yesterday was distant. What tests/trials that were in store for tomorrow could wait. John enjoyed the moment. Oh how I wish we all could live by this example and enjoy life to the fullest and appreciate it for the gift it truly is regardless of circumstance.

Thank you for continuing to follow our family and check back for ways we are going to honor John this spring and summer.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal, and ??? Taggart

Saturday, December 9, 2006 7:16 PM CST

We hope this update finds you all well and getting ready for the Christmas season. I'll attempt to catch you up on the Taggart happenings. In October, we all flew to Whitewater Wisconsin for the annual Pumpkinfest. It is essntially a Taggart family reunion. It is great because our "city" kids get to spend some time in the country. On a previous trip while driving in the rural part of the state, Hayley asked, "How long has the power been out?" Apparently, she is used to big city lights. We had a great time taking in a Badger hockey AND Football game. We also got to see the famous "Pumkin Chuckin'" machine in action. I have very fond memories of John going to this pumpkinfest 3 years ago. It was nice to see Luke enjoying many of the same things John did.

In November we took the family to Disneyland. This was tough, because we had taken John there so many times. This was our first trip back. Naturally, the twins and Luke loved it. There is a picture of them in Toontown in the photo section.

We also had a great Thanksgiving Feast this year at Papa Tagg and Grandma Mary's. There is also a picture in the photo section of the kids on Thanksgiving.

Yesterday, we went to Knott's Berry Farm. Tamara and I enjoyed wathcing the kids watch the Snoopy on Ice show. Caland Luke were totally into it. It actually was a pretty good show and was full of the real reason of Christmas. It was refreshing that they did not censor the birth of Jesus and in fact they recited Biblical refernces during the show.

We hope you all are preparing for a great Christmas season and that the New Year will bring blessings and health for all of your families. We look forward to an exciting 2007. Tamara's pregnancy is going well and we look forward to the (likely) final member of our family around March 7th. We still don't know who is in there, but they are solo this time.

Thanks for checking in,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal and ??? Taggart

Sunday, October 22, 2006 8:32 AM CDT

We just passed the one year anniversary of John being called home to be with the Lord. It still is difficult at times to accept, but we remain confident he is cancer free and in Heaven. For this we are comforted.

Quite a bit has happened in the past year. We are proud to that several events strengthend John's memory and legacy. He was honored at the LAFD St. Baldricks day event. We held another highly successful Alex's Lemonade Stand. The Daily Pilot newspaper wrote about him as one of the significant passings last year. Many people still leave journal entries of the impact John had. Often we are approached at preschool, Church, etc. about being John's parents. We are still very proud of him and always will be for the courage and Belief he held.

Thank you for those of you who have sent cards. It is always nice hearing how John has affected people. As before, donating blood continues to be a nice way to honor John and help other children at the sametime.

On Friday, we went for Tamara's 4 month ultrasound. It was almost exactly a year ago to the hour that we were across the street at CHOC with John as he was finishing his earthly fight. I couldn't help but reflect on the cycle of life. Last year, John was taking his final breaths and this year we were excited to see another one of God's precious children in the process of being formed.

Everything went well during the ultrasound and westuck with tradition and did not "peek" as to who is exactly in there.

Thank you for checking in on us and see the 2 new pictures in the photos section.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal & ???

Thursday, September 14, 2006 5:18 PM CDT

I think John would have been happy with the way we celebrated what should have been his 6th birthday on August 18. Luke and I wore Superman shirts for the occasion. We went to the preschool he loved. His teacher and classmates released balloons in his memory. All the colors of the Rainbow were used. It was a tearful moment, but very special. Lunch was at the Rainforest Cafe. 3 years earlier this is where his bday party was. It is also where his Make-A-Wish party was. We had a nice booth with a Rainbow directly behind us. Finally, we went to the Angels game that night with the friends we have made at OCF-OCF which is the Orange County Foundation for Oncology Children and their Families. I remembered John frequently wearing his Angles hat. It was bitter sweet celebrating his birthday.

Last week we went to Disneyland for the first time. A couple of nights before, when we told Luke we were going to Disneyland, he asked "Can I have Mouuse ears?" None of our kids have ever asked that before. "You bet Luke, Absolutely!" So Luke got his wish and we enjoyed the day. Splash Mountain forever referred by John as "Zippity Do Da" was not the same without seeing his big grin and wiping the spray of his bald shiny head.

Well football season is here again. We went to the Cal home opener last weekend. It was a year earlier that John was with us. It was his last game and one of the last good pain free days he had.

This weekend we are going to Family Camp with OCF-OCF. We will be surrounded by many of the families we have met during John's treatment. It is my hope that Tamara nad I can be helpful to families who are already walking or soon might be travelling the road we have after having a son go to Heaven.

It will be a fun time for the kids. Thank you again for checking in on our family. I will try to post some newer pictures after the camp weekend.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal and perhaps a Kate Taggart

(p.s. We have not peeked, nor do we intend to, but I wanted to write it out to see how Kate sounded)

Thursday, August 17, 2006 3:16 PM CDT

Well, Luke had a great time on his 3rd birthday. He had both sets of grandaparents and both uncles join him at Chuck E Cheese. It was fun watching him and both twins take over the game area.

Tomorrow is a special day. It will be August 18. This would have been John's 6th birthday. I remember last year having his "high "5" party." That was such a great day. It is with sadness that we will not be watching him blow out 6 candles on a birthday cake.

However, we plan on doing some things he enjoyed on his birthday. His preschool, Westcliff, is going to honor him with a rainbow balloon release. We look forward to having the whole family there. For lunch we are going to the Rainforest Cafe in South Coast Plaza. this is where his 3rd birthday was as well as his Make-A-Wish dinner. In the evening we are going to the Angels game. The OCF-OCF group is holding a tailgate and tickets to the game. We will see many of the families that we shared the 3rd floor oncology halls with. We will enjoy the treats John liked. Hotdogs, Pixie Stix, and of course cotton candy. We will be watching the Angels on the field knowing that we have Angel John watching us.

Thank you for checking in. Thank you to those who have sent "birthday" cards. That is very nice. I have a suggestion for those of you who would like to honor John's legacy in his August birthday month. Blood donations are always needed. John had countless transfusions. I encourage you to take the time to donate blood or platelettes. I know at CHOC they will go directly to children in need. If you live near CHOC, the blood donor services can be reached by (714)532-8339. It is painless and easy. Otherwise there are many other locations to donate.

Thank you for checking in on our growing family.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal, and ? Taggart

Sunday, July 30, 2006 11:20 PM CDT

Hello Friends,

I hope this update finds everyone healthy and enjoying the summer. We have had a nice summer so far. Hayley continues with Swim team and Gymnastics. Luke really enjoys his swim lessons.

He also started preschool. Preschool is a rite of passage for all kids, but for a Dad it is sad. You see, from 1 year until preschool, my kids think I am the greatest thing ever. Then preschool starts. Crafts, friends, nice teachers, snack time, playdo, etc. You get the point. All of a sudden Dad just becomes their ride to and from preschool. Oh well, I still have the twins.

Cal is quite the climber. It is this talent and his striking resmblence to Angel John that we marvel at how similar they are. We are blessed to have Cal and love the memories he gives us of a young John. Lindsey finally walked. Yesterday. A full 16 months and she finally got up the courage to walk. Hopefully it sticks, because Tamara has lots of pretty dresses for her to wear. Apparently, it is hard to crawl in a dress. I'll go with Tamara on this one.

We have been enjoying this summer. It is quite a site when we take all of them to the beach and set up camp. People are always staring. It is either the "Wow, you've got your hands full" or the "better you than me" look. We love going.

Luke is excited to turn 3 on Sunday August 6. We are going to Chuck E. Cheese's. He is very cute. He keeps saying John and Jesus are coming to the party. Well, that would be an outstanding party now wouldn't it.

Thank you for checking in and we hope you all doing well.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, Cal & Taggart

Saturday, June 24, 2006 1:13 AM CDT

The Lemonade Stand was another success. We have raised over $8,000 (and growing) this year. Yet another testimony to the impact John had on so many. The event went very well again at Fashion Island this past June 10th. I believe we poured over 36 gallons of lemonade into over 300 cups.

Thank you to the many volunteers who helped. You were instrumental to making it happen. We are honored to be sending such a large donation to the Alex's Lemonade Fund in memory of John.

Please see the new "Lemonade Stand" picture in the photo section.

Thanks again for checking in.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayely, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Saturday, June 24, 2006 1:13 AM CDT

The Lemonade Stand was another success. We have raised over $8,000 (and growing) this year. Yet another testimony to the impact John had on so many. The event went very well again at Fashion Island this past June 10th. I believe we poured over 36 gallons of lemonade into over 300 cups.

Thank you to the many volunteers who helped. You were instrumental to making it happen. We are honored to be sending such a large donation to the Alex's Lemonade Fund in memory of John.

I will try and get a few picutres of the event posted. I did not have my camera, so I am relying on some friends and family to send them to me. When they do, I'll put them up.

Thanks again for checking in.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayely, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Saturday, June 24, 2006 1:13 AM CDT

The Lemonade Stand was another success. We have raised over $8,000 (and growing) this year. Yet another testimony to the impact John had on so many. The event went very well again at Fashion Island this past June 10th. I believe we poured over 36 gallons of lemonade into over 300 cups.

Thank you to the many volunteers who helped. You were instrumental to making it happen. We are honored to be sending such a large donation to the Alex's Lemonade Fund in memory of John.

I will try and get a few picutres of the event posted. I did not have my camera, so I am relying on some friends and family to send them to me. When they do, I'll put them up.

Thanks again for checking in.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayely, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Monday, June 5, 2006 11:31 PM CDT

We had a great time in Yosemite. The weather was warm. The waterfalls were full. Both sets of grandparents and uncles were along. It was really nice. I will post a photo from our trip.

It was a little sad without John this year. He had been able to come the previous 3 years. Interstingly, we did recover a momento of his last year visit. Near Curry Village they have the LeConte Memorial / Science Center. Inside they have lots of fun stuff for the kids. Last year, Hayley and John traced their footprints on paper and added them to the huge "hiking shoe" display. They cut them out and wrote their names. Hayley remembered doing this last year. When she went this year she asked what happened to the last year footprints. After telling the volunteers about how we were looking for John's, the search was on.

Sure enough, they found it. It had his rough scissors cut and his trademark spelling his name backwards "NHOJ." Without question it was his. So, I suppose, John was with us a little this year. We are happy to have another treasure of John's.

LEMONADE STAND this Saturday June 10th. 10:00 - 3:00 at lululemon Athletica at Fashion Island, Newport Beach. Hope to see you there. Pictures to follow another successful event.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, & Cal Taggart

Thursday, May 25, 2006 3:42 PM CDT

Finally, a new message.

There have been some problems with John's site. Especially when you try and sign the guestbook. I am working with them to have it corrected. Thanks for your patience. It is our intent to keep this site open and continue to update.

May has been and continues to be a very busy month for our family. We all went up to the San Jose area to attend Jeff and Erica Bonham's wedding. We had a great time and the kids travelled well. We determined a new plan for driving north. Since Cal football season is coming, we will probably do it a few times this fall. We stop at In-n-Out burgers to pick up lunch and then take it to the next rest stop. Works out great. Luke chases the birds. Hayley practices her gymnastics. Cal copies both of them and Lindsey looks cute with a fist full of french fries. If you are ever driving up I-5 and see a buch of kids (and Dad) running around, it probably is us.

Mothers Day was difficult, but nice for Tamara. John was a very thoughtful and loving little guy. He always had a big hug for Tamara and greeted her with a "Happy Mothers Day Mama" when she got up. It think Tamara missed him. The other 4 kids love Tamara, but they just do not display their love like John did. We still had a nice BBQ and celebrated her being a terrific Mom.

Last weekend, Tamara and I went on a trip. We joked that it was our Honeymoon. It actually kind of was. When Tamara and I got married, we both workied in retail and it was not allowed to take extended time in November. So we delayed our honeymoon. Then kids started happening. And then more kids. You know the rest. Anyways, it worked out that we attended a wedding in Mexico south of Cancun. With a large team of baby sitters, we were able to go for 6 days. Thank you to the many volunteers that graciously kept our children safe while Tamara and I had an incredible trip.

We toured the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza and Tulum. We snorkeled in the Carribean sea and swam in fresh water "cenotes." Of course we also got some beach time. It was really nice for us.

This week we are back to reality. School, gymnastice, swimming, Mommy and me classes, etc. But next week we are all going to Yosemite. Both sets of grand parents and uncles are all coming. It should be a lot of fun. When we return I will post some pictures of the trip. This will be the first year without John. He was able to come the last 3. Cal and Lindsey will keep us busy so we won't think about his absence too much.

Thank you fo checking in.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

****Remember, the Alex's Lemonade Stand is coming quick. It is Saturday June 10th at Fashion Island, Newport Beach from 10:00 - 3:00. Please come and buy some lemonade, enjoy Sweet Life cookies, and raise money for the Lemonade Fund that goes specifically to finding a cure for the type of cancer John and Alex Scott had (Neuroblastoma). The offical site is www.alexslemonade.com if you cannot make it but would like to still be involved****

Friday, April 21, 2006 10:03 PM CDT

We hope you all are enjoying the spring and getting ready for a great summer. Today has a little signifcance to it. It was 6 months ago that John went to Heaven. We still miss him dearly. It does seem like a long time has passed. Tamara and I were discussing how John's life seemed like a dream. Did it really happen? Did we really have this intelligent, sweet, and incredibly heroic little boy.

Yes we did. We are still so very proud of him. He lived life for the present. As I have said before, we all should live our lives like John did. He did not complain about life's "adversities." John lived for family, preschool, Slurpees, riding his scooter, swimming, and all the other things so many of us take for granted. Additionally, John lived knowing God had a special plan for his life. John knew he had a purpose and that ultimately, the Lord would call him home to Heaven.

We all should live like John did.

Thank you for continuing to check in on us. We have a great opportunity coming up to continue John's legacy. We will be holding another Alex's Lemonade Stand this June 10th. Again it will be at lululemon at Fashion Island from 10:00 - 2:00. Please make a date to come visit, enjoy some Minute Maid Lemonade, celebrate John's life, and raise money for the Lemonade Fund which raises money to specifically fund a cure for Neuroblastoma( the cancer John battled.)

To learn more about Alex's Lemonade Stand you can visit www.alexslemonade.com

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Tuesday, April 11, 2006 10:59 PM CDT

The twins are officially 1 year olds. There is a cute picture of them in the photo section seconds before they destroyed their birthday cakes. Still no walking, but they are very active crawling and pulling themselves up on the furniture.

We have some exciting news about our 2nd annual Alex's Lemonade Stand. As you remember from last June, we held an Alex's Lemonade Stand at Fashion Island in front of the store, lululemon. It was to raise money for the Lemonade Fund started by the famous little girl Alex Scott who also suffered with Neuroblastoma cancer. Their official website is www.alexslemonade.com

We are going to do it again. John was very active in planning and running last years event. This year will be in his memory as well as Alexandra Scott's.

We again are holding it in front of Lululemon at Fashion Island on Saturday June 10th 11:00 - 2:00. Details to follow. This is a very fun event and we hope many of you will be able to come, volunteer, and enjoy some lemonade.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Luke, Lindsey and Cal Taggart

Wednesday, March 22, 2006 8:47 PM CST

Last Friday was the annual LAFD and LAPD St. Baldricks Day event. It raises awareness and money for pediatric cancer research. This years' event was in memory and dedicated to John Kelly. His picture was displayed. Participants were given John memorial buttons with his picture. Although a little cold, it was another tremendous success. Our whole family came up and there is a picture in the photo section. Thank you for those who contributed online at www.stbaldricks.org.

This past Sunday March 19th, Tamara ran the Los Angeles Marathon. Yep, less than a year after having the twins, Tamara got into race shape and finished another Los Angeles Marathon. We were able to cheer her on at 2 points along the course. She powered thru severe stomach pain at mile 19, but never gave up. We are very proud of our super mom.

The twins are rapidly approaching their 1st birthday this March 30th. We are getting excited. They still have not taken their first steps, but I think it must be soon.

Thank you for checking in on our family.

We are planning on doing another Lemonade Stand this June to honor our hero and raise money specifically for fighting the Neuroblastoma. I will ask for volunteers once we firm up the dates and location.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Tuesday, March 7, 2006 1:32 PM CST

Greetings from the Taggarts. We have been staying busy. For the first time since before John was diagnosed, we went skiing. We spent last week in Mammoth. Hayley had her first lesson and enjoyed it very much. The instructor was very impressed how well she did considering it was her first day. Tamara and I enjoyed being able to ski while Luke went to the preschool and Papa Bear and Grandma Bonnie watched the twins.

This month looks to be exciting as well. We will be participating in the St. Baldricks event this March 17th to raise money for pediatric cancer research. This year's event is in honor of John. If interested you can go to the website. www.stbaldricks.org (Location Los Angeles - Fire Station 89)

That same weekend is the LA Marathon. Tamara, her brother Tim and his girlfriend Tamara have been training for it. We will be cheering them along the course on Sunday March 19th.

Then on March 30th, the super twins will turn 1 year old. They have grown a lot in the last few weeks. Cal is able to stand on his own, but has yet to take the first steps. It will be soon. Lindsey, well she enjoys watching Cal. She seems to know that her blue eyes and cute smile gets her enough attention that she doesn't have to do tricks like her brother.

I hope this update finds you healthy and well. I will post 2 new pictures in the photo section. One is from the Academy Awards party at Papa Tagg and Grandma Mary's house. The other is us getting snowed in at Mammoth.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey and Cal Taggart

Tuesday, March 7, 2006 1:32 PM CST

Thursday, February 16, 2006 8:12 PM CST

Hello from the Taggart Family. We are getting along well. Still missing John, but knowing we will see him in Heaven. Allow me to update you on the kids. Hayley now has her room back. She was displaced by the twins. She enjoys her space and is doing "A" level work in second grade. We are very proud of her. Luke now is the senior member of the kids room. He graduated from the Fire Truck bed into a big boy bed. (On a side note if anyone would like the fire truck bed,let us know) He has an ever expanding vocabulary and is out of diapers. The twins are coming up on 11 months. They have their front 4 teeth and are everywhere. They can pull themselves up to standing and should be walking shortly. It is hard to believe they will be 1 year on March 30th. It is fun coming home from work in the morning and seeing them scurrying around in their pajamas.

Tamara is getting back into triathalon shape. She completed the Orange County 1/2 Marathon and is preparing for the LA Marathon on March 19th. After that she has a couple triathalons planned for the summer. As for me, I still really enjoy my "job." If you have to work, being a fireman is tough to beat.

The St. Baldrick's Day event is coming this March 17th. For those that donated last year remember, that about 100 firemen have our heads shaved. We do so to raise pledges to fund pediatric cancer research. This will be at Fire Station 89 in North Hollywood. This year's event is in honor of John. He is on the flyers and website. Look him up on the website to see him posing with a Dalmatian two years agao. The website is www.stbaldricks.org then click find an event and Los Angeles, Fire Station 89.

We hope this message finds you well and thank you for continuing to check in on our family.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey & Cal Taggart

Tuesday, January 24, 2006 2:38 PM CST

Since it has been a while since my last update, I will begin with Happy New Year. I hope you all had a healthy Christmas and are off to a fantastic 2006. Each day seems to get a little easier and accostomed to John's new Heavenly address. Some days are tough as you can imagine. We have lots of pictures of John, videos, and a DVD of his service. It helps, but you know what I miss dearly. John's smell. I miss the clean smell and soft peach fuzz hair he had on his bald head after bath time. Every night tucking him in and saying prayers, I would smell and snuggle him. Oh, do I wish I could have bottled that smell.

OK all you parents and grandparents, make sure you snuggle with your little blessings and cherish it.

Every year, Tamara attempts to organize the mound of pictures to recap the previous year. Starting this project begins with New Year's Eve. Looking back on New Years Eve 2005 was sobering. We have a great picture of ( at the time) the Taggart 5 and the Barnett's New Years party. It is a great shot. I will post it in the picture section. Anyways, what a lot has happened in 2005. John survived and was discharged from the stem cell transplant. The twins were born on March 30th. John looked great as we hosted the Alex's Amazing Lemonade stand at Fashion Island in June. We had a great Spring and summer with Yosemite, swim lessons, preschool, and trips to Cal Football games.

Looking at the picture from Dec. 31, 2004, who would have though John would be in heaven before 2005 finished. I state this only to encourage you to cherish the moment with your family. John did. You never know what the next day will bring.

I am honored and pleased to report, John's legacy is gaining momentum. A fellow LAFD Firemen's wife ran a 1/2 Marathon in Pheonix two weeks ago in John's honor wearing his picture. She raised money for (CNCF) Neuroblastoma research. Since November the CNCF had received donations from over 60 people in memory of John. This included $5,000 from the Alex's Lemonade Fund. (They donated 1/2 of what we sent them from the stand we held in June.) John has been included in the LAFD Grapevine (magazine) and The Firefighter (newspaper). Also, John's alma mater (Westcliff Early Childhood Center) blessed us with gifts. As well as the Lafd Fire Family has continued to meet our needs.

More events are planned. On St. Patricks Day March 17th, I will be participating in the St. Baldrick's Day event at Fire Station 89 in North Hollywood. This is the 4th annual event where LAFD members have our heads shaved for charity benefitting Pediatric Cancer research. The organizer of the event is using John's image in the promotion of the day. This year's event will be in John's honor. Please check our the site www.stbaldricks.org ,then site of Fire Station 89 North Hollywood.

We are also going to have another Lemonade stand this summer. This year will be in memory of Alex Scott and John with all proceeds going specifically to Neuroblastoma research. Details and volunteer request forthcoming. We would love your participation as we allow John's legacy to grow and him to continue to reach people's hearts.

Tamara and I donated blood last week at CHOC. It was my tenth donation. With it I get my name engraved on the "tree of Life". Who is committed to donating blood to get one as well? We plan on continuing to donate blood regularly. We know how desperate it is needed. So if you cannot come to St. Baldrick's Day or the Lemonade Stand, please consider donating blood to the closest Childrens Hospital.

Thank you for checking in. I promise to update more frequently. At leat monthly. Thank you for continuing to sign the guestbook. We enjoy reading how John has affected you.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey & Cal Taggart

Tuesday, December 20, 2005 0:07 AM CST

Merry Christmas to all of you! Thank you for the continued support that continues to pour in. Without question, it is difficult without John to hold and squeeze. There is something missing when I only tuck 4 kids into bed at night. All things considered, I think we are adjusting and handling it well. We trust in the Lord and understand how wonderful Heaven is for John and will be for us. Without that comfort, I think we would be lost.

Our "fire" family at the LAFD has been very helpful. They supported us to take a leave of absence for the month of November. I am now back to work. I love the job and it is a good distraction. We are blessed with 4 beautiful, healthy kids. Having 9 month old twins and a 2 year old who want to be squeezed and wrestled with sure helps out. It is hard to be sad with that fun bunch.

Let me be clear, that I would gladly drive John to the clinic 4-5 times a week or even be inpatient if I it meant I could spend more time with him. However, we do not miss the medical regimen and schedule his care took. It is amazing how much time it absorbed.

With our new found time we have done some fun things. Things regular famnilies enjoy. We went to the CAL vs stanfurd game Nov. 20th. On the way home, we decided to spend two nights in Santa Barbara since we did not have to be back for CHOC visits. It was a nice time. This week we are going to the Las Vegas Bowl to root Cal on.

Thank you for checking in and your uplifting journal entries. I will periodically update. New pictures as well. We also have several charities/fundraisers planned in memorial of John. On St. Patricks day, I will again be shaving my head for St.Baldricks day. (www.stbaldricksday.org - North Hollywood) It is a LAFD event that raises money for pediatric cacner research. We also plan on holding another Alex's Lemonade stand in the spring/summer. Stay tuned.

One cute story/quote. It is well known that John was fascinated with Rainbows. Symbolically they remind us of God's promises. Anyways, he would always paint them. It was kind of his tradmark. After the memorial, John's best friend Teak told his mom, "I think God will put John in charge of making the Rainbows." Then on the first rainy day Teak looked outside and said," Yep, John is going to be busy today." What are great thought.

Friday, October 21, 2005 12:26 AM CDT

We are very pleased with how John's Memorial went. It was amazing to see the turnout. I estimate 500 people came to hear about John. Incredible. Thank you to those who were thinking of us on that day that could not attend.

John was not yet a LAFD Fireman, but he was well represented by the Dept. A LAFD funeral detail was in attendance. Tamara and I both spoke about our beloved John. Behind us on the stage was a beautiful Rainbow made of several hundred balloons. John would have loved it.

Thank you also to Dawn, Uncle Brian, Mark Vaughan, and Pat Cranford. All of you spoke eloquently and made the message complete. Additionally, Uncle Tim played flawlessly on the guitar and piano.

I would like to thank Wendy Daniel and Jennifer Sheets for leading the large army that logistically brought the day together in perfect timing.

Tamara and I are very happy with how the event went. It exceeded our expectaions. It really was an emotional but wonderful day.

Thank you for continuing to be there with us as we enter this next season of our life.

With much love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, Angel John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Saturday, October 15, 2005 11:14 PM CDT

It is with mixed motions that I report we left CHOC today. Potentially that will be the last time we ever go there. The last two days John has physically felt a bit better. I believe we have a system of managing his pain that is working. He has been able to sit up under his own power. He has eaten a little bit. He sleeps very peacefully. We took many laps around the floor in his stroller. All of these did not happen last week.

I think he enjoyed that last 3 days in the hospital because he got to be with Mom and Dad by himself without other siblings sharing the time. He and I stayed up late watching our home videos. We are up to his first birthday and first steps. The memories bring smiles to his face and tears to mine. I look forward to watching the rest of them and hopefully making more videos.

I asked him this morning if he wanted to stay in the hospital or if he wanted to go home. He wanted to go home. So we are all home. A complete family. He felt well enough to take a warm bath tonight. We have had visitors come, but he has not been very friendly to them. Tamara and I welcome visitors, but cautian them that John make not be in the happiest mood.

I have stated it before, but feel it needs to be mentioned again. This 3 plus year cacner coaster has blessed our family. We have seen the compassion in people. The meals continue to come. The cards and phone calls of support pour in. John's website continues to reach people. Before cancer we were a regular family. Now we are John Kelly Taggart's family. For that we are honored and proud.

Only the Lord knows what is next. The late great Anaheim Angels chaplain and pastor of Kindred Community church said it perfectly. As he himself battled the cancer coaster, he asked this question. "Do you pray for HIS will to be done? Expecting miracles all along the way, but accepting HIS will. Never-the-less, not my will but HIS be done." I cannot say it any better. We know the Lord has a perfect plan for John. We accept it even if it does not mean a miraculous healing on this side of eternity.

Thank you for checking in.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

p.s.

2 new pictures in the photo section.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005 11:22 PM CDT

******QUICK UPDATE. John developed a fever 9 hours after we were home. We are currently back in CHOC Room 317. We will be here until Monday and then coming home regardless of his fever to be at home.******

We are running out of options, but not hope. We learned the extent of John's cancer. The cancer now is encroaching both femurs and up into his hips. The muscles around the area are inflamed. This the cause of the debilitating pain.

John also had an MRI of his brain. It looks like he has 2 new spots on the right side of his brain. This is bad.

The antibodies trial we were lining up for is no longer a viable option. It does not get into the blood brain barrier. Additionally, it is believed he has too much cancer to be effective.

The treatment itself is not very likely to work. It is very painful, would have likeley side affects, and all of our trusted doctors do not believe it will help.

So we decided not to subject John to another Bone Marrow apsirate. The MRI and EKG tests yesterday were tough for him. He is done with being poked and prodded. He has been a good soldier this entire 3 years. Never has he complained about the endless procedures. It is time we let him rest. The cancer may take his body, but it will never take his soul. Nor will it change my love and admiration for the most heroic person I have met.

It has been a tearful day for me personally. However, John is home where he belongs. On his couch he held his little sister Lindsey. He watched his brother Cal rolling on the floor. He laughed when his brother Luke got clobbered by a pillow thrown by Dad. He is happy to be home.

Mentally, I believe he is all together. Unfortunately, his body is failing him. I don't know how we move into this next phase of making him comfortable. Your prayers for John and our family during this sad and happy time will be appreciated.

There is no human medicine that is going to heal John. If the Lord is going to do something truly remarkable, He still may. We will just see it at home and not hooked up to machines in the hospital.

I understand this is difficult for many of you to read. Trust me, it is more difficult to write. Many have called to offer help. I think I speak for Tamara in saying we are fine with visitors. We are proud of our beloved John and know he means a lot to so many. I cannot promise he will be in a good mood, but he does know when visitors come to see him. You are welcome to come if you like. I suggest calling first.

I do not know what "time" is left. But none of us are guaranteed our next breath either. Until John is called home to Heavan after completing his mission among us, we love every day to be with him.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey and Cal Taggart

Monday, October 10, 2005 1:09 PM CDT

We are struggling to handle John's pain. John is the strongest person I know. When he voices his legs hurt, I know it is serious. Right now John is immobile from the waist down. This weekend was extemely difficult. He was on the couch all Saturday. He is not eating well either.

After making it thru Saturday night, John was slightly better Sunday. We were able to prop him up in bed to eat a waffle and then later carry him to the couch to try and eat Mac-n-cheese.

In an attempt to find the cause of the pain, we were admittied to CHOC yesterday. They drew lab cultures because he had a mild fever. His platelettes were again critically low, so he received another directed donor platelette transusion.

Xrays wer done of his pelvis and legs. To my surprise, there were NOT any fracures. I was expecting the bone marrow cancer to be presing on the bone. But the Xray did not show this. So the search will continue today to find the cause and help him.

We are being backed into the ropes again. It appears the chemo 2 weeks ago did nothing to stop the spread of cacner in his bone marrow. Additionally, his platelettes have not recovered on there own which essentially rules out other chemo unles they turn around. So we have few options. Potentially he may qualify for the Antibodies clinical trial for next week. This may be the last treatment option.

There are no wrong decisions on what to do next for John. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any good ones either. Tamara and I cannot do this on our own. We pray for the Lord to lead. Let His will done. If it is His will, we pray that the door is opened for a tool to heal our hero John.

Thank you for continuing to pray.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey & Cal Taggart

Thursday, October 6, 2005 7:33 PM CDT

Please pray for John. He is having a tough time. His lab results indicate they are still dropping significantly. He needed both red blood and platelette transfusions yesterday. Thank you to the directed donors who provided them. More disturbing is that his leg pain has returned. It is very severe.

Yesterday afternoon he could barely stand. As you can imagine this is very tough for the rest of us. Fortunately, we have the support of friends to take our other kids to school and activities while we attend to John. Additionally, he has a low fever. If it climbs, we may be required to admit to CHOC.

So we would really appreciate your prayers now for John. Specifically for his leg pain to go away and he is resilient against fever/infection.

Thank you for checking in and helping us/John thru this chalenge.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey and Cal Taggart

Tuesday, October 4, 2005 6:36 PM CDT

It has now been a week since John received the blast of chemo. He handled it very well. He did not get sick. Nor did he spike a fever. His blood counts remain low and he required a platelette and whole blood transfusion last week. He will likely require the same this week. Thank you to the blood donors. He received directed donor blood and platelettes for both last week.

Although John's counts have remained low, he still has some immunity so he was able to go to school a couple of times. On Sunday he got to spend the night at Grandma Bonnie's all by himself. I am sure he enjoyed not having to share her attention with his siblings. Then yesterday he went to Disneyland with Tamara and his best friend Teak with his Mom. He got in all the rides he wanted.

Back to reality this week though for him. Twins to play with. A younger brother, Luke, shadowing him, and an older sister to compete with.

Medically the plan this week is to check his blood twice and support with transfusions if necessary. Next week, we will check the bone marrow to see if progress is being made.

Monday September 26 was the 3 year anniversary of his diagnosis. One could be discouraged that we were in the clinic that day receiving chemo because of a third relapse. However, I am confident the Lord has a plan. Besides, over the past three years we have been showered with compassion from family, firends, and those who have come to follow our hero John. We have had some tremendous memories these past 3 years. The Make-A-Wish trip, camping in Colorado, OCF-OCF camps, Yosemite, countless Slurpees, and dinners at the Old Spaghetti Factory come to mind. I look forward to many more just around the corner.

We know John is special. His toughness and ability to be brave are an inspiration. Thank you for following John's battle. I know there is a plan and pray that John's complete healing is part of it.

Thank you for checking in and continuing to pray for John's healing and for Tamara and I to make sound decisions.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 11:43 PM CDT

The final MiBG report confirms what we speculated Friday. The mass in his left cheek is smaller and there does not appear to be any new spots. We were prepared to have multiple spots light up. We are encouraged that this did not happen.

So we have it shrinking in his cheek and know it is in his bone marrow. The marrow may have been causing the leg pain. We have decided to increase the chemo and allow it to work for 3 weeks rather than do nothing and wait for the clinical trial.

On Monday, John received Irinotecan by IV and 4 times the dose of Temodar (the one he was already on) orally.The plan is to use this as a tool to kill the cancer in his marrow. In 2 weeks, the plan is to re-check his bone marrow. At that time, we may repeat this regimen if it appears to be working and he tolerates it well. Otherwise another option is to move to the antibodies clinical trial. We will pray for guidance on this decision.

John required a blood transfusion on Monday and may need more blood and platelettes soon. If you have donated for John in the past, please contact the CHOC donor center (714)532-8339 if you would like to give again.

Even if you have not or do not match John's A+ blood type, I encourage you to still donate blood. At CHOC it is painless and you know it is going to help children. I went on Monday and hope many of you can donate as well. It is amazing how God created us so perfectly that we can donate blood to one another.

Thank you for checking in and continuing to pray for John and guidance on what steps to take next.

love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Saturday, September 24, 2005 9:55 PM CDT

I will try to create the picture of John going to the MiBG scan Friday. It is etched in my memory as one of the cutest things he has done. He was still in his pajamas when we got to the parking lot. I put his shoes on at the hospital entrance and handed him his razor scooter. (His latest thing is to cruise the hopistal in style) Then he was off like a shot. Somehow I managed to keep up with this 42 inch tall bald headed kid dressed in Mickey Mouse pajamas tearing in up on a scooter weaving in an out of hosiptal gurneys and nurses. Priceless. You should have seen the expressions and smiles of the people he left in his dust. Considering this guy could barley walk last Friday, it was all the more special.

John again was still as a statue for his MiBG scan Friday. The Nuclear Medicine team is always so impressed at how cooperative and mature John is. I do not have the official results. However, after having gone thru a dozen of these, I have developed an honorary dgree in Radiology. Compared to the last one in August, the left cheek appears to be less. This time it does appear that John has massive bone marrow involvement. Interestingly, there does not appear to be any gorss masses attached to his major organs. I was prepared for wide spread involvement. So we praise God for what appears to be encouraging. In summary, it seems only to be worse in the bone marrow.

So we will attempt to increase the level of chemo in hopes to eliminate the cancer in the marrow. We will do at least one cycle of Irinotecan and then perhaps move to the Antibodies trial. He has had this same chemo before and had some short term success. More importantly, he tolerated it very well. This time it will be post transplant, so it may be tougher. At least that is what the doctors cautian us.

We continue to pray for Guidance. As of this entry, we feel led to using Irinotecan as a tool to battle the cancer.

Thank you for checking in and for your continued prayers for John's healing and for Guidance for Tamara and I.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Thursday, September 22, 2005 0:33 AM CDT

Despite John's leg pain and mouth discomfort, we made it to camp and Circus Circus. John was limited in his activities. His mind was ready to go, but his legs/body would fail him. Gradually, his leg pain has improved slightly each day. Last night he told me "My legs don't hurt anymore." Today, he was completely mobile without complaint. I cannot explain it except for prayers being answered.

A lot has transpired behind the scenes for what to do next. A new Antibodies clinical trial has opened. It is designed to tag NB cells and mark them so John's own immune system can spot them and kill cancer. We were geared up to begin immediately, but were told he could not start. We are told John must not have had chemo 3 weeks prior to starting the antibodies. So, what once was moving forward effortlessly, was put to a halt today because he has been taking the oral chemo daily.

In the meantime, John's blood and marrow are getting damaged. He will require a platelette transfusion tomorrow and likely will need whole blood as well. It is presumed that the NB is penetrating his marrow even more and damaging it.

So what to do? We are praying for the Lord to make clear the path we are to take and Show us the way.

A potential second option is to restart a chemo (Irinotecan) that John has previously had short term success with. Then allow his body to recover for 3 weeks and then try to qualify for the antibodies trial.

This option could begin as early as tomorrow.

What do we need? We would like your continued prayers for Johns healing. Specifically, we pray for the Lord's wisdom to tell us what to do. Further we pray that The Fiday MiBG scan comes back better than the anticipated disease spread. We pray for all those in charge with John's care. That they may be attentive to his needs and wise in their recommendations.

Thank you for checking in and waiting for the much overdue update. There are many anxioous moments for Tamara and I as we sort this out. It ususally takes one of the smiling 5 and a half month old twins, a tackle by Luke, or a laugh from John to help remind us to cherish the moment and to relax that the Lord has a plan.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 5:48 PM CDT

By the time you read this John will have finished his 17th and final Radiation session. It will be nice not having to drive him to CHOC daily. Also, it will be great to allow his mouth and tongue to heal from the Radiation side affects.

Recently, John was having recurrent leg pain to his Right thigh. This time it was not from long scooter rides. It may be an indication the cancer is spreading and not being held in check by the low dose chemo.

Next week he will be having another MiBG scan. This is the one that highlights any areas of cancer. We pray for a cancer free scan. If it comes back in a couple spots we have few options. If it comes bcak wide spread, it potentially could be too much to overcome.

Obviously, we are concerned and pray for the scans to be clear and for viable tools to continue the fight. I will post next week when we know what we are dealing with.

In the meantime, John's wonderful life goes on. We have some fun family events this weekend that we still plan on doing, health permnitting. Fri - Sunday we are going on the OCF-OCF family camp for children battling cancer. It is so much fun. When it gets out on Sunday afternoon we are going to continue to Las Vegas. Since our 2 week camping trip in 2003, John has wanted to go back and stay at Circus Circus. So we are going to make that happen Sunday and Monday night.

We have done some great things this month and look forward to the next few days. As for the cacner and MiBG scan, we pray for good results and some fresh tools to continue the fight.

Thank you for praying for John's healing and for our family to have safe travels this weekend.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey & Cal Taggart

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 4:02 PM CDT

Wednesday, September 7, 2005 9:20 AM CDT

Yesterday John had his 11th of 17 Radiation sessions. The MRI after the 6th was unchanged. We were told it was likely too soon to see improvement from Radiation. So we will finish the 17 and then do another MRI. His nose bleeds are far less frequent. However, the Radiation has made his mouth sore and difficult to swallow. In fact his tongue is really hurting which makes eating difficult. Sadly, his appetite is there, but it is too much of a chore to eat what he wants. So we are trying things like chicken noodle soup and milkshakes.

We are still in a difficult spot for what treatment to do next. John is still close to Stem Cell transplant. Any higher dose of chemo may wipe out his bone marrow function. On the other side the cancer may grow without major intervention.

For now we are on major doses of Prayer-therapy, Radiation, low dose oral chemo, and multiple natural supplements.

All things considered, John continues to be a champ. We were able to take our trip up to Berkeley for the Cal football opener. We had a great trip. Although John did complain of pain on Saturday to his right thigh and hand. These are new spots for him which concerns me. Sunday, he was better.

Yesterday, we also took John, Hayley and Luke to Disneyland. The weather was perfect and the crowds were lite. It was a nice time that John and Hayley loved before they have their first day of preschool in a new class and 2nd grade, respectively.

We are grateful for our family time and the fun things we have been able to do this summer. We enjoy the comforts of sleeping in our own beds. We pray that John continues to be well enough to stay home and continue being a normal kid.

Thank you for praying for John's healing. Additionally, please pray that his mouth that is damaged by the Radiation helas that he can go about eating healthy foods for him. Also, we continue to pray for God's direction on what steps to take next.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Wednesday, August 31, 2005 11:35 AM CDT

First let me say, John is feeling well and very active. He had a trememdous 5 days at Grandma Mary and Papa Tagg's house last week. Yesterday we went swimming. Now for the MRI results. They are mixed.

We are told it is unchanged. I am pleased that it did not get bigger. However, after 6 Radiation Sessions, I expected to see improvement. So we will be challenging the Radiation people on when we should see results or do we change courses. We are also determining what chemo and how high a dose do we want.

A lot of questions to be answered. For now we continue with the oral chemo and Radiaition. We also are planning on taking the long planned Labor Day weekend trip to take in the Cal Football Home Opener. Everyone is looking forward to it.

Thanks for checking in on our family.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Thursday, August 25, 2005 10:15 PM CDT

If John's medical test results could only match how active and happy he is, we would be in tremendous shape. John's birthday (week) was great. In some ways it is still going on. Currently, he and Hayley are with Grandpa Tagg and Grandam Mary in San Diego. They drive him back for his daily Radiation and then back to spoiling them in San Diego. John's birthday party was a success on Sunday with all his friends. It was a fantastic time... Spider Man Jumper, water balloons, pinata, cake, etc. They day before, they all came to visit me at the Fire Station. The firemen on my shift surprised him with a cake and ice cream. Pretty special. There are some new pictures in the photo section. Be sure to check them out.

Unfortunately, we got some difficult news about his bone marrow test from Monday. There is cancer cells in his marrow. I am actually quite surprised because the MiBG scan did not light up multiple places and his lab work was reasonably good. I am not sure how this will affect John's treatment plan. I am consulting with doctors from 2 hospitals on what to do next.

So our prayer to discern God's will for John continues. We pray that the Lord will show us what steps to take next and that we simply follow His plan. Thank you for praying for John's healing and that he may continue to have fun.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Friday, August 19, 2005 7:53 PM CDT

John's birthday week has officially started. Yesterday the 18th was his official birthday. Many friends sent him gifts. He got balloons delivered as well as a cookie-gram. He celebrated with his friends at preschool. The party even continued to his Radiation appointment. After finishing his 1st Radiation session, the nurse told John and Papa Bear the Dr. wanted to speak to him. So she took them to the room and "surprise" they had a party there for him. The Radiation staff had balloons, presents and candy for him.

For dinner, family came over for Rubio's and more gifts. John had a wonderful day and it should continue. He is planning on visiting me at the Fire Station Saturday and hosting his party on Sunday.

Medically, the oral chemo made him get sick Wednesday night. Since then he seems alright. Today he completed his 2nd Radiation session.

WHATS NEXT?

Monday morning John will have a Bone Marrow Pull. If there is cancer in the bone marrow, he will receive stronger IV chemo in the hospital. If the bone marrow is clean, he can continue the oral regimen and we can remain home. Please pray for the Bone Marrow to be clean of disease.

A week from Monday, Aug 29th, he will have another MRI of his face. The hope is that it will show dramatic improvement and we can give less overall radiation to him. Please also pray for his next MRI to be clear of cancer.

Thank you for checking in and I will update as results come back and add pictures after the party.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Wednesday, August 17, 2005 10:49 PM CDT

The "Cancer Coaster" is taking us for a ride again. At our Monday Radiation meeting, we were told the biopsy sample was "crushed" and that they could not be 100% certain. They did run alternative tests on the remaining sample and felt they saw cells consistent with John's cancer (NB). So we concede that it probably is cancer and move forward with a 2 prong attack.

First, we resumed an oral chemo (temodar) today that he has taken in the past with success. It is targeted to keep cancer from returning in the brain.

Second, John will start IMRT Radiation to his left cheek tomorrow August 18th. Yep on his 5th birthday. (More on this later) The raditation will be 17 daily sessions with weekends off. Short term it does not affect him so much. Lower blood counts and peeled skin. Long term can be more concerning. The only good thing about long term isa that by nature they are way in the future. The area they are hitting includes part of his left eye, jaw and teeth. Serious affects could include, loss of sight in his left eye, damaged teeth and distorting the facial bones on his left side. But you know, nothing is guaranteed. John could just breeze right thru. Tamara and I have Faith that all will be OK. The Lord has delivered us this far and we expect HIM to keep showing us what tools and steps to take next.

Needless to say we are asking everyone to pray for John's healing. Additionally, we ask that you pray the chemo and Radiation will be effective in eliminating cancer, but keep his vital organs and John's unwavering smile in tact. With your prayers, anything is possible.

As I mentioned before, tomorrow is John's birthday. The big "5"!When I learned he would be starting Radiation on his day, I was initially sad. However, he is excited for his brithday and nothing can squlech his zeal. Tomorrow will be a great day for him and the Radiation will be hardly a speed bump on his brithday express that culminates on Sunday with his party with friends in our backyard.

Thank you for praying for John and know tomorrow, he will have a great birthday, being the man at preschool to start of the celebration.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey & Cal Taggart

Saturday, August 13, 2005 2:56 PM CDT

John continues to be brave. Yesterday he had a biopsy done. We will not know the results until Monday. His nose bled most of the day from the procedure, but that did not stop him from playing outside and having his best friend over for a movie night.

The plan is to remain home this weekend before a big week coming up. We have ruled out surgery and are meeting with Radiation on Monday.

I will keep you posted as we hear results back and make attack plans.

Love, Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal taggart

Thursday, August 11, 2005 11:15 PM CDT

Tomorrow morning John is to have a biopsy. It is planned to be a quick outpatient procedure at 8:30 am. This biopsy should confirm or deny the suspisions of cancer. Of all the possible scenarios, infection would be the most desireable. It sounds funny to hope for infection, but it is better than the alternative.

So we should know by tomorrow afternoon what we are up against.

I will update as the results are known.

On a separate John note, he felt well enough to go to preschool today and had a great time playing with his best friend Teak. I am so happy he got to go.

And our litlle Lindsey had her dr. appointment today regarding her left hip. I am pleased to report she is cleared of the brace full-time. She will go back for a check-up in one month and a Xray in 2 months. It will be nice not having to wake her up to put her brace on. Good girl Lindsey.

Thanks for checking in.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey & Cal Taggart

Wednesday, August 10, 2005 9:48 PM CDT

Tamara and I were extremely heart broken this past weekend over the news of a new mass. To the point we were having discussions no parents should ever have about their son's life. I am sure many of you were equally affected.

However, John is simply amazing. That is why we all love him so. While Mom and Dad are sweating it, he just goes on living life. We should take a lesson from him. On Tuesday, he wanted to go to a kids cooking class. I took him there because I did not know if he would get another chance to go. He charged right in there looked bak and me and said, " Dad I want to be here by myself."

When I went back to pick him up he was playing chase and running with the other kids in the back yard. I thought to myself, "Don't you know how serious the mass is? I am glad to see you taking it so litely." On the way back he felt he could use a Frosty from Wendy's. Later he needed a slushy and Skittles with papa Bear.

We had to go back to CHOC for an injection at Nuclear Med. Murphys law would have it that his needle had come out so we had to go back to the clinic for another one. It was no sweat to John. He just asked for a Hawaiian punch for the trouble and we finally got the injection after placing a new needle.

Grandma Mary asked where he would like to go to dinner. Since we went to Old Spaghetti Factory Monday, he chose the Rainforest Cafe. Off we went. Then he felt he needed a merry go round ride and chocolate from Sees's. You got it champ.

Today, he didn't let up. He wanted a Rubio's quesadilla for lunch and we went swimming. Tonight he was actually giddy playing with Hayley and rough housing with Luke.

He is a amazing. He lets the rest of us worry about the small stuff like cancer.

WHERE DO WE STAND?

We know we have a mass in his left sinus. However his CT of the chest abd and pelvis is clean. Also, his MiBG scan ONLY lit up in his cheek. So it appears to be one area only. I asked if anything else could casue the light up in the cheek. I was told Infection, but this was extremely unlikely, since John does not have fevers or even look sick. For now we have a glimmer of hope that it may still be infection not cancer.

We are awaitnig a response from surgeons to see if they could confidently remove the tumor. We may do radiation to shrink the mass. We may also use chemo and are investigating clinical trials anywhere in the country.

WHAT DO WE NEED?

We need prayer for clarity of what to do next. We are asking the Lord to lead us where to go next as HE has done every time. Please continue to pray for the brave John.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey and Cal Taggart

Monday, August 8, 2005 10:20 PM CDT

When John was first diagnosed almost 3 years ago, somebody passed along a saying to me. I have kept it in my locker at work. It inspires me. It goes, " When God wants to do something amazing, HE starts with a difficulty. When God wants to do something truly spectacular, HE starts with the impossible."

I pray God is doing something truly spectacular in John. According to the MRI, there is a new mass in the left sinus. It is about the size of a golf ball and is compressing his eye, cheek pain, and nose bleeds.

To the doctors, this is very serious. Tamara and I still believe nothing is impossible for God. We are now trying to see the extent of this relapse. Potentially, it may be a secondary cancer. Today a CT scan of his chest abdomen and pelvis with results pending. Wednesday will be the MiBG scan which will light up and NB cancer in his body. Also, we will be consulting with UCI surgeons on whether it may be operable.

I see a few possible scenarios. (1) it is only this one spot in which case we may do surgery and radiation. (2) It is a second type of cancer and we treat with different chemo. (3)It is NB cancer and in multiple spots in which case we have alot against us.

I am taking this very hard. However, John is brave and continues to live life in the moment. I try and follow his lead. He has not given up and Tamara and I do not intend to either.

We came home today and he played in the yard and rode Luke's motorized quad. We took him to his choice of the Old Spaghetti Factory since we may not be able to go for a while once the game plan is put into place. It is wonderful to see him smile even with his damaged eye.

Please pray for John. Pray that Tamara and I are not anxiuos but rather trust the Lord has a plan. John knows that we and many others love him. There is no question in his mind. I pray that he may continue to inspire so many people and that he continues to be a testimony of how prayers of healing are answered.

Thank you for praying.

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey & Cal Taggart

Saturday, August 6, 2005 11:39 PM CDT

DAY 172

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY LUKE!!

Today we had a family birthday party for Luke who turned two. It was a great day and both families came. He had a great time. There will be some pictures in the photo section.

Unfortunately, this day also was bitter sweet. Tomorrow we are checking John in to CHOC for a stat MRI of his brain and eyes. For 10 days, John's left eye has had black circles under it. Only his left. Day to day it seems to get lighter and then back to dark. His platelettes are higher which should make the bruising go away, but it is still there. Two days ago, it appeared John's blackened left eye was being "lazy". It was not symmetric with the right. Yesterday, John voiced pain to his left jaw.

Today, his eye is still black and to me it looks like his cheek is slightly drooped. Because of this we are going in for an emergency MRI to see if an explanantion can be determined. I certainly pray that it may be a simple reason and none that would require more treatment.

I will attempt to put a picture of John and his left eye on the site.

Tamara and I are struggling with this developmenet. Please pray that we may not be anxious, but rather allow the Lord to handle it. HE has been with us throughout these 3 years and HE will continue to guide us. Please pray that we may not worry.

Our wish is also that you pray specifically for John's left eye and whatever is causing it and the facial droop to go away. It is likely we will run many tests this week to certify John is still cancer free. Please be in prayer that the cancer has not and will not return.

Sorry for the tough update, but John is unaffected by it and brave. So, we must also be brave. I will update as the results come back.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Thursday, July 28, 2005 5:22 PM CDT

DAY 163

I know it has been some time since the last update. Generally, "no news is good news." For the most part this has been the case. John is now two weeks post radiation. His head is still peeling and quite itchy. Additionally, he has started the Accutane. You are not supposed to be in the sun too much while taking it. This is kind of hard to stop a soon-to-be 5 year old who is enjoying the summer and taking swim lessons.

The combination of Accutane and lingering affects of the Radiation have made his head itchy and uncomfortable. It seems to be slightly better now that we have made more of an effort to limit his sun exposure.

We had a slight set back last Friday. John in the height of his itch ran a low fever. When it reached 102 we had to call the doctor. As expected this meant a trip to CHOC. We had blood cultures taken and he was put on an antibiotic just in case. Fortunatley, the fever seemed to disappear as quickly as it came. The cultures also continue to be negative. So we were discharge the following day, a record short stay.

So we are all happily home again. Since he is on the antibiotic this week, we will delay the oral chemo Temodar until next week provided his platelette count is sufficient.

John has done a lot of fun things these past weeks. He has been to the fair 5 times. Twice on umlimited ride day. We also have been burning the slip-n-slide up un the back yard. Pictures of the Fair and slip-n-slide are in the journal.

Please pray for John's itchiness and sun rash to get better. If Temodar is a tool that God intends to use, please pray the door is opened and his counts are high enough. As always, pray for John to continue to be the champion he is throughout the path to full, healthy recovery.

The other Taggarts are doing well also. Luke will be 2 on August 6th and is so much fun. Lindsey now has her brace off 12 hours a day. Cal is very active and smiling. Hayley is very helpful and enjoying camp this week.

Thanks for checking in.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey & Cal Taggart

Tuesday, July 12, 2005 11:31 AM CDT

DAY 146

I am happy to report John has completed his 13 radiation sessions. His counts have lowered but been high enough to stay out of the hospital. He has mouth sores that will hopefully be getting better quickly now that the radiation is over. Last Friday, all his hair came out again. So, he and Hayley gave me a matching haircut last night. I hope this is the last time we have buzz cuts.

John is going to have a week off from meds to allow his throat to heal and the occasional nausea to subside. Then the plan is to continue with low dose chemotherapy in oral meds. He has taken them before and they will be done at home.

This past weekend we all went to the Orange County Fair to see the Demolition Derby. The kids had never seen anything like it and had a great time. This week John and Hayley are going to another Vacation Bible School.

Thank you for checking in. We thank you for your continued prayers for John's healing. We pray the Radiation side affects go away quickly and there are no long term issues. We pray that we follow God's plan and stay on path to John's full recovery.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey & Cal Taggart

Sunday, July 3, 2005 1:20 AM CDT

July 2, 2005
DAY 137

Happy July 4th Weekend!! John has now completed 9 of his scheduled 13 days of radiation. He gets the holiday weekend off and has 4 more sessions this week finishing on Friday. So far, he has only been nautious on the second session. He has handled it like a champ. I have to admit it tugs at my heart watching him put on a mask and lie motionless while this huge machine rotates around his little body. It is tough. But he is brave and so I must be as well.

As far as I can tell his mind is unaffected. He remebers stuff from last summer and can write his name and spell "DAD" all by himself to make a score sheet for playing Disney UNO. Last week, John did have a transient fever. We went back to CHOC for two days. However, the cultures were negative and the fever has not returned. In and out it was. Happily back at home, John and Hayley both went to a Vacation Bible Scool. They enjoyed it greatly.

John continues with swim lessons. We also have been regulars for evening swims in Papa Bear and Grandma Bonnie's pool.

Please pray for John to continue to be a champion for his remaining radiation therapies. Please pray we understand and follow what God's plan is for John as we finish radiation and decide what may be next.

Thank you for checking in. The twins are now over 3 months. Lindsey's left hip is improving well. She is now allowed to have the brace off for 8 hours a day. As she continues to improve, we will increase the amount of time she can be without her brace.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey & Luke Taggart

Saturday, July 2, 2005 10:58 PM CDT

Monday, June 20, 2005 0:17 AM CDT

DAY 124

June 19, 2005

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad's including Steve Cox who became one yesterday just in time for Fathers Day. Our family had a great day together, going to church, attending Hayley's dance recittal, and opening some presents.

This week, John will need lots of prayers. Tomorrow, Monday, John is having an MRI of his left tibia. He has relapsed twice before in this spot. The MRI will help decide if we will also radiate the leg along with the brain and spine. On Tuesday, John begins his Radiation Treatment of his brain and spine. He will have daily sessions at 2:15 for about two weeks.

We are taking this step believing that Radiation is a tool God intends us to use. Please pray that everything goes as planned. Please pray that he continues to be brave and that he does not have any negative side affects. Please pray that in both the short term and long term, John will be shielded and protected from all side affects.

Thank you for taking the time to pray for John this week. With your prayers, we know John can make it through this next step to a full recovery.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

On a side note, John twisted his ankle pretty bad tonight playing around as 4 year olds tend to do. Please pray that it may resolve overnight or only be a mild sprain to his Right ankle.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 9:59 AM CDT

DAY 120

The Lemonade Stand was a tremendous success. It far exceeded anything I thought it was going to be. We were able to raise over $10,000! Incredible. We had 400 gallons of lemonade donated by Minute Maid. Cookies by the Sweet Life. Balloons from Where's the Party. Our host store, Lululemon Athletica was also terrific. There are some pictures of the event in the photo section from my camera. I look forward to posting tohers that friends took soon.

Thank you to EVERYONE for making this event so fun and memorable. The turnout was great and it was wonderful to see so many friends come to support it.

WHAT IS NEXT FOR JOHN?

We have spent the majority of the last two weeks debating the Radiation Option. We have decided to pursue Radiation. It is a very tough decision. One that Tamara and I unfortunately had to make, but we believe it will be an effective tool to keep John cancer free. Short term it should have very little effect. Long term may be a different story. Potetntially, long term side effects could be shrotening how tall John was originally designed to be. Also, it may hurt his cognitive development. These are not for certain, but likely. I guess if we have to deal with these in the long term, we should be appreciative of the long time it may take to see them.

As Tamara and I believe and John has proven time and time again, "ALL THINGS ARE POSSBILBE." With your prayers, we believe John can breeze thru Radiation and be unaffected. Please pray that Tamara and I follow God's plan for John, whatever that may be. Also, please pray that John continues to be brave thru Radiation. Pray that the Raiation is effective in forever eliminating any cancer and that his body and mind heal completely. We believe this is possbile with continued prayers. That is where you all come in again.

Thank you for checking in. The Radiation may start as early as Monday June 20th. The twins are now 10 weeks and starting to smile and develop personality. We are blessed to have the little eating machines around.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, & Cal Taggart

Friday, May 27, 2005 0:20 AM CDT

DAY 100

Congratulations John! He has reached the Day 100 milestone. Tamara and I feel so blessed to have John feeling so strong and well on the road to recovery. Last week we received the news that the CT scan showed the uptake in his liver is NOT cancer. That made our trip to Yosemite all the more enjoyable.

We just got back today from 4 days in Yosemite. The weather was perfect and the waterfalls overflowing. IT was a great experience. It started out a little shaky. Shortly after arriving Sunday afternoon, John started to feel warm. His temperature was starting to rise. It got just below where we would have to admit him. After praying for his fever to go away, we rechecked his temp. It started to return to normal. So we kept checking the first 24 hours. I am pleased to say it was only a scare. We were able to stay the enitre trip.

Our trip was great. We got to bike ride, have smores at the campfire, hike a little, and splash in the river. There are some great new pictures in the photo journal from the trip.

Seeing as today was John's Day 100. He got to pick where to eat today. He chose McDonald's Cheeseburgers for Lunch and Rubio's quesadillas for Dinner.

Thanks for checking in.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

REMEMBER...The Alex's L:emonade Stand is approaching quickly. We will be hosting it at Fashion Island, Newport Beach in front of Lululemon Athletica. Please join us on Sunday june 12 from 11-4:00 as we host this charity in memory of the little girl (ALEX) who had the same cancer as John. All proceeds will go to the charity in her name.

Saturday, May 21, 2005 10:50 PM CDT

DAY 95

The CT scan was good. We are told that it likely was NOT cancer that caused his liver to light up in the MiBG scan. Thank you for the prayers that were answered. We now can rest easier on our trip to Yosemite knowing this news.

Two cute things for John this week. On Tuesday, things had been going well we decided to test the waters and go to one of his favorite restaurants. Somehow Hayley found out our plans and she blurted out in front of John "We're going to Spaghetti Factory." John is so cute and so innocent. Thinking he is still not allowed to eat out, he asked her "Who are you going with?" I happily explained to him that he and ALL of us were going to go. We explained about John to the manager and they took very good care of us. We got prompt attention and had all our requests met.

The other cute thing for John occurred this morning at a park in Huntington Beach. There is a group called Good Deeds from Good Kids. Basically, they have sports days for kids ranging from 3 - 8. The sports vary, but this season is soccer. They get together, have fun and part of the fees go to a donation to a "hero". It usually is a child who has had some significant medical issues. John is their hero. It was a lot of fun. Both Hayley AND John played soccer today. It was John's first time. In his 3-4 age bracket, John dominated. He had multiple goals including looping one over the goalie's shoulder. Best of all was seeing John enjoy playing with the "regular" kids. He was all smiles.

We are all pakced and headed for Yosemite tomorrow. We will be there until Thursday. When we return I will be sure to update and will have some good pictures to update. By the way I added two new ones the other day. Check them out.

Thank you for checking in and for your constant prayers for John's healing.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, john, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Saturday, May 14, 2005 10:33 PM CDT

DAY 88

We celebrated Hayley's 7th birthday on Thursday May 12. She invited 8 girlfriends over for a pajama, pizza, popcorn, and pedicure party. John had fun being the only boy with all of Hayley's girlfriends. And, of course, he DID NOT have a pedicure.

Today, Hayely and John went on the annual CHOC fishing trip at Irvine Lake. Unfortunately, nobody caught any fish today. But at least, John did not lose his shoe in the lake like last year. Afterwards, Hayley, John, and Luke had a blast with the Slip-n-slide in the back yard. It has been fun this week.

A week from Monday we plan on going to Yosemite for 4 days with both sets of grandparents and both uncles. We are looking forward to it and please be in prayer that all goes weel this week and we are able to go as planned.

Medically, John began another set of pills called Accutane. He takes 3 jelly belly sized pills twice a day. They are designed to mop up any residual cacner that may be in there that has not been detected. When I wrote last, we were wondering why John had spots that lit up on his liver during the last MiBG scan. We have pressed the radiologist for an explanation. Upon further review, they claim these spots were there last time (they have not changed) and they are more than likley just his bowels. The MiBG is naturally picked up in the waste system. So this may explain it. Another is the different radiologists have different perspective. i.e. no two sets of eyes see the same thing. This may be another explanantion.

Regardless, John is going to have a CT scan this Thursday May 19th of his abdomen to potetnitally decide once and for all.

Please pray that the CT scan comes back normal and that it may be conclusive that it IS NOT cacner.

Thank you for checking in on our family.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

***SAVE THE DATE - JUNE 12th*** Have any of you heard of Alex's Amazing Lemonade stands? She inspired the Kentucky Derby horse Afleet Alex for those that watched the Derby. She is a little girl that lived in Philadelphia that had the same cancer as John (NB). She hosted lemonade stands to raise money for research. Sadly, she never saw her lemonade stands break unprecedented levels. To date her stands have raised over $1million. WE ARE GOING TO HOST A LEMONADE STAND IN MEMORY OF ALEX AND HELP KIDS LIKE JOHN WHO HAVE NEUROBLASTOMA. It will be held at Fashion Island, Newport Beach in front of lululemon Athletica (near Bloomingdales) on Sunday June 12th from 11:00 to 5:00. We would love to have you come see us at this fun , worthwhile event.

More details to follow.

Tuesday, May 3, 2005 10:12 PM CDT

DAY 77

The days are passing quickly since transplant. Day 100 will hopefully be here very soon. We had a great weekend. We went down to Grandma Mary and Papa Tagg's house. It was a sort of Easter make-up, since John was unable to go down on the real Easter. We had a nice brunch and the kids favorite Easter Egg hunt. There was also an impromptu baby shower for the twins. Apparently, the twins are as popular as John. We came back with a car full of great baby gifts. Thank you to all who came by to see John and the new twins.

Friday, John had a MiBG scan and MRI of his brain. The preliminary results of the MiBG are not clear cut. In the known trouble areas of brain and tibia, it did NOT light up. This is good. However, there was some uptake (it lit up) in his liver. For now this is a mystery. It does not necessarily mean cancer. It is surprising that it would light up there only and not in the known areas. We are still waiting for more results to come in.

Presumably, we will do more tests and a MRI of his liver. Perhaps re-run the MiBG. Over these two and a half years, Tamara and I have learned not to get discouaged or overreact to scans that are not completely clean. Some of John's meds may cause this false postiive.

One thing is certain though. I will be praying for John's liver. I will pray that it is not cancer and that it may be any other explanation. Please pray for John to be cancer free and to continue to have a great quality of life.

Thank you for continuing to pray for John. THere are some recent pictures in the photo section.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayely, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Friday, April 22, 2005 3:22 PM CDT

DAY 67

This was the first week John did not have to go to CHOC for any reason. It was a nice break. Lindsey was the only Dr. appointment for her left hip. Her hip had slid back out of socket, so it was put back in and the brace tightened. We continue to pray for it to heal properly.

John will have a clinic visit on Wednesday. Friday (4/29)will be very important. John will have both a MRI and Mibg scan. The later scan is the cancer specific test. Obviously, we are praying for an unchanged MRI and a completely clean Mibg scan. We would greatly appreciate if you could keep John in prayer and that his scans may be tangible proof that the Lord is healing him.

We have enjoyed the last week. The kids realize the twins are staying and have still been very welcomming to them. Last weekend we all celebrated Grandma Bonnie's birthday. I think it was her 38th. We also went to a party in the park with for our neighbor Gabriela. It was our first outing as a family of 7. Suprisingly it went very smooth.

John went to preschool twice this week and went over to his friend's house for a playdate. He is enjoying getting back the freedoms he had before transplant. We still are supposed to wait for Day 100 before many of the restrictions are lifted. All the while, John never complains. He is a great kid.

Thank you for praying for good scans next week, Lindsey's left hip, and for John to remain resilient against fever and infection.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

Thursday, April 14, 2005 11:57 PM CDT

DAY 58

Praise report. John's lungs are better. The doctor agreed with me in saying the lungs are better. Now we will work to keep them clear. This weekend we plan on taking his bandage off from where the external broviak was. IF it is healed enough, it will be a wet weekend.

Thank you for your prayers for John. They are working.

Got to go burp Lindsey.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 9:47 PM CDT

DAY 56

A couple of great steps for John this week. On Monday, he had his external Broviak (central line) removed. He still has the under the skin port, but now he no longer has anything hangning out. This is great for the warm weather. After the wound heals, he can bathe whenever he wants. He can live it up in the sprinklers and now I can hit him with the waterballoons rather than firing across his bow. Look out John. Of course this also sets him up for swimming this summer as soon as he gets closer to DAY 100.

Another neat thing John got to do was go to preschool today. He was so excited. He even posed for a picture. It was like the first day of school for him. I pray that he is shielded from the germs that can lurk in preschools. He was so excited to go, that we had to take a step of faith an allow him to return to school he loves so much.

To my ear, John's lungs have continued with slow improvement. On Wednesday, we will have the doctors listen.

Please pray that John's lung issues are resolved and that he continues to be resilient against infection. We also pray for the Lord to continue to heal John and tell us what step to take next.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey & Cal Taggart

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 9:47 PM CDT

Thursday, April 7, 2005 9:55 PM CDT

DAY 51

We are excited that John has surpassed the Day 50 marker. We are over half way to the coveted Day 100 when we can relax John's restrictions. He has had slight improvement in his lungs. It sounds as if he is moving more air. However, they still sound abnormal. Our plan is to monitor another week. If he continues to improve we will not have to do anything aggressive or invasive. Please pray for John to heal completely.

Our first week with the twins has been precious. As far as Hayley, John, and Luke are concerned they are terrific and sleep a lot. Little do they know that they in fact are nocturnal. Tamara and I have had some long nights.

All in all, we are thrilled with Lindsey and her younger brother Cal. They truly are wonderful. Before they were born, John adamantly wanted two boys and went so far as to say "No girls." Well, he has certainly changed his tune. It turns out he is thrilled to have a little sister. He always asks to hold Lindsey. "Is Lindsey awake? Can I hold her?"

In addition to praying for John's lungs and continued recovery, we have a prayer request for Lindesy. This is John's website, but I don't think he would mind me mentioning a prayer request for his favorite little sister. At birth, they detected a slight "hip click.". Essnetially, the ligaments to her ball hip joint are not taught enough. This can cause her hip to slip out of the joint. It is not expected to bemore than a few months until it developes fully. To help her though, she will wear a splint to keep in intact. It is a little cumbersome, but at least it is pink. Please pray that Lindsey's hip developes perfectly and we spend the minimum time in the brace.

Thaanks for checking in on our family.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindsey, and Cal Taggart

p.s. new pictures

Thursday, March 31, 2005 8:31 PM CST

ITS A GIRL!.....and then ITS A BOY!

Yesterday, Lindsey Christine was born at 10:05 am weighing 6 lb 8 oz and 18 inches. So it was tied up: 2 boys and 2 girls. We had to go to overtime for the tie breaker. At 11:44am Cal Nathan was born keeping the boys in the majority. He weighed 7 lb 4 oz and 19.5 inches.

All are doing well and we plan to come home Friday April 1st. No Fooling.

I have to get back, but one quick story. Hayley, Luke and John came to visit today. After a knock at the door and bursting through, here is a transcript of what happened.

Hayley: "Which one is the sister?" She immediatley took wanted to hold Lindsey.

John: "Which one is the brother?'' He immediately grabbed Cal.

Luke: "Hi Da da" God bless Luke for remembering Dad. It still has not settled in on how his world has changed, going from the baby to the middle child.

Got to go. Pictures of them all in the photot section.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Lindey, and Cal Taggart

Monday, March 28, 2005 9:14 AM CST

DAY 41

HAPPY EASTER! We had an outstanding Easter yesterday. Both the O'Nan and Taggart families came over for dinner. We did not have the two new "peeps" yet, but everyone else was home. Hayley, Luke and John had a great time at the Easter Egg hunt in the back yard. We had a terrific Turkey and Honeybaked ham dinner. All day the kids got to wrestle with the uncles and play games with the papas. It was a very nice day. We are very thankful for it.

Still no babies. If they dio not come out soon, we are going in after them this Wednesday March 30th.

Today, John has a clinic visit. It will be his first since being discharged from the hospital almost one week ago. We may have the results from the test they ran on his lungs. John still does not to be in too much distress. He still does all the things he wants. When I listen to him, I can still hear bad sounding noises in his lungs. They seem to fluctuate, with some good days and some worse than others.

Please pray that John's lungs and the rest of his body are healed and returned to perfect working order. Also, please pray for Tamara and the coming twins. As you can imagine, she is quite uncomfortable at 38 weeks. Please pray for a safe delivery for all involved.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ___ & ____ Taggart

A couple new Easter pictures in the Photo section

Monday, March 28, 2005 9:14 AM CST

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 10:38 PM CST

DAY 35

WE ARE ALL HOME. It is still only 5 of us...currently. John's procedure went as planned today. John was brave and resilient as ever. I would have been pretty upset after the procedure he had, but he simply wanted a cherry popsicle and to go to the playroom. You will not find a tougher individual than little John Kelly.

We do not have any results. It may be some time before they are known. I did not stick around to wait. We blasted out of there at lunch time. It was wonderful being home. John surprised Luke as he woke up from his nap. The rest of the day they were inseparable. Hayley and John played when she got home. We all enjoyed a good old fashioned family dinner around our table. After putting Luke to bed, Hayley and John played the Disney DVD Scene it game. It was great to see them interacting and having a great time.

All in all, it was an outstanding day. Who cares that we do not know what is going on in John's lungs. It doesn't seem to bother him, so why should I be concerned about it?

Thank you for checking in. Your continued prayers for John's lungs and recovery are always appreciated.

No twins yet, but if they have not come this week, we are going in after them on March 30th. I think they might be born in an easter basket this weekend.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ____ & _____ Taggart

Monday, March 21, 2005 4:47 PM CST

DAY 34

John's fever continues to stay away. If it continues to be suppressed, we may be able to go home tomorrow afternoon. We still have the greater issue of his lungs facing us. We met with the Pulmonary specialist.

She feels his lung troubles could be one of three scenarios. #1 is infection. #2 is some type of inflamation. #3 is the accumulative affect of chemo has destroyed parts of his lungs.

Not exactly a fun meeting. So, we will try to determine if infection is the cause. This certainly would be the most straight forward to treat. Antibiotics. To that end, John will undergo a procedure tomorrow where they will use a tube to collect samples from his lungs. He will be sedated for it which always makes Tamara and I nervous. These results, if infection, will tell us what antibiotic to use. If it comes back negative for infection, then we have to explore options #2 and #3 above.

Please pray that the procedure goes safely and a good sample may be obtained. Further, please pray that his lungs begin to heal.

On the Twins front, it appears to be iminent. At her check today, she was having contractions and 70% effaced. So it is anytime. If she happens to make it to next week (#38) we plan on inducing March 30th. Stay tuned.

Check the photos for some great looking St. Patrick's Day photos.

Love,

Kelly,Tamara, HAyley, John, Luke, and ???? & ???? Taggart

Sunday, March 20, 2005 1:58 PM CST

DAY 33

We have a set back to the John recovery express. Friday, he developed a 102 degree fever. When it is that high, we must admit him. So he has been at CHOC since Friday afternoon. They drew blood cultures to try and determine if infection is the cause of the fever. So far nothing can be learned from the blood.

Another issue has develpoed that can potentially be very concerning. Separate from the fever, John has trouble with his lungs. He appears to have fluid and some other underlying cause restricting his lungs. Consequently, his lungs sounds are noisy. A normal lung sound is like air rushing through a wind tunnel. John's lungs have loud squeaks and poor air exchange.

Outwardly, he shows very little signs. He looks great and unaffected. However, decreased lung performance can accumulate to a problem.

We had a CT scan of the lungs yesterday that we await the results. Unless they improve on their own, we may have to do more invasive diagnostic tests on his lung function.

So our prayer request for John is for his lungs to return to the normal pristine shape God intended them to be. Please pray the his lungs return to being efficient. That his lung sounds are clear and that he can breathe easily.

So far his fever has not returned. He is on two antibiotics just in case it turns out to be infection. Please also pray that the fever does not return and John is well enough to come home soon...before the twins are born.

Thank you for checking in and praying for John.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, and ___ &____ Taggart

Sunday, March 13, 2005 11:10 PM CST

DAY 26

It has now been over a week since John has returned home. Oh has it been nice. Sleeping in our own beds still is a big thing. On the last night in the hospital, John had a classic line that I feel shows just how important sleeping in our own beds is. As we were both tucked in he told me, "Daddy, don't make those noises that you make when you sleep. It wakes me up." Apparently, I must snore. Classic. I am happy to report, John has slept peacefully since we came home and not had to be woken up by daddy snoring. Now only Tamara has to sleep through it.

Here is another word picture of how well John is doing; and what a spectacular Mom Tamara is. On Firday afternoon, I pulled into the drive way to see John and Tamara playing hockey. John was working on his puck handling and Tamara was turning away his shots on goal. What a site. Tamara 35 weeks pregnant playing hockey with a completely bald 4 and a half year old cancer patient. What a Mom and what a courageous kid. Were was the video camera when you needed it?

Last week, John needed both a blood and platelette transfusion. Thanks to the direct donor who supplied him. The doctor also thought he heard the beginning of fluid in John's lungs. So we will check again tomorrow to see if it has improved.

Please pray for John's lungs to be perfect and his body return to its pristine shape. We would also appreciate your continued prayers for John's total cure.

On Tuesday, Tamara will be 36 weeks with twins. We could be getting very close to the twins entrance. Privided they don't come on St. Patrick's Day my fire station is again participating in the St. Bladrick's Day event at the LAPD Police Academy. We are shaving our head in unity with John and other cancer heroes.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, and the two leprechauns

Tuesday, March 8, 2005 12:13 AM CST

DAY 21

It has been wonderful having John home all weekend. He loves his new bed and freedom in his room. His physical rehabilitation is going very well. Chasing Luke around and mixing it up with Dad turns out to be a very good workout. His appetite is still less, but he will return to full hungry boy status hopefully soon.

He had a clinic visit yesterday. His blood (WBC) has dropped to 1.3 and a ANC of 1030. So he is at increased risk for infection. The Dr. also thought he heard some fluid beginning to collect in John's lungs. So he is on Lasix to help drain it off. Today he will receive a blood transfusion from one of you wonderful direct donors and on Wednesday he will likely receive platelettes.

If all goes well, John will be able to remain home. Please pray for John to return to perfect health and that there not be any set backs in his recovery.

New pictures of John's first moments of freedom on the Photo section.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, and the two twins which we still do not know who is in there. Tamara's intuiton is a complete set (1 boy and 1 girl) We'll see soon enough.

Saturday, March 5, 2005 3:41 PM CST

JOHN IS HOME!!

Yesterday, we loaded up John and came home! Last night we were all together and slept in our own beds. It was fantastic. It had been 22 days since we were all under the same roof. John continues to do well and make slow progress. Check out the new pictures in the journal to see how he looks.

Next week, a home nurse will come to draw John's labs. Monday afternoon, we will have a clinic visit. Other than that, John will be in the TICU (Taggart Intensive Care Unit). He is not allowed outside for 30 days. We will do the best we can at this but 4 year olds are pretty sneaky. As long as John does not show a fever, we will be able to remain home.

Already home, John's energy has improved. He has rolled around with his little brother Luke. They play catch in the living room. He and Hayley are again doing puzzles together. Both Hayley and Luke enjoy having John home. We all do. I can tell John is a little weak in the lower body. After racing Luke to the ball a couple more times, I think he'll regain it back. His appetite is also returning slightly at home.

John realy enjoys his new bed complete with "Doggie" quilt. He slept close to 11 hours last night in his new cozy bed.

John could not have had such a quick recovery without God's grace and your prayers. Please know that we appreciate all that you have done for our family these last 3 weeks. I wish I could thank you all personally. We truly do appreciate the gourmet meals as well as the gift bags, presents, and work books for John in the hospital. Thank you for all of the gift cards and restaurant gift certificates. I especially liked the posters and hand made cards that decorated his otherwise boring hospital room. Also, the gift baskets were wonderfully filled with great treats and goodies. And of course thank you for the platelettes and blood that help John directly. Again, Tamara and I wish we had more time to thank you all personally, but John's care and getting ready for the twins is more time consuming than we thought it was going to be.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Jayne and Lindsey (if they're girls, maybe) Taggart

Thursday, March 3, 2005 2:39 PM CST

DAY 16

The plan is for John to come home on Friday! This will be the culmination of many answered prayers. The last few days, his ANC (immunity) has dropped, but it is still high enough for him to come home. Today he was unhooked from the IV altogether. He will only receive IV fluids for 12 hours at night. So during the day, he can spin aroung as many times as he wants and not get tangled.

The last two days, while wearing a mask, he has gone down to the school and loved it. They are impressed with his coloring, dot-to-dot prowess, and amazing puzzle aptitude.

Eating is coming along slowly. Right now Cheerios are the staple. We have a meeting with nutriton today to set out guidelines for John's meals and restrictions. Essentially, he cannot have fast food, no left overs, everything must be thoroughly washed, etc.

We are so excited to have him home. Hayley has moved into the big room. John for now will sleep in Hayley's old room which will eventually become the nursery. So for now John has his own room. It will be interesting to see how he likes it. Thank you to Hayley for allowing us to relocate her to the top bunk in the boys room.

For the short term, we just allow him to recover and be vigilant on limiting his exposures to germs. Long term, we must come to a consensus on what further treatment may be necessary.

We'll worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes. For today, I am packing John up to come home tomorrow on Friday.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, and the other two authors of the New Testament Mark and Matthew (well, maybe)

Tuesday, March 1, 2005 10:43 PM CST

DAY 14

Another day of improvement. This morning he ate a small box of Cheerios and his 4 oral meds without much complaint. His mouth sores must be improving. In rounds, the doctors are very pleased with John's speedy recovery. They anticipate discharging him Thursday or Friday--- of this week! This would be fantastic.

John took 2 walks around the 3rd floor today and played ball with Physical Therapy. The highlight of my day came when I called on the phone from the station. John answered the phone and we had a great talk. It was terrific hearing my beloved John's voice returning to normal.

WHAT'S NEXT?

We need continued improvement. John should be off of the pain meds by tomorrow afternoon. It would be wonderful if John could start eating on his own. Otherwise, we may have to go home on IV nutrition. As always, we cannot have him develop any fevers.

Thank you for praying for John to remain on the path to full recovery.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke and Taggart lovelies #4 and #5.

Monday, February 28, 2005 2:57 PM CST

DAY 13

On lucky day 13, John's ANC is now over 2,000. This is the 3rd in a row he has been above 500. This means he is no longer isolted to his room. We still must be very careful, but he can now take short walks outside his room and in the OICU. Knowing him, he will probably convince Mom to push him while he stands on the IV pole. Sort of like windsurfing. At least he'll be using his legs rather than laying in bed.

All things considered, I am pleased with John's progress. Day 0 to Day 8 were very difficult. Since then we have been encouraged by improvement every day. His heart, kidney, and liver all seem to be working the way God intended. We have control of his fluids. His mouth sores are lessening, however, he still has some in his throat preventing him from eating. His rash has turned from a sunburn to a nice deep tan. Unfortunately, is it now flaking off. So his skin color is different tones all over. Like a skin camouflage. He does walk to the bath and bathroom. With his newly regained freedom, we hope he will walk more and regain his leg strength. He continues to be without fever allowing us to eliminate another antibiotic. Also, we have begun to wean him off the pain meds. This has not bothered him, so we continue to reduce them daily.

WHAT IS NEXT?

There is an outside chance he may be able to go home at the end of this week. He cannot get a fever. He must be off the pain meds. He needs to be able to eat on his own. All of these are possible. With prayers, I think it is realistic. That is where you all comie in again.

Thank you for checking in. There are some new pictures in the journal.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, and 2 players about to report for spring training Taggart.

Friday, February 25, 2005 8:50 PM CST

DAY 10

John finally is recovering his immunity. His White Blood Count (WBC) is now 1.2 bringing his ANC to just over 300. For perspective, a normal person has a WBC of 5.5 to 12 and a ANC in the thousands. So there is a ways to go. Thank you for the platelette donors last week. John received two transfusions and will need more this week as well.

It has been a long 10 days. He has not been able to eat or stomach anyhting orally. Just yesterday did he express an interest in eating. Unfortunately, it did not agree with him. He still has trememdous mouth sores. This makes it painful to swallow. Consequently, it builds up and he drools or it spews out as he gets nautious. Not very much fun. The other major hurt for him is the chemo rash which makes his skin braeak off.

As bad as these 10 days have been, we are starting to see some improvement in addition to him expressing an interest to eating. His fevers have subsided, so we have eliminated one of his 3 antibiotics. His WBC is climbing which should help rash and mouth sores go away. Physically he is now able to walk to and from the bathroom. He also did stand and work with Physical therapy to paint a sponge Bob on the glass door to his room. Any standing or excercise is good in my opinion.

The road may still be long before we are allowed to go home. He must be able to eat on his own. He needs to be off of the pain meds. He needs to be off antibiotics which means no fevers allowed. It would be nice if he had regained some of his mobility and the mouth sores completely went away.

Please pray for these issues to be achieved. Please pray for John to recover quickly and be the same happy-go-lucky boy he is.

Thank you for checking in, for donating blood/platelettes, the wonderful meals, the encouraging cards, the gifts for John, the fantastic posters, and especially for praying.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, and two babies we had better come up with names for soon. (Not too soon though hopefully)

Sunday, February 20, 2005 5:29 PM CST

DAY 5

The last two days have been much of the same. No eating, difficulty swallowing, and body aches. Two significant things happened today. When John woke up this morning, there was hair all over the pillow. When he sat forward I noticed about a 4 inch circle of hair missing. I felt like I was looking at how John's hairdo will look in 50 years as middle age man. Realizing a comb over was not going to be very practical, he decided to buzz the rest off. This way it won't continue to make his pillow all itchy. So he is sporting a new high and tight hair cut. For unity, I also got a similar hair cut while at the station today. I will surprise him in the morning with it.

Today, February 20th is an anniversary. It was two years ago that John had the cardiac arrest as they attempted a cardiac cath. Tamara and I will always remember this date. There are those that say the God is in the details. I agree with them. So on this February 20th, we got a little pleasant surprise and sign of hope in John's blood counts. He now has a 0.1 White Blood Count (WBC). Sure he still is defenseless and immuno-surpressed, but it is an increase from the last 4 days. Additionally, it is going in the direction we like.

Now it also could be a "false" reading and return to zero tomorrow. That doesn't matter. I think it is a sign of hope for his recovery. It is sooner than we were told to expect. On this February 20th anniversary I feel it is God giving us hope on a day we previously have only bad memories of.

Please continue to pray for John's recovery. Your prayers are being answered.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, and those twins that I hope decide to wait at least until St. Patrick's Day to make their grand entrance.

Friday, February 18, 2005 3:40 PM CST

DAY 3

It has gotten pretty uncomfortable for John. Unfortunately, we are told to expect the same until DAY 8. Despite our efforts, he has developed mouth sores making it difficult to swallow. He has lost about 5 pounds. He still is nauseated and continues to have a rash making his skin tender and hurt when he moves. He stil is remarkably tough and never complains. He does his best to take his oral meds and drink sips of water.

His Immunity is zero which means he is totaly at risk of infection. In fact he had a fever on Wednesday and was put on an antibiotic.

Two bright spots are that he has made it 3 days closer to recovery. The other good news is that his liver function is returning to more apporpriate levels. Previously it was showing signs of stress.

We give him daily baths and lotion to help the skin. Grandma Bonnie gave him a Kiehls lotion rub down last night that he enjoyed. We have a Fentonol pump that we can press when his pain is high. He also has started TPN which is nutrition through the IV. We hope he'll get the nutrients until he is able to eat again.

Despite all the bad things currently, John did manage a few smiles and even laughed a little yesterday. Little brother Luke came to visit yesterday. John was excited to see him and kept wanting to pat him on the head. John didn't want Luke to leave. I was glad they got to visit.

Until those precious White blood cells begin to regenerate, his symptoms will be tough. Please pray that John recovers quickly and returns to the happy boy he normally is.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke and the two rookies

Wednesday, February 16, 2005 10:08 AM CST

Day O

Tuesday Feb 15th was DAY 0. This was the day he received back his stem cells. It was almost two years ago that they were taken out of his body. At the time they had more than enough. But in two years his body has grown several inches and gained about 15 pounds. He still has enough cells, but they now have to cover a bigger area.

The stem cell process wasn't as technical as it may sound. Essentially, they brought a small canister similar in shape to the star wars robot R2D2. Insdie were 3 mall pouches in a protective metal cassette submerged in liquid nitrogen. Over the course of 45 minutes they would thaw them in water and then simply infuse them as if it were a blood transfusion through his tube. John did get a slight headache towards the end, but no other major complications.

So now John has 2.65 million stem cells running through him. We are told it takes 8 days for them to engraft which is the technical term for saying they are busy working and multiplying the precious White Blood Cells (WBC). I asked the doctor about how important these stem cells are. He basically explained that the dose of chemo John received would be enough to destroy all his bone marrow to a point it would never recover on its own. The stem cells are needed to make recovery possible. So no pressure.

So everyday going forward is positive. By the time you receive this we will be into DAY 1. John is on a strict Low Bacteria diet for at least 100 days. He doesn't know yet, but this means no yogurt, cheese, or Fast food. The later is very tough for a 4 and a half year old.

The next 8 days wil be rough. His skin is very itchy from the chemo. He will be lethargic and at extreme risk for infection. He must remain isolated in his room. His appetite will hopefully return or we will have to place an NG tube to nourish him. He will need transfusions regularly. If you are a John platelette donor please be ready to come in soon.

Please pray that the stem cells engraft and that they survived the freezing and thawing process. Pray that they go to work quickly. Pray for John's nausea to be replaced by a healthy appetite and that he resists all bad infections.

Thank you for checking in. I posted some new pictures to the website if you get the chance to check them out.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, and the twins

Sunday, February 13, 2005 7:14 PM CST

DAY -2

The past 3 days, John has endured the heavy chemo infusion. Each day was 2 different drugs that took about 8 hours combined to infuse. These drugs require a pretty tough and packed schedule that is to be adhered to. For example, the Thiotepa (chemo) requires him to have 4 baths per day because the chemo can seep through the pores and deteriorate the skin. As you can imagine, he was not fond of this requirement, but being the trooper that he is, he complied.

John also has to take meds twice daily to protect his liver from the drugs. On top of this he takes anti-nausea drugs to minimize the vomitting. To prevent mouth sores, I am brushing and rinsing 3 times a day. Also, not his favorite thing to do.

The first day of this regimen, went very easy. John sailed right thru. The second day, things got a little uglier. He was sick frequently and stopped wanting to eat. It was harder for him to walk to th playroom, but I had to force him (a little tough love) to walk some in order to keep his legs from atrophy and for the benefit of excercise. That afternoon he did summon enough strength to play Papa Tagg a little hallway basketball. It was nice to see his infectious laugh is still working even when the body is feeling down.

Finally, yesterday, he was able to make it through. He did not eat and was barely able to take his oral meds. Amazingly, he did allow me to keep the oral care and bath schedule. I know it was unpleasnat, but that is the kind of guy he is. He is compliant and trusts we are doing the best for him.

Today (Day-2) and tomorrow (Day -1) are days of "relaxing." He is doing the best he can considering his blood counts are dropping steadily and the chemo is still reacting inside him. He is making the best of it. He has ggod spurts that allow us to go to the playroom. His favorite is air hockey. He also managed enough effort to color a Valentine's card for Mommy which I know Tamara loves.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR JOHN...

Tomorrow, John will not have much other than try to make it tolerable. Tuesday February 15, will be DAY 0. This is when he will receive his stem cells back via transfusion. The theory is his stem cells will engraft in his depleted bone marrow helping to stimulate cell regeneration. The ultimate goal is for White Blood Cells (WBC). These are the ones that fight infection. Until he can generate enough WBC, John is defenseless. Consequently, we must be vigilant on keeping him protected. We are told this process can take 7-14 days.

Unfortunately, John will be in isolation for this time. Tamara and I will be allowed to be with him alternately. This will be a difficult time and undoubtedly will seem time is going to slow. I wish I could simply fast forward two weeks.

The next 2 weeks will be difficult. Please pray for John to remain strong and that his organs (specifically liver and kidneys) will not be harmed by this treatment. Please pray that the stem cells are effective and work quickly to speed his recovery.

Thank you all for praying. We also thank you for the meals, watching Luke and Hayley, the beautiful treat baskets, and for being there for our family. We truly appreciate it.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke and the two cupids Tamara will see on an ultrasound tomorrow.

Wednesday, February 9, 2005 11:49 AM CST

DAY -6

Today is the 5th and final day of the oral Temodar Jhn tarted taking Saturday. The first dose made him very sick. We learned from it and have been giving him anti-nausea medications before each dose. So far this has helped as well as spreading out his snacking and other meds. Since the first dose, he has been able to keep it all down.

On Monday, John had a successful surgery to place another central line. This is the type that will hang out from his skin and unfortunately he will not be able to take a bath for a long time. The night before he got a good one in though. Complete with bubbles, dyes, and the whole tub to him self for about 30 minutes. The other major drawback is not being able to wrestle with the new line. Younger brother Luke doesn't get it yet. Anytime John lays on the ground or site, Luke still tries to takckle him.

Although we have tried to limit John's outings to keep his exposure low, we did take a wagon ride to the Post Office and for slurpees. Other than that, John has been in the "TICU" (Taggart Intensive Care Unit). Yesterday, was Papa Bear's 60th birthday. We had Wahoo's take out and Papa Bear got to open his presents with all 3 of his grandkids and the two players to be named later at our house.

Today is bitter sweet. It probably will be John's last day sleeping in his bed for 3-4 weeks. Tomorrow we check into hotel CHOC for an extended stay. It will get tougher. The next 3 days (Day-5 to Day-3) John will get two different chemos IV over 7 hours each day. It is this time when his blood will be taking the hit. SO ALL BLOOD DONORS AND ESPECIALLY PLATELETTE DONORS BE READY.

We will endeavor to prevent the mouth sores, but know that they may come. The CHOC staff has warned us that most kids stop eating and develop infections in the time after the chemo. Of course, they have never seen the mighty John go through it. With John's resilience and your prayers, I believe John can breeze thru. What do you think?

The coming 3 days of chemo, Tamara will be restricted from holding John. The chemo can seep thru the skin. In fact I will have to sponge bathe him 4 times a day. Because Tamara is 31 weeks pregnant, we do not want to risk exposing the twins. Please pray that Tamara and the twins wil not be harmed by these treatments.

Alright, the California Adventure roller coaster is blasting off. Hold on to your hats, it is going to be eventful.

Thank you for checking in and for your continued prayers for John's healing.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, and the twins

Friday, February 4, 2005 11:36 PM CST

The admistrative approval is official. This is the eve of John's next big step - the stem cell transplant. It is a 10 day pre-transplant work up. They start at Day -10 (minus 10) and work towards Day 0 which will be the actual transfusion of his stem cells back. Tomorrow, John will start the first of 5 days of oral Temodor. This is a chemo he already has had, but it will be about double the dose. If he handles it well, we will remain out patient until the next phase scheduled to begin on Thursday. It would be nice to have a few last days for him to sleep in his bunk bed before being isolated in the hospital for weeks.

On Monday, John will have a surgery to place an additional central line. This will be how his body is given the chemo, blood, platelettes, etc. Our plan is also to do this outpatient. Please pray that the placement goes as planned and without complication. He will have to be sedated and we are always leery when this happens.

On Day -5 (Thursday) is when John will be hit with the big guns. He will receive both Carboplatin and Thiotepa via IV. The later chemo is also used in Brain Tumor patients. We customized this change for John's residual cancer near his brain. We think it will be more effective.

I confess, that I am saddened to know that John will not be able to sleep in his bed for over a month beginning Thursday. However, John is by far the most resilient and tough as nails man I have ever known. If anyone can handle this, John is the person. He is a champ. I am very fortunate to be able to live with my hero.

Well, John's journey is now over 2 years and 5 months. Tamara and I actually feel at peace with the steps we are taking. Granted, there will be anxious moments, potential fevers, and other unknowns. However, we have placed our faith in the Lord and left it to Him.

Please pary that John remains resolute in his fight. Pray that the plan is totally effective at killing the last bit of cancer yet safe on his body. Pray that all those involved with John's care are diligent and take care of his needs. Pray that the stress and chemo does not affect Tamara nor the twins. Finally, we pray for God's healing, His grace, and His will be done.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Alpha and Beta Taggart

p.s. Some of you have already offered to help. We believe prayer is the best thing all of us can do. Additionally, Tamara's mom Bonnie O'Nan is organizing a list for those who would like to bring a meal. Other helpful things will be for blood donations (A+ and CMV negative) and especially those platelette donors (A and AB types). Additionally, play dates or spend the nights might be helpful for our 2 other loveleies Hayley and Luke to distract them from the hospital.

Saturday, January 29, 2005 1:12 PM CST

Hello to all of John's prayer warriors and friends. The last two weeks, John has undergone a myriad of tests as part of a pre-transplant work-up. The results have been good to great. The great news is that his heart does not have any evidence of Pulmonary Hypertension and seems to be ready to go. His kidney function is in the normal range. So, we will plan on monitoring his fluids to keep his kidney function effective as we move forward.

As for the cancer. The MRI was unchanged from 6 weeks ago. There could have been new spots, but there wasn't. Unfortunately he still has residual around his brain (meninges). At least it did not get worse. For this we are grateful. As for the full body scan (MiBG), It appears to be unchanged and approaching clean. Additionally, both bone marrows appear clean as well.

We meet on Tuesday, Feb 1st with CHOC to discuss the logistics and time frame of transplant. I do not see anything that would prevent us from moving forward. So far, the Lord has held the door open to transplant. We prepare to walk through.

It is possible, that John may start as early as Super Bowl weekend. I will definnitely update more frequently. In future updates, I will explain more of the process, time frame, and his recovery. But for this week, we will concentrate on enjoying the time before he will be in the hospital for weeks. We will squeeze in another Disneyland trip, perhaps swim again at friends houses, eat at the Spaghetti Factory, and let him tear it up at preschool.

Thank you for checking in. I feel as if we are at the beginnig of the roller coaster at California Adventure. We are all strapped in waiting. Any second we are going to be catapulted down the tracks at 80mph into a series of twists and loops.

Please pray that we may follow the Lord's direction and that all involved with John's care are diligent in meeting his needs.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, Thing 1 and Thing 2 Taggart

Friday, January 14, 2005 11:00 PM CST

I know, I know. It has been a really long time since my last entry. John looks and feels great. He is now going to preschool 4 days a week because he enjoys it. A couple of weeks ago he had his first "sleep over" at his friend Teak's house. Unless you know his history, you would not be able to guess he has cancer.

We have really enjoyed our time the last few months. However, we have wrestled with the looming decision on what is next for his treatment. I have to say making this decision has been very stressful. As parents do we keep doing what we are doing and hope it does not come back although it already has returned twice before? Or do we proceed with the Stem Cell transplant which we know will affect him greatly. It will put him in the hospital for a month and comes with many side effects.

This is a difficult decision. The past two years when we looked into transplant, issues and complications came up and transplant was prevented. We felt the Lord directed us away from transplant. This time is different. We have not been discouraged from transplant. Perhaps the Lord has prepared us and John for transplant this time? John certainly is in much better health and position to tolerate the transplant.

We have decided to pursue transplant. If the Lord has another tool in mind, we will listen. Until then we move forward. It is called a stem cell transplant. In a nutshell, they will bombard him with the highest level chemo for 5 days. This will destroy all of his bone marrow and of course any remaining cancer. Then they will give his "purged" stem cells back afterwards to help him re-grow his marrow and help him recover. The average patient is in the hospital for 1 month.

This still may be confusing to some. It is like a baseball game analogy. All treatment up till now has been the starting pitcher and set-up men. We have a one run lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning. Naturally, we bring in the "closing pitcher" which is the stem cell transplant. In theory it is the best tool we have to win the game.

This may happen as early as Feb 4th. The next two weeks, John will do almost every test. He will have an MRI, MiBG, echocadiogram, bone marrow aspirate, chest XRay, etc. Ideally, all of these will come back caner free and normal.

Please keep John and our decisions in your prayers. We pray for cancer free test results, a smooth uncomplicated stem cell transplant, and a quick recovery with no adverse long term side effects. Oh yeah, and pray for those twins in there to stay put until April.

After all "Nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley,John, Luke, and ____&_____ Taggart

Monday, December 27, 2004 10:31 PM CST

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and that 2005 will be a great year for all of you. It has been some time since my last update. Generally, no news is good news. We had a wonderful Christmas week. We travelled down to San Diego for the 23rd, to the O'Nans on Christmas Eve, and had both families over for dinner to our house on Christmas Day.

It has been the best Christmas in recent years. The last two, John was quite sick with cancer. He was all over it this year. Tearing into presents, running all over the house, and tormenting uncles Kevin and Tim. It was a present in itself to watch him this week.

This week John resumes the two weeks of Irinotecan/Temodar cycle. We still have not decided what the long term game plan will be. Initially, the recommendation is for the heavy duty stem cell transplant. This is pretty much the biggest weapon they claim to have. However, it has a list of major side effects potentially.

Our prayer is for wisdom in this decision we will be making shortly. The stem cell could potentially start next month. Please pray taht we will clearly see the Lord's path for what John's next step will be.

We wish you all a safe New Year and look forward to updating you in 2005.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ____&____ Taggart

p.s. Tamara had another ultrasound week 23. All seems to be making great progress! Also, check out the new pictures in the photos section.

Thursday, December 9, 2004 10:52 PM CST

You all must have been lifting up some wonderful prayers. Thank you. We have received some wonderful results this week. I must preface these results by saying the results are preliminary and not the official findings. However, after doing these for two years, Tamara and I kind of have an honorary degree in interpretation.

In layman's terms the MRI showed some DECREASE in the cancer of his meninges (brain). Some spots have resolved all together. Although there is still some remaining, it is much less. This is very significant. It is going the direction we want.

Toady was the MiBG scan. Compared to last time, nothing much lit up. In fact, nothing lit up. If this is what the final results say, this will be huge. It means the Lord is making great strides in John's head and keeping the rest of his body safe.

I wish these results would mean the path to cure is almost over. This may or may not be the case. Only the Lord knows. We now have some "good" difficult decisions to make.

Please pray for us to have wisdom in deciding what steps to take next. Do we stay the course with what appaears to be working? Do we hit with the heavy guns like Stem Cell while it appears the cancer may be on the ropes? Is there some other tool to use?

Thanks for checming in. There are a couple new pictures to look at. Take a look.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, _____&_____ Taggart

Sunday, December 5, 2004 11:53 PM CST

This is going to be an important week. Monday thru Friday, John will return to CHOC outpatient for the Irinotecan Chemo infusion. Additionally, John will have a MRI and MiBG scan this week.

Tuesday Dec 7 at 11:00, John will undergo a MRI of his brain. Please pray that the anesthesia and procedure go as planned. We pray that the results are conclusive and that they show cancer is no longer near his brain.

Thursay morning Dec 9 at 8:00, John will have another MiBG scan. We also pray that no "hot spots" light up on this scan anywhere in his body.

Both of these tests will tell us a lot about what is going on inside John's body. I personally hope they match the way his outside looks. He looks great and appears totally normal. I pray these results validate that John is being healed from Neuroblastoma.

Thank you for checking in. If you could keep John and the test results in your prayers this week, our family would be grateful.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ____&____ Taggart

p.s. Cal got disrespected. Shame on the 43 sports writers and 23 Caches that changed their votes this week to keep Cal out of the Rose Bowl.

Tuesday, November 30, 2004 10:51 PM CST

We hope Thanksgiving was great for everyone. We had a trememdous time in Mammoth. The O'Nans are family friends with the Nelsons. They allowed us to use their home for Thanksgiving week. However, it is more than a home. It was a lodge. It could have easily slept 14 - 20 people. We are very thankful for their generosity in allowing us to use their home.

We were up there Tuesday thru Friday, so we avoided most of the biggest travel times. We had Thanksgiving dinner at the Nelson's big table. All 14 of us fit comfortably around it. We shared the day with Grandma Bonnie, Papa Bear, uncle Tim, Great Grandpa and Grandma, Dan and Cheri, Jordan and Makenna, and Tim. It was plenty cold. We also took the kids sledding two days. They loved it. John was grinning ear to ear as we blasted down the hill again and again. Hayley would race Jordan and Makenna on saucers down the hill. She was to only one crazy enough to go head first.

We also took the gondola from the village to the base of the mountain. They loved soaring over the tops of the houses. It was like Disneyland except below freezing. We had a great time up in Mammoth. Thanksgiving was special this year. We hope all of you also had a memorable time.

This week John's treatment continues. He will go to Clinic monday thru Friday this week and next to receive a chemo infusion. If all goes as planned we do get to come home every night. He has a MiBG scan on Dec 9th and an MRI of his brain sometime soon. Please pray that all results prove that John is being healed. Please also pray that we have the endurance to logistically make it all work. Days are busy with clinic, Hayley school, my studying for Engineer, and Tamara now 21 weeks pregnant. The Lord knows what we can handle.

Thanks for checking in on us.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ___&____ Taggart

Sunday, November 21, 2004 10:12 PM CST

I apologize for the long time since my last entry. Life has been very busy. But the bottom line is that John is outstanding. He was again the class VIP this past week. He brought in the snow cone making machine for his share day. He had a great time. His two weeks of chemo wrapped up on Friday. So he goes in tomorrow for labs and then will have the rest of the week off from the hospital.

In itself, the time away from the clinic is something I will be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

We hope ALL of you will have a great Thanksgiving. If you simply take a second to think about it. We are all very blessed. There is so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for Tamara. She is the perfect wife and we will celebrate our 7th anniversary on the 29th. I am thankful for 3 beautiful kids and for the two yet to be born. I got to see the "players to be named later" this past Friday on an Ultrasound. At 20 weeks everything is where is should be. I cannot wait to see who is in there.

I am also thankful for all of you. For over 2 years, we have been lifted up by the generosity and thoughtfulness of our friends and family. John's "congregation" continues to grow. He literally has people praying for him around the world. It is amazing. But then again, John is amazing. He continues to do well. He remains an energetic, wrestling, smiling, and skateboarding kid. The Taggart family appreciates all of the wonderful things you have done for our family. Additionally, we thank you for your prayers. The prayers are working. We get the pleasure of witnessing them answered first hand.

This week, we are planning a trip to Crowley Lake just outside Mammoth. We are going to spend Thanksgivng with the O'Nan family. A good frined of the O'Nan family is allowing us to stay in their lodge. We can't wait. This will be the first time Hayley and John have been in snow since he was diagnosed. I hope there is some good sledding and snow angels.

Please pray that John does not get a fever and we can go on the trip. Additionally, John will have another MibG scan and MRI in December. Please pray that the results show dramatic improvement. We also continue for the Lord to show us what and where to go next on the path to recovery.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, hayley, John, Luke, ___&___ Taggart

Wednesday, November 10, 2004 1:15 PM CST

I am happy to report John was discharged on Monday evening from CHOC. Also, he was allowed to go to preschool on Tuesday where he is this week's "V.I.P"

He is on an antibiotic, but appears to be feeling better. This week he will continue with the Irinotecan /Temodor chemo as outpatient. We pray the "wetness" in his lungs goes away and that he can continue to come home each day.

Thank you for checking in. Your prayers apparently work quick.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ___&____ Taggart

Sunday, November 7, 2004 10:56 PM CST

Hello to all of you in John's fan club. His surprisingly easy chemo ride has hit a speed bump. It appears John has caught a significant cold bug. Because he is on chemo, a cold has the potential to really hit him hard compared to you or I. Friday, he had a faucet of a runny nose which developed into a severe cough that was enough to wake him up repeatedly from sleep. It was a tough night.

Because of this development, he and Tamara were left off the travelling team that went to spend the day with Grandma Mary. It was an unpleasant choice, but probably the best since John developed a fever of 102 about 3:00. It would not have been fun driving to CHOC from San Diego.

So as a precaution and for his fever, John was admitted to CHOC on Sat. They drew blood cultures and took a chest Xray. So far nothing has come back from the blood cultures and the Xray hinted at slight pneumonia but was not specific.

Last night John did sleep much better. His fever has been gone since early Sunday morning. His cough is also less frequent. So, if he can remain infebrile and nothing bad is grown in the cultures, we may have a chance of going home tomorrow (Monday). Please pray that this may be possible.

John is going to start another round of the Irinotecan / Temodor combo. The Dr. does not think it would interfere with what John currently has.

This afternoon, John has continued to progress. He is much more happy. He also is more active and looks better. We pray this continues.

So that is the latest. John is fighting off what ever has gotten inside him and simultaneously he will receive chemo to continue to eliminate cancer. John is tough enough to handle it. I cannot say that I would be as strong.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ____&_____ Taggart

Friday, October 29, 2004 11:06 PM CDT

Happy Halloween to all of you. Hayley has been sick all week until returning to school Thursday. It has been very tough trying to keep Luke and John from playing with their sister. They all get along so well, it was punishment having her separated. Hopefully, we are past the transmission stage. So far so good.

John finished his second weeek of chemo. He is excited not to have a "tube" hanging from him for at least a week. This means baths every day and he can skateboard and wrestle more aggressively. The week went well. IT is possible his counts may drop the next few days. So we will be diligent about handwashing and hold him out of preschool until the counts recover.

Regardless of counts, Halloween must go on. John is going to be Peter Pan. Luke is a giraffe. Hayley is a Japanese geisha girl. John and Luke had a dress rehearsal in their costumes today at the CHOC clinic. CHOC has a tradition of letting the patients dress up in costumes and tour the clinic and hospital. It is pretty cool. All the offices and employees have bags of candy that they shower on the kids. It was very nice and John ended up with a pillowcase full of loot. Some of these kids were towing their IV towers or in wheel chairs. They still dressed in costumes and relished the chance to trick or treat like normal kids. It was pretty special.

We hope all of you will be safe this weekend and that all of us can be a kid this weekend. Just like John's Peter Pan character who never wanted to grow up. We can talk about the adult things like what is next for John's treatment next week.

Thanks for checking in. Also, please remember to vote on Re-election Day this Novemeber 2nd.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ____&_____ Taggart

Wednesday, October 20, 2004 9:32 PM CDT

"significant Interval Decrease" This is from the MRI report. Allow me to translate. There is significant improvement since the last MRI on 9/25/04! This is tememendous. There is still some in there, but less is good.

The plan is to continue with the Irinotecan/Temodolozide regimen for another cycle.

Between now and then, we will be attempting to draft a long term treatment plan. More than likely it will include increased levels of chemo and perhaps the stem cell transplant. For now it appears we have a little breathing room to evaluate and come up with the plan.

Please pray that the Lord continues to lead us and provide the tools toward remission.

Thanks for checking in.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ____&____ Taggart

p.s. Now Hayley has a fever. We had to pick her up from school. The trick will be to keep her isolated and from passing it to Luke or John. Please pray that she recovers quickly without passing it to anyone.

Monday, October 18, 2004 11:00 PM CDT

Today was a wonderful day. I spent my 31st birthday with my family. I got wonderful hand made cards. I love them. I really enjoyed spending the day with family.

Today, John also started a second cycle of chemo. He will take it out patient for 10 days with a break over the weekend. He will take Irinotecan for 10 days and Temodolozide for the first 5 days.

Tomorrow is very big. First, John has his preschool pictures. He has not lost any hair yet so he should have a cool looking "spikey" hair style for his picture. Afterwards, he will go in for Day#2 of chemo.

Then it is on to a MRI of his brain. This will be a huge progress report for us. We pray that it shows the cancer has been eliminated from his brain. We pray the results are conclusive and show zero trace of cacner.

Please also pray that the sedation goes smoothly and as planned.

Thanks for checking in. I will post the MRI results when we get them.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, _____&_____ Taggart

Tuesday, October 12, 2004 10:51 PM CDT

John is home!. We still have to give him IV antibiotics for the next 7 days, but if he continues to be stable; it will be in the comfort of our home.

The allergic rash is healing nicely. He remains without fever and his blood counts are on the upswing. He is getting his appetite back as well. He rode his scooter today when we got home and chased me around the house only to "BAP" (hit) me with a plastic bat.

We love being home. We all do so much better. We still have some important steps in the next week, but we enjoy being home.

Please pray that Tamara and I will be diligent and accurate at administering his IV antibiotic 3 times a day. Monday, John is scheduled to begin Round #2 of the same outpatient chemo. Irinotecan for 10 days and Temodor for the first 5 days.

Tuesday is an important day. He is scheduled for an MRI of his brain. This is our check up. It should tell us if God has already healed John or if the tools HE has provided us with are being effective. We pray that the MRI will show tremendous progress at eliminating cancer and that the Lord continues to guide our path and decisions.

Thanks for thinking of John.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, and the 14 week twins

Sunday, October 10, 2004 7:07 PM CDT

At last an update about John. Unfortunately, I am writing this update from the 3rd floor at CHOC. We were admitted on Firday night. Last weekend, John was on the upswing. He had receovered from the seizure and was sailing along with the outpatient chemo. He felt so good that we were able to participate in the CHOC walk last Sunday and then go to Sea World for the afternoon.

On Thursday, we began to notice small bumps on John's legs that looked like pimples. That afternoon, we were told by the clinic that John's Dilantin (seizure medicine) level was too high. We switched drugs, but it was too late. John has had a reaction to the dilantin. By Friday morning his body was covered in red sores. Not only did they look like chicken pox, but they itched like them as well. Friday night, John also started to spike a fever of 102.

Becasue of the rash and growing fever, we had to admit John to Choc Friday Night. They drew cultures which we found out today are positive for a bacterial infection. Friday night was miserable for us. He could barley sleep and had a fever. We made it through the night and Saturday started some recovery. His rash stopped spreading and started to look less red. His fever was coming back down.

Today, we have had more improvement. He had a good night rest. The rash appears to be going away slowly. Also his fever is gone. Because he has a documented infection, he must be treated by antibiotics. In order for us to go home a couple things must happen. #1 he cannot respike a fever. #2 They will daily draw cultures and we cannot leave util one is negative for infection for at least 24 hours. So the earliest we are looking at is Tuesday if his blood culture today was negative and continues for the required 24 hous. If not, our stay will be longer.

Today, John is feeling much better. He still is covered with the rash, but he is now starting to eat and walking some on his own. He is happy the Chargers won their second consecutive game in a row since 2002. He is still disappointed that Cal dominated usc in every category except final score.

Please pray that John's fever does not come back, his infection is eliminated and that he continues to make strides towards recovery from cancer.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ____&_____ Taggart

Thursday, September 30, 2004 10:47 PM CDT

Hello to all of John Kelly's fans, supporters, and prayer warriors. Throughout this past year we have come to know another family living with a heroic son. Andrew has leukemia and quite a support group behind him. We are pleased to meet many of you who have learned about John by his website www.caringbridge.org/ca/andrew. We have been encouraged by the many new entries on John's journal from all of you. John's "ministry" is growing.

Words cannot describe how happy I am to be writing from our home where all of us have been since Tuesday afternoon. As I alluded to Monday, John made what I would only describe as miraculous strides towards recovery. He has continued. He has not complained of headche, vomitted, or leg pain since Sunday night when we took him back to CHOC. I am not asking why he has made such a turnaround (although I believe prayer is a big reason.) I am just happy he is so happy now.

My last entry, we were strongly considering Radiation Therapy to his brain and left tibia because he was having symptoms to require it. However, he no longer has the symptoms. So we had yet another difficult decision. Do we proceed with the Radiation knowing the potential long term risks to John's cognitive and mental ability? Or do we wait and see if the chemo has a chance to be effective and the Lord has more time to answer prayers thru John?

We chose the later.

One of three things will most likely happen. #1 The headaches and seizures will return indicating the cancer is spreading and we will need to Radiate. #2 The chemo will be effective and the Dilantin will prevent the seizures or #3 The Lord will continue to use John as a testimony to hearing and answering our prayers.

Our faith is in #3. With that comfort we have been able to enjoy the last couple of days. Allow me to recap them for you. To many, these may seem trivial or even mundane to mention. But to us, they mean hope and familiarity to the way we enjoy everyday life. Additionally, I think it is incredible we are able to do them considering the weekend and previous week we endured.

Tuesday, we are discharged from CHOC. John is completely mobile. He dons helmet and rides his scooter and then bike. He flies kite and then marches in pretend band with sister Hayley and neighbor Gabriela. We all go to Color Me mine to paint pottery and to dinner at Mi Casa. Wednesday, John is guest of honor at Tamara's weekly CBS bible school meeting. Return to CHOC for 1.5 hours of chemo and return to sleep in his bed. Today, we did his chemo and then dropped him off at preschool for the last hour and lunch. This afternoon we bought cool gloves for him at Target to keep his hands clean and then went to best friend Teak's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. I was really glad he was able to go. He had been invited for a while, but we were uncertain he could go.

Tonight I am humbled at how lucky I am. I tucked three beautiful children into their own beds and I have two more on the way. To top it all, I have the perfect wife that makes it all happen.

Please continue to pray that John is healed. If all goes well, John (and us) will be participating in the CHOC walk Sunday morning at Disneyland. Perhaps we'll see some of you there.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ___&___ Taggart

Tuesday, September 28, 2004 0:48 AM CDT

What a difference a day can make. I am so happy to report John did so much better today. He did not have any headches nor pain, including his leg. Infact, he walked all evening back and forth the the playroom and played soccer in the halls with me. He ate well and was his normal happy self. He did so well I persuaded the nurse to unhook him form the IV Tower so he could run aroung without the shackle. He loved the freedom and played with his friends Charlie and Bella who came to visit.

There are people out there who will say the hospital or some medical reason caused John's turn around. Well the fact is John was not on any pain meds. He did not resume chemo until 3:00pm and there was no other treatment. However, I did post an update yesterday about lifting John up in prayer and for taking away his pain. I think we all know prayer is the reason John is having such a great day.

Today, Tamara had a consult with Radiation Therapy. Considering how John was yesterday with the headaches, vommiting, and leg pain, we felt Radiation may help give him some relief. They plan was to radaite his brain and left tibia. There are side effects to this route, but in theory in may kill some of the bulk of the tumors before the chemo will be effective.

John's amazing bounce back today has us questioning whether to subject him to Radiation Therapy. As of now we are against the brain (radiation) and still potentially pursuing the left tibia (radiation). Please pray that we will receive directions on which path to take.

The plan tomorrow is to decide on Radiation Therapy or not, receive his Day 4 of chemo and be discharged. Please pray for us to accomplish these tasks tomorrow.

If we are discharged, we will return the rest of the week for chemo, but outpatient which means (you guessed it) our own beds. I am looking forward to that.

Thanks for checking in.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ___&____ Taggart

p.s. Tamara has an appt tomorrow for the twins. Please pray that all is progressing well with these two up and comers.

Monday, September 27, 2004 0:50 AM CDT

I think we need a little cute story about John before we talk about the serious things. Last night John slept well. As he slept he was talking in his sleep. I heard him say, "Where's Lukee, Where's Lukee?"" He never woke up, but then had a big smile on his sleeping face as he said, " Oh. Hi Lukee!" He slept well the rest of the night.

We received the MRI results. They confirm that there is cancer activity in his brain. This is difficult, but not too much of a surprise. The seizure probably was a result of the cancer and not the chemo. Our dcision is to resume the Irinotecan and Temodolozide chemos. John will additionally receive Dilantin which is an anti-seizure drug.

We feel we need to make a stop and intervention before John can get better. Otherwise the cacner will continue to advance. So we will resume the chemo again tomorrow on Monday.

This morning John was doing better and he desperately wanted to go home. So I persuaded the Dr. to let us go home and sleep in our own beds before we returned in the morning for chemo. It turns out it probably wasn't the best decision.

My first clue that we should have stayed was the increasing pain in his left tibia. It really bothered him. Then as we were literally walking out the door to go home. John vomited. The sad part for me was I had him on my sholders. The nurses were amazed I did not even flinch nor eject John from his perch on top of me. John continued to be nautious on the ride home.

At home John continued to coplain of head aches and nausea. So Tamara and I felt we needed to return to CHOC to address his pain and be there since the cancer in his brain is affecting him.

Back to CHOC we went after being home for 2 hours.

Although our path tomorrow will be tough and the future uncertain, there was something funny about tonight. John naturally is feeling much better now that we are admitted. It is similar to when I take a car into see a mechanic. The drive to the shop the car sputters, smokes, rattles, etc. When I pull it into the mechanic's lot, the problems disappear and it drives like a dream.

Well that is kind of like tonight. John is sucking down popsicles, saying he is hungry and smiling. I told Tamara, let's quick go home while he is feeling good. However, she says we should stay until the chemo is done. OK I give in.

The future is going to be tough. However, at least tonight I saw my son smile, not complain about pain, and chomping on a grape pospsicle. I will sleep well tonight thinking about his smile. Let tomorrow worry about itself.

Please pray that we all may have the strength to battle through the ordeals ahead. Please pray the John gets some relief and makes giant strides towards recovery.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley (who scored her first soccer goal on Saturday), John (who like popsicles), Luke (Who has a trememdous throwing arm), and 2 First Round drafts picks in next April's draft.

Saturday, September 25, 2004 10:54 PM CDT

We appear to be at a critical point in John's cancer battle. Wednesday, John had a port (central line) implanted into his chest. The procedure went well and that afternoon he was running around with Hayley and our neighbor Gabriela in the backyard. On Thursday, he had a spinal tap and bi-lateral bone marrow. Additionally, he started his first day of Irinotecan and temolodolozide. These are chemo agents. As we left the clinic, John was having sharp pain radiating down both legs.

The fact that he complained about it is significant. John never complains. For him to say it hurt means it was pretty tough for him. The on - call docotr attributed to the two invasive procedures he had this week.

On Firday, John went in for his Day # 2 of Irinotecan and Temodolozide at the clinic with Tamara. When I checked in from work, John was still having leg pains, but they appeared to be lessening.

All appeared to be going well until about 10:00 pm Friday night. John was sleeping in mom and dad's bed because I gave hime special permission while I was working. It turns out we were fortunate he was in there.

While Tamara was next to him, John had a seizure. He began drooling and became unresponsive. Tamara called 911 and she and John were rushed by ambulance to Hoag hospital. I received a call from a Newport Beach firman who happened to be there when John and Tamara arrived. Immediately, I left to be with them.

John had a seizure that lasted about 8-10 minutes. It ended as they arrived to the hospital. He was breathing the entire time, just unconscious. At Hoag he was stabilized and began to recover. They ran a battery of tests. After I got there, John was able to acknowledge us and was his usual feisty persona he assumes when he is in a hospital. I knew he was coming back.

Around 3:00 am we were transferred to CHOC, where we are currently in the OICU. John has be receiving several antibiotics in case he has an infection we have not detected yet. He also is getting and anti-seizure medicine.

All things considered, John is fully recovered as I can tell. He is completely alert and orineted. He has displayed no further signs of seizure. The pain inhis legs is subsiding and he walked a little under his own power today.

The question shifts to why he had a seizure. I see it as 2 possibilities. #1 the cancer is in his brain and it created the pressure to cause a seizure. Or #2 the chemo durgs that John is taking for the first time have had an interaction with him causing the seizure.

This afternnon, John had a MRI of his Brain, Spine, and Left Tibia. The Spinal tap from Thursday came back clean. So we are praying for the results of the MRI to be conclusive and CANCER FREE also. I am awainting the results any time.

The MRI results will dictate what steps are taken next. Further chemo is halted until we have a plan. If the cancer is in his brain we have difficult decisions. Do we continue the chemo that may be causing the seizures to attack the cancer? If it is NOT in the brain, we can stop the chemo that I belive is causing the seizures and switch to one he already has had a positive response.

A lot is resting on the MRI. Please pray taht it is cancer free. Regardless of the results we pray for the Lord to give us strength and to lead us to the next step.

Yesterday was very stressful for Tamara and all of us. Today, John was his normal self. BOth sets of grandparents came to visit and brought smiles to he face. John ate very well and was in relatively good spirits. He desperately wants to go home. I agree with him. however, we need to know what casued the seizure and what our next move is going to be first.

I will update as it comes. Prayer has worked and I believe it still will. Please pray for John's healing and for us to know what to do.

Love,
Kelly,Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ____ & _____ Taggart

Tuesday, September 21, 2004 10:01 PM CDT

A wise person once said, "When God wants to do something special He starts with a difficulty. When God wants to do something truly magnificent, He starts with an impossibility."

Tamara and I still believe All things are possbile. Today we received some terrible news regarding the spread of John's Neuroblastoma. We know from the MiBG scan, he has a large mass in his left tibia as well as spots on his skull. Today we met with CHildrens Los Angeles. They reveiewed his CT scans as well.

It appears that cancer is advancing into John's brain. He may have leptomenengial tumor spread. The space between the brain and the skull is questionable for tumor spread. This is very rare and often is devastating.

As adverse as this information is, Tamara and I refuse to give up hope. We take refuge knowing that the Lord has a plan for John and that ultimately, regardless of the cancer outcome, John's future is certain. Whether it is months from now or years from now he has a place waiting for him in Heaven.

This all may seem very ominous and depressing, but I still feel the Lord is working through this cancer. I believe many are to be affected and reached through John's heroic life. I pray that I may continue to update about John's miracle of life that almost ended Feb 20, 2002. We are so thankful for the wonderful time we have had since then. We look forward to every minute we have in the future with John.

The doctors strongly believe the cancer to be advancing to his brain. However, slim the chance, there may be another reason for the CT scan readings. We will be doing an MRI of his brain and spine to clarify. Additionally, he will have to have a spinal tap to see if cancer is anywhere in there.

Our earnest prayer is that both of these tests come back conclusive that it is NOT cancer.

If cancer is in the brain the treatment options are limited. Most clinical trials are not eligible for brain involvement patients. Even the MiBG Therapy we had planned on doing this spring is no longer an option as MiBG is not absorbed by the brain.

The treatment plan is a chemo combination of temodor and irinotecan. Both of these have been used on Neuroblastoma patients and brain tumor patients with mixed results.

Tomorrow, Wednesday at 11:30, John will have a central line surgically placed in his chest. Thusrday, he will receive the first of the chemo treatments. Friday, he will have a spinal tap and bone marrow. As soon as possible, John will receive an MRI.

Please be in prayer that John continues to be courageous through this. Please pray the surgery goes as planned and the chemo is effective at killing the cancer while at the same time safe to his organs.

Our continued prayer is for the Lord to show us what path to take with John. We pray for guidance and hope.

Thank you for checking in on us. Please check back as I will update on John's progress and document God doing something "truly magnificent."

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, ______ & ________

p.s. Tamara has an appointment to check on the twins this Tuesday Sept 28. It should be week 12.

Monday, September 13, 2004 11:32 PM CDT

It is time to rally the prayer warriors again. Last week was quite a roller coaster. The Wednesday after returning from our trip, Tamara and I went to her Dr. We knew ther was room in our family for another child. Well, we are blessed that she is 10 weeks pregnant. The surprise is, we are expecting TWINS! It was exciting seeing two on the ultrasound. The due date is April 12, but we are told twins normally come early. This was the high point of the week.

John had a routine MiBG exam on Friday. It had been 6 weeks since the last one. We were disappointed to learn that John has several new hot spots on his head and also in the same left tibia as last time. O.K. everyone breathe.

We were surprised by the results bcause John outwardly looks the best he ever has. Apparently there still is a battle going on inside him. We met with John's Dr. today. We are going to get a consensus opinion from CHOC, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Presumably, We will start a form of treatment next week.

We are going this weekend to OCF-OCF family camp. It will be a great time. When we return we will attack John's cancer full steam.

I know that relapse is not what any of us wanted, however, we still have tools left to try. More importantly, we believe the Lord is still in the process of healing John.

We are praying for guidance on what path to take. We pray for the Lord to show us what hospital to go to, what tools/meds to take, and what doctors to work with.

As a family we are grateful for the the outstanding summer we have had. We have been to Yosemite, Sea World, our camping trip, swim lessons, the beach, preschool, Chuck E. Cheese, etc. All of these seemd doubtful on February 20th, 2003 when John survived the cardiac arrest.Life is a blessing and a bonus. We plan to continue taking each day by day and enjoying the moment.

Now is not the time to be depressed or upset. Now is the time to pray and allow it to be heard. The cancer in John has not given up. Consequently, we will NEVER quit either.

Check back for our course of attack next week. We are very excited about the twins and know John will continue to be healed.

Thanks for checking in.

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke, _____ & ______ Taggart

Tuesday, September 7, 2004 10:24 PM CDT

The Traveling Taggarts are safe at home. We have been on the road for 13 days and have passed through 5 states. It is a tight family that can spend almost 3,000 miles in a green Suburban together and still love each other when the trip is over.

The kids did amazingly well given the ground we covered. Our vacation was outstanding. Considering I had to change a flat tire on the 15 just outside Baker, CA on our first day, the rest of the trip went pretty well.

We camped two nights in Bryce Canyon, UT. We even hiked the "wall Street" trail and "Queens Garden" Trail. After Bryce we spent an evening with Martha May and David (Tamara's great aunt) in Grand Junction, CO. Then it was on to The Rocky Mountain National Park for 4 nights. The drive there was breathtaking. We crossed over the continental divide a couple of times. We also took the Trail Ridge Road in the park. It is 48 miles long with 11 of the miles above the timberline (roughly 12,000 feet). It was pretty cool. In the park we took several hikes. The kids loved seeing the animals. We saw deer, elk, skunk, coyote, and trout. We did not see the elusive Big Horn sheep unfortunately.

During our time in the park we took an afternoon to drive to Boulder to visit Tamara's college friends. Before dinner we toured the Univ. of Colorado campus. We snuck into the stadium and watched them practice running with "Ralphie." Ralphie is the real, life size buffalo that is their mascot. It is pretty impressive watching him drag 6 students around the field. Our dinner with Tamara's friends was outstanding. They cooked us a gourmet meal. After a week of camping, it was the best meal we had ever eaten.

The next stop was Colorado Springs. We camped there for 3 nights. We toured the Focus on the Family campus. We walked through the Garden of the Gods park. However, the real reason we were there was for the Cal vs. Air Force game. We had a great game day. I highly recommend seeing a home game at the Air Force Academy. It is quite amazing with the cadets marching on the field, the parachuters, the fly overs, and watching the cadets storm the field and do pushups when they score a touchdown. And there was a football game too. The Bears did great and looked strong. After the game the players came over to our section. A couple of the guys threw their wristbands and gloves to John and Luke. (I hope that isn't a NCAA recruiting infraction accepting gifts when you are 4 years old)

On the way back home we drove through snow as we crossed back over the Continental Divide. It was neat seeing all the snow covered trees. We stayed a night in Circus Circus, LAs Vegas. The kids had a blast at the Midway. I have to admit that Tamara won all the stuffed animals for our kids. Dear old Dad got shut out. Perhaps if there was a game incorporating a footbal, I would have done better.

Well we are happily back in our home. We are looking forward to sleeping in our own beds. This week will also be exciting. Hayley's first day of school is tomorrow. She starts 1st grade. John has his first day of preschool in his new class on Thursday.

Thanks for following our family. I hope you enjoy the new pictures in the website.

Thanks for continuing to pray for our family and for John to remain cancer free. John is having another MiBG scan and CT scan this Friday September 10.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke,

Tuesday, August 24, 2004 5:28 PM CDT

Happy 4th Birthday John!! The picture above is of John with some of his presents on his birthday August 18. His party went well. He chose about 10 friends to go to Chuck E.Cheese. They had great fun playing all the games, eating pizza, and just being kids.

I think John really enjoyed all the attention and the great gifts he received.

Tomorrow we leave for 2 weeks on a vacation. We are going to Bryce Canyon in southwestern Utah. Then on to meet relatives in Grand Junction, CO. Afterwards we are going to Estes Park north of Denver. Then to Colorado Springs in time for the college football season opener of CAL vs. Air Force. We will be tent camping and staying in cabins most of the time.

We are really looking forward to it. John and Luke are battling coughs right now. They cannot seem to get rid of it and seem to be passing it back and forth. Please pray tath they will be healthy for our trip.

We also pray for safe travels and just a wonderful and memorable time spent together.

I will update when we get back. I'll have plenty of pictures to upload.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, Luke,

Sunday, August 8, 2004 10:16 PM CDT

What a great week for the Taggart family. To recap, John's MiBG scan was negative for tumor activity. Now, we just learned that the PRELIMINARY bone marrow is coming back clean as well. We pray the final results will confirm there isn't any cancer in his bone marrow. These are great developments.

God is in the details. We learned of John's great bone marrow results on Friday August 6th. Yep that is when Luke turned 1 year old. John gave Luke a present the whole family can enjoy.

We had a small party in the back yard for Luke tonight. We had a BBQ, bounce house, and plenty of cake. It was a special time and I am so thankful it was spent together as a family. It was great fun with kids playing all around.

I will attemp to update some new pictures to the journal. Be sure to check them out.

Now that Luke's party is done, we are now preparing for John to turn 4 on August 18th.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Tuesday, August 3, 2004 11:06 PM CDT

OK. Hot off the presses. Allow me to write the last sentence of John' MiBG report..."noe evidence of receurrent metastases is seen." Praise the Lord. John still does NOT light up on the MiBG cancer specific scan. This is great news. Prayers continue to be answered.

Today, John had a bone marrow aspirate. We will not know the results for about 10 days. Out prayer is that it also will be clean.

With a collective sigh of relief we are bracing for great August. Luke turns 1 on Friday. Way to go dude. John will be having his 4th birthday at the location of his choice. You guessed it, Chuck E. Cheese. Then on August 25th we depart on a two week family road trip. We are camping at Bryce, UT and the Rocky Mountain National Forest in Coloradao. Labor Day weekend we will be going to the Cal vs Air Force game in Colorado Springs too.

We are very excited and I look forward to updating you this month.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 8:40 AM CDT

We hope the summer is going well for all of you out there. Our summer has been spectacular. We have really enjoyed our "freedom" from treatment. So far John has completed two cycles of the Fenretinide. He has done very well and not had any conmplications.

This friday, July 29th, John will have a progress report of sorts. He will have a CT Scan and a MiBG scan. The MiBG is the scan that highlights if there is any tumor/cancer activity. His last scan in May was clear. We are praying for the same result on Friday's scan.

Please keep John in your prayers this week for great test results. Especially Friday afternoon when he takes the two scans. We continue to pray for John's healing and that we can continue to have a great summer free of hospitals.

Thank you for your continued prayers and for following John, my hero's, story.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

p.s. Little Luke is rapidly approaching his first birthday on August 6th. He wants so badly to mix it uip with his older brother anbd sister. They are very cute together.

Tuesday, July 13, 2004 10:54 PM CDT

The updates have been infrequent because things have been going extremely well. We have had a wonderful last two weeks. Our fourth of July was spectacular. Uncle Brian and Aunt Mary came to visit last week and stay with us. We took them to Disneyland, Carlsbad State Beach, Rubio's Fish Tacos, and Jamba Juice a couple of times.

We also got to go to the celebration party for fellow cancer survivor Hannah Whitfield last Sunday. Just yesterday, John was guest of honor for the PCRF Golf fundraising event hosted by hall of famer Rod Carew. John got introduced by the hall of Famer and posed for pictures with him. Rod Carew presented John with a personalized autographed encased baseball. Tamara is a lifelong Angels fan and was just as excited as John was. There was press from the Orange County Register. Check your papers. You may see John in there with Rod (John and Rod are on a first name basis now)

The past two weeks have had plenty of swim lessons, preschool and trips to the beach. Today John had a playdate with a classmate from school. We played with water balloons, tee ball, and cars. It is almost as if we are a normal family.

Now for the medical details. John will begin Round #2 of the Fenretinide on Friday. It again will be 17 pills each day for 1 week. Then 2 weeks off. Please pray that the medicine will be used as an effective tool to eliminate the remaining cancer. We will be having updated CT, MiBG and Bone Marrow tests the week of July 29. Please pray that we continue to get great news about John's healing on these tests.

Thank you for checking in. Please be sure to check for new photos. I will try to update some tonight.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 10:32 PM CDT

Hello John fans. He continues to do outstanding. Logistically we were able to start the Fenretinide oral pills. They are quite large. About the size of a Good-N-Plenty or Hot Tamale candy. He has to take a total of 17 pills per day! It is a lot to ask a 3 year old to down such big and so many pills. However, John is amazing as you know. He swallows them without any incident nor complaint. He is very compliant and makes it a lot easier on us all.

Prior to starting the pills, he had another bone marrow pull. This time it took a lot more effort for them to find the cancer in it. This means it appears to have gotten a little better over the past several weeks, but it still is there. This is great news because he has not had any "chemotherapy" in over 6 weeks. However, we all know the PRAYERtherapy has never ceased and continues daily. I believe John's healing and progress to be a direct correlation to prayers being answered.

John has now had two weeks of swimming lessons and is doing great. He is becomming king of the preschool as he moves to the oldest class. His appetite and activity level is unbelievable. The whole family spent the day today at the beach. Hayley and John had a blast in the sand. For some reason John still does not want to go back onto the body board. Apparently he still remembers his "big wipe out" last summer while with Dad. I guess he is still worried it is going to happen again. I'll keep trying to get them out there. At least he looks good in his wet suit, although it never really gets wet. It turns out little Luke is the surfer or the family. He loved it when Dad took him out on the body board.

John finishes his first round of Fenretinide Saturday. Then he gets 2 weeks off without pills. We are looking forward to the Fourth of July this weekend. We hope you all have a safe hoiliday and spend it with family and friends. Please remember those great Americans that are overseas making our Independence Day celebrations possible.

Love, Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Sunday, June 20, 2004 9:56 PM CDT

Happy Fathers Day to all you Dad's (and to all of our soon-to-be-Dads). I had a wonderful fathers Day even though I had to work. We had all the families at the station for the afternoon. We had about 30 kids, 12 wives, and one large yellow labrador named Tanner. We even had a bouncy house, balloons, and a BBQ. It was a great time. Don't worry, we still went on all of our calls.

Our trip to Yosemite was spectacular. The weather was great. Both sets of grandparents and Uncle Kevin were there. We had a camp fire with smores all four nights. We waded in Mirror lake and swam at the Curry Village pool. We even had a Bear visit our front porch. Apparently, I forgot to bring in the smore making materials and brownie tupperware. We got close enough to see a large Black Bear with a #52 tag on his ear making off with the score. We rented bikes for a day and rode the entire Yosemite Valley Floor. We saw all the waterfalls. Papa Bear made his first Halfdome summit with Tamara and I on the trip as well. We praise God and are thankful that we were enjoying one of the prettiest places in the world as a healthy family rather than the originally planned treatment in San Francisco.

Tomorrow John starts Swimming lessons and will continue to go the preschool on Tues and Thurs. He is loving it.

Tuesday we are scheduled to start the oral pills of Fenretinide. The logistics still have not been finalized, but we are planning on beginning it Tuesday. Please pray that if it the Lord's will, the logistics will be worked out and the door opened to this tool for God to use in healing John. Additionally, please pray the Fenretinide is totally effective at eliminating the remaining cancer and prevents it from ever returning.

We have been going non-stop activity these past few weeks. Lately John has been getting tired. More than likely it is from the hectic pace. However, Tamara and I sometimes are anxious that it could be something else. We ask for you to pray for us to NOT be anxious. Help us to remember God is in control and has a specific plan for John. Please pray that we will remember the voice of Jesus in the verse Mark 5:36 "...do not be afraid, just believe."

We are very blessed to be where we are today. We just need to be confident in the Lord's timing. This whole experince He has opened doors, provided the necessary tools, and answered yours and our prayers for healing. I pray this will continue.

We love you all very much. Your generosity still continues to pour in. Just this past week we received donations and phone calls of encouragement from people we have never met. However, they have heard about the famous John Taggart and have generosly supported us. We are humbled and very appreciative.

Love,

KElly, Tamara, Hayley,John, and Luke Taggart

Friday, June 11, 2004 0:02 AM CDT

Hello John fans. Here is the latest. We have wasted no time since learning of our great news. We all went to family camp this past weekend. It was entirely free coutesy of an organization OCF-OCF. It was great. John and Hayley rode up on the school bus with all the kids. Luke, Tamara, and I trailed in the Suburban. At camp, Hayley was gone in 2 minutes with all her stuff to the "Care Bears" cabin with her new friends. She would not have noticed if we had gone home. She was totally into it .

John took a while to get used to it. He was the youngest of 10 boys in the "GI Joes" cabin. He eventually came around. He did all the activites with his cabin mates. He even slept on a bunk both nights with the guys without Mom or Dad. Us boring parents had fun to. The camp had people to babysit Luke while we mountain biked, and hung out at the camp. Luke was very popular and was quite the showman with his trademark "fly away" hair style.

Needless to say, camp was great. I hope to put some pictures up from it in the near future.

On Tuesday, John had successful surgery to remove his central line. He will not need it for the Fenretinide because it is oral pills. So we are waiting for the wound to heal and it will be swim city for John John. We are all going to a swim party on Saturday and hopefully he will make his first of many plunges this summer.

This Sunday, we are going to Yosemite for 4 days. We are looking forward to it. We are busy packing for an early Sunday dparture. I will update when we return.

John's next treatment with be 22 pills of Fenretinide a day for a week and then two weeks off before repaeting. Please pray that it is effective in killing the remaining cancer. AS always we continue to pray for the Lord to show us the path the follow towards John's cure.

Thank you for checking in. It is becomming more pleasureable to update as he improves.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Friday, June 4, 2004 0:04 AM CDT

GOD is Good! We have continued to receive wonderful news regarding John. His past Tuesday PET scan also came back with no sign of cancer. This supports and adds credibility to the great MiBG results.

Let me back up to Tamara's Monday trip to UC San Francisco Medical Center. She carried the updated test films with her. The staff at UCSF was very impressed with the results. Especially when comparing them to the same tests from March, it is incredible. They commented to Tamara that they have been planning for John's treatment and do not like changes. However, with John's incredible new results they like doing cancellations under these circumstances. So John is NOT going up to San Francisco for MiBG treatment. Simply amazing. Apparently the Lord has a different plan. We anxiously await His directions for the next change in course.

I went to CHLA this morning to allow them to review the scan films and ask their opinion. They were genuinely impressed and encouraged with the progress John has made. So the question shifts to what to do now. Things change in this battle frequently. As of today, the plan is to change toa oral pill called Fenretinide. It is very similar to the Accutane that John took for 8 months last year.

It has minimal side effects and is done at home. It should give us a great quality of life and a fun summer. Potentially he may also have his central line removed. This would be wonderful because it would allow him to swim, play at the beach, and run through the sprinklers. It has been tough keeping him out of the pool when Hayley has her swim lessons.

Thank you so very much for your prayers. They are the reason John is being healed. Please keep sending them upward. I cannot write much more tonight because I have to help pack. We all are going to OCF-OCF Family Summer Camp. It is all weekend and up in the San Bernadino Mountains. We are so excited to go. I will update next week after we return.

Thank you for following us along this journey.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John and Luke Taggart

Friday, May 28, 2004 10:10 PM CDT

It is exciting to write this update. This week has been filled with wonderful results. It is a tangible answer to the prayers of healing offered on John's behalf. It is a testimony, that the Lord answers prayers and has healing power over anything.

Let me recap the results so far. His echocardiogram showed normal heart function. His lungs are clear. His GFR showed normal kidney function. The CT scan was unchanged from last time, meaning there was no disease spread. BEST OF ALL, his MiBG test came back negative! This is very significant. This is the test that is supposed to highlight and light up any active tumor. On May 27, the test could not detect any tumor activity!! Thank you Lord!

This great news brings on a whole bunch of new questions. What once was a foregone conclusion that John would be going to UC San Francisco, may be questioned. On Tuesday, Tamara will be flying to UCSF Medical Center to deliver these most recent test images. We will use them to evaluate if or what John's next treatment will be. Please pray that she travels safely and that everyone involved with John's treatment decision will receive wisdom to decide the course of action.

A big thank you to Mike and Yolanda Bosch for providing Tamara's plane ticket.

Before I go any further, I would like to thank you for continuing to keep John in your prayers. I hope you are as encouraged as we are by the answers to these prayers for healing. Please keep it up. They are working.

Well, these results open dozens of new questions for John's future. One thing for certain is we have considerably less cancer now than in January. His preliminary bone marrow shows small amounts of cancer cells on one side. So there may be small issues to deal with. The coming week will re-open the decision process for John.

Our prayer is that all people involved will have God's wisdom. We pray that we see what the Lord has planned for John whether that means a trip to San Francisco or not.

We are encouraged tonight by these developments. We are enjoying this time. These past two weeks have been wonderful. Tomorrow Luke will be dedicated at Church. Next weekend the whole family will be going to summer camp. It is a great time for us. We pray that it continues.

Thank you for thinking of John and praying that we may receive wisdom as decisions are made for John's future treatment.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Friday, May 21, 2004 1:42 PM CDT

John has been taking advantage of his "bonus" time this week. Since our scheduled Chemo round was scratched, we have been busy. On Sunday, we went to Sea World with Grandma Mary, Papa Tagg, Uncle Kevin, and Laura. It was great weather and a fun day. John had fun at Shamu's playgound and tried to eat a cotton candy that was twice the size of his head. On Wednesday, we spent the night at the Disneyland Hotel. The next morning we ate at Goofy's kitchen and then spent the day at both California Adventure and Disneyland. He also went to Church with us and preschool a couple of times. We have had fun.

Today, John has a echocardiogram (heart ultrasound). Please pray that his heart function is normal and that there is no sign of Pulmonary Hyupertension nor fluid build up. Next week he will have myriad of tests including hearing, kidney function, bone marrow, MiBG scan,etc. These test will show us how much progress has been made as well as determine if he will qualify for the Double MiBG in San Francisco.

We are praying for the Lord to show us the way for John's treatment. Right now, we feel led to travel to San Francisco for the Double MiBG therapy. We will be travelling to San Francisco to UCSF Medical Center on Parnassus Ave next to Golden Gate Park. We will come up on June 9th and stay about one week. Then a couple days off. We will return to SF for the second MiBG on June 24 and again stay for a week.

We have many friends up in the Bay Area. All of you are welcome to come visit if you like. Please contact us if you will be available in June. Perhaps we could see you and you could see John.

Our prayers are for the Lord to keep healing John. We also pray for the Lord to lead us where to go. If HE wants us to go to San Francisco, we pray that HE leads the way and that John's test results come back well enoogh to participate.

Thank you for following our family. Life the past couple weeks has been wonderful. We have enjoyed every minute of it. We pray that it will continue.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, john, and Luke Taggart

p.s. Tamara has found a new diversion. She has always enjoyed running and training for marathons. It is her way to relieve stress. However, she has decided to attempt her first Mini triathalon. She is excited and has been enjoying the cross training. However, she was wondering if anybody had a road bike she could use for training and the race.

Friday, May 21, 2004 1:28 PM CDT

Saturday, May 15, 2004 0:14 AM CDT

Hello all! It has been two weeks since I last updated so I will try and fill in the blanks. John was supposed to have started another round of chemo yesterday, but he still has slight weezes in his lungs. So a collaborative effort was made between the doctors and us to not proceed with the chemo. Our experience from last round was that introducing chemo and all the hydrating fluids that go along with it only makes the lung issue worse. So we cancelled it. We will not have any other treatment until the Double Infusion MiBG therapy on June 11th.

In the meantime, John must undergo several baseline tests for the MiBG in order to be elligible. Tamara and I decided to seek the Double Infusion option. If John qualifies via the tests he needs, he will get the 1st infusion on June 11th and the second on June 25th up at UCSF Medical Center. John needs to have an echocardiogram, bone marrow pulls, CT scan, MiBG scan, test of his kidney function, etc.

Tamara and I feel directed toward the Double MiBG option. Please pray that if this is indeed the Lord's will, that John will qualify for it. Additionally, if it is the Lord's will to use this Therapy as a tool to heal John, please pray that it will logistically be possible (i.e. housing, travel,etc.)

Well, Johns counts have recovered and his cough has dissipated. So I guess we will just have to enjoy the next 3 weeks with a "Normal" 3 year old. It will be nice since his counts will not take the hit. We do not have to shield him from everything like we normally do when he's undergoing chemo.

On the personal side, our family has had a lot of good times these past two weeks. We took a family road trip in the "Green Machine" to attend a wedding in Fresno on May 8. We stayed in a hotel which is always such a big hit for our kids. It was a great trip and time together. Also, Hayley had her 6th Birthday party at our house this past Wednesday May 12. It was a lot of fun and chaotic with about 15 of Hayley's girl friends. John had a blast. He was right in there with the balloon toss, pinata, musical chairs, etc. It was a great time. It was if we were a "normal" family.

Our prayer continues to be for the Lord to show us how He is going to heal John. Please pray that we may see the path we are to follow.

I will have some new pictures up shortly.

Love, Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

p.s. Luke is going to be Dedicated on May 29th at our church called the Crossing in Costa Mesa. If any of you would like to come to the Saturday Evening 6:30 service, we would love you to be there with us.

Saturday, May 1, 2004 0:25 AM CDT

We had a very successful trip up to UCSF this past Wednesday. We would like to send a huge thank you to Scott and Stacie Clausen who helped make the trip so smooth. They left a car for us at the Oakland airport that we used to get over to UCSF and back. It was very convenient to have and not subject John to the germs associated with public transit. Thank you Scott and Stacie!

The flight went well also. John kept saying it would have been more fun if Hayley would have been with him. I agree. I like sister with us too. Perhaps next time.

Now to the question you all are waiting for. What about the meeting? Many of our questions were answered, but a few more were brought up during our hour long meeting. Dr. Mathay feels strongly that the traditional High Dose Chemo (standard) and stem cell transplant would be dangerous for John and still possibly not work given the amount of disease he has remaining. This opinion is becoming the consensus among all 3 hospitals. Many doctors have also expressed the same concern. So we feel being led towards the MiBG therapy option.

Dr. Mathay feels that the Double Infusion MiBG would be the best available option for John. It would entail a high dose of MiBG and then a second high dose about two weeks later. This is still a relatively new therapy so not much is known about side effects. However, in the years thay have been doing this, the side effects are slight and much less debilitating than traditional high dose chemo. The biggest hit comes to the bone marrow. Follow up would entail blood and platelette transfusions which he is used to receiving. He would also receive some of his stored stem cells by transfusion to help his bone marrow recover. Because of this, the MiBG would likely be safer and easier on his organs.

While we were there, another option was presented. The option is to do a single Infusion MiBG therapy and then repeat it some time in the future if necessary.

Tamara and I currently feel the MiBG is the best option for John. We now are deciding between Double versus Single Infusion. As I sit right now, I do not feel confident on deciding which route. The recommendation is for the Double which would attempt to maximize his MiBG intensity and hopefully maximize the elimination of the cancer. However, the single option could provide more flexibility as we try to beat the cancer using as minimal toxic agents as necessary.

As I am writing this, I know I am probably losing many of you to teminology. In fact I realize I am moving away from what really needs to be done. What we need to have is the Lord's direction on which path to take. It is for the Lord's guidance of which we are asking you to pray for. Please pray that the Lord reveals what tool or option He is going to use to heal John. Alos, that our anxiety about the decision will be replaced by confidence knowing we are following the path He has planned for John.

Currently, John still has a cough and is now at the bottom of his counts. Immunity from infection is at its lowest point. Please pray that John's cough dissipates and that John remains without fever or infection these next critical days as his counts recover.

Check out some of the new pictures when you have the chance. I will update again soon as we learn more about our decision.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John and Luke Taggart

P.S. This is Tamara speaking now. I want to give a huge THANK YOU to all of you who donated towards the 10K I ran on Sunday. With all of your contributions I was able to raise about $1300 for Children's Cancer Research. Yeah!!! Hopefully some day there will be easy cures for all childhood cancer. I made my goal as far as the race was concerned too. I wanted to do "under 55 minutes" and I did it in 53:55 minutes so I was happy.

Saturday, April 24, 2004 3:46 PM CDT

Today, John is finishing Day#3 of 5. So far he has handled it well. His appetite is lacking, but spirit is strong. Recently, little Luke was sick with croup. It appears that John caught something from him. A chest Xray revealed that John has bronchiis. So John is taking another anti-biotic to add to his growing pharmacy.

Our prayer is that John recovers quickly and does not have any other set backs. Our plan is still to make the flight up to UCSF on Wednesday. PLease pray that if it is God's will for us to make the trip, that it remains possible.

Tamara an I continue to pray for the Lord's guidance as we plan John's future treatment.

Thanks for checking in.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke taggart

Tuesday, April 20, 2004 10:53 PM CDT

John's counts have recovered well and on time. He will start another round of chemo on Thursday April 22. We wanted to keep attacking the cancer while we investigate the MiBG therapy option in San Francisco. We have decided to keep the same regiment of Topotecan and Cytoxan. We had thoughts of switching it, but the Dr.s felt it would be safer to continue with what we know to be working. At least until we get up and back from our consultation with UCSF.

Please pray that the chemo is very effective at killing the cancer. Please aslo pray that it remains safe on his body and that he does not develop complications before our trip to UCSF.

We are scheduled to fly up to San Francisco and back on Wed. Apr. 28. We will be meeting with the study chair and finalize our decision to pursue the MiBG treatment or not. Tamara and I are still praying for the Lord's guidance as to what treatment will be next.

John went to preschool today and had a great time. Tomorrow will be another fun day before we start Round #5 on Thursday.

Thanks for the prayers and support that comes to us daily. We appreicate the love.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Saturday, April 17, 2004 0:55 AM CDT

A lot is being discussed behind the scenes regarding John's future treatment. We continue to pray for the Lord to show us the next step. We pray for HIS guidance and to walk the path HE has planned for John.

This week we met with CHLA and CHOC. Both believe that the quanity of disease at this point is still significant. Ideally, John would have no detectable disease and they would have pursued the "standard" high dose chemo with stem cell rescue (stem Cell Transplant). However, we all agree that more cancer needs to be erased before we consider this procedure.

The "standard stem cell transplant" is higher doses of chemo than John has yet received. It has the chance of causing serious complications similar to what he had last Jan./Feb. (i.e. pulmonary hypertension, fluid retention, etc.) It is an option for John, but one we would go through cautiausly.

There may be another otpion to preceed transplant or even take the place of. It is called MiBG therapy. Briefly, it is the same material that they inject in him for the MiBG scans. It is nuclear medicine that attaches itself specifically to Neuroblastoma. The theory is if it attaches to NB in low doses, then High doses could attach and overwelm the NB. It is relatively new, but does not appear to have the major short term side effect traditional harsh chemo has. It is a vialbe option that we are seeking now.

The trick is that it is only done in 3 hospitals in the country. The closest is at UCSF. We have a meeting with the Dr. at UCSF on Wednesday Apr. 28th. There we will begin the process to see if this MiBG therapy is preferable for John and if he would even be eligible to get it. Initially we are told that this procedure and recovery may require a 6-8week stay in San Francisco beginning in late May/June.

Obviously this MiBG therapy is a major commitment. However, Tamara and I are feeling lead down this path. If you could pray for the Lord to clearly show us which choice, we would love it.

Currently, John's counts are recovering and he went to preschool Thursday. He, Hayley, and Dad all slept in the tent in the backyard as kind of a close to home quick camping trip. They loved it.

If his counts permit, John will start another round of chemo to get him through until the MiBG is available in late May/June. It will be outpatient, but a different combo. It will be Ironotecan and Tezmoral. We hope that by varying the chemo agents we can maximize our killing effect on the cancer. However, we venture into the unknown as to how John's body will handle it. Please be in prayer that whatever chemo John receives, that it may be safe on his body but devastating to cancer.

Thank you for reading this lengthy post and I will update soon. Check back this weekend for some Easter pictures.
Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John & Luke Taggart

Monday, April 12, 2004 11:58 AM CDT

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Our Easter celebration was spectacular. However, on Friday it looked as if Easter bruch would not have been possible.

Friday afternoon, John began to run a low grade fever. This is dangerous because his counts are at the lowest point. He does not have any immunity. Sometimes, fever is the only indication of an infection. By dinner time, John reached 102 degrees. This is an automatic admit to the hospital. We got there around 8:30 pm and they immediately drew some blood to determine if there is an infection. They also put him on an anitbiotic just in case. It was looking as if our Easter plans in San Diego were not going to happen.

However, the Lord is in control. After being admitted John's fever began to rescind. The highest he reached was 101.4 that night. His appetite was minimal, but he was mentally and physically active. Saturday, we continued the antibiotic and observation. Also, the cultures continue to be negative so far.

Easter morning came and we negotiated John to be discharged if two conditions were met. First, he could not have a spike in fever. Second, the cultures must continue to be negative. Praise the Lord for meeting both of these for us. By Sunday morning John was feeling much better, his temperature was normal and no infection could be found.

So we dashed home to put on our Reyn Spooner shirts and pick up the rest of the family. We drove to San Diego for a bountiful Easter brunch. John was gitty. Who could blame him. Both Uncles, both sets of grandparents, my aunt and Uncles's family, and other friends were there waiting to play with him.

John was in a great mood. He found a special Easter basket for him. He participated in the Egg Hunt. He played hockey, ping pong, tee ball, chased around the two cats, and frosted cookies. He was all over the place. It was great to watch.

Currently, John is at the clinic to check his labs. If he can remain without fever, he will probably be allowed to stay home on antibiotics. We pray for this to be the case.

Tommorow we meet with CHLA for a second opinion regarding John's future path. Wednesday we regroup with CHOC. It is a little bit stressful as we wait for the Lord to show us which path to take.

God Bless you all,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John and Luke Taggart

p.s. Tamara is humbled and excited about the support you have generated for the 10K she is running for PCRF on April 25. She is currnelty the #4 fundraiser of the entire event. Her name is on the events website front page. Pretty cool and for a good cause.

Tuesday, April 6, 2004 0:53 AM CDT

By the time you read this email. John will probably have helped Tamara blow out the candles on her birthday cake. Having John home on her birthday to celebrate I am sure was at the top of her wish list.

John finished Round# 4 on Sunday. It went very well. We were able to spend each night in our own beds. It was great. John's activity level is the best it has ever been. He has been playing soccer and basketball in the halls. Literally he has been running everywhere. I am so plesaed he has been acting so well.

Presumably his counts may deteriorate this week and come back before Easter. We pray that he does not have a fever and resists infection this week as he recovers from the chemo round. We pray that he is well enough to go to Easter service and brunch in San Diego.

Our big prayer request is that the Lord will lead us down the next path for John. We have decisions to make about his next treatment. We pray for HIS guidance.

Thank you for the continued outpouring of support.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

p.s. Tamara is running a 10K that is benefitting the PCRF (Pediatric Cancer Resource Foundation) on April 25th. Look for an email about details on how to sponsor her if you wish.

Tuesday, March 30, 2004 10:53 PM CST

Our interim attack plan begins tomorrow. John will repeat his current chemo regimin for a fourth time. This will keep chipping away at the remaining cancer. while at the same time, hopefully, giving him the same great quality of life he has been having. Also, it may allow him to sleep in his own bed every night.

In the next couple of weeks, we will plan a more long range plan of attack. we will reach a collaborative agreement with the doctors at both CHOC and CHLA. I will provide details as we hammer them out. More than likely, we will be moving to the stem cell treatment very soon.

Thank you all of your support and help. Recently, we have been showered by your generosity. We are humbled by your acts of kindness to our family.

This week we pray the Round #4 may be effective in destroying all remaining cancer from John's body. May the chemo be effective while at the same time safe on his organs. We pray that the chemo goes without complication and that we may sleep in our own beds every night. We are praying for the Lord's guidance. Specifically, we are asking HIM to tell us what tools to use, to introduce us to who we are supposed to meet, and additionally, where we are to go for John's treatment.

Love to you all.

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Friday, March 26, 2004 10:45 PM CST

We have the results of the CT scan and MiBG test. Overall there has been improvement in all areas of disease. The MiBG did not highlight the right chest or tibia that it did last time. This is good news. He still has positive MiBG in his orbits (behind his eyes), frontal sinuses, and on the back of his head. Also, it showed in his right jaw.

The CT scan did not highlight anything other than what was noted in the MiBG. Except to show that the lesions in his head appear to be less in size.

John has tolerated the Topotecan/Cytoxan combination very well. We are thankful for this. However, we along with the doctors do not feel continuing this will get him to NED (no evidence of disease.) So we are in the process of formulating a collaborative plan with CHLA and CHOC.

The high dose chemo followed with Stem Cell transplant still appears to be the best tool to utilize. Ideally, we want to enter the stem cell transplant with minimal disease. So in the near future we need to decide which path to take. We are praying for God's direction as to what to do.

Our choices appear to be (1) Continue with one more chemo treatment and then jump to stem cell transplant followed with radiation. (2) Switch to another combination of chemo for a couple cycles to mix it up and then enter stem cell transplant (3) or pursue other experimental treatment that are more aggressive.

Overall, we are pleased with the quality of life John has had these past 3 months. We pray for the Lord to lead us down the correct path. The road ahead will become more stressful, however, we take comfort in Luke 1:37 "Nothing is impossible for God."

Thanks for checking in. Be sure to check out the new pictures.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 6:39 PM CST

John's counts have recovered. He only required one blood transfusion this round and has remained without a fever and home since ending Round #3 on March 11th. He continues to be a little bundle of energy.

This is a big week for us on a couple of levels. First, we are taking two important tests to see what progress our parayers have made on the cancer. Yesterday (Tues), John had a CT scan from his head to his pelvis. This test shows location and relative shape/size of tumors (if there are any). We hope to have the results on Friday when we retrun to meet with the Oncology team. Tomorrow (Thursday), John has an MiBG scan. This is the test that injects a radiocative Iodine into his body. On the screen it highlights neuroblastoma activity. We hope to have the results back this week.

Admittedly, we are anxious to see what progress has been made because John has not felt that awful with this chemo. However, we believe whole heartedly that our Lord has a specific and unique plan for John. We trust in the Lord and know taht He hears ours and your petitions for healing.

On the subject of praying, we are petitioning for the test results to be conclusive and definitive as to where we are in this war. Further, we ask that God's unlimited healing power my fall upon John and heal him from the inside out. We continue to pray for God to show us the path to follow, to introduce us to who we are supposed to meet, and to tell us which tools to fight the cancer with.

On Monday, the whole family came up to Fire Station 89 where I was working. We all participated in the St. Baldricks day event. It was an honor to have John ( with mom's help) buzz off my hair. The event raised money for the NCCF which funds pediatric cancer research. It was very successful and had over 100 people shave there heads. So now most of my station are now "bald is beautiful" as John says. Pictures are forthcoming. Check back here for them or on the stbaldricks.org website.

This week will make have a big influence on John's future course. I will update as developments break. They should come quickly the end of this week.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Thursday, March 18, 2004 0:32 AM CST

Happy St. Patrick's day. We dressed in green and had a great day. The highlight of the day had to be watching John dressed in all green and a huge shamrock hat ride his tricycle to get a Slurpee and to the Post Office. You should have seen the looks he was getting. The huge hat made him look like a leprechaun. To our chagrin they did not have a green slurpee. Apparently 7 Eleven did not plan ahead. So we settled for the usual Blue Raspberry and Red raspberry layered slurpee.

John is doing very well still. His counts are surprisingly high at this point. We check them again tomorrow. I hope they remain strong. He is still active and eating well. Today he helped me hang up the hammock in our new back yard. With the weather so nice, we plan on taking a nap together in it tommorrow.

It has been brought to my attention that I was not clear in my last update. John's CT scan and MiBG test are next week (23rd and 25th). They were not this week. I will updaate as we take them.

On Monday, March 22nd, my fire station is going to Fire Station 89 (North hollywood) on Laurel Canyon, to participate in the St. Baldricks Day event. It is 8:00 - 12:00 am wtih pancakes. This is when we collect sponsors and shave our heads in unity for childrens cancer research. If you are curious look up the webiste www.stbaldricks.org under 2004 locations.

John is really doing great so far. If he can keep it up, he may be able to come the St. Baldricks if his counts remain strong.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Saturday, March 13, 2004 11:42 PM CST

I am excited to report John has completed Round#3 of chemo. He handled it like a champ. He remained active and had a strong appetite. We were able to return home each evening to sleep in our own beds before returning in the morning. It is amazing how sleeping in your own bed can improve your outlook for the next day.

John did some fun things this week at CHOC. He was pictured in the local Orange newspaper receiving a daffodil from Mickey Mouse. He had several "reindeer" rides in front of the hospital on the bushes. He got to pet a real kangaroo who came to visit. Also he is developing into quite a strong air hockey player.

The game plan for the next 4-7 days is to guard him from infection and/or fever. His counts may drop leaving him vulnerable to infection. We pray that he may resistant to all infections and viruses. We pray for his counts to recover quickly. As always we pray that the chemo obliterates the cancer but preserves and spares his body organs.

Next week we will have some progress reports. On Tuesday, he will have a CT scan. Thursday will be another MiBG scan. We look forward to receiving the results back. We pray that they will be accurate and definitive. Furthermore, we pray that will come back clean meaning the cancer is being beaten down.

We thank you all for being with us during this challenging time. Specifically, I would like to direct our gratitude to all of those at Hayley's school (Maranatha Christian Academy) for the incredibly generous gift bag. It was filled with gift certificates to everywhere we like to go. John's preschool has also been incredible. They have made blankets, sent cards, helped us financially, and are holding events to help our situation. All of these efforts are very much appreciated and we are humbled by your thoughtfulness.

We hope everyone has a great St. Patrick's Day.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John & Luke Taggart

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 3:01 PM CST

Hello all. Our little hero began round #3 yesterday Tuesday. This round will be identical as the previous two. We pray that he continues to handle it well. He did outstanding this latest round. We pray for more of the same.

I was not certain he would start this week. Last Thursday his patelettes were 16 and needed to be greater than 75. He received a directed donor platelette transfusion. It must have been a super pack of platelettes because they rose to 116 on Monday! Unbelievable. So he got started with Round#3 yesterday.

Similar to last time, John will receive 2 hours of pre-hydrating, an hour of chemo, and 6 hours post-hydration. We are allowed to go home at night if he does not have any complications nor fever.

As I am writing this, John is playing in the hospital bed and watching Tom & Jerry on his new mini DVD player. It is pretty trick. He sets it on his tray and watches while eating snacks. He will be the envy of the floor I am sure.

Please pray that the chemo aggressively kills all cancer cells, but is safe on his organs and body functions. Please pray that he resists fever and is protected from infecion.
Thank you for following John and lifting him up in prayer.

Love, Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John & Luke Taggart

Wednesday, March 3, 2004 11:04 PM CST

Last week, I asked that you pray for John to remain without fever and resist infection. Thank you. These requests were answered. John has been feeling great all week. This is the best he has bounced back ever from a round of chemo. We have been conscious about taking him out while his counts were low. Now they are beginning to climb back up.
We got to do some great stuff last week. We flew kites at the park. He has logged a coulpe of miles (cumulatively) on his tricycle. His activity level has been outstanding. Typically, he gets lethargic as it takes its toll on his blood. This did not happen this round. In fact, he only has required 1 transfusion so far where as he needed 5 whole blood and 3 platelettes last time. He has also been able to have an exceptionally strong appetite. He did not develop mouth sores this time which has made everything more pleasant.
We also were able to attend the annual Academy Awards party at my parents house in San Diego. All the kids were thrilled we got to go to the party at Papa Tagg and Grandma Mary's house. I was glad everyone was able to see how well John is doing. It was great. I am attempting to put a picture of it on the photo journal. Be sure to check it out.
So, what is next? The long term plan is still the Stem Cell transplant. The short term plan is to repeat this combination for a 3rd round. Initially we were concerned that his body would not be able to handle the chemo. So far he has been protected throughout. The theory is to enter Stem cell transplant with as little cancer remaining as possible. Since he seems to be handling it well, the plan is to keep chipping away at it before bringing in the closing pitcher. Pending adequate blood results on Thursday and next Monday, John is scheduled to have Round #3 next Tuesday March 9th.
Thank you for your prayers. Please pray that the Lord shows us where to go and what tools HE is going to use to heal John. Please continue to pray that John may be resistant to infection and that the chemo spares his organs.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

p.s. My fire station will again be participating in the St. Baldricks Day fundraiser. The event raises money for NCCF which is a leading charity for childhood cancer research. We are doing it in honor of John. The event is Monday March 22 at Fire Station 89 in North Hollywood. Event details and anyone interested in donating or sponsoring can go to the website www.stbaldricks.org for details. Oh yeah we are collecting sponsores to completely shave our heads. ( Hence the name St. "Bald"ricks.)

Wednesday, March 3, 2004 11:04 PM CST

Monday, February 23, 2004 9:40 PM CST

I am so happy to update, John completed his Round #2 and is home. He has done particularly well. Today was his first full day home without chemo. Although we did have to restart administering the GCSF shots. At least he is home. This week John's immunity and blood will deteriorate and he may start to feel bad because this is what the chemo usually causes. We hope (with prayer!) that this may not happen, but if it does we hope he will begin to feel better by the weekend.

This is the time when he will require blood and platelette transfusions. So if any of you will be donating (especially platelette donors), please make sure you are getting your iron. Red meat is rich in iron, therefore, I suggest a Double Double or two before donating. Thank you in advance for those who donate. It still is amazing how God created us all to support one another. Even down to where we can donate blood to each other.

Today John was in a great mood. We went to the park to play and fly a kite. He got his daily slurpee, played tee-ball, and rode his tricycle. Presumably, he will start to feel bad these next few days, but we enjoyed him today.

This week please pray that John will tolerate the chemo well. Please pray that it does not adversely affect his vital organs and that he does not develop mouth sores. Also, please pray that he remains WITHOUT a fever. If he can stay infebrile, we may stay home.

Thank you for following our beloved John.

Love, Kelly, Tamara, Hayely, John, and Luke Taggart

p.s. please be sure to check out the new pictures on the photo link. I update them frequently. Check them each time you visit the site.

Friday, February 20, 2004 11:29 PM CST

One year has passed since the infamous feb 20th, 2003. I cannot begin to express in words how much we have enjoyed this last year with John. We have done some tremendous things, that few thought would be possible. We still believe that ALL things are possible with God. This past year is proof that this is true.

Please indulge me the opportunity to brag about John. This past year, we were honored to watch him make a full recovery from the cardiac arrest. We were able to take him to preschool. We went to Yosemite. We watched the boats at Newport harbor. We took a "make-A- wish" trip to Disneyland. We spent days at the beach. John was in the Huntington Beach 4th of July Parade. John was there the day Luke was born. We all went to 4 Cal Bears football games this past season. When Cal beat USC, the whole family rushed the field. We traveled to Pumpkinfest in Madison, Wisconsin. John paraded as Spiderman on Halloween. We were able to spend Christmas and New years together as a family.

When I think back, this past year has been the best I can remember. I have seen how pecious life is and fortunately have been able to enjoy it without it passing me by. For this I am thankful. I pray that I may have 80 more anniversies of Feb 20th and countless more memories to brag about.

Love,

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Thursday, February 19, 2004 12:29 AM CST

John's lab results were sufficient to begin Cycle #2. On Wednesday morning we checked in to the 3rd floor. After pre-hydrating him he received his chemo. It is 30 minutes of cytoxan followed by 30 minutes of topotecan. Afterwards, he rceives IV fluids for 6 hours to flush his system.

These chemo agents kill cancer cells, but can also injure vital organs. Specifically, the bladder and kidneys. Please pray with us that the chemo is an effective tool at killing cancer while at the same time it is safe on his organs. Further, please pray that John is able to flush out all the fluids and not retain them which could lead to heart and lung issues.

Yesterday, John's spirits were impressive. At times he was running in the halls while I tried to keep up with the IV pole. Other times, he wanted to push his own IV pole. We played air hockey nad made some crafts in the Play room. He ate well and so far has not been nauseated. He is amazing.

This morning, Hayley and Luke came to visit. Our hope is to be able to go home tonight and return in the morning for day 3 of 5. If John does not retain fluid and handles it well, we may be able to sleep in our own beds. I sure hope so. I hope to update again soon. Tomorrow is an anniversary of an event I would like to forget. On Feb 20, 2003, John had his cardiac arrest. It is inspirational how far he has come since then as a result of the Lord's answer to your's and our prayers and HIS healing grace. More on that tomorrow.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Saturday, February 14, 2004 10:39 PM CST

I just wanted to update what we have done with our "new found time" since John will not go in for labs until next Tueday.

We took a great trip to Disneyland. We had a great time. On Thursday, John was able to attend his preschool class and the Valentines Day party. He returned to a heroes welcome from his teacher Ms. Sally and his classmates. The cute picture of John on the website home page is from the preschool. He had a great time being a normal preschooler.

Since them we have been taking regular bike rides to play at Wilson park. Today we had Blueberry pancakes for a special Valentines breakfast. We also went to Church and to Wahoo's for dinner. Tomorrow John and Hayley are going to a birthday party at Build-A-Bear. They are looking forward to it.

We have enjoyed our time. We hope your Valentines weekend is as much fun.

I'll update next week.

Thanks for checking in.

Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John and Luke Taggart

Wednesday, February 11, 2004 10:07 PM CST

As I have said before, John's path changes daily and sometimes hourly. It has changed again. We were supposed to have been in the middle of Round 2 of chemo. However, John's counts were not high enough to begin the cycle on Monday.

So we did what any good parents that have annual Disneyland passes burning a hole in our pockets would do. We went to Disneyland on Tuesday with our new found extra time. The crowds were slim, but the fun was plenty. John really enjoyed the Toon Town rollercoaster this time. His "haircut" was noticed by the ride operators who asked if we wanted to ride it again. We told them, "Of course." She told us to just stay there in our seats and go again. So away we went. No lines. No waiting.

Back to the medical update. John has enough of an ANC (formula of White Blood Cells), but his platelettes are 56. They need to be greater than 75. We checked them again on Wednesday, but they are still below 75. So the Dr. wants to wait until Tuesday. We will check them again and see if he can start at that time.

So we are given a few days to ourselves. John is feeling great and in fun moods. So we look forward to these next couple of days. I will update again next week when we retest his blood. Until them have a great Valentines Day.

Also, I updated a few new pictures last week if you want to check them out. My goal is to update them every week or so.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke Taggart

Friday, February 6, 2004 7:08 PM CST

Yesterday, John had a Lab Appt. His White Blood Count (WBC) is now up from .4 to .9. Giving him an ANC of 144. This is very low and still in the very critical stage, but we'll take the improving trend. Typically WBC should be greater than 3.0 and an ANC above 1000. It appears we have turned the corner and believe his counts will be much higher when they are checked Monday.

John's platelettes are a different story. They need to be 75 before he may start Round 2. They were 11 yesterday and he required a transfusion. Our hope is that they will grow exponentially with the WBC count.

The game plan for next week is to do blood work on Monday to see if they are high enough to start Round 2. If not we will delay until his body is ready.

But enough blood chemistry talk for today. How is John really feeling? Well, he drove his motorized jeep about half a mile, was fascinated by the bubble machines, played lite brite, sucked down a blue raspberry slurpee, and managed to convince Dad to open treats for him that Mom had specifically prohibited him from. It was a fun day with my hero.

He also received a hand made Curious George blanket that I could not pry from him as he slept. It is that soft. It already has given him a good night sleep.

Thank you for all who continue to reach out to us. We really appreciate your efforts. Our prayers for John are that his organs remain undamaged by the chemo, that his blood counts recover, and that the Lord directs us to what tools to use next on killing the cancer.

I will update next week when we have more information on his schedule.

Love,
Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke (Who is already 6 months today!) Taggart

Wednesday, February 4, 2004 8:24 PM CST

Praise the Lord for allowing us to come home yesterday. I am pleased to say all of the Taggart's slept in there own beds last night. John was able to remain without fever since Sunday night. Also, they were unable to grow anything in the cultures. So, we were allowed to return home yesterday afternoon provided we monitor his temperature and administer antibiotics every 8 hours.

It is amazing how quickly John improves when he crosses the threshold of his own house. He instantly can walk and raids the snack cupboard. Although his mouth is hurting from the beginning signs of sores, he still was able to eat a little bit. He went for a mini tricycle ride and happily watched the Ice Age DVD on the couch.

The last two days, his hair has begun to fall out in clumps. So, Tamara gave us each a clean buzz. Check out the new picture in the photo album for how good we look. Please pray that John remains without fever, that we may diligently admin. his antibiotics, and that his blood counts return to normal levels allowing him protection and to start feeling better.

John's upcoming events are Lab appts. on Thursday and Monday to see if he is ready to begin the next round of Chemo. If he is, it will start next Week (Feb 9 or 10). He will then be allowed to recover for approx. 21 days. At this time, we will have some decisions to make and tests to run. Presumably, we will repeat the cancer tests to see how much progress has been made in killing the cancer. Second, we will evaluate how his body is holding up under the chemo. Finally, a decision will be made on what course to take. As of now, the plan would be to go through a Stem Cell Transplant. This would be a week long session of the highest possible chemo, followed with a stem cell transplant of his own cleaned (purged) stem cells to help him recover. Typically these patients require 6 weeks to recover from this intense treatment.

Additionally, we pray for guidance on what tools God will show us to use for John's journey. We also pray that John will continue to be a testimony of healing and an answer to prayer.

Love, Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, john, and Luke Taggart

Monday, February 2, 2004 1:59 PM CST

Apparently John caught too much Super Bowl Fever. He had a mild fever that reached 101.8 yesterday at 6:00pm. The on call Dr. wanted him admitted. So just as Carolina was tlking the lead (temporarily) we were off to CHOC.

It turns out John also needed a blood and a platelette tansfusion So we have received them while we await the results of the blood cultures taken last night. So far today, John has not had a fever. If this streak coninues and the blood cultures come back negative for infection, we will probably go home tomorrow.

John has started to show signs of dreaded mouth sores causing him to drool and difficult eating. Please pray that his White blood sells mount up and resist any infection. That they prevent mouth sores and that John can eat/drink freely. Finally, please pray the fever was a false alarm and that John will be safe to return home soon.
Love, Kelly, Tamara, Hayley, John, and Luke

Friday, January 30, 2004 10:41 PM CST

It's Tamara for the first time writing an update about John. It's a given it won't be nearly as great as Kelly's entries are. We are at CHOC as I'm writing this. This afternoon John had a lab appointment and they called after we had gotten home to let us know that he needed blood. So Hayley is spending the night at a friend's house while John, Luke and I came out to CHOC (it's the 3 of us because Kelly is at work). He is just getting a blood transfusion and then back home to sleep in our own beds. John is resting and Luke is sleeping at the foot of John's bed (it looks pretty cute). Thank-you for everyone's continued prayers! John is on Day 12 with no fever!!! We love all of the guest book entries too. It keeps us encouraged. We will write more later...

Thursday, January 29, 2004 11:37 PM CST

Today John had a bath and dressing change. It is still kind of unnerving to see a line hanging out of your son's chest. But we must get by. The only unpleasant thing that we do is give him shots. We give John one GCSF shot daily in his thigh. I think it hurts Tamara and I more to have to do it, than it actually hurts John. We have to continue until his blood lab results return to higher levels.

John has a Lab appt. tomorrow Friday. We pray that his blood counts are on the rebound and not continuing to drop. The faster they go up, the sooner we can discontinue the shots. Also, his body will be better able to fight off infections.

The next course of treatment will be on the week of February 9th. It is scheduled to be the same as he just had. Please pray that he may resist infection and remain without fever so he may stay at home until the next round. Thank you for continuing to lift John up in prayer.
Love, Kelly Tamara Hayley John and Luke

Thursday, January 29, 2004 11:27 PM CST

Since being discharged, John has been doing great. His headaches have gone away, and he has remained without fever as of Thursday. He is eating well and taking his medicine like a champ. He is now 10 days past the start of chemo. This is typically the time when fevers or complications arise because they are at the lowest point for white blood cells.

So far John has been pleasant and very fun. Everyday we spend with him in our new house is a joy. He had a clinic visit on Tuesday. He required a blood transfusion (which was a direct donor from Fri. Jan 9th, thank-you!) and platelet transfusion. Other than that, John has not had many complaints. Tamara has kept him on schedule with medicines, and also flushes his central line daily. It looks as if she has become a pretty accomplished "nurse" even though she claimed she would never be able to do these things.

Thursday, January 29, 2004 11:19 PM CST

In December john started to limp on his left side. We were concerned and he had a bone biopsy of the left tibia. It showed the Neuroblastoma had returned. This was unwelcome news, but not entirely unexpected.

So, this brings us to where we are in January 2004. John was readmitted to CHOC on Jan 20th. He began receiving a chemo combination of Topotecan/Cytoxan. While at the hospital, more tests were run. John has cancer in his tibias, behind both orbits, and in the space between his brain and skull. The week before our admission John got pretty bad. He complained of headaches, that he had trouble hearing, and seeing.

It appears the first 5 day cycle of chemo has had a positive effect. He has not been sick since we were discharged on Sat. Jan 25th. He is an active 3 year old. He rides his tricycle daily around the block. He asks to go to 7 -eleven daily for his usual Blue Raspberry and Watermelon slurpee. He also is eating very well without nausea.

Thursday, January 29, 2004 11:11 PM CST

Continued from previous...

Our family was blessed to have the entire summer without any stays in the Hospital. The highlight was a "John celebration" at Heller park attended by 100-150 people complete with train rides, face painting, catered food,etc.

We were all able to be there when we welcomed the newest member of the family. Hayley and John's little brother Luke Henry Taggart was born on August 6, 2003. Other significant family events were visting Yosemite and John going on his first plane ride to attend the annual Pumpkinfest in Whitewater Wisconsin.

We consider ourselves very blessed to have seen John on the brink only to come back and recover.

In November, John had a follow up MiBG scan which lit up in his left tibia. All other blood work and CT scan could not find any evidence of cancer. So we went on doing the things we enjoy as a family. TBC.....

Thursday, January 29, 2004 10:58 PM CST

contiuned from previous journal entry...
We were all smiles the morning of Feb. 20th. This was about to drastically change. The afternoon of Feb 20th, John was taken to the Cardiac Cath Lab where his cardiologists were attempting to measure the severity of his Pulmonary Hypertension. During this proceure they attempted to remove the fluid (pericardial effusion) that was impacting John heart. It was at this point John went into a Full Code and subsequent cardiac arrest. He was minutes away from having his chest opened up to stop the bleeding. By the Lord's grace, john was able to be stabilized and brought back to the ICU.

He was intubated, on a ventilator, and took more blood transfusions than I could keep track of. Before John was born Tamara and I prayed that John life would be impactful to the world. Because of God's grace and our sincere belief that the Lord still has great plans for our beloved John, our hero was able to recover.

On March 1st, we were able to be discharged cancer free, but with a team of cardiologists. In the spring, John's condition slowly improved. Survivng Neuroblastoma is amazing, but beating Pulmonary Hypertension also is unbelievable. Well, John was completely healed of his cardiac issues by the end of summer. He was also cancer free during this time.

We had a wonderful summer. His central line was removed allowing him to swim and go to the beach. We took a family trip to Disneyland and Knotts Berry farm compliments of the Orange County Chapter of Make-A-Wish. This marked Johns' turnaround. He was the guest of honor on the Make A Wish float in the Huntington Beach Fourth of July parade. He was asked to participate in the "4 Paws for a Cure" cancer benefit with many celebraties. TO BE CONTINUED...

Thursday, January 29, 2004 10:44 PM CST

Welcome to John's story. This website will make enable me to update you all about John's progress more efficiently. For those of you who are just now learning about my hero John, I will attempt to summarize the path we have traveled up until this point. Subsequent emails will update his progress and prayer requests.

John was diagnosed September 26, 2002, one month after his 2nd birthday. He has Stage IV Neuroblastoma (NB). About 600 kids are diagnosed each year in the U.S. There is no known genetic link. It just happens. NB is an imature nerve cell that develops into a cancer (tumor) rather than a mature nerve cell.

John is being treated at Childrens Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). He was on COG study A3973. He completed 5 cycles of chemotherapy. It appeared the chemo and prayers were working. The cancer was shrinking.

In January, the chemo began to take a toll on John's body. He developed serious cardiac issues that led to Pulmonary Hypertension, enlarged liver, breathing difficulty, and fluid retention. We spent many nights in the Oncology ICU with him. In February his side effects prevented him from continuing with treatment. Fortunately, a cancer specific test called MiBG was given and it could not detect any sign of active disease. We were ecstatic. It appeared no further chemo would be necessary. TO BE CONTINUED...

Sunday, January 25, 2004 6:04 PM CST

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