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Tuesday, December 14, 2010 10:48 AM CST
GREATEST NEWS EVER!!! TRENTON’S SCANS ARE CLEAR!!!!
JUST HAD TO GET THAT OUT THERE FIRST AND FOREMOST!!! OMG!!! WE HAVE BEEN SO STRESSED AND LIVING WITH SUCH ANGST SINCE OUR LAST SCAN SCARE. EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THAT GOD GAVE US A MIRACLE 5 YEARS AGO, WHEN HE TOOK THIS AWFUL DISEASE FROM OUR BOY, WE ARE BUT MERE HUMANS AND WE DO WORRY STILL.
SO THANK YOU EVER FAITHFUL PRAYER WARRIORS, ONCE AGAIN YOU HAVE PRAYED US THROUGH THIS TOUGH TIME AND ONCE AGAIN TRENTON HAS REPRIVE FROM THE DREADED POSSBILITIES THAT FACE SO MANY CHILDREN.
CHRISTMAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR. I AM THE KID IN THE FAMILY AND EVERYTHING IS DECORATED WITH CELEBRATION OF CHRIST’S BIRTH AND MYSTERY AND THRILL OF THE BOYS BEING SO EXCITED. THIS YEAR, IT HAS BEEN A BLUR OF BUSYNESS TO KEEP OUR MIND OFF THE WORRY PART AND WANTING THE “13TH” TO COME AND GET OVER WITH. I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER WANTED TO RUSH THRU THANKSGIVING AND MARCHED ON TO CHRISTMAS AS THOUGH IT WAS A CHORE! NOT REALLY BUT YES, JUST TO GET THAT ALL CLEAR SO WE CAN BREATHE EASY AND ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS WITH OUR BOYS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS. WE CAN’T LET THIS BEAST STEAL OUR JOY, OUR FAITH, OUR LOVE AND FAMILY PEACE. BASICALLY WISHING TIME AWAY I GUESS. WE ARE SO THANKFUL THAT WE ARE NOW FREE TO ENJOY THE SEASON WITH THIS WONDERFUL NEWS AND BE ABLE TO ENJOY OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND MOST OF ALL, OUR BOYS.
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE PRAYERS, TEXT MESSAGES, EMAILS AND VOICEMAILS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW UPLIFTING THEY ARE AND HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE EACH ONE, KNOWING YOU'RE THERE. WE READ A LOT OF THEM TO TRENTON AND HE LOVED IT, ESPECIALLY FROM HIS FRIENDS AND FOOTBALL BUDDIES AND COACH; EVERY ONE OF THEM PUT A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE.
WE BELIEVE!!! WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES AND WE ARE WITNESS AND PROOF THEY PRAYER IS THE ONLY ANSWER. WE NEVER TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED BUT ALWAYS KNOW GOD IS WITH US AND HEARS EVERY PRAYER. BUT WITH EVERY MIRACLE, COMES MORE PRAYERS, WORRY, TEARS, MORE PRAYERS, MORE WORRY, PATIENCE, UNDERSTANDING, BELIEVING, HOPE, FAITH AND MORE PATIENCE AND THE LIST GOES ON. MAYBE IT IS A TEST OF OUR FAITH. WE KNOW THE MIRACLE IS HERE BECAUSE WE SEE IT EVERY DAY IN OUR WONDERFUL LITTLE BOY!!
ONE THING WE DO KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT WE HAVE THE MOST POWERFUL GROUP OF PRAYER WARRIORS ANYWHERE. WE KNOW IF WE ALL PULL-TOGETHER AND KEEP THE FAITH, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.
I PROMISE TO BE MORE DILIGENT IN KEEPING AN UPDATE POSTED. WHEN YOU DON’T HEAR, YOU KNOW EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL.
GOOD DAYS ARE AHEAD, THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS,
BELIEVING IN MIRACLES, AND WISHING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
LET THE JOYS OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON FILL YOUR HEARTS WITH JOY AND REMEMBER ALL THOSE LESS FORTUNATE THAN WE ARE. SHARE YOUR WEALTH AND YOUR TIME WITH ALL WHO HUNGER, WITHOUT JOBS, HOPES AND THE HOMELESS
Be generous, you never know when it could be you!
GOD BLESS YOU EVERY ONE,
GINGER, GREG, TAYLOR & TRENTON XO
Friday, November 5, 2010 8:53 PM CDT
Hello Prayer Warriors,
We have had a stressful week. We had Trenton’s Big 5 year scans on Monday and Boy Oh Boy where do you start an update like this, without calling each one of you and talking it thru on a positive note……….
Firstly, thank you all for all the PRAYERS, text messages, emails and voicemails of encouragement. You have no idea how uplifting they are and how much we appreciate each one, knowing you're there. We read a lot of them to Trenton and he LOVED it, especially from his friends and football buddies and Coach; every one of them put a big smile on his face.
As most of you know, we have been known for always 'closing' our Caringbridge journals the past 5 years thru this journey with "Believing in Miracles" so we are going to start this message with just that………
We are still "Believing in Miracles"
But with every miracle, comes more prayers, worry, tears, more prayers, more worry, PATIENCE, understanding, BELIEVING, hope, Faith and more patience and the list goes on. Maybe it is a test of our Faith. We know the miracle is here because we see it every day in our wonderful little boy!!
With all that said, Trenton's scans have shown a "shadowy-fluffy" spot in the same origin of his tumor at diagnosis 5-years ago This is near his left lung at the tip of the aorta. Dr. Rapkin reviewed this information, compared it to old scans, etc. and wants to re-scan the in December, which is set for December 13th at 11 AM. This will be a LONG November. Needless to say, it was a silent ride home - but we look forward to celebrating in December!!
We are staying very positive on this note, for many reasons, for one, it's TRENTON and he's already beaten all odds on him from the get-go!
Secondly, Dr. Rapkin has reassured us that this may be drainage from a slight cold/virus Trenton had about 6 weeks ago, that may have turned into a type 'A' pneumonia without showing outside signs in Trenton's day-to-day actions. The same type of cloudy areas showed itself in the lungs a year ago when Trenton had he N1H1 virus and scans right afterwards too. Dr. Rapkin spent so much time with us going back-n-forth from day-1 of diagnosis compared to present scans, and although they are in that general area, they DO LOOK DIFFERENT …………… so Greg and I are going to hang on to that positive and see what December scans bring forth. What we see in Trenton every single day, there is absolutely no way we are thinking otherwise. Our son is healthy and will stay the MIRACLE he is. I know God has a purpose for him!
Dr. Rapkin is close to us indeed and he is not one to lead us into a positive thinking, he always errs on caution. If he thinks there is something worse in that picture he would be the first to lay it out there for us to understand; but he wants to be sure, and to show us he's sure, so in addition to re-scanning the first of December, he's also meeting with Dr. Brand our surgeon who removed the tumors in the beginning as well as meet with another radiologist to review these new scans.
UPDATE on that – The radiologist has reviewed the scans and feels positive that this is “pulmonary” but also recommends the re-scan in December to remove all doubt. NOW we are just waiting for Dr. Brand to review at the scans and render his opinion as well.
Needless to say all this news has caused great angst. The uncertainty of it all has a way of consuming our thoughts and prayers. Even when we know Trenton received a miracle, we are human and we worry about the worst of things.
All in all, PLEASE keep your prayers on Trenton as this is a huge scare for us that we were not prepared for in this series of scans. We were so in hopes to hear our ALL CLEAR for Trenton's 5-year scan! Big sigh, but never that easy is it :)………………..
One thing we do know for sure is that we have the most powerful group of prayer warriors anywhere. We know if we all pull-together and keep the Faith, everything will be fine. I think this is the first time I've ever wanted to rush thru Thanksgiving! Not really but yes, just to get that ALL CLEAR so we can breathe easy and enjoy the Holidays with our boys, family and friends. We can’t let this beast steal our joy, our faith, our love and family peace.
Once again we just ask that you diligently pray for our Trenton. Pray the ALL CLEAR will be what we hear on December 13th. Thank you all so much for your faithful prayers, love and support.
I promise to be more diligent in keeping an update posted. When you don’t hear, you know everything is wonderful.
Good days are ahead, thanks so much for your prayers,
Believing in Miracles,
Ginger, Greg, Taylor & TRENTON xo
FRIDAY, August 14, 2009 10:59 AM EST
Trenton's Scans are CLEAR!!!!
Praise the Lord for our CONTINUED MIRACLE for MAY, 2009 Scans!!!
Hello Journey Friends,
It's been a while since an update, as we've had so many highs and lows and as you followed us the beginning of the summer with ALL CLEAR scans, and then the suffering and loss of our dear friends in this cancer journey world, we celebrate with goodness, peacefullness and WHAT CAN WE DO NEXT FOR CURE, to get this disease to STOP in so many of our kids.............
.......so with that said, as Trenton just started his first football practice (yes, our cancer survivor wanted to play football at the age of 5) I guess he figured he has not had enough bumps and bruises in his life-time he wanted to get tackled in football :) And then school starting right around the corner KINDERGARTEN and big brother going into the 6TH grade, and work busy and having it's ups and downs, we FOCUS on the positives and so happy for each one.
....So with all this said, as you can see, we've started TRENTON W. KINDRED Research fund thru CURE Childhood Cancer. As most of you know, we've served on the Board the past 3 years, since Trenton's cure and we wanted to give back immediately. We felt like we've served and accomplished a lot these 3 years, but there was something missing and that was, we needed to do MORE, so we've started Trenton's fund and we hope you join us in these efforts. If you aren't on our email chain for this fund for updates, events etc, please email me and we will get you added to our list to: gkindred@cambridgepg.com and I'd love to hear from you.
We are continuing to Believe in Miracles we've lived and seen not only in our little boy Trenton, but many other precious children, but we've also seen much heartache. Kids should be kids, not fighting cancer. It's the worst nightmare a parent could ever imagine and the worst suffering in a child.
Please follow many of our children we know that need your prayers, that we email you about often and list also on our other site. CLICK ON CURE as well to donate to Trenton's fund at curechildhoodcancer.org click on GIVE and scroll down to Trenton's fund and we thank you for every dollar you can give.
God Bless to all of you, hugs, prayers and blessings from our family to yours,
Believing in MIRACLES,
Ginger, Greg, Taylor and TRENTON
Thursday, May 7, 2009 2:04 PM CDT
Trenton's Scans are CLEAR!!!!
Praise the Lord & Thank You for your Prayers!!!
Hi Everyone,
It is "Grandma Linda" here tonight. Just wanted to update with a note to let you know that Trenton is doing GREAT (we are blessed)!!!! He, as you can see by his pictures, is playing T-ball and quite the little player. Taking right up where big brother left off in T-Ball. Taylor has been playing Nationals all Spring and to say the least the boys have been running their parents to death with all the ball games, practices, school, etc. But they never do complain. It is ME who complains because they make ME tired! HaHa!!! Oh My Goodness!!! I don’t remember ever having to do all that when our 3 were growing up, but I guess that is also the beauty of OLD AGE…Can’t REMEMBER all that exhaustion!!! Some good things happen as we go “over the hill” I guess.
Trenton will be going for his Scans again on May 7th ANXIETY ALERT :) So PLEASE keep him in your prayers; Mom and Dad get so nervous!! Please Pray specifically that he is a big boy as he has been previously and won't have to be put to sleep again, and MOST of ALL that his scans are ALL CLEAR!!! We are always very scared even though we know God granted him a MIRACLE, Satan likes to step in and give us WORRY tho and yes, we are very human and we do just that human thing!!! But until they find a CURE, we will be asking for continued prayer and yes, we will also continue to WORRY. We, as a family, have GREAT FAITH, and cannot always help what is going on around us and that alone gives influence to our own emotions and erodes even the strongest of character!
With that said, I am sure most of you received a note from Ginger today in regard to little Ryan Morgan, whom they have been very close too for a long time as Ryan has gone through a continual struggle with Neuroblastoma. His mom Missy visited Trenton while they were in BMT and me, Grandma met her. They are such a lovely family and sadly, they found out today that there is nothing more they can do here at CHOA and sent home with pain meds. The unthinkable if he is loosing his battle with this horrific disease. They are calling everywhere for other options!! As if that is not enough, his mom is also fighting Breast Cancer! This family has smiled and encouraged and blessed others throughout their entire journey. For that we can all say “thank you Family Morgan” for keeping us all comforted while you walk the rim of this beast called cancer, NOW we are giving back to you, always praying, never stopping for a second. This beast knows what figthers you are and our family is there with you.
We ask our Kindred Prayer Warriors for prayer for this beautiful family, for all of them, for peace, for love, for understanding, for God’s Will in their lives and fight right now. We are at a loss for words at this point and we can ONLY turn to God in our time of sorrow and grief and understanding.
We are asking our Prayer Warriors to PRAY for Ryan, Ward (a family just diagnosed we have reached out to, our little buddy Patrick, Hannah, Kylie, Jen & Trey little ones, Brandon, CURE Childhood Cancer team and more...... and our sweet Trenton and his family too. They are all suffering right now and with the hurt of Ryan and his fight we are pulling together our prayers. We also ask that you PRAY for a CURE and if you CAN, please visit the CURE Website BELOW and donate for a resolution and a CURE. If we don’t have RESEARCH, we will NEVER have a CURE and it takes a village of donations to PAY for RESEARCH. We need you!! Like Ginger said, it is very hard times right now, but if you can, PLEASE Give what you can for a CURE!!!! The bad economy does not slow down cancer in Kids! Small donations add up to big results, so please don’t think you have to give large to count. ALL donations COUNT – believe me!!!
I will leave you with a PROMISE Jesus gave to his disciples just before He ascended into Heaven – “I am with you always” As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you no forsake you” Joshua 1:5
No matter where you are walking today, in the darkness or in the light, in struggle or happiness, if you have placed your trust in Jesus for your eternal salvation, you can be sure He will never leave you.
Jesus whispers “I am with you”
In the hour of deepest need;
When the way is dark and lonesome,
“I am with you, I will lead.”
First make sure you are with Him, then you can be sure He’ll be with you.
God Bless all of you and THANK YOU for your prayers and donations!
GRANDMA LINDA .... for:
Greg, Ginger, Taylor and most of all Trenton
BELIEVING IN MIRACLES
Thursday, April 30, 2009 9:07 PM CDT
Hi Everyone,
It is "Grandma Linda" here tonight. Just wanted to update with a note to let you know that Trenton is doing GREAT (we are blessed)!!!! He, as you can see by his pictures, is playing T-ball and quite the little player. Taking right up where big brother left off in T-Ball. Taylor has been playing Nationals all Spring and to say the least the boys have been running their parents to death with all the ball games, practices, school, etc. But they never do complain. It is ME who complains because they make ME tired! HaHa!!! Oh My Goodness!!! I don’t remember ever having to do all that when our 3 were growing up, but I guess that is also the beauty of OLD AGE…Can’t REMEMBER all that exhaustion!!! Some good things happen as we go “over the hill” I guess.
Trenton will be going for his Scans again on May 7th ANXIETY ALERT :) So PLEASE keep him in your prayers; Mom and Dad get so nervous!! Please Pray specifically that he is a big boy as he has been previously and won't have to be put to sleep again, and MOST of ALL that his scans are ALL CLEAR!!! We are always very scared even though we know God granted him a MIRACLE, Satan likes to step in and give us WORRY tho and yes, we are very human and we do just that human thing!!! But until they find a CURE, we will be asking for continued prayer and yes, we will also continue to WORRY. We, as a family, have GREAT FAITH, and cannot always help what is going on around us and that alone gives influence to our own emotions and erodes even the strongest of character!
With that said, I am sure most of you received a note from Ginger today in regard to little Ryan Morgan, whom they have been very close too for a long time as Ryan has gone through a continual struggle with Neuroblastoma. His mom Missy visited Trenton while they were in BMT and me, Grandma met her. They are such a lovely family and sadly, they found out today that there is nothing more they can do here at CHOA and sent home with pain meds. The unthinkable if he is loosing his battle with this horrific disease. They are calling everywhere for other options!! As if that is not enough, his mom is also fighting Breast Cancer! This family has smiled and encouraged and blessed others throughout their entire journey. For that we can all say “thank you Family Morgan” for keeping us all comforted while you walk the rim of this beast called cancer, NOW we are giving back to you, always praying, never stopping for a second. This beast knows what figthers you are and our family is there with you.
We ask our Kindred Prayer Warriors for prayer for this beautiful family, for all of them, for peace, for love, for understanding, for God’s Will in their lives and fight right now. We are at a loss for words at this point and we can ONLY turn to God in our time of sorrow and grief and understanding.
We are asking our Prayer Warriors to PRAY for Ryan, Ward (a family just diagnosed we have reached out to, our little buddy Patrick, Hannah, Kylie, Jen & Trey little ones, Brandon, CURE Childhood Cancer team and more...... and our sweet Trenton and his family too. They are all suffering right now and with the hurt of Ryan and his fight we are pulling together our prayers. We also ask that you PRAY for a CURE and if you CAN, please visit the CURE Website BELOW and donate for a resolution and a CURE. If we don’t have RESEARCH, we will NEVER have a CURE and it takes a village of donations to PAY for RESEARCH. We need you!! Like Ginger said, it is very hard times right now, but if you can, PLEASE Give what you can for a CURE!!!! The bad economy does not slow down cancer in Kids! Small donations add up to big results, so please don’t think you have to give large to count. ALL donations COUNT – believe me!!!
I will leave you with a PROMISE Jesus gave to his disciples just before He ascended into Heaven – “I am with you always” As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you no forsake you” Joshua 1:5
No matter where you are walking today, in the darkness or in the light, in struggle or happiness, if you have placed your trust in Jesus for your eternal salvation, you can be sure He will never leave you.
Jesus whispers “I am with you”
In the hour of deepest need;
When the way is dark and lonesome,
“I am with you, I will lead.”
First make sure you are with Him, then you can be sure He’ll be with you.
God Bless all of you and THANK YOU for your prayers and donations!
GRANDMA LINDA .... for:
Greg, Ginger, Taylor and most of all Trenton
BELIEVING IN MIRACLES
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 12:05 AM CDT
Hello All our Friends and Family,
Can you believe it has been four (4) years since that dreadful day of diagnosis? Yes FOUR years ago today! Greg shared his devotional with me this morning, which gave me a start and caused me to pause and reflect on that time. Although we live every day remembering every moment, we do try to move on and Lord knows we are busy enough with the boys; we hardly have time for “pausing moments”!!! But how can you help when you know that just a few short years ago, our little baby boy was diagnosed with Cancer at 11:30 pm.
I was at Taylor's school, bringing cookie cake, doing his SCHOOL birthday party early, since it was a FRIDAY (3 days prior to Tay's 8th birthday). I took the day off, if y'all recall, because we were leaving for Vegas the next Day (Saturday) to receive an award for the largest packaging show, for my display I sold/designed for Elizabeth Arden. I was positive, but knew it would be a long day, planned the day with both boys with me, taking Tay out of school to go with us, to do ultrasounds and blood work, and more with little Trenton. Dr. Riesman wanted to comfort us about Trenton's lump that had been discovered 10 days prior………hoping it was just a swollen lymph node…….little did we know, at 11:30PM, that night, our family's life, as we once knew it, would be changed forever.
“You feel he’s been silent and distant and unresponsive, so you think about giving up on pursuing him. But the thirst never completely disappears. Even when we seem to have lost our desire for God, something within us aches for the only One who can meet the deepest need for our parched souls”….
This paragraph hits home even more so today. There were times when we were newly diagnosed that I had wavering of Faith days in that hospital. Every time the door opened to our room, it was just more bad news, like a battering ram to the stomach, blow after blow after blow. Every word just kept saying the same thing, bad news, prognosis slim, and all I could hear was “loosing my baby”. I wept buckets, Greg and I and our family wept buckets, finally I just stopped hearing anything Dr. Rapkin was saying to me and he called our parents in to give encouragement and restore our Faith. I felt abandoned, but what I didn’t realize at that moment, was that God never disappeared, He was there all the time and we just needed to dig a little deeper and dry our eyes to see Him. Together, Greg and I, reached into the core of our foundation, relied on our Christian upbringing and clung to our Faith and RELIED on Him, no matter what we were hearing. If we had any inkling of what we were facing, we surely would have taken Trenton, turned and RAN!!! But we were shored up by the Faith of our Family and our own Faith in God that we would face this together and step by step, day by day, we walked those ugly halls and dreaded journey and although there were so many times, when hope was faint, Trenton’s fight looked dismal, there was doubt and fear of abandonment and wavering Faith, God kept taking our hand and holding us hard to get us through to this side.
I would like to share this devotional with you today. Perhaps you can find strength in these words as we have.
Exhausted
Invitation to Prayer
It’s possible to get stuck in spiritual dryness for so long that you hardly feel a thirst for God anymore. You feel he’s been silent and distant and unresponsive, so you think about giving up on pursuing him. But the thirst never completely disappears. Even when we seem to have lost our desire for God, something within us aches for the only One who can meet the deepest need of our parched souls (Mark Roberts, No Holds Barred , 2-3).
The Psalm (Psalm 84:4-11)
For Reflection
They didn’t seem to get it the first time, so Jesus repeats himself. “Pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Given the sleepy state of Jesus’ friends, it appears that the great temptation isn’t some wicked behavior. What pulls us from giving prayerful attention to God is exhaustion. These disciples were “exhausted from sorrow.” Many others are weary with grief or fear or the drive to succeed.
What exhausts you today? How does that impact your praying?
Closing Prayer
O God, you are our strength. So many of our pursuits leave us exhausted and weary, short tempered with others and short in prayer with you. Rouse us from our sleepy routines that we might be vigilant in prayer, alert to your presence and work in our world. Amen.
That night, the day of diagnosis, our family's life, as we once knew it would be changed forever. And here we are today, more solid than ever on His foundation. God lifted and carried us thru those troubled, hazy and wavering days in the hospital. He gave our son back to us in a MIRACLE…………….If we did NOT have that Christian raising (Mom and Dad / Bob and Shirley thru you as parents) we may have been lost forever; because I think we would have wavered the other way. And then truly, our family would have changed forever in a very BAD way. Therefore, I consider today a "pause and thanks" kind of day. Even though it brings me to tears to remember and relive the beginning of this journey, it makes me pause in this time of uncertainty and our present world in such turmoil to be thankful for what we've seen thru our journey. We are thankful for what our journey and no matter the outcome, we were ready to face it and Love God, honor Him, no matter the outcome…………….Believing in Him.
THIS DAY, 4 YEARS AGO, I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
Thank you FAMILY and faithful friends and Prayer Warriors for surrounding us, with love and care and all the support of an army that kept us going. We love you all.
“What doesn’t kill us – Strengthens Us”
Ginger
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 9:29 AM EST
Hi Everyone!!!
Trenton is doing great. We are awaiting our first survivorship clinic visit with Trenton and his next SCANS appointment will be in May (prayers)!
For the moment tho, we just wanted to say hello and will update more detail soon, but for the moment, PLEASE check out our LAUREN'S RUN CURE Childhood Cancer site and RUN with us for a Cure for Kids in May - or we could certainly use your donations to support us :) ! www.firstgiving.com/trentonstigers
We need your support and donations. AND.......If you come run with us, it's a great family day, with lots of food, fun, game and fellowship (we promise you'd enjoy yourselves) while supporting such a great cause for so many children that need all of us right now! And every dime helps towards research for children with cancer!
Believing always in Miracles,
Ginger, Greg, Taylor and TRENTON xoxo
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 4:11 PM CST
Hi Everyone!!!
Just want to share the wonderful, terrific, joyful news!!!
Trenton's scans are CLEAR...CLEAR...CLEAR Once again!!! We are sooo sooo happy, filled with joy, Praise in God's Name for our sweet little 4 year-old - he is once again CLEAR on his scans. We KNOW and truly BELIEVE that he is cured for LIFE, but each time, the fear creeps in when that horrible day of scans, tests, pokes and prods comes around, our hearts are in our throats as we watch every move and procedure, praying, praying, praying that they will not find anything...and again, God is an AWESOME God and remains with us throughout. He REINS on High and keeps us together. I know we live in 6 months segments and that isn't the thing to do, but when you live with cancer, you take every moement, every segment as you can get it.
Thank you, to each and everyone of you who continuously pray for us, loves us and show us in so many ways that you stand by us. We feel your prayers and THANK YOU SO MUCH and want you to know that we are SO BLESSED and we KNOW IT!!
I would like to ask you to direct your prayers to Hannah,http://www2.caringbridge.org/ga/hannah/ who needs them desparately right now and to Super Ryan and to his mom, Missy. www.superryan.blogspot.com The Morgan Family really needs your prayers and support in every way you can think of. Please visit their perspective websites and bring yourselves up to date with Hannah and Ryan. We are so sad and so prayerful that God will grant them each a miracle.
I want to wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving!! We are breaking tradition this year and going to take the boys to the beach and just have fun for Turkey week. We are now praying for some good ole Florida Sunshine to warm our bones for that period of time.
I will leave you with a quote from Psalm 100:1. "Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!" We have surely been doing just that!
It reminds us to realize that we belong to God and to PRAISE Him for His goodness, mercy and truth.
True thankfulness is more than being grateful for what we possess. It’s an attitude that permeates our relationship with the Lord so that we may serve Him with gladness and joy. — David C. McCasland
For the Christian, thanksgiving is not just a day but a way of life.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone
Ginger, Greg, Taylor and most of all Trenton
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 9:31 PM CDT
Hi Everyone!!!
Grandma Linda here tonite. Thought it was time for an update. Summer is almost gone and everyone is getting back to school and getting order put back in their lives, well if you can call school, ball games, home work and running an endless gauntlet with your children "order" then so be it.
The Kindreds, like most of you have had a busy summer but a good one with the boys. The boys have kept mom and dad busy with camping, swimming, ballgames, golfing, movies and endless hours of just fun family time. But we are OH SO THANKFUL to have this wonderful summer to always remember.
That’s what summers are all about aren't they? When you get into the Fall and Winter (well FALL for sure, I refuse to think I have reached WINTER yet!!) of your lives (like me), it is nice to reflect back to those endless summers and remember the sweet smell of hot, hazy, lazy days, flowers, fresh air, picnics, ball games. Every scent brings back a memory. Those of you in Grandma age range can relate to that. So it is so important to SEW MEMORIES and store them forever in your hearts and those secret places in your mind for quiet times to bring forth and just smile in sweet remembrance.
All too soon, our children grow up and are gone. Once you are blessed with the presence of running feet and total chaos. All those years are filled with challenges and demands that sometimes zapps our strength and takes all of our mental and emotional reserves to the last nerve. Along the way, we navigate the rough seas; such as we have with Trenton, the sea of CANCER. But we continue to navigate and stay the course because God is our pilot and brings us into the calm waters. Along the way we enjoy the thrills of success, the boys have done wonderful in school last year. Trenton has come 180 degrees with his socialization and talking so clearly now. He is so expressive and just as sweet and compassionate. So much fun to be around!! He has even learned to swim this summer and doing very well I might add. He attempts every triumph his big brother achieves too. He doesn't want to be left behind. Trenty has a lot of living to do and catch up on. God is so good to bring him so far and we are forever THANKFUL!! Some children follow life in straight lines, mine never did for sure, and Trenton certainly is zig-zagging along life's pathway, so I think it is best to just "zig" with them in love and courage. Children need unconditional love because we live in a very conditional world.
I read in a devotional not long ago, while I was sitting on my front porch...in my rocker, of course (ha) that the love of God's Word is vital to successfully transferring faith from one generation to the next. God has blessed us by placing our children and grandchildren in our lives and we must love them unconditionally, help them learn to love God's Word and show them how to have a deep love for Jesus. That foundation is what makes us strong adults and strong we must be to weather the storms of life with our own families.
Psalm 128:3
Your children shall be like olive plants all around your table
Thanks to all of you who continually support us with love and prayers. Even though we do not update on a regular basis, don’t think for a moment that we don’t love you and appreciate all of you and so very thankful for your love, prayers and support.
On behalf of Greg, Ginger, Taylor and especially Trenty
God Bless each of you
Grandma Linda
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 12:52 AM CDT
PRAISE THE LORD!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!! Trenton's SCANS came back CLEAR today!!! We are SOOOO BLESSED. God is continuing His Miracle through our baby Trenton!!! SOME FACTS ABOUT PEDIATRIC CANCER:
AND....he went through the entire process for the first time without having to be put to sleep!!! GOD BLESSED THIS DAY ALL AROUND!!
Thank you Prayer Warriers...Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!
Ginger, Greg, Taylor and most of all...TRENTON says THANK YOU!!!
Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer in children.
Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer in infancy.
Neuroblastoma is the most common extra cranial solid tumor cancer in
children.
Every 16 hours a child with neuroblastoma dies.
There is no known cure for neuroblastoma.
Nearly 70f those children first diagnosed, have disease that has already metastasized or spread to other parts of the body. When disease has spread at diagnosis and a child is over the age of 2 there is less than a 30hance of survival.
Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in the US and it
kills more children per year than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy,
asthma and AIDS combined.
There are 15 children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed
with pediatric AIDS. Yet, the U.S. invests approximately $595,000 for
research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each victim of
childhood cancer.
The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of
that, breast cancer received 12prostate cancer received 7and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined received less than 3/span>
Monday, May 5, 2008 8:21 PM CDT
Hi to all of our dear wonderful friends & family, Also, a special thanks to all of you that got up early, missing church, and ran for this cause near and dear to our hearts. It was a great time and I can't thank all of you enough, ever! Our family is very grateful for your kindness, and your love and support that you continue to share with us, thru helping to support us in fighting this horrible beast for ALL THESE KIDS . There are so many families we walk this journey with together which are still fighting this disease and it truly tears me to pieces to what they go thru! THANK YOU FOR BEING there! We love all of you dearly! Now let me say, for all of you that would still like to donate, it's never too late - just click on www.curechildhoodcancer.org and say that Trenton sent you or in honor of Trenton - they will make sure your money is ALWAYS spent on RESEARCH for curing our kids with cancer! I promise you that! :-) Lastly, as a proud mom. Can I brag to you'all for just a moment …… - our little 4-year old survivor of Stage IV Neuroblastoma cancer ran his lil' heart out trying to keep up with his big brother in the 2k race - running just about the whole thing, stopping only a few times! Praise God ~ it could have been so different for us today! This was a priceless moment that our entire family stopped in-time and savored! Thanks to all of you and your support and prayers for lifting Trenton UP always! Blessings and love to all, & always Believing in Miracles...... Ginger & family
FIRST OF ALL, JUST WANTED TO LET YOU'all KNOW THAT TRENTON’S SCANS HAVE BEEN CHANGED FROM MAY 5TH TO MAY 13TH. WE JUST ASK FOR PRAYER FOR TRENTON. HE IS DOING SOOOOO WONDERFUL IN EVERY ASPECT AND WE JUST ASK FOR PRAYER THAT GOD CONTINUES HIS BLESSINGS AND MIRACLES - we truly BELIEVE - but as parents we can't help the anxiety we have, to get this over for him!!
SECONDLY, I can't thank y'all enough for donating and/or supporting/running with us at the CURE Childhood Cancer Lauren's Run this past Sunday. What a beautiful day it was! Special thanks to Marshall-Lueder for helping to sponsor the event as well. We are blessed to say that we won 3rd place in the 'fundraising category' for donations made thru "Trenton's Tigers" of $5,815.00.
Now, this is a funny blip I have to mention to y'all! As most of you know me well and knew our original goal was $5,000 when I sent this original email out; however, since we surpassed that goal very quickly, I raised the bar to $8,000 - go figure, sneaky I know, but hopeful - tee hee!
Therefore, we met our goal and then surpassed it, so we are more than blessed and grateful, to say the least! We can't wait to hear the end results of the entire event, and all these $$$$ going for CURE Childhood Cancer RESEARCH………….to save our children now and the FUTURE.
Monday, May 5, 2008 12:52 AM CDT
HI TO ALL OF YOUR WONDERFUL FRIENDS & FAMILY,
FIRST OF ALL, JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT TRENTON’S SCANS HAVE BEEN CHANGED FROM MAY 5TH TO MAY 13TH. WE JUST ASK FOR PRAYER FOR TRENTON. HE IS DOING SOOOOO WONDERFUL IN EVERY ASPECT AND WE JUST ASK FOR PRAYER THAT GOD CONTINUE HIS BLESSINGS AND MIRACLES!!
SECONDLY, I CAN'T THANK Y'ALL ENOUGH FOR DONATING AND/OR SUPPORTING/RUNNING WITH US AT THE CURE CHILDHOOD CANCER LAUREN'S RUN THIS PAST SUNDAY. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY IT WAS! SPECIAL THANKS TO MARSHALL-LUEDER FOR HELPING TO SPONSOR THE EVENT AS WELL. WE ARE BLESSED TO SAY THAT WE WON 3RD PLACE IN THE 'FUNDRAISING CATEGORY' FOR DONATIONS MADE THRU "TRENTON'S TIGERS" OF $5,815.00.
NOW, THIS IS A FUNNY BLIP I HAVE TO MENTION TO Y'ALL! AS MOST OF YOU KNEW, OUR ORIGINAL GOAL WAS $5,000 WHEN I SENT THIS ORIGINAL EMAIL OUT; HOWEVER, SINCE WE SURPASSED THAT GOAL VERY QUICKLY, I RAISED THE BAR TO $8,000 - GO FIGURE, SNEAKY I KNOW, BUT HOPEFUL - TEE HEE! THEREFORE, WE MET OUR GOAL AND THEN SURPASSED IT, SO WE ARE MORE THAN BLESSED AND GRATEFUL, TO SAY THE LEAST! WE CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR THE END RESULTS OF THE ENTIRE EVENT, AND ALL THESE $$$$ GOING FOR CURE CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH………….TO SAVE OUR CHILDREN NOW AND THE FUTURE.
ALSO, A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OF YOU THAT GOT UP EARLY, MISSING CHURCH, AND RAN FOR THIS CAUSE NEAR AND DEAR TO OUR HEARTS. IT WAS A GREAT TIME AND I CAN'T THANK ALL OF YOU ENOUGH, EVER! OUR FAMILY IS VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR KINDNESS, AND YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT THAT YOU CONTINUE TO SHARE WITH US, THRU HELPING TO SUPPORT US IN FIGHTING THIS HORRIBLE BEAST FOR ALL THESE KIDS. THERE ARE SO MANY FAMILIES WE WALK THIS JOURNEY WITH TOGETHER WHICH ARE STILL FIGHTING THIS DISEASE AND IT TRULY TEARS ME TO PIECES TO WHAT THEY GO THRU! THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE!
WE LOVE ALL OF YOU DEARLY!
NOW LET ME SAY, FOR ALL OF YOU THAT WOULD STILL LIKE TO DONATE, IT'S NOT TOO LATE - JUST CLICK ON WWW.CURECHILDHOODCANCER.ORG AND SAY THAT TRENTON SENT YOU -THEY WILL MAKE SURE YOUR MONEY IS ALWAYS SPENT ON REASEARCH FOR CURING OUR KIDS WITH CANCER! I PROMISE YOU THAT! :-)
LASTLY, AS A PROUD MOM. CAN I BRAG TO YOU'ALL FOR JUST A MOMENT …… OUR LITTLE 4-YEAR OLD SURVIVOR OF STAGE IV NEUROBLASTOMA CANCER RAN HIS LIL' HEART OUT TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH HIS BIG BROTHER IN THE 2K RACE - RUNNING JUST ABOUT THE WHOLE THING, STOPPING ONLY A FEW TIMES! PRAISE GOD ~ IT COULD HAVE BEEN SO DIFFERENT FOR US TODAY!
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU AND YOUR SUPPORT AND PRAYERS!
WE LOVE EACH OF YOU AND THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS FOR YOUR PRAYERS, LOVE, CARING AND CONCERN. WE COULD NEVER REPAY ANY OF YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE GIVEN US…WE CAN ONLY SAY THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU.
BLESSINGS AND LOVE TO ALL,
GINGER & FAMILY
Monday, April 28, 2008 9:56 PM CDT
Hello Everyone!!!
Just wanted to let you know that Trenton’s scans have been changed from May 5th to May 13th. We just ask for prayer for Trenton. He is doing sooooo wonderful in every aspect and we just ask for prayer that God continue his blessings and miracles!!
We have Lauren’s Run this Sunday and we are very excited to be a part of it for such a wonderful cause. Trenton is very psyched to be a part of it this year too. Of course, we will NOT be running but walking instead. His little legs will be doing all the running…Thank you Lord for that blessing too!!! With every achievement of our little man, our hearts just burst with joy – we are overwhelmed with every blessing for Trenton.
This last weekend we went to my parent’s house for the night so that we could take the kids to see Thomas the Steam Engine in Chattanooga. It was kind of rainy and nasty but they had fun anyway and Trenton just loved Thomas. It is such a blessing and thrill to see him so happy with all the new wonders he discovers. Saturday night we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and he just ran his legs off playing with all of his cousins. It was FUN.
I hope all who are reading this tonight will try to come out for Lauren’s Run. Above here on Trenty’s page, is a place you can click on and donate to sponsor Trenton if you can. All the proceeds go to Childhood Cancer so your dollars will never be wasted. We are trying so hard to get a new drug through the food and drug administration to help fight this ugly disease for our children. We can ONLY ask for help from all of you. We have asked for prayer and you responded and we continue to ask for prayers as well and prayer that a CURE will be found before we loose any more children before their time.
We love each of you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers, love, caring and concern. We could never repay any of you for all you have given us…we can only say THANK YOU and GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU.
Good Night everyone and please keep us in your prayers as well as our Country during these distressing times.
Greg, Ginger, Taylor and most of all Trenton
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 8:23 PM CDT
Our little guy has come so far, it is amazing to us that we still have to do these scans, as we look at him and he is such a normal little boy enjoying every moment of life to the fullest..just a little 4 year old!!! A NOTE FROM TRENTY'S SWEET TEACHER TO SHARE WITH YOU!! He will be in our prayers that day and every day until you hear the results for sure, and he is in our hearts always. Mrs. Sabin was just saying outside that a smile from Trenton seems to lighten up the whole world. Cathy Kahn was passing by as Trenton was laughing and said that he was so beautiful that he took her breath away. I hope that you plan on taking him out someplace extra nice after being poked. Amazing enough that he is just a regular happy kid after all that he’s been through. I had to fuss him a little today for talking too much - I couldn’t have imagined THAT at the beginning of the year!!!! LOL He plays hard and is everybody’s friend. And Judy and I have noticed a huge leap in his fine motor and attention span – he used to dislike the art projects and scribble and be done right away. Lately he takes his time and has real pride in his work. He’s coloring in the lines better and uses a scissors really well. It just seems that he pulled it all together as he turned 4. We’ll really miss him on the 5thth, but we’ll be looking for the “all clear” just as soon as you get it!!!
New Update and on the way with New Pictures TOO...
In the meantime, Please Keep our little guy in your Prayers - He is going for SCANS on May 5th at CHOA!!! Yes, it has been 6 months already!!! He is doing so well, it is hard to believe he needs them at all and we have only our Lord and Savior to thank for this miracle!!! WE ALWAYS TRUST IN OUR LORD, but every time we face these horrible days, we become weak and very human!! We just hate seeing Trenton go through these horrible tests as he still has to be poked, prodded and put to sleep every time. It is a rough, very long day as we await the results as a family!!
Sunday, March 9, 2008 10:26 PM CDT
New Update and pictures on the way with New Pictures...
In the meantime, Please Keep our little guy in your Prayers - He is going for SCANS on May 5th!!! Yes, it has been 6 months already!!! He is doing so well, it is hard to believe he needs them at all and we have only our Lord and Savior to thank for this miracle!!!
Tuesday, July 17th 2007 4:49 PM East Coast Time
DEAR JOURNEY FAMILY,
We received the call the day of the scans, but we didn't want to announce everything until we officially met with Dr. Rapkin today. Therefore, all blood work and Scans are CLEAR, no evidence of Neuroblastoma Dr. Rapkin assured us. ....what's up with that long delay, huh ~ I know......but we don't fool around with these things, that's for sure! :-)
You talk about a nervous family, we were it. The scans took double the time in the CT room today, due to the radiologist requesting MORE scans in the chest and pelvis area. Greg and I were so scared as the doctor himself in radiology was getting a little antsy.
But no matter the thought or the case..................we can live thru it all every 4 months, as long as we have the CLEAR RESULTS..................
My little boy is our HERO.............He's holding on to his miracle given to him and we thank God for that!
Each and every one of you that sent notes this morning of prayers and well wishes and sweet calls; know that every single one of them lifted our spirits and we THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!
As Trenton was screaming and Crying in search of a good vain for IV and asking WHY-let me go home...we all were saying he's a miracle, right!!!!
Thanks again for sticking with us!
We are celebrating!
Blessing to all, and all my best,
Ginger,and FAMILY, special BIG HUGS from TRENTON xo
Dear Journey Family,
Well it’s that time again. Tomorrow is Trenton’s 4 month Scan……..The incredible thing about this scan is that is falls on July 12th…the same day two years ago that Trenton’s cancer was beaten into submission after the first three rounds of chemo. Needless to say it gives us chills. How could I ever take something like this lightly right? Well we don’t, although I see it and live it every day when I look thru the eyes of our son Trenton and the beautiful life he is living right now, I tonight had a recollection that it was this day, JULY 12th (tomorrow) but TWO years ago, which was the anniversary date of our sons re-birth. Many of you lived this day with us actually as we will not forget any of you and your hands holding ours and all your prayers which created this miracle! But on 7/12/05 The doctors at CHOA couldn’t believe it, our beloved scientist couldn’t believe it and our whole team of experts, from Dr. Woods and across the Oncology connection board couldn’t believe it, that this child (TRENTON Walker Kindred) had NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE after a Stage IV with n-myc amplified diagnosis and only having THREE rounds of Chemo. But of course it was not to STOP there; as we were consulted with power and fight to absolutely complete under no circumstances, the rest of the journey protocol;, because of the vengeance this cancer has a history of returning with NO forgiveness. (Remember that 70 percent chance of return rate we were given………….well The story goes on, ……………..but I am here to tell you, that the important part to highlight tonight is this, Trenton’s re-birth day was 2 years ago today, remarkably presented with NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE, NO TUMOR and Bone Marrow was free of disease. Miracle for sure!
The days leading up to the actual scan day always gives us reason to pause and makes us extremely nervous. Even though we believe in miracles and are firm in our belief that Trenton is such a miracle…just going back to the hospital brings back all of the horror of 2005. Therefore, tomorrow brings me back to the Angel poem my Mother presented on this website 2 months after Trenton’s diagnosis; a poem of comforting Angels which I grew up with as a child. Angels have always been a part of my security and now even more so, therefore, I felt this was the most appropriate for our comfort going into tomorrow…………..as this had so much meaning 2 years ago and still lives in our hearts today………….
Comforting Angels
An angel kissed my tears away
today when I was sad
I wasn't feeling quite myself
my day had been so bad
I felt a warmth brush by me
that quickly dried my tears
A gentle, kind, & loving touch
that seemed to hold me near.
Immediately, I felt so much better
& the day seemed brighter too
I guess that's just the way you feel
when an Angel comforts you
Thank you family for praying for us, thank you for being with us and thank you for NEVER leaving us!
We are all angels with only one wing and can only fly embracing each other. Thank you for praying for Clear Scans along with us tomorrow!
Night-Nite Sweet Baby Trenton, God is watching over you tonight…and we as a family will conquer thru these scans tomorrow!
Please also pray for our friends the Chance’s as Patrick and his mother are in New York getting their scans this week, and Hannah is going next week.
We surround each other always, but most importantly we are United to fight this beast called CHILDHOOD CANCER!…….www.curechildhoodcancer.org
Wednesday, May 23, 2007 1:49 PM CDT
Hello to all our Journey Family,
Wow, I feel compelled to write the longest journal entry ever. I’ve missed this part of Trenton’s journey where I always had this site to Journal to. But as the world has been passing us by, I can’t believe how long it’s been since I updated. Reasons are many that’s a given, but the real truth is that our TRENTON WALKER KINDRED is a healthy, normal, busy, all-boy, 3-year old now. The gold floppy curls have turned a little darker in color, and being that we were so overjoyed to have HAIR again on his little bald head, it took us a long time to get the nerve up to cut it; therefore, his barber got a little too clippie and cut out those cute floppy curls, but I am in great hopes that they will return.
Taylor, (big brother), is playing baseball as he does every spring and is doing great. His team is rayllying back in the play-offs, so we have been consumed with baseball in our family. It's the funnest thing ever to watch these boys. Trenton gets right in the middle of it and thinks he should be running out there and sliding into home-plate too, along with the big boys!
Little Trenton is enjoying his music classes on Wednesday's and swimming lessons on Monday's and Friday's, with Ms. Liz. What would we do without her, she's the greatest too. We also always miss Zoya (yaya) tho - she and George are finally moving back home way far away back to the once was, Czechoslovakia.
Grandma and Grandpa are officially moving to North Georgia from south Florida to be closer to all of us kids here now, so we are ALL very excited about that. Big plans are in store for the summer, that's for sure.
Grandma K has been thru some heart cath surgery that we were all very nervous about, but without detailing on our site, we were all very thankful of her recovery and that we caught it in time.
The same big thank you's for watching over Grandma Linda (which all of you know as helping out and updating our site so often) - she made it thru very intense hip replacement surgery and is doing wonderfully!
Well, can you say THANKFULLNES. :-)
Also, I am sure that you have heard the phrase many times, but we truly are living life to the fullest. There’s not a day that goes by, no matter the case or the normal life disappointments that come up, that we don’t stop, pause and enjoy the present, no matter what.
I can’t believe it was 2~years ago March 18th, that I had both my children by my side, taking a Friday off to take Trenton to Scottish Rite for ‘what I thought was just a little verification ultrasound and bloodwork’ to confirm a lump we found (overnight) and confirm that it was nothing more than an enlarged lymph node. Nothing to worry about!
Additionally, Greg and I were scheduled the next day on Saturday, the 19th to fly out on an early flight to Las Vegas with my most valued client (which were also my close friends) to celebrate the completion of a difficult project. CANCER was the furthest thing from my mind.
That Friday early on, I can still remember quite vividly, taking Trenton to Taylor’s school, to celebrate his big brother’s 8th birthday that was upcoming, then packing up Taylor early from school so that he could accompany Trenton and I to Scottish Rite to begin the testing of an ultrasound and bloodwork. I really didn’t have a clue as to what they were particularly looking for or what they were going to find, but I knew in my positive mind, my son was FINE. After all, he acted fine and had no other signs, but a lump that appeared OVERNIGHT right before his 1st birthday. With that said, they sent us home with antibiotics, so this post verification was just to confirm some questionable details. (I was still very positive and CANCER was the furthest thing from my mind). Greg was a little more pessimistic but had meetings at work, so I assured him, I’d take him, and seriously, cancer was the furthest thing from my mind!!!!
All of this story I won’t bother you with again, as it is written throughout our journal log and many of you lived this journey step by step day by day with us.
Greg and I stayed strong for Trenton, as he was only one year old and didn’t understand. We also remained strong for Taylor, as he had just turned 8 and his little brother now had cancer and a 25 percent chance of survival. Taylor still doesn’t know the ramifications. He firmly believes his brother is a miracle and with that we are thankful. All he knew was, he was shuffled from family to family and well taken care of, while all the while deeply missing his family and the world he once knew.
I re-live the moment of diagnosis that very same Friday, the doctor sat down quite matter-of-factly and told us our son had cancer; my body became so weak I almost fell to the floor holding Trenton in my arms. I felt as if my pain and screaming was somehow like a dream….muted and in slow motion. They admitted us that night and from that day forward we have been a different family. Our lives permanently changed. Needless to say, we never take anything for granted any longer. We value each passing day and cherish each blue sky and colorful rainbow.
This leads me to the main reason I have not written. The actual survival rate of Stage IV Neuroblastoma was more like 25hance, and if you do get rid of it the first time around in the year and ½ process of chemo, surgery, 2 bone marrow transplants, radiation and oral chemo, and survive; the chance of it reoccurring is 70 percent and the chance of survival after relapse is 5 percent. We don’t like percentages in our family anymore and try to avoid them whenever necessary now. We feel we’ve already beaten them this far and that’s all we need to know. However, our dear friend Hannah (which for those of you that don’t know Hannah, she was diagnosed the same day as our Trenton) and our 2 families, understandably so, became very close. We walked the same exact protocol, walked the endless nights in the same hallways in the hospital together with our p.j.’s on that we would wear for days on end……….., crying most nights, red-eyed and NO sleep, holding each other and forming building blocks for one another to lean on as we WAIT out some of the most horrific nights of our lives. Rightly so, we earned a different kind of family bonding friendship to say the least; not the kind you go over and borrow a cup of sugar, but you follow each others lives from that day forward…………….
So, that’s what brings us to NOW. We got the news of Hannah relapsing soon after our joint 2-year out marker, just this past March 19th, 2007. It was as if we got the call our self on Trenton. Greg and I literally have held each other many of nights in prayer asking God to surround Hannah. We have cried so many tears for Hannah and it burned another hole of fear thru our hearts that we were trying to avoid. Our family has been so upset over this, as we felt we received the call we ALL did not want to receive. EVER! But we continue with that enormous HOPE and FAITH that she is going to beat this once again and we will ALL be with her thru this journey as well. Even though we haven’t had the pleasure to see her yet, she is with us daily!
Therefore, every time I have sat down at the computer to write in this journal, I wept all over again. I could not bring myself to do it. The second time (called relapse) is the worst because of the endless guarantees, and here I was trying to write words to paper about Prayers for our sweet HANNAH, as well, trying to write about Trenton and what he’s been doing and how is doing, and living our CURE for Trenton with such wholeness.
My heart is broken and filled with tears every day, while at the same time keeping a smile on my face to hide the fears. At a waiting red traffic-light on any given day, or a zoned-out moment being put on hold by a client, or just waking up with Trenton in the middle of the night……..we are needless to say, thinking of Hannah constantly and sending many prayers up to heaven right now.
As you know, since Greg and I returned home from the many long stays at the hospital thru those 11 months, after Trenton’s long journey and free of disease, we joined CURE Childhood Cancer last June and that has become our 2nd job. We try to reach out to other families suffering through a parent’s worst nightmare and at the same time raise money to fund and support cancer research. And it’s working! We continue to meet with the actual scientists in their labs and fund their needs for specific research and we are hearing and witnessing results of all their efforts. However, we feel like we are racing against time as there are more and more new diagnosis every day.
We love our son Trenton so much and he’s the miracle of our eye. We are blessed for every day God has walked this journey with us, and that he has given our son Trenton a re-birth miracle to have us all together this side of heaven. We are thankful and grateful for every play-day and every normal bump & bruise and boo-boo he can muster playing so hard and enjoying life. I always said that I love watching the world thru my children’s eyes. It is a priceless feeling and one I would never want to take lightly; but that look takes on an even deeper meaning after March 18th 2005. I now watch life thru their eyes and learn from it and try to spread the word forward as much as I can; living the true meaning of life and enjoying one another to the fullest.
I have always believed with rain comes rainbows, and we’ve seen a lot of rainbows. We like most, don’t know what tomorrow brings, but if we can make a difference today, then I know tomorrow that day was worth living.
Please join us in this journey. Growing up Is Hard Enough without Cancer in children. Please journey with us to CURE Childhood Cancer and help us win this battle. Anything you do or donate, will and does make a difference. Just call them and tell them Trenton’s mom sent you……….we promise to update you on your return of investment. :-)
Ginger and the entire TRENTON KINDRED family send you hugs and blessings every day. PLEASE keep our sweet Hannah and Sarah (who have both relapsed) in your prayers, – they both mean so much to our family and if you new them, they would take your heart too. …… and the list goes on………. http://www.caringbridge.org/ga/sarahw/
http://www.caringbridge.org/ga/hannah/
And please always remember our TRENTON xo
Blessings always, believing in miracles! GINGER
=================================
www.trentonsjourney.com
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 9:04 PM CDT
Hello Everyone…
Sorry I haven’t been on with one of my long newsy notes lately, but we just want you to know Trenton is doing Well and today, he celebrates his 3rd Birthday!!! We are SO HAPPY to be here with our beautiful little boy on his 3rd Birthday. This is actually the FIRST Birthday that Trenton understands. His last two have not been very happy ones, the first diagnosed with Neuroblastoma and the 2nd Birthday, just coming out of Chemo, he wasn’t in the mood for celebration!!! But GOD IS GOOD!!! He has given us this year to understand what being “3” is all about!!! Active, Healthy, Fun, Learning, Mischief and so many loving kisses and hugs and the wonderful gift of FUN, JOY, ACTIVITY. It is such a blessing to us to see our little one being a normal little boy, enjoying life as he should and EVERY DAY WE THANK GOD for giving us this gift of LIFE.
WE thank you all for being with us continuously, checking in on us and most of all…PRAYING FOR TRENTON’S continued CURE!!! God Bless all of YOU and please continue to pray for Trenton and ALL the little Warriors out there who are presently suffering with childhood cancer. We know Prayer WORKS, we have a miracle child to prove what prayer does. Never CEASE praying, NEVER let up seeking and asking God for his healing and a miracle that only HE can give.
We leave you tonight with a prayer in our heart for our child and all children who share Trenty’s birthday…
Watch over your child, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and guide him wherever he may be. Strengthen him when he stands; comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful; raise him up if he falls; and in his heart may your peace which passes understanding abide all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Good night and God Bless all of you
Happy Birthday Little Sweet Boy
Ginger, Greg, Taylor and most of all, Birthday Boy, Trenton!!
Friday, March 2, 2007 4:49 PM CST
Hello Everyone...
Well praise the Lord, we are exhaling once again. Tears of joy and now Celebration! After another long day of scans, we just got word from Dr. Rapkin that our little T is ALL CLEAR.
We sincerely thank you so much, more than you will ever know, for your prayers and thinking about us and words of HOPE!
LOL, and Blessings today,
Ginger, Greg, Taylor and TRENTON
Xo
Friday, March 2, 2007 4:49 PM CST
Hello Everyone...
Well praise the Lord, we are exhaling once again. Tears of joy and now Celebration! After another long day of scans, we just got word from Dr. Rapkin that our little T is ALL CLEAR.
We sincerely thank you so much, more than you will ever know, for your prayers and thinking about us and words of HOPE!
LOL, and Blessings today,
Ginger, Greg, Taylor and TRENTON
Xo
Friday, January 19, 2007 11:40 AM East Coast Time
Oh my dear friends,
Our little angel friend CATIE MARIE, lost her fight last night. We have shed many tears. Please keep her precious family in your prayers, they are special people and our heart breaks as to how we will miss little Catiebug..........
God bless and hold your family closer, thank you for always praying without ceasing,
Ginger & family, and special Hugs from Trenton xo
I have so much to catch you all up on, about Trenton, including his huge accomplishment of potty-training!! But our hearts are so heavy right now for Catie's family and we are taking the time to concentrate on them right now!
Little Catie is now free of pain....
---------------------------------------
Update from Friday the 12th below:
As I sit at my computer with tears right now, I hope you can take just a minute to read below..........
Many of you that receive this today, may not have walked thru our last 1 1/2 year journey with Trenton, but most of you I am sending this to did. As most of you know, it changed our lives forever!
As I sit here today, my friend and Executive Director of CURE childhood cancer emailed me (below) an alert update from our friend Jenny Wilkins, whose 4 year old daughter continues her 3 year journey battling brain cancer.
As Trenton has been given his miracle, I read this update and it reminds me of the horror our family battled for so long, day in and day out, endless nights in the hospital, not knowing if Trenton would survive some of those dreadful nights or not, or then coming home with 3 IV tubes running thru his little chest, it seemed endless, but many of you prayed us home. That is why Greg and I continue to support CURE childhood cancer, as Trenton survived his journey, my heart still aches everyday as I can't turn my back just b/c Trenton is well today; because it's children like Catie that we've met along our journey that continue to suffer terribly every day. But as we have started to live our "new" normal kind of life again, how can any one of us turn our backs on the rest of these sweet children suffering, or those newly diagnosed today, it just seems endless!!!!
Please visit little Catie's website below and say hello to them on their guestbook entry; send little Catie strength and let her family know you are praying for them today, it will mean so much to them.....I promise you!
http://www.caringbridge.org/ga/catie
.......Also, I will take this moment to respond to many of you that have asked me recently how you can volunteer or help with CURE childhood cancer, as this is so dear to our heart, I ask you to please contact Kristin below right now, she will direct you right from the heart......to the right place.......If it's money you want to donate or volunteer, they receive it all, with a smile and to help find a CURE! I can also promise you, that your money does go for research and where they say it does and it truly helps!
From: Kristin Connor [mailto:Kristin@curechildhoodcancer.org]
Dear friends:
I am writing this morning with great sadness in my heart. I am asking all of you to stop and take a moment to read a journal entry from one of our very dear friends, Jenny Wilkins, whose 4 year old daughter continues along her 3 year journey battling brain cancer. I want to send this to every person I know. How could anyone read this and not want to do something, anything, to stop this madness! Oh, how I want to ELIMINATE this disease from the face of the earth. I hate cancer!
Please pray for this precious, precious family!
Kristin
CURE Childhood Cancer
1835 Savoy Drive, Suite 317
Atlanta, GA 30341
770.986-0035 (office)
800-443-CURE (2873)
770.986.0038 (fax)
www.curechildhoodcancer.org
As always, thank you for praying for us and checking in on us continuously. We love you all,
Ginger, Greg, Taylor and most of all, Trenton
Friday, December 8, 2006 1:10 PM East Coast Time
SCANS ARE CLEAR!! SCANS ARE CLEAR!!! Our dear Journey Family, Our update for this beautiful season is to wish you and your family a Merry Christ-Filled Christmas. WE ALSO ASK YOU TO SEND SPECIAL ANGELS TO HEAVEN THIS WEEK, as Trenton's scans are this FRIDAY, Dec. 8th. We arrive at 7:30 a.m. and scans around 10:30, we hope to know something by the end of the day or the following day! As it is Christmas, we are SOOOOO thankful that we have had a whole year cancer-free with our beautiful sons. Our hearts fill with joy and thanksgiving whenever we think about it and that is every moment when we see Trenton playing, running to keep up with his big brother and just happy, healthy and here with us. We thank God every day for sharing his precious angel with us and bestowing his care upon us. We take NOTHING for granted any more and we thank God for EVERY blessing we have. I will not make this lengthy, we just wanted to share these thoughts with you and Christmas through a child's eyes with adult cares. Some of the following is borrowed from a Home-School organization site and various others that My Mother is sharing from special readings below that I'd like to share with all of you now, she's worked hard on this, as she does all our graphics; I don't know what we'd do without her........: Have a wonderful, BLESSED Christmas and we will share pictures with you as we take them!!! Thank all of you for being with us so faithfully this year, thru this Caringbridge site, e-mails, telephone calls, letters, cards, gifts, loving support, hugs and so many more things we cannot even begin to count or list. We love each of you. Because this Christmas, our hearts are already filled with so much love, gifts are meant for all others who need them. Our gifts have been too numerous for us to Count, we can only say again and again, THANK YOU ALL. We urge you to include others in your gift giving this year as well. We have listed some below, and there are soooo many, many more that are close to your hearts. We just want to share the true meaning of Christmas with you and urge you to give the best gift of all this Christmas, the gift of yourself, just as you have given us this year!!
We just had to share with all of you, our friends and Journey family
SCANS ARE CLEAR!! SCANS ARE CLEAR!!!
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!
PRAISE THE LORD
FOR HE CONTINUES TO BLESS US
WITH THE GIFT OF OUR CHILD!!
All I can say is, we believed the scans would be clear today; but as many of you close to us know, and those that have lived this world of cancer also know, .........us humans have a "scared factor" that goes way off the rector scale thru something like this. As we watch our little 2 1/2 year old fall into a very deep un-requested sleep by the medicines that travel quickly thru an IV, and to be then spread out on a gurney table, to then be slid back n forth for body picture-taking; your heart leaps out of your skin and in panting mode. A procedure that takes a maximum of 20 minutes in that dark radiology room, always COLD, always SMELLS of loud medicine and the reminder of loud hospital beeps in your ear as they are monitoring all his vitals, it seems to last for eternity. It truly is the longest 20 minutes of a parents life as you await this news. Greg and I stand there holding each other so tightly, next to Trenton's side, with our heavy armor radiation jackets covering our body, watching Trenton's breath move up and down thru his little chest, never to move away from his side. The doctors and nurses run back n forth with the same look on each of their faces, never to allow you to read their expressions as to what they are staring at, on their screen behind closed doors. The tears running down my face as a woman and a mother are the norm I think, but when it's your husband standing next to your side, with heavy tears, it's a sight nobody would want to behold. You are praying and watching Trenton lay there as his body is as stiff as can be, just wanting to grab him up, cuddle him around you with warmth and run away as far as you can, with him in your arms and from it all. When it's finally over, he wakes up to yell Mimi and Dada, all your worries go away for that brief moment and you know right at that very minute, there is nothing else in the world that matters, then seeing life thru your child's eyes!
Thank you all is an understatement as Thanks is never the right word; it just doesn't seem like enough. We are so grateful for your undying support you give us and have given to us and continue to give us every 90 days thru Trenton's scans. It gets more difficult with every scan for us, as we get to know our toddler more and more every day and watch him go from a baby, to a very, very sick cancer baby, to a miracle baby, to now 'a little boy' trying to gain PEACE thru it all. That is what all of you gave Trenton today, was PEACE...............he was such a Big Boy today; even tho there were screams and tears of WHY are they doing this to me today mommy...................we promised him he'd see the HO HO HO man again tonight, after we get him thru this day..................and that we will do, with our friends at CURE Childhood Cancer.......... www.curechildhoodcancer.org
as they are doing something special for many of the families tonight............what another blessing they all are...........always there to pick up the pieces with every child with cancer Family............they never miss a beat...........
and neither do you all..................Thank YOU!
Blessings to all of you and Merry Christmas...............
Ginger (Greg, Taylor & TRENTON)
WEDNESDAY 12/6 UPDATE BELOW:
Again, we wish you the most blessed season, and I have a lot more to share, but wanted to share a few very special highlights as most recent.....
We attended the Festival of Trees the other night and a tree was dedicated in honor of our sweet child,Trenton. The night could not have been more special.... It was decorated and donated by Jeff & Julie Martin (they have volunteered for 6 years and the last 4 years donating a family tree. We can't begin tell you how touched we were by the love and thoughtfulness that went into putting this tree together for our Son. It brings me to tears, just telling you about it because I could NEVER put in to words what my heart was shouting as I read every ornament, every sentiment and thought that was lovingly put on this beautiful tree. This tree will come to our house on the 10th of December and will forever be a part of our home decor, year round memories and moments to cherish. We can't thank them enough and for Ann Hewatt, who nominated him, and for loving our Trenton in such a touching and lasting way.
She borrowed some of these and has put them together for you to enjoy.
We Wish you and your family a
"Christ Filled"
Christmas
"All About Jesus"
A Christ Filled Christmas
http://www.geocities.com/twotweet2b/Lambs.gif Jesus is the reason for the season and we've always celebrated His birth in a huge celebration in this house, but more than ever this year
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. Isaiah 9:6,7
What does Christmas mean to you?
Is the focus of your Christmas the gifts beneath your tree?
The Bible contains the word gift 54 times.
The greatest gift that you can ever receive is a FREE GIFT of salvation that Jesus Christ has already bought for you and gift wrapped.
For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Is Santa Claus the saviour of your Christmas?
The word saviour is found the Bible 36 times.
Do your children think that Santa Claus is the greatest man who has ever lived! Take a moment this Christmas to introduce your children to the BIGGEST SUPERHERO that has ever walked on this earth.
Tell your children the miraculous story of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
"for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11
Is your Christmas a blur of activity filled with stress and chaos?
What does the Bible say about peace?
Keep your focus on Christ this Christmas and watch your burdens fall away! If the centerpiece of your holidays is the peace and freedom that believing in Jesus Christ offers, then all of the stressful and hectic details of the season will fall into place.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful." John 14:27
The True Meaning of Christmas
C is for the Christ child who was born nearly 2,000 years ago in a manger in Bethlehem.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. Luke 1:31
H is for the HOPE that Jesus brings to all who believe in Him and trust Him with their salvation.
"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:2
I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
R is for resurrection of Jesus Christ who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was both man and God, died on the cross for all of our sins, and then was raised from the dead (resurrected)and is now sitting at the right hand of God in heaven.
For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
I is for Israel who God chose to bring forth the promised saviour
of the world.
"Of this man's seed hath God according to [his] promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:" Acts 13:23
S is for the salvation that Jesus offers to all who are willing to confess their sin, believe in Him, and confess their belief in Jesus with their mouth.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
T is for the empty tomb on Easter morning.
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. Matthew 28:6,7
M is for the mercy God has shown the world by sending His only Son to suffer for our sins and bridge the gap between man and God.
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
A is for our AWESOME GOD who loves
us all unconditionally.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends. John 15:13
S is for the shining light that Jesus brought to the world!
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12
align="left">Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. ‘Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.Matthew 25:34-<
You can make a difference this Christmas season
Growing up is hard enough without Cancer™ 
Operation Christmas Child
T'was the night before Jesus Came 'Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house The children were dressing to crawl into bed, When out of the When what to my The light of His In the Book of The people whose I fell to my In the words of Jesus
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.
East there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!
wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be The Day!
face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said "It's not here" my head hung in shame.
names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound
While all the rest were left standing around.
knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and this sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.
this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!copyright © 1993
Bethany Farms, Carrollton, IL 
Others
Yourself!
Merry Christmas Everyone!!!
Greg, Ginger, Taylor of most of all Trenton!!
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 8:11 PM CST
Tuesday, December 5th 2006 WE HAVE A NEW UPDATE IN PREPARATION -
PLEASE CHECK BACK LATER ON!!
WE LOVE YOU ALL!!
Hi All,
It is me, Grandma Linda tonight. It has been awhile since Ginger updated and she asked me to reach out to you all and let you know what blessing have transpired in this last month. She loves to update, but I have to tell you, it takes my breath away watching them go in a whirlwind all the time. I guess, in my day, I probably did that, just don’t remember all that busyness. Just keeping up with Little Toot is a full time job…goodness. Anyway, just thinking of all the things they pack into one day wear us out!!!
As most of you know, Ginger and Greg have become very involved in the CURE organization to help raise funding to stamp out Childhood Cancer. It is a wonderful non-profit organization dedicated to conquering childhood cancer through research. As we all know, “Growing up is Hard Enough Without Cancer.” Ginger and Greg are both on the Board of this Organization now, tirelessly, working along side of so many other parents, physicians and researchers to achieve this goal for our children. I could go on and on telling you about the wonderful things CURE is doing for our Children with Cancer and their families, but instead, I will invite you to visit their web site and see for yourself how much they have helped and ask you to help Them, if you can. We MUST find a CURE for our Children and to fight this ugly, ugly disease. www.curechildhoodcancer.org.
This is a sweet picture we love of Trenton hugging the CURE bear. Took him awhile to warm up to the Bear, but when he did…he LOVED him!!
Friday, is Ginger's Birthday...Another Year has passed and my mind goes back to a year ago. My goodness…a YEAR has passed. We are so thankful for this year we have been given. Those of you who read our site regularly and have faithfully been with us throughout this journey might remember that it was just Last Halloween that we were praying so hard for Trenton to come through his 2nd bone marrow transplant safely and get home by Halloween. He was trying so hard, our little Hero, to get well and come home and… by the GRACE of GOD, he did just that. Just a year ago, Our little Hero looked like this and was holding on to his little pumpkin flashlight (given him by Mr. Reggie). It seemed that he knew that little light would lead him home…
God has given this family so many blessings, we cannot begin to take a count, and I don’t think God wants us to count them up, but to only Praise his name and that we DO. Every day, we Praise our Lord for his blessings on us, especially our Little Hero Trenton. We do not forget or take for granted, any of the other things that he has given us either, just the blessing of life, love, happiness, sustenance and things that we take for granted every day, the air we breath, the beauty that surrounds us, the rain, sun, His breath of the slightest breeze on our face on a hot day.. We are BLESSED just for the privilege that God has given us to be here to enjoy all he has intended for our lives.
Trenton is doing very well. You would never know he has had a sick day in his little life…and full of LIFE he is. OMG, he is full throttle forward..Whew!!! He just does his own thing, pushing all the rules of the house to the final thread before getting the “NOs”. He tests Mom, Dad, and little brother on every occasion. He is strong willed, intelligent, chocked full of fun!!! Again, we thank ALL of you for your faithful prayers and we KNOW you are still praying for him because we see it every day that we are granted with him.
Taylor, is doing wonderful too. We are SO PROUD of Taylor. He is working hard in school, getting all A’s and B’s. With all the attention and issues that Trenton has had in these 2-1/2 years, Mom and Dad have never failed to give Taylor all that he needs and more love than he could ever ask for. It shows in Taylor’s sweet, sweet spirit too. He is loving, considerate, polite and the BEST BIG BROTHER any little brother could ask for!!! He has been so understanding throughout all this, even though he has not understood the full grasp of all this, he is amazing to all of us. Just a GREAT KID!!! Hey…do I sound like a prejudice bragging Grandma? Yep, I guess I do, but I just want ya’ll to know you are praying for a wonderful family. We love them so much.
Last night the little goblins were out and among them was a little Spiderman and big brother, the Predator. He wasn’t the least bit daunted by all the other little goblins out there either…he just mostly concentrated on getting his sticky little fingers on that candy!!! He is definitely a cookie/candy monster!!! Ha!!! Just wonder how much sleep mom and dad got last night with all the sugar rush! Hmmmmmm bet they were yawning a lot today!!
I can’t help but to seek and Praise God when I write on this site because I am not only praying and speaking of our baby Trenton, but so many of the children that have touched my heart here on Caringbridge. I know all of you have traveled the journeys of many of our cancer families, some to a tearful ending and many with so much hope and many more with Praise for the Lord’s intervention, kindness and showing us His love.
It is so wonderful to know that it is HE, who watches us from above. We are NEVER out of God’s sight and this is the wonderful joy of being a believer in Jesus, is knowing that our Father in heaven is always watching over us as in David’s Psalm 34:15 “Whatever confronts us, the “eyes of the Lord” are on us and His ears “are open to our cry.”
Through this journey with Trenton, we have learned so much from Trenton, this disease, all the wonderful prayer warriors, your prayers and support, we have learned to TURN PAIN INTO PRAISE.
When affliction, grief, strife strikes us, how do we react? We are sometimes embittered, bewildered, anxious, panicked, frightened. It would be so much easier just to HIDE until the pain passes. We are all subject to these emotions and we have to work through each of these because we are but human. It takes a very strong Faith in God, a TRUST appropriate to God’s sustaining grace to endure. During this past year and a half, we have all learned to rely on God in our sorrow, anguish and pain. Through all the prayer and warrior support, we have learned to prayerfully encourage those around us by our Spirit-enabled cheerfulness, our courage and our confidence in God. We have relied on the Lord, and He has helped us turn our pain into praise.
Ginger and Greg hold on to a very fine thread every day, thanking God for EVERY SINGLE day they are granted with Trenton and Taylor. They do not take any day for granted anymore. That is something they learned very quickly and severely. God TRUSTED them with sorrow, anguish and pain. It staggered them greatly, but they have turned it around and did not faint or falter beneath the strain. Many times we wished God didn’t Trust them with SO MUCH, but He knew them better than anyone. Being parents of a Child with Cancer is definitely NOT for the faint-hearted! But they turned it around and they are now doing God’s work in His Service by working for other Cancer children and their families. Ginger would do this full time if she could just find the means to FIND THE CURE for ALL childhood cancer.
Join us in finding a CURE, Praying for a breakthrough for a CURE to keep our Children, our FUTURE healthy and happy. Praise is the song of a soul set free.
I will close now, again thanking all of your again and again, for staying with us, praying for Trenton, reaching a helping hand, as always to my family.
I love you all,
Sleep Well my family, God is always Watching,
Grandma Linda for Greg, Ginger Taylor and ALWAYS our hero, Trenton
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 5:41PM East Coast Time
DEAR JOURNEY FAMILY,
We are again, PRAISING GOD............for His miracle that continues on............
Another long day...........but so worth it to HEAR good news again..........................TRENTON'S SCANS ARE CLEAR!
Our dear friends & family, I can't stress to you, how scared we were on this one, as Trenton hasn't been feeling well and looked severely pale yesterday and today. (and the list goes on, with different side-effects which may arise in Trenton's day-to-day that give you so much fear as a parent). We've had so many tears today waiting thru this scan!.......
Therefore, I say again, WE ARE JUST PRAISING God again & again TODAY! It was a tearful long day, as every scan is so painful and scary........as the sweet nurses fight to find a plump I.V. vein in his little arms to put him to sleep...........the nurses told us that it's because he's had so many picc lines and blood thru his little arms the past 1 1/2 years, that they are hard to find and plump-up............but it's truly amazing how God reaches down and grabs Trenton, and holds him tight ~ (especially when we start singing 'Jesus Loves me in his screaming little ears) thru it all, God hears us and 'shows us He's with us and gives our family the strength! No matter how grueling it is to watch little Trenton screaming to the point of trembling thru this process and then the afternoon to just - WAIT.................but now to celebrate and SCREAM THE NEWS............THEY ARE ALL CLEAR!
(as nurse Erica said.........."guess what ginger, you'all can exhale once again") and exhale we are, along with glorified tears!)........so go ahead and cry joyfully with us, BECAUSE WE THANK YOU'ALL......for your prayers!
>i> Love and Blessings always, as we continue to "celebrate Life'
The Kindred Family, ESPECIALLY TRENTON xo
http://www2.caringbridge.org/ga/hannah/
http://www2.caringbridge.org/ga/kyliescorner
http://www2.caringbridge.org/me/dylanhartung
http://www.caringbridge.org/mo/jillsjourney
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www.superryan.blogspot.com
www.caringbridge.org/visit/shawnagrimm
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http://www.caringbridge.org/vt/megan/
http://www.caringbridge.com/ny/kendall
http://www.carepages.com/patrickchance
http://www.carepages.com/abbysmith12
======================================
"These Angels have Earned Their Wings"
and we miss them so very much:
----------------- http://www2.caringbridge.org/ga/ethan/
http://www.jakerobertson.tk/
http://www2.caringbridge.org/fl/davidjourneynorris
http://www2.caringbridge.org/il/kaitlynj3/
http://www.beebo.info/
http://www2.caringbridge.org/ca/destiny/
http://www2.caringbridge.org/ga/victorianewsome/
http://www2.caringbridge.org/fl/jacob
=======================================
>b>JOURNAL FROM Tuesday, 9/19
Dear Journey Family,
It’s September 19th and today we can all make a difference; all of us living in Atlanta anyway. Because today only, from 8am – 10pm, if you shop at Whole Foods in the Sandy Springs, GA store, they will donate 5f all sales to our very own CURE Childhood Cancer. Every dollar counts, and what a great way to support CURE and for everything they do to make a difference in helping to find a CURE for our children today at present, and possibly somebody we know once again, in the future. Their money really does go where they say it does, and they fight every day making a difference. Greg and I live every day at our 2nd job supporting CURE and for what they believe in. And speaking of believing, we can tell you first hand, that it’s the toughest thing in the world to watch your child suffer thru ANYTHING, especially a disease of any kind, where you feel helpless. As a parent, it zaps the life within you, out-of-you ~ every single day. THEREFORE, we ask all of you to join CURE childhood cancer and our family, to make a difference in this fight. Make a difference in this disease and hopefully we can have as much ‘awareness’ out there, as the Susan G. Komen awareness has out there, on Yoplait tops and Oriental Trading adds, you name it, if we make it real and aware, I know WE can ALL fight this childhood disease together ~ and make a difference!.
“okay, I really just wanted to ask you all to SHOP today”……….I guess you probably have caught on by now – tee hee Thank you…………..
Trenton has been doing wonderfully. Should I say more………. He’s been so healthy and so full of 2 ½ year old life, words can not describe. For all of you that have seen Trenton lately, he looks like a little Cherub ~ but don’t let those looks fool you – ha-ha! Yes, that blond curly hair and little chubbiness looks sweet, but watch out………..It is priceless to watch Trenton challenge his brother out in the front yard with a football or baseball bat or bicycle/tri-cycle and just plunge right in with all he’s got. And believe me, his big brother Taylor thinks of no-sacrifices for his little brother, they just go at it. It’s wonderful and again priceless!
But wouldn’t you know, a couple of days before SCAN day (yes scan day is tomorrow, Wednesday, 9/20); that Trenton has caught this nasty old cold going around. He’s so congested and sleeping terribly. All thru the night he grumbles & fights with the congestion in his nose and throat and not to happy about it. But we can live with an ole cold around this house, believe me; but the bad thing is, SCANS being tomorrow, and Trenton is always put to sleep with I’V’s and injected medicines; it’s always a concern, even without a cold. However, we are in good hands as always tomorrow at Scottish Rite and I know they will cancel the scans if there are any concerns. Therefore, we will arrive, (with no food or drink in his little tummy since midnight) at 7:30 in the morning at Scottish Rite, check in, try to get Trenton to drink the yucky juice one sip at a time, over a period of and hour or so, visit the Koi pond, (always a big hit), then tackle Trenton behind closed doors with I.V. needle in hand and after an hour of screaming, he falls to sleep with the injected medicine and we let him rest a while………….Scans begin around 10:30a.m…………..and results of course late that day if we are lucky or the next day on Thursday. We promise to let you’all know, you can count on that ~ as soon as we know!
But I also know we can count on your prayers. Our flame of HOPE never goes out, and I know your bridge of prayers carries us that far every day! We always thank God for all of you every night, as we thank HIM every day and night, as we pray for Trenton and his miracle of Life that God has blessed us with.
Tearfully and positively I close for the moment, but I will write more later…………..I have to run to a meeting and then stop by WHOLE FOODS to SHOP…..at lunch and on the way home…………SHOP for the CURE………..
Blessings to all of you, and as always, we pass onto you, "Celebrating Life",
Ginger & Family, and special hugs from TRENTON xo
Thursday, August 24, 2006 3:58 PM EAST coast time
Dear Journey Family,
Gosh, what a great feeling it is to have these test/lab/check-up days over with.
Everything looked good. Dr. Rapkin said not to worry about the NSE blood test anymore, he doesn't want to use it for further gauging for Trenton's tumor markers gauge. It's too much of a worry he's determined for parents, that would be US as well as the other neuorblastoma parents under his care. Therefore, he's decided to discontinue it all together and gauge only by the actual scans every 3 months and regular blood CBC tests. Since he feels these NSE tests are usually not accurate, we will also forget the bouncing around that Trenton's results were providing each visit. Instead, he's sticking to the every 3 month scans (next one due in September) which will be a CAT scan and regular blood work and then scans again in December and so on; HOWEVER, he will add a PET scan & CAT scan BOTH, in December for extra reassurance ...............
We consider this good news today, as we rely on the confidence that Dr. Rapkin gives us; but most of all, what our Father in heaven is providing to us.......and that's a visual that we as a family see every day, in Trenton's day-to-day healthy active little self. God's miracle that he wants us to LIVE.
Your prayers give us courage, God gives us the PEACE, Hope and Faith, and we were given another blessed day to celebrate our Trenton's life and his miracle. We were inspired by our news broadcast today, to share with the audience our child's uplifting miracle story, and how he's been given a new rebirth life already at the age of 2.
What a treasured life we lead,..........thanks for remembering Trenton today, but mostly for giving him your prayers...
Love to every one of you,
Ginger
As I always say, thanks for Celebrating Life with us!
Thursday, August 17th, 2006 1:12 PM EAST COAST TIME
DEAR JOURNEY FAMILY,
NEW UPDATE ON MY DAD:
Thanks to all of the prayers, my dad is home from the hospital. Amazing recovery out of ICU and now his body needs the precious time in front of him to heal from quadruple by-pass surgery. He sounds so great on the phone and Trenton and Taylor have enjoyed talking to him over the phone. Trenton is so cute trying to talk to him about his chest-wounds and he will point to the location of his central lines that he had in his chest when his grandpa talks to him. Priceless moment for sure, as our little 2 year old slightly remembers those days.......
Thanks so much AGAIN for your prayers and praying my father back home.
Our Father, thank you for watching out for us always......
In Gods hands......
Ginger & Family
Love the picture of Papa PAUL and Taylor above and Trenton enjoying his first campfire marshmallow! LIFE IS GOOD!
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LAST WEEKS UPDATE:
Thanks again for all your prayers........but this time for my father!
My dad is doing as great as to be expected. Quadrupel by-pass Surgery was challending on Friday, and not
anticipated to be so callenging, however, a success the doctors tell us.
Dad's recovery so far is showing greater results each hour. The doctors didn't even need to use the heart/lung machine during surgery. Dad held his own; which is very good during quadruple by-pass surgery.
He's still in ICU today, as he needed another blood transfusion, but hopefully he will move to his regular CCU room on Sunday.
Blessings to all of you for so many reasons, and for being our wonderful prayer warriors once again......
By the way, Trenton is doing great, feeling good and we continue to thank our Father in heaven for the biggest miracle of all, every day. We haven't heard the results from his urine test last week; however, we go to clinic for labs and check-up on August 24th; so we will talk to Dr. Rapkin about that test and his bloodtest that was slightly elevated last clinic visit. (this bloodtest is the only guage our doctors have besides the scans for monitoring neuroblastoma cells returning their ugly head again) IN NO way to us Kindred's and our family and friends believe this to ever happen, but the doctors need the medical test to always keep a close watchful earthly Eye.
On the 24th, we will also get our next set of scans Date for sometime the end of September........
Taylor starts school next Tuesday, August 22nd. He's excited, but as all children, sad to see summer go bye-bye. Taylor and Trenton have really developed a special bond this summer, as last year being in the hospital for most of the year with Trenton; I think Trenton was too young to understand that Taylor was his big brother and his family too. But this summer is just what they needed, so much time together! They steal my heart away for sure!
"God has a plan for all of us, He wants us to fulfill; and He'll provide the strength we need, to carry out His will - no matter where we are in our lives or what it may be......" (Paying it Forward, for all that He has done for our family)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY PRECIOUS HUSBAND TODAY. For all of our friends and family that were with us last year thru Trenton's journey; you may remember we just entered Bone Marrow Transplant no. 1 for our 36 day stay for BMT and little Hannah's (another neuroblastoma friend and patient) Mother and I decorated Trenton's hospital door with "DADDY'S turning 40" last year! A lot has happened since then and here we are,,,all of us HOME this year! God is Good!
Always believing in miracles,
Ginger & Family (especially lil' Trenton)
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UPDATE BELOW FROM THURSDAY NIGHT 8/10/06
Please pray for my wonderful father tonight. Daddy Paul was admitted into the Palm Beach Gardens Florida hospital today to the Cardiac Care Unit. He went in this morning to have a simple stint put in his heart for one clogged artery. We three kids were not aware of this procedure, as mom and dad didn’t want us kids to worry; as they felt our family had been through enough worries the past year and a half. Well needless to say, we of course straightened her out real quick on that note…………
Right after lunch today I got the call from my brother saying that mom called and dad’s been admitted to CCU and they have scheduled a quadruple by-pass surgery tomorrow (Friday August 11th) morning at 6:30a.m.
We needless to say are in shock as we had no idea dad was having or showing any problems what-so-ever. Our our hearts are very heavy tonight, but as we always have had so much faith thru our family, especially this past year and a half, we are forever strong holding onto that same faith, and that same hope to now bring our dad, and the kids Grandpa Paul thru this journey as well.
We believe in God’s miracles once again. Thank you for joining us in prayers tonight and tomorrow and for bringing grandpa Paul thru this intense surgery and onto better days playing with his grandchildren and as planned, to finish building his and mom’s retirement home/cabin in the mountains, here in Georgia, closer to their children and grandchildren!
As always, blessings to you and thank yous from us, for ALL your prayers, ………
p.s. TRENTON and TAYLOR talked to grandpa tonight, lifting his spirits, knowing that he was talking to his miracle grandchild and feeling God's power and feeling their spirit and love for him!
Ginger and Family
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UPDATE FROM LAST THURSDAY, 8/3/06 BELOW:
Dear Journey Family,
I know it’s been a long time since my last update, and there have been great things that have taken place since then. First and foremost, Trenton is just living a full 2 ½ year old life. He’s grown into a full fledged toddler, non-stop and a HUGE personality, expressing his every thought, very animated and full of laughter and meanness. Haha! Who would have ever thought what he’s actually been thru.
Secondly, we had a wonderful week vacation in July to Winter Park Florida and a day at Disney and our peaceful New Smyrna Beach, for which we call ‘our coming home spot’.
As many of you have surfed our site from time to time, still checking on Trenton, you’ve seen the JOY in all the pictures that jump right out at you, of our 2 boys; our friends; and our family on that trip and beyond that, just enjoying this hot summer. As busy and crazy as it was with our boys in tow and going from place to place, to visit in Florida and a 14-hour day at Disney ….it all sounds exhausting; however, it was PRICELESS to our family. …….. ALL because we could do a trip this year with Trenton having no central lines in his chest, no chemo in his system, no bone marrow transplant to return home to, no radiation bone pain no baldness with strangers staring and whispering and No Evidence of Disease in our sweet toddlers body. Our whole family paused many times on that trip; just as we still do daily here at home, with all these bad memories in our head, now being commanded these beautiful memories of BEING TOGETHER as one happy family should be. – Laughing, fussing, feuding, bonding and being a family!
Now let me tell ya about Trenton and his new LOVE – “It’s a Small World After all” - Trenton has gone from his favorite lullaby that was played over and over and over again the many nights in the hospital (called his “Trenton song” that was especially made for him on a CD by our friends the Sweeney’s 2 years ago)……….to now his favorite which is It’s a Small World After all…………..YES and I say YES, the Disney Ride! We go thru the house singing that now every night – seriously – he was mesmerized by that Disney ride that we all have grown to love (or some not love haha)……………It’s a Small World after all…………to the point that I have been trying to locate a CD or video with that ride from Disney to no avail. I wish so bad that we video-taped it and could run the CD on our TV for him to watch and listen to at his every urge……….(I wonder if I could talk Disney into doing that just for him)……tee hee – yeah right………Well…..we will just have to make another trip and videotape it this time……….Hopefully he will still be NED (as we believe always in God’s miracles) and still LOVING this special oldie tune!
Thirdly, it was with much LAUGHTER that we enjoyed our friends the Sweeney’s, Chandy Cooper and family and Dave O’Dell. We were so sad to say good-bye when our trip came to an end visiting with them. We have so many special friends here in Atlanta and Winter Park that it’s hard to decide where to live sometimes – but all my family is moving up here now, and that’s a HUGE blessing, so we need to stay put. Finally we will have both sides of our family living here and near. But we will always call Winter Park and New Smyrna Beach our Peaceful Home-away-from-Home!
Lastly, our favorite way to end our trip……..a couple of days at New Smyrna Beach. If you could place me and my family anywhere to gain strength and PEACE, it would be the BEACH………as I’ve written this many times in this journal……..God speaks to us thru the ocean I believe……….and I rest in His arms when I sit on the beach or the balcony near and listen to Him talking to me thru every wave that crashes ashore. Many of nights I lay in the hospital bed cuddling Trenton and I would take my thoughts and spirit to the beach and ask God to take us all back there one day soon. I know He Lives!
I am sorry I haven’t written in so long; as many of you are always so gracious for still checking on our sweet Trenton all the time and expressing to Greg and I that you miss my writings.
Well that is surely comforting to know that you miss my heart pouring out to you and expressing many of my fears, my family’s fears and our day-to-day triumphs with this journey. I hope you find a bit of inspiration or peace that you might not find on a normal day.
We’ve had several scares the past month, since our special news that all scans are CLEAR on June 22nd. Returning to the clinic for bloodwork every 28 days is always so humbling, as Trenton’s NSE bloodwork keeps performing elevated results. It scares us to death. They called this week to ask for urine samples and we haven’t had to do that with Trenton since his days last December in the hospital because they never were a strong enough gauge for reading neuroblastoma cells becoming active again. The NSE bloodwork was the only gauge they had to signal Trenton’s cancer at the time of diagnosis. That is what clarified Trenton as N-Myc stage IV, because of such high NSE results…………..but there is also something else so humbling about our 28 day visits and 90 day scans that I shared with my friend Kristin today.
When I delivered Trenton’s urine sample for extra testing, I came in with my suit on for work ready to tackle daily meetings, trying to be as ‘normal’ as possible, and the parking garage immediately overwhelmed my emotions, filled with sick children, as I wanted to kneel down to every single one, then the elevator opens and it’s filled with precious bald children in wheel-chairs that once looked like your normal school filled children, but not now, and then our home-away-from home clinic room filled with parents just like us, ‘worry in their eyes, commitments to God in their hearts to take me not them, shivers thru their skin and coldness in their movements’ just brings it all to the reality of a parent of a child with cancer. How can it be that there is truly a ‘real world’ going on outside of all of this? Our life at the Kindred house stopped on March 18th 2005, but it was replaced with a new one. Not a bad one, but a humble one! I ask how can the world still be revolving with so much anger and jealousy, how can board meetings still be conducted, how can political agendas still be in strife and a world at such war. If my heart breaks to pieces, I can’t imagine what God’s heart does. I’ve only been seeing this kind of world since March 18th, 2005, and now all else becomes trivial when you look into these eyes of children and the innocence and the strength they carry. I write to all of you about these specifics because I know you care, not to make you sad.
I’ve had a difficult time writing lately……not because the words aren’t there, as the words are there but the sadness is there as well. I want to write because I want to inform all of you of our daily path with Trenton, his every step and his every journey. But we are also so very scared at the little calls we get from the clinic and the elevated bloodwork and the doctor checking him and saying, “oh good no bumps” as if they expected one………………We never know what tomorrow brings with his grim diagnosis and if we know you’all are praying still, we believe he will never be confronted with cancer again! I believe this with my whole heart!
But I’ve personally had a hard time with putting the great words of hope, love, inspiration and happiness on paper, because I hurt for our dear friends who have been suffering, their hopes and prayers turned to their worst nightmares, losing their precious loved ones.
As you know, one of my dearest friends, Lee Ann lost her husband David (also our dear friend) to his 2 year battle of pancreatic cancer and let me tell you; if there ever was a man to fight it, he would be the one. He was positive, inspirational, wise, Christian, gentle, family man, loving, caring and had a heart filled with so much Hope he could have been a preacher himself. He was one of the most thoughtful men I’ve ever met…………so for his sudden death, leaving a wife of his dreams, a kindergartner, 2nd grader, highschooler and one graduating UGA on August 5th; it’s heartbreaking! After a day of miracles God gave us with David on that Friday before his death, it was just so shocking……..it was a strong powerful journey following his death on May 25th. All I know is, God is here and was here during that week. He truly gave all of his family and friends a true miracle on Friday Mary 19th from MD Anderson. God had to show us He’s alive and able to give miracles, but at the same time, He called David home following those days. As I write this it seems to make NO sense on paper, but it’s been real in many of our hearts. But it doesn’t mend the heart quite so quickly when you go from such a high, to such a low in such a short period of time, because we are all still in such disbelief as to the human ‘WHY’ of it all. It’s been hard to celebrate Trenton’s CURE while at the same time we are grieving the loss of our inspirational friend David. But God knows we are celebrating, but we are also humble enough to celebrate it loudly with him, while still trying to ‘pay it back’ in other ways!
………..Then to top it off, we got the news of our dear little Jacob. Our little caringbridge friend. For those just now reading our website, you’ve missed out on this dear family. But if you’d like to catch up, they can be found by reading : www.caringbridge.org/fl/jacob
He was precious to our family beyond words. We found each other thru the ‘thick’ of our journey’s together, but have actually never met in person! Brothers and Sisters in Christ finding each other along the way, for sure!
We stayed close-by thru every procedure and every event and every prayer vigil. But lil Jacob has now lost his battle to cancer and his dear family follows signs of his spirit still tapping on their shoulder daily, they know Jacob is stopping by with so many little signs they’ve shared with all of us. That alone is once again showing us God’s spirit and His miracles of giving us something to clutch on to. I feel all of this…………but it’s so hard for me, because I can’t bare the thought of losing our little Trenton. I count every minute we are with him, as it’s our last!
But again………….I hope you’all understand that it’s been so hard to write. As much as I believe in the Hope and Miracles God has given us, as much as I LOVE to write and it’s so therapeutic for me, I also realize that life is precious and it can be short, if it’s God’s will. I’ve had to soul-search a lot lately and by myself! That’s the best way sometimes. I don’t have anymore of the answers than before I started, but I have Peace, the same Peace I found in the hospital last April, deciding what road to take thru this nightmare journey. I’ve searched for them thru my wonderful ministry at church as well, as I find so much comfort there while the busy traffic is buzzing outside; we all don’t have the answers. But we do have the belief and the comfort to unite together and that’s what holds us together if we are fortunate enough to have the love and support of friends and family in large amounts……….because this truly takes an army of love to pull you thru all together.
Here’s some thoughts, and you can scroll down to the closure if you’d like, because I am known for being long winded, but ……………….
I have come to believe there is a hope that lives deep within the human soul when a child is sick. We all pull together and can do wonderful things. Walk thru your local pediatric cancer unit if you don’t believe me. Because you automatically think of your own children being sick and in need. Deeper feelings deeper than thought which can rip your heart out. Nothing else matters at this point. It’s a part of the way we were created to love and hope for each other, but when it comes to a child, nothing else matters. There is a history full of stories, not just ours, of people who somehow managed to hold on to a stubborn hope, long after they had stopped feeling hopeful, even after their loved ones have passed on.
I’ve discovered many of these precious people thru the inside of my own heart during the past year and a half, as we’ve struggled with Trenton’s CURE and his long, long days in the hospital. People ask HOW in the world do you do it. It’s a will to live, it’s a hope that’s more persistent than emotion, more basic than belief. It’s in our heart as parents, and in our bones to not take NO or survival percentages, as a final answer – you fight!
I must close now. Trenton is tired, Taylor had a friend over and bed is calling…..We always find “the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy down in our heart, and we have the hopes and prayers from all of you………….Thank you always from the bottom of our hearts……Sending love, hugs and prayers and always believing in miracles,
Please also add Patrick Chance to your prayers. He is our new friend that has just recently been diagnosed with Neuroblastoma Stage IV. He is on the carepages site at www.carepages.com, under the patient name Patrick Chance. They are a lovely family, here in Atlanta!
Blessing to all of you, speaking from my heart,
Ginger
Thursday, June 29, 2006 11:12 PM East Coast Time
Our Dear Journey Family, The boys just enjoying each Taylor just having Fun!!
WE are all so excited to leave for vacation tomorrow.......to Florida, our first stop is Saturday to stay with our dear, dear friends the Sweeney's in WinterPark, (Greg's hometown) the Sweeney's have been so dear to us thru this 1 year and a 1/2 journey. We can't wait to visit them for a couple of days......AND while we
are there we get to visit our sweet friend Chandy Cooper.....SHE HAS been
amazing thru our journey with Trenton. I can't wait till he hugs her for the
first time......Taylor and Trenton both better love on her lots.....Greg and Chandy have known each other since Kindergarten.......true sweet Friend she has been.....Dave will come visit us too in Winterpark, we call him UNCLE Dave even tho he's not really the kids uncle, but they love him so, because he's grown up with Greg as well.... 
other!!
THEN, Monday, we head to Disney for the Day. Yes, Monday July 3rd, hopefully Trenton can meet POOH in person....his Favorite guy! Alicia's friend Lori got us day hopper passess and we are so, so , so very thankful to her. We are so excited. Taylor hasn't been since he was 5 and Trenton of course has NEVER been - we are really looking forward to it.
Then we are off to New Smyrna Beach....yippeee. Our favorite of all beaches. We always find peace here and it will for sure be a blessed and peaceful time coming back here since Trenton was first born.
GOD THANK YOU FOR THIS TRIP - just because we CAN this year......we do feel so truly blessed to be all together, no tubes, no journey back to the hospital for bone marrow transplant or chemo or radiation...just a little cold in Trenton's body......but we can tackle that no problems.....
We love you all and will have tons of new pic's to share.....but for now we wrap our arms around you and still on cloud 9 with CLEAR SCANS......
Always believing in MIRACLES.....
Ginger and Family, especially lil' toot TRENTON....He's 2 years 3 months now - WOW xo
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Thursday, June 22, 2006 3:19 PM East Coast Time
A quick important UPDATE our dear JOURNEY family:
We've had a long day...........but so worth while............as Dr. Rapkin's office has already called us and everything is official......................TRENTON'S SCANS ARE ALL CLEAR..............His first scans since completing his one year and 3 month protocol to fight this monster..............He is officially off everything now........just 28 day check-ups and every 3 month scans for the next 2 years or so?! BUT WE ARE JUST PRAISING THE PRESENT IN TODAY!
........Greg and I LOVE YOU ALL...........thank you, thank you and thank you for all your screaming prayers into heaven - I know now we have a big angel up there opening those gates of prayers rolling in................THANK YOU DAVID..........!
Ok..............we need to go hug on two little boys now, TRENTON AND TAYLOR.......!
Ginger and FAMILY
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Wednesday, June 21, 2006 12:07 aM East Coast Time
Dear Journey family,
Trenton’s first scans since November are tomorrow (Thursday, 6/22/06 - since completion of his 15 month protocol as of June 11th 2006.
I don’t know where to begin. We’ve had so many miracles with Trenton this past year and 4 months, that the word Eternity and Celebration go hand-n-hand. But why haven’t I written much lately………..can’t explain it. I would have to shift you to another book; where you would possibly have more time, and can lay down, read, cry, laugh, celebrate, and put the book down and finally pick up again, finish the book and celebrate all over again………(and I can assure you, you’d be nervous till the very end……..) Well, I don’t have a book finished, and not that I ever will, but my promise is, to ALWAYS talk about this journey; share this journey and live the life that is pleasing to the promises of these miracles…………
With that said, let me first begin with TRENTON, and how he is doing - which is pretty darn wonderful!! He’s 2 years and 3 months old, meaner than a snake when he wants his way and sweeter beyond belief when he gets his way, thus.... a typical 2 year old.
It’s truly amazing to watch these experiences of his every day life, because at this time last year, we were only visualizing these kindof days again, lying in the hospital room, day after day and weeks after weeks, and months in bone marrow transplant but who’s counting anyway now). All-n-all, we prayed for these days over and over and you’all prayed and willed for these days for us. Now it’s here and it’s overwhelming to accept these triumphs sometimes, “hard to explain”, you’d just have to be in these shoes” as many of you have been in these shoes; but it’s a world full of joy and a world full of continued undying thankfulness. I know that God must take pleasure when He sees the results and feels the results of accomplishments thru His miracles at work. I cry many tears and sometimes it’s overwhelming the feeling that crosses over me as to what we’ve learned thru these 15 months and what we want to share with the world.
Church is always a peaceful place for me. I don’t have to see anyone there, but just being there. That is why I found myself traveling up the road to our Dunwoody United Methodist church a couple of weeks ago during lunch, after discovering that Trenton’s blood levels had increased, and that could possibly not be a good thing. Peacefulness was all I wanted at that moment in time!
As you sit still in a pew or therefore, behind a computer writing down your daily journal, talking to Him, my hands hold onto every word and every thought and every feeling we’ve been thru and experienced and lived by this past year and a half. I would say we’ve truly been blessed. Some would say "what in the world are you talking about"..........As in many ways, the entire experience of a loving precious child of your own with cancer, blessed may sound a little crazy, as many people would fear this as the worst possible nightmare,
………….and believe me, it was and still is; but it’s also something God has walked with us thru and never let us walk it alone, never for a minute! Therefore, we’ve been overly touched and blessed in many different ways. We’ve been blessed that He’s given us a stronger experience and a closer walk with Him. This is the truth for sure! This would be one that most people would never encounter. As I’ve always said thru this journey, if we didn’t have Him to turn to, what else would we possibly do? We’d be so lost, thru the darkest of our days……………
My heart has been so heartbroken lately tho, that I've had to reach out more than usual and unable to write.
An Empty heart would be the wrong words to say, as empty would be without Him in my heart and I’ve had to let Him take over a lot lately. As the human part of me has been very sad, emotional, nervous, scared and shaken. It’s been a sad, sad time. As most of you know one of my dearest friends husband left us, after his battle with relapse of pancreatic cancer. David was way too young to die and a dear friend. He was a wonderful father, courageous man, extremely humble and sharing and caring beyond belief, not to mention a devoted husband and friend and brother in Christ. The list goes on, and as my dear husband quoted “David makes most men feel they had or have had, no accomplishments in comparison to David” - it broke our hearts on Thursday, May 25th on the morning of his passing. We are all left behind to comfort Lee Ann and her sweet precious children left behind. We often talk about David looking down on all of us, and it gives us comfort in quoting things back-n-forth as to what he might be saying up there in paradise right now, looking down on us and our crazy daily ways. But at least it makes us talk with him and think of him and laugh many times!
And speaking of way too young to die; then we had the passing of our sweet little 6-year old Jacob. Whom of which we never met in person, but only thru this cancer journey and this precious gift of caringbridge. I know many of you have followed him as well with us. And what a truly inspirational family. I could only hope to carry the same candle as Heather, his mother has carried thru this ultimate fight and true journey of her precious 6 year old son, who fell silently in Jesus’ arms last Sunday night. www.caringbridge.org/fl/jacob.
So Along with David and now Jacob, this combined with Trenton’s scans approaching at the 7:30 AM hour Thursday morning June 22nd (tomorrow);and his blood test elevated, it’s shoved me to the edge. To talk to me on the outside, its laughter and calming conversation, but on the inside, I am torn to shreds. I don’t think my strength is as strong as our dear friends the Cartwright’s to endure such a loss, and as much so as the Duckworth family. But I know my dear Lee Ann tells me it’s “just going thru the processes and knowing that David is in a better place gives you peace."
But sitting here day in and day out with Trenton running and smiling and living life to the fullest, and anticipating life and it's newness each hour of every day; I find myself hollow in the thoughts of Trenton unable to live past the ages of being a toddler; as those are just little growing years that have yet to conquer many of things that life has to offer. And with his anxious personality and sweet tenderness about him, he’d conquer the world forthcoming but gracefully and with such a story to tell……………….but so did David and so did Jacob and the list goes on………..
So we pass thru these thoughts and we pray for tomorrow as we always do, for CLEAR SCANS for our baby Trenton. Our 9 year old Taylor has his special prayers every morning and every night for his brother Trenton as well.
Since We’ve all wondered about many things since March last year, like why in the world did our littlest son/brother have to be sick at his first year of his precious life, and the other questions as to why God would allow us to experience so much pain and suffering, (as well as our Cartwright family and Duckworth family) and why did these unexpected circumstances happen in OUR life, especially when we thought at one time we were giving Him our all. (well…………..I’ve now had a different view, as maybe God didn’t think we were giving our all and that our ALL would come later) thru these journey’s……………and I think it’s happening right now still. It’s taken me a lot of personal time to realize all of this, and still yet, I don’t know what tomorrow will bring with our sweet Trenton. But I’ve had a lot of discouraging days; to the point of a few days of what possible good could come out of all this in our lives, in our precious sons journey, how could this experience better or benefit others and me and my family…………………well for one, I’ve learned that me, me, me had too much emphasis on me, me, me. As ME, cried many of days asking God how he could allow my life to be turned upside down right after I had told him many times years prior that He could do anything in and through my life, and that He could have control of what he wanted to do in my life……………….well here ya go………..here it is………..but of course I didn’t think it would be so drastic…………
My point, now that I look back, I can see that; much good has been the result of this journey and I still don’t know what tomorrow brings……….but this experience has laid a foundation in my life AND my families life for confidence in the possibilities of prayer, if it is God’s will, miracles will prevail.
God has brought Trenton to these miracles we’ve witnessed thru his little body and I know I will not stop or leave here until my work is finished with what He has given me and my family. There is no single experience thru this journey that has given me this answer thru this journey, - From this point on, it’s been not about me, me, me and why, why why, but about God; therefore, I guess I was at one time more than a little confused, but thought I had it all together, before March 18, 2005.
I just hope Trenton can be an inspiration to us all, to learn thru this journey, as I know it’s not over yet. As the anxiety fills our bodies this week, leading up to these scans…….the reality proves that it NEVER leaves us, not for one moment.
The power of prayer is miraculous and I thank all of you for being with us and our dear friends we write about on this site as well. We could live our whole existence worrying about Trenton daily and trapped in the earthly things, thinking that life consists only of what is seen and feared, living by what we only want to understand in the present. We could be good and faithful and live the life we think is of the promises of the Word, and still miss out on really living…………….I think that is what we were doing before 3/18/05.
Love all of you deeply, for continuing to be with us thru this journey and the next step into tomorrow……………Trenton’s first scans since November and his completion of a 15 month enduring protocol to fight his Neuroblastoma Stage IV cancer w/ N-myc amplified cells……….
Believing in His daily miracles, both the ones we do see and we don’t see, every day,
Ginger and family, most of all little toot TRENTON xo
Tuesday, June 13th, 2006 3:37 PM East Coast Time
UPDATE:
On Monday, June 12th morning I was informed of such sad news......
Our hearts are so heavy once again, as It breaks my heart to inform all of you that our dear caringbridge friend Jacob Duckworth passed away Sunday night. Jacob was only 6 years old and had a rare childhood cancer. We became caringbridge friends thru another friends site thru our own journey and have followed Jacob ever since; as I know many of you have followed him as well.
Please say a prayer for this precious family who are suffering tremendously with this loss of their sweet little boy. My heart and soul just aches ........(www.caringbridge.org/fl/Jacob)
Jacob's been battling setbacks in the PICU for a while now. Many times it seemed like the doctors decided there's not much more they could do for him in past and as of most recent this past weekend; but as we all know from experience that God can work wonderful miracles no matter what the doctors tell you, and this sweet family made this to be true and believed this to the fullest, and in fact, God performed many miracles for Jacob in the past and thru Jacob, his mother always referred to him as AMAZING JACOB. But this time God called him back home to be with Him............Please think of Jacob and all the things he brought to all of us that he and his family touched.....and keep his family in your prayers!
Blessings for today, (I will write more soon)....
Ginger
=====================================
Hi All, Grandma Linda updating here.
Ginger actually has found herself at a loss for words…those of you closest to her, I am sure, find it hard to believe I’m sure. As her mom, I can tell you these times are few!
"The hurting ones need sympathy,
They need to know we're there;
A quiet word, a tender touch
Assures them that we care."
But most of you also know the family has suffered a crushing loss in their friend’s passing, David Cartwright. God called David Home on Thursday Morning. We don't know the reasons why God does things or understand God's timing. All we can do is have Faith that our Heavenly Father always knows best and will show us the way through the Valley of Death into the light. God will show this family the way He wants them to go and he has provided a circle of family and friends to be their guiding hands. "My Grace is enough for you; When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you. 2 corinthians 12:9
I was not fortunate enough to know David personally very well, only through his kindness and generosity of his time, prayers and constant helping hands to our family when they were hurting so much through Trenton’s Journey. David and LeeAnn were untiring at every turn, organizing, donating time, being there and listening, picking me up at the airport and always making sure I could be there when needed. We will be eternally grateful to their love and generosity.
David will be so very much missed by his wonderful family, who will be his legacy, as well as the hundreds of thousands of people David touched during his 51 years of life with his kind heart, loving soul and beautiful smile. David’s presence will be deeply missed.
For these reasons, it is time for some quiet and rest..time to reflect, gain strength and lean on our Savior for strength. “David fought the good fight, and he finished the race, he always kept the faith. —2 Timothy 4:7
LeeAnn and the children can rest in the fact that all who come behind David will find him faithful and his devotion to God and family can light their way. His footprints left behind will lead them to believe and inspire them to follow God and believe.
Before I get on to our update, Ginger asked me to be sure to ask for prayer for one of Trenton’s Buddies, Jacob Duckworth. Jacob continues to fight in the PICU in Florida. Please visit his sight from Trenton’s buddy list and also please leave him an encouraging word in his guest book. This family is truly an inspiration to all who keep up with Jacob’s progress. They continue to have FAITH, HOPE, LOVE and rest in the Lord’s hands.
Now to our Lil’ Toot, Trenton. Trenton is feeling good and looks wonderful. As you notice by all his pictures, he is a chubby and very active little two-year-old with all the two year old “attitude” that goes with it. But, all his little cuteness and sweet spirit outweighs any of his momentary tantrums or unhappy faces. Of course, most of those faces are reserved for Mom and Dad and for their benefit mostly too!!! Around Grandmas and Grandpas, he is angelic and can do nothing wrong and all just wonderful and cute little things.
With that said, there isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t thank our Heavenly Father for this day and all it is going to serve us with and especially for family, friends and our precious little Trenton. We take not ONE day for granted anymore and we are so blessed with EVERY day that we have with our children. God has given us such precious gifts in our children, no matter what their age.
Trenton had his check-up last week, everything checked out good and they drew blood. He started his LAST ROUND of Oral Chemo on Memorial Day and then it will be scans on June 22nd and bloodwork again on June 26th. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR CLEAR SCANS and CLEAR BLOODWORK!!! Prayers are precious jewels. "The Lord hears the good people and listens to their prayers." -1 Peter 3:12
The results of the blood work came back today with some uncertain news of “elevation”. Possibly, the doctors say, this could be from the fact that he is still on the oral chemo and they should have waited until he was finished with this last round. Never-the-less, it is heart sinking and scary to think ANYTHING is showing up at all. We know without a shadow of a doubt that “God has performed his Miracle and He never does anything less than perfect, so we are continuing to depend on Him to show us that even though he sends Doctors to us with the power of healing, lab results are not always true and can be in error. We are counting on this and BELIEVING in our Lord. We continue to be in prayer and ask that you continue to stay with us in prayer as well.
You have been our faithful prayer warrior for over a year now and God hears and answers our prayers. We remain positive and prayerful.
I will leave you tonight. We wanted to try and keep you up to date with our family and Ginger will be back with you and update regularly again very soon. I will leave with the devotional I read today, it strengthened me and God always knows what words I need to give me strength…
NO Fears at All
I am the LORD your God, who holds your right hand and I tell you, “Don’t be afraid, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13
We all need courage. Sometimes we find ourselves backing down more than standing up and standing tall. Satan will take hold of the slightest FEAR and turn it ino a negative thought which drives a WEDGE in our FAITH!!! JESUS scattered the butterflies out of the stomachs of his nervous disciples… He will do the same for us…we only need to ask.
Earthly fears are no fears at all. Answer the big question of eternity, and the little questions of life fall into perspective.
If you have trouble sleeping, try resting in the Lord,
Rest in peace tonight prayer warriors and our precious families,
Sleep deep and Rest for
God Remains Awake and watching over you
Grandma Linda for Ginger, Greg, Taylor and Lil’ Toot, Trenton
Tuesday, May 16, 2006 10:34 PM East Coast Time
Dear Journey Family
Trenton is doing really well. I will write more
about his cute little self next week! We count our blessings on our knees daily, Praising our Lord.
But I would like this weeks journal
to be dedicated to our dear friend DAVID CARTWRIGHT. David as many of you know relapsed the end of last year with Pancreatic cancer.
David and Lee Ann (his wife)are dear friends of ours and many of you checking our website as well. Therefore, any and all of you that take care of us thru prayer daily, that we've needed so desparately, we ask you to please dedicate this week to David, as he and Lee Ann travel to MD Anderson for very crucial scan results on Friday morning in Houston.
We are holding a prayer vigil in honor of David this Friday morning at 8am at our school. We will all unite in
prayer at this hour, in hopes to open heavens gates, and as many of you know, storm heaven for another lasting miracle - because He's there and He works!
Worrying about this cancer, and what turns it can take in a heartbeat, will worry us all, but worring changes
NOTHING; however, PRAYING about it, united together, can change EVERYTHING......
Please United together with us this Friday, May 19th at 8am Atlanta time.
Blessing and miracles, and God Bless,
PLEASE ALSO KEEP OUR LITTLE Caringbridge buddy Jacob Duckworth in your prayers this week, as well
he's our special little hero for sure and we check on him daily-he needs your prayers....
www.caringbridge.org/fl/jacob
Ginger and family especially from our little toot TRENTON xo
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last journal update below:
Hello to all:
It has been quite a while since I have had the opportunity to update my little hero's website since Ginger found her true calling by picking up a pen and speaking to you from her heart. So I am honored to have the privelage of updating you today.
Let me first say thank you to all of the many people that continually pray for Trenton. I am reminded every day by the comments, letters and e-mails of all the people still thinking about him and praying for him. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I can't say it enough.
Well where to begin. Life is pretty routine right now. We have begun to slip back into some sort of normalcy (???)at the present time. Taylor is busy at school while also playing baseball at Morgan Falls. Did I mention he is pitching? He is a great little athlete with a fierce competitive drive. That doesn't sound like a proud father does it? Anyway, Trenton has rebounded from all of the horrors of last year like the hero he is. He has grown into a full 2 year old with all that goes with it. He is in the 75 percentile on the growth chart, which means he is big for his age. As you can probably see from the pictures his hair has grown in and the scares on his little chest have now become more of a memory. He is still taking his oral chemotherapy by mouth, but he goes on about his business oblivious to the fact that it is medicine. With God's hand he is surviving.
Now with all of that said Trenton had his routine check-up today at the clinic. Ginger has been carrying the burden of taking him each visit by herself, but today I decided to surprise them and I actually met them there for the appointment. Friends I can't describe the feeling of stepping back into the place where we spent so much time and heartache. To walk the floor and see the kids without hair, with tubes hanging from their little arms and chest and to witness the cold stares from the parents brought it all back. It is a reality check that I hope no one ever has to encounter with their child. However, if you ever need to get a perspective on life I would urge you to visit.
Now before I end I would like to answer the question I am often asked. How am I and How is Ginger? Well there is the easy and quick answer which is we are doing good. But the harder and longer answer is we are doing the best we can. I don't know if there is a manual out there that explains how you are to act and feel as a parent after treatment stops and you wait. If there is I am eager to read it. There are days when things are somewhat normal and we are busy with life. And then there are days when worry about the future takes hold and its tough. Needless to say Ginger and I find ourselves on our knees praying to God quite frequently. However, we believe in miracles and we continue to be strong in the knowledge that Jesus is with us and Trenton.
Prayers needed.....
Please keep David Cartwright in your prayers. For those of you who know him he has been such an inspiration as he fights his own cancer battle. I have never been around him when he was not smiling and gratious to everyone he meets. Dear David: Your courage is overwhelming.
Well again I am grateful for those that continue to check in with us. I can't tell you the impact you have had on our lives. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
May God Bless each and every one of you...
Greg, Ginger, Taylor and Trenton aka Little Toot.
Tuesday, March 14th, 2006 10:05AM east coast time
Dear Journey Family,
Here I am writing to all of you on Trenton’s birthday, March 13th. I’ve always been a huge celebrator of birthdays and love doing everything over the top to acknowledge my family and friends birthdays when possible. But when it comes to your kids from a general note, you always want to make them smile on their special day! Every balloon, every candle burning on that pretty cake and all their friends celebrating their day is all so magical! The heck with the gifts, as that’s just an added bonus, the spotlight alone makes them feel special! It’s always been about family, friends and recognizing it’s your special day for which you were born! BUT THIS TAKES THE CAKE for sure! (No pun intended) - Trenton’s 2nd BIRTHday! First of all he’s a miracle in every way, as all children are I’ve come to realize. The very act of BIRTH is a miracle only God could create and re-create to such perfection. With all our imperfections, He gives us a miracle every day when He gives us the BIRTH of a little child. Miracles we take for granted sometimes, that occur daily right in front of our eyes!
So we CELEBRATED our Trenton’s birth. Just as we will celebrate our oldest boy Taylor’s birth this coming Saturday! If I were to die next week I would be truly blessed! I’ve witnessed miracles, lived His miracles and truly relish in the fact that I have a wonderful family! We’re not perfect by any means, but that’s what makes it a family to relish in!
Well okay, I’m crying now! So on to the many thanks for what has been given to us the past week and a half. As you can tell by some of the new photos mom will be posting for us, we’ve been enjoying each other. We went to the beach last week! Can you believe it? YES, I started a new job 2 weeks ago and then left for the beach for a week. But of course the time off was planned ahead on that one a bit. Only to request time off to spend with Taylor and his school spring break – since last spring break we were sadly diagnosed with Trenton’s cancer, by finding the lump on that week of March 7th! Then the year before, Trenton was born and of course we were home and a little busy to say the least. So Taylor has been just hangin’ out the past couple of years at spring break, which isn’t a bad thing – as I think Spring break trips can be somewhat overrated! But the fact that Taylor’s just been watching us parents in a little bit of a busy consumed state, from the sidelines, actually made us want to recognize this one! So we thought this year we’d take time off, stay home and just enjoy going to the movies, zoo, and the park, throw baseball and just spend quality time together! Well, that WAS the plan!....... But then some dear friends Bill and Jeannie Cook had their condo available at Santa Rosa beach, and offered to let us stay and enjoy their pretty place on the beach. THANKS BILL AND JEANNIE, we can’t thank you enough, these memories will forever be cherished with us. We packed up last minute and took the boys to the beach. Didn’t have to rush back to Bone Marrow Transplant, to the hospital, scans, chemo transfusions or nothing; just enjoy a week at the beach, eating in a lot, cooking seafood inside and sitting on their beautiful deck enjoying the beach by day and the moon and stars by night.
Watching Trenton and Taylor dance around, play together, argue together, and be silly with one another and Trenton trying to say M-O-O-N over and over 1,000 times. It was great – BUSY, but great!
I don’t know about you’all, but as I’ve said a million times before, there is nothing to jumpstart the soul – like the BEACH can. There is many reasons God has given us the ocean and probably for many reasons other than my ‘simpleton’ version as to the why’s – but my version is “for us to stop, listen, rejuvenate our spirit and soul, to gather ourselves so we can go back to tackle our every day tasks. When I breathe in the salt air, listen to the waves crashing in every other second, both day and night, its food for my soul! Like I said, there is a reason God made the ocean; sometimes I think it was just for me and my family, so we can envision a special place to go back to, when things have been at their utmost sad, this past year! Thank you my Father for giving us this outlet to rejuvenate our soul!
Thanks again Bill and Jeannie, what a beautiful gift to our family, to be able to enjoy your home away from home! Xo
Well we got back home Saturday late night, and then celebrated Trenton’s birthday on Sunday, God’s day. And it was so beautiful here in Atlanta! Warm, sunny and hardly a cloud in the sky – topped off with a full beautiful M-O-O-N to fall asleep by. Trenton and Taylor were both exhausted. His cousins and Aunt Jackie and Uncle Jeff drove 2 hours down to visit, mama and papa Kindred, Uncle Randy, Aunt Toria, Chris, Zoja and George and our wonderful friends the Cook family were all there to celebrate. Mama and Papa from Florida and Aunt Kathy and Arlo will join us this Saturday for Taylor’s birthday too!
The kids all played so hard and it was a great time by ALL.
Prior to leaving for the beach Trenton and Taylor received such special gifts from our dear friend Chandy in Florida. A special sports prayer plaque for Taylor and the cutest baby blessings video for Trenton. They watched that video and danced to it on the way down and way back from Santa Rosa. Thanks Chandy, you are forever so thoughtful! We cherish your sweet friendship!
Another surprise was today. We received 8 cards from St. Paul United Methodist Church in Orlando. Greg’s old church growing up. I can’t tell you how touched we were. They sent in each of the 8 cards, two dollars with every card opened by Trenton, for his 2 year birthday, signed by all our special friends there, children and adults. Also they included another nice little surprise to Trenton for his savings account. We ourselves weren’t only touched but also Greg’s parents were. They have been such a supporting family and church down there for us. We thank you Patterson family and all of you at the St. Paul UMC in Orlando.
We also received some special cards from near neighbors and far-a-way friends and hospital friends! So now you all can see why we feel so richly blessed. On a daily basis, no matter how tired we get coming home from work and the small amount of time we have with each other, we try to stay focused on the moments we do have together and the family and friends that love us so much and love our Trenton and both of our boys with such devotion! How could anyone ever continue to thank you so much? All I can come up with is to have our family to “pay it forward”! If we all could do this, we’d create a better place!
In one of my books I remembered reading, that the only certainty in life is uncertainty – and Lord we Kindred spirits know that to be so true! Yet deep in the human heart is a yearning for security – that won’t ever go away – just needing a solid foundation of LIFE, to live it to it’s fullest as if it’s your last day, a foundation that you don’t want ever to be shaken! Well we’ve found it thru the blessings we’ve been given! From the darkness that was upon us this past year, turned to prayer warriors believing enough to Trenton’s CURE, isn’t the only miracle He’s given to us, He’s shown us the blessings stemmed from it all as well – thru YOU and your love, support and togetherness!
God Bless and thank you for sharing this special day with us! I love writing to you all – I love sharing with you all the newness of our crazy back to normal kindof days! I can’t believe it will be one year this Saturday March 18 since our one year diagnosis. We look forward to celebrating Taylor’s 9th birthday on that day! Please celebrate with us, and kneel to praise God for answering our many prayers! God is good, God is real, and we will never take his miracle for granted!
Believing in our everlasting miracles!
Ginger and family
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PLEASE keep our dear friend David Cartwright in your prayers and his precious family. We received news this past week that his cancer relapse isn't working as well as we hoped with his latest treatments. We need prayers that his new protocol will heal our dear friend David. Our hearts have been so heavy this week - we just believe in the power of prayer for his healing!
ALSO our other children with cancer: Kendall (he recently relapsed neuroblastoma - please visit him and pray), Sarah W., Ali, Hannah, Jacob, Kylie, Chandler, Jack, Catie, Jake, Jay, and more... unfortunately the list goes on. You can see our friends if you would Please visit our personal site at www.trentonsjourney.com, under ‘trenton’s buddies’ to visit and pray for every one of these sweet children.
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ALWAYS remember: I Hope You Dance
I Hope You Dance
by country singer, Leeann womack
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep the hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love never leaves you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking
Loving might be a mistake but it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out reconsider
And give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
When you get the choice to sit it out or dance
DANCE...
I hope you dance... I hope you dance...
time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along - Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone
MONDAY, December 19th, 2005 11:27PM EAST COAST TIME
Our wonderful Journey family,
I apologize for not writing sooner. We’ve had many things going on. Radiation every day has been going very well. Trenton is doing well; he’s so strong and makes this his every day routine now, as it’s a normal part of life! But it’s good to know that he doesn’t really know what’s truly going on. He’s had no side effects that we can tell so far until this weekend. He’s developed a very raw sounding sore throat that they say also feels like a lump in your throat and difficult to swallow. Hard to eat and difficult to talk! It breaks our hearts to here him trying to talk his few words in his vocabulary and here how raspy he is. To say the least he is extremely irritable with it all, as I know it’s very painful for him, you can just tell. But we are blessed with these minimal side-effects and as hard as they are to watch him struggle thru it all, we know it could be worse, so we thank God for the worse side-effects that he DOESN”T have. I consider that a blessing!
Please continue to pray for our dear friend David Cartwright. He will begin radiation tomorrow. The cancer has returned in the lower back and middle back. There are several "spots" that they will radiate starting tomorrow! Please keep this wonderful family and special friends of ours in your prayers. They mean so much to us!
I have been slack in writing for many reasons.
One being we are enjoying being home as a family in closing down this 2005 year.
Two being we are all very busy trying to enjoy the holidays approaching and getting everything done, but slowing it down a few paces this year and enjoying every minute of it, no matter how long it takes us to accomplish things as a family.
Most importantly we are counting our blessings and thanks that we are HOME together to celebrate this season and NOT inpatient at the hospital. What a year?!?!
Lastly, our friend David and his new journey he has to take on again have consumed us and our hearts. It was a shock to us all! Their family means so much to us and it breaks our hearts seeing them having to use their second ‘kitchen-pass’ to lift up and be strong all over again towards this ‘C’ beast. But, David is a fighter and if anyone can take on this cancer once again, David can do it. Lance Armstrong has nothing on him - if he can do it and many others positive and strong life him can do it, David WILL for sure do it. We back him and his family every step of the way and are here for them, mostly in strong prayers every day for his ultimate healing!
It makes me so crazy sometimes - We all hide behind the fear of cancer returning it’s ugly self back into our lives and it’s a hidden fear that nobody should have to experience, I just can’t stand it. It ticks away at you on your best day and it pounds at you on your very worst days. It can consume us with so much anxiety and fear and try to get the best of us all. BUT we can’t let that happen, as I told my friend the other day, with Trenton, I only focus on the Power of God and if I didn’t have that it would be so much more difficult of a journey. We focus on the positives and it keeps us ALL healthy I think.
We are so thankful for many blessing as we approach the New Year. We are happy to say bye-bye to 2005 however – to say the least. But we have so many THANKS for all of you. Thru all of this suffering this past year in watching our little Trenton’s 2nd year of his life being such a struggle, I’ve learned that suffering can strengthen your Hope and draw you even closer to God. And shared suffering can sweeten your hope by drawing you closer to other people.
Well, you’all have definitely shared our suffering and we could not be closer to so many people and thankful and blessed by having all of you as our family. We thank you for suffering, laughing, loving and growing thru this gift called life and miracles thru God, with us thru Trenton’s Journey. We couldn’t have done it without all of you! Trenton could not be such a miracle without all of you and your power of prayers…………
I hope you stay close to us. I promise to write in the update as I enjoy keeping close to all of you about Trenton, as long as all of you will listen and keep praying and checking on Trenton, I will be here to inform you, no matter how bored you may get on some days……….hopefully there will be many of those normal bored days, as you watch our Trenton heal and grow up and stay a miracle thru a long journey of Life and Celebrating it one day at a time.
“When Hope is all around you it’s hard to ignore……….and as Hope grows we pass along love and help to one another………..it’s a never ending cycle……….
Lots of Love tonight and always, talk to you again very soon! TRENTON’S LAST DAY OF RADIATION IS THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23rd!…………..YEAH – another part of our journey soon to be complete! Trenton my son – YOU are amazing and our Hero!
Ginger and Family, especially our little TRENTON xo
---------------------------------------
ALWAYS remember: I Hope You Dance
I Hope You Dance
by country singer, Leeann womack
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep the hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love never leaves you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking
Loving might be a mistake but it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out reconsider
And give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
When you get the choice to sit it out or dance
DANCE...
I hope you dance... I hope you dance...
time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along - Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone
Saturday, November 19, 2005 109:43 PM east coast time
Our dear journey family,
(I apologize for this being so long, but it’s informative as to what we are facing) and many of you are concerned as to what’s going on.
First, thank you from here to eternity to all of you and for all your real true prayers that prayed our baby Trenton to this point and ALL - CLEAR SCANS – all 4 of them – how true of a miracle can this possibly be? The largest and we are so blessed! We praise our Father! We ask and we shall receive such a miracle. We have been clear of tumors since round 3 of chemo back in July and we still keep ‘forwarding on’ with our long protocol, questioning everything we do as we move forward, feeling in our hearts that we’ve already been healed by our Father’s hand and His miracle has risen thru Trenton! Every battle came with a question, should we put our Trenton thru so much more pain and risk of things to come thru every step? We did, and we have, and we’ve been blessed by God to endure and succeed. There is no other reason Trenton’s made it this far and with such miracles than thru God.
We’ve surrounded ourselves with so much Hope and we’ve received the gifts of Hope from above. One simple, practical way to increase the sense of Hope in our lives is to add a touch of hopefulness to our journey every day and that we’ve done since our ride on this journey from March 18th.
Well then, why do we find ourselves once again at another huge crossroads? One that was totally unexpected with such negative, tearful side effects for our Trenton and radiation – words can’t describe our pain. So many people we’ve talked to said, “radiation was no big deal.” But little did we know, as far as Trenton’s case goes, and every child is different, …………. The age thing is not in his favor in this case with radiation! We didn’t ever ask in the beginning about radiation, we needed to conquer what was in front of us at the present, and they didn’t inform us at that point either; probably for the same reasons, and we just plain didn’t know!……….until NOW!
So now what - Decision making time, and being a parent of a child with cancer, we find ourselves at another place we don’t want to be. Why can’t we be given this time to enjoy our miracles of 4 clear scans that God has blessed on our baby Trenton thru this long, long enduring week of I.V.’s, sedation, screaming baby, as soon as any medical personnel enters the doors to each scan knowing he’s going thru a deep sleep once again by needles and drugs and sedation.
Trenton has been put to sleep for procedures/surgery’s about 32 times since March, and now he’s pending for 12 more sedations all in a row during radiation in the month of December, 2 and half weeks before Christmas. How much can one little 20 month old possibly endure? Not to mention the 5 rounds of chemo, 2 bone marrow harvesting’s and 2 bone marrow transplants, Candida yeast virus/infection that took the ultimate toll on his little life during bone marrow One.
So now we are faced with radiation, another unknown, but one we thought was the easier path of this journey towards the last 8 months of protocol. We totally thought this part of the journey was the easiest part for Trenton to have to overcome; but little did we know as we’ve now been advised differently. And I’m not talking about the normal side effects of sunburned skin, irritation, raspy voice from soar throat and irritated esophagus and all those normal effects. I wish that was all there was!!
Our consultation with our radiation doctors yesterday was gut wrenching to say the least. To make a decision like this as a parent is not easy. The info is like this: Being that Trenton is so young and based on his diagnosis being HIGH RISK/n-myc Neuroblastoma, we are being advised that radiation should be a part of his protocol for survival since his prognosis was 20 percent of survival.
However, we’ve now been advised that the long-term side effects could deform Trenton’s left side where the majority of the tumors were located in Trenton’s body. Near the spine, behind the left lung, under the left arm following up to the bottom of the left earlobe, which would more than likely cause Trenton to lose his Thyroid as well. The good news is, Trenton can be treated with no Thyroid (not a pleasant thing) being on Thyroid medication for the rest of his life, but the least of our worries at this point for sure! So the heart wrenching news is, babies grow the most between birth to age 5. So Trenton’s growth would slow down or subside on the left side from the radiation, not able to catch up with the non-radiated right side and causing many deformed growth problems as well as scoliosis and other major side effects that I’d rather not get into at the moment, as this is all still so new to our hearts and still in our decision making process as we carry our discussions further with the doctors after Thanksgiving.
Our hearts ache tonight. Our heart has been ripped out once again with this unexpected news that has just been laid upon our hearts and minds. As we watch our baby mastering his walking and running and putting so much joy in his own little heart in these accomplishments and for us to now think that we may need to deform his little body as his new years approach him, in order to give him his 20 percent chance of survival and with that, we STILL have no guarantees. Of course we take our 20 percent in our family and make it a 100 percent and would do anything for his total healing, that’s just the positive attitude we’ve held all the way thru this, but now this, - It’s just so hurtful and painful to a parent with their own little child, it takes the smiles right out of your heart.
We seek so many prayers right now before Thanksgiving - What do I say but WE NEED STRENGTH. We have already put this child thru so much, fighting for his Cure and he has endured every bit of it so diligently. Slowly, uncomfortably and with more tears and pain than any of us adults could ever withstand, but he’s done it, so big and so tough. Now we parents are faced with this decision, as I thought we’d already been given so much hurt and seen already so much pain. If he were 5 years old or older, we wouldn’t be having these side effects to face as much the doctor said, and if he wasn’t High-Risk with n-myc, we still may not have these issues to face, as we would have a greater chance of survival, especially with tumors gone since 3rd round of chemo. However, these are the cards we’ve been dealt and we need to deal and ‘forward on’. (So easy to say right? – but so difficult as you are here wearing these shoes)
So many of you may ask us “ARE WE THERE YET?” And we are always so joyful with such good news of our scans and wanting to celebrate, but there is always another unfortunate battle to hit us, and wants to quickly knock us back down! And this one is a big painful one for sure!
So “Are we there yet? - We’re kind of like children in the backseat of a car, hoping for what’s around the corner, seeking the excitement of what’s yet to come (clear scans, the Cure, finished with all the bad stuff), and we’re all unable to comprehend (just like children) when we’ll really get where we’re going. And like children in the backseat, we grow restless and irritable. We may even start doubting – whether there’s any reason to Hope, but hopes been my middle name thru all of this, it should have been my middle name thru life, as I’ve always thought if none of us had Hope, how could we possibly survive.
I feel that lifelessness way sometimes, especially all the pain Trenton has been thru for half of his little life now and NOW THIS! It’s like getting kicked right in the stomach all over again. I look upon our child’s disease and it seems so big and he’s so little and he has endured it so much that I become discouraged thru his pain and being so young not yet being able to enjoy his life fully! I can hardly believe all this – the tumors, the fatigue, the treatments – the life threatening challenges and NOW THIS! – it’s all happening to our family!
But it’s times like this, as I kneeled next to my Trenton’s bed last night with tears of fear and more worry, while he’s sound asleep, when I pray to God and ask him to give me ‘yet another batch of strength’ and ‘yet another sign that he’s going to answer this HUGE decision for our baby thru our hearts and mind’ and at that time I suddenly remind myself ONCE more who we are – and WHO the parent really is here! – Are we there yet???
It’s GOD, he’s our Father and he operates on his own time. He knows the end from the beginning, and he has a bigger plan in mind and knows what the outcome is, we just need to slow down, educate ourselves and LISTEN.
I remember reading “God is an 11:59 God, and we children keep on thinking it’s 12:20 when it’s really only 11:39. So we wait, fidgeting in the backseat, for God to do what he said he would.” I always fidget, no matter what it is or what time it is! – and this especially so!
Sometimes, too, I’m just waiting for feelings of Hope to return during times like these. Sometimes my discouragement is simply the result of living in mortal body and living in a fallen world where all this hurt is around us every day – CHILDREN and sickness it’s unconscionable, it’s so unfair as can possibly be! Sometimes it just gets us down, and our sense of hope just drains away during times like these.
“Our life is like a tapestry of intricate design
With lovely patterns taking shape as colors intertwine,
Some of the threads we weave ourselves
By things we choose to do –
Sometimes a loving Father’s touch adds a special hue.
And though tomorrow’s pattern is not for us to see –
We can trust his faithful hand through all eternity.”
I Believe and I know in my heart God is going to lay his hand upon us once again, on our little Trenton and we will make the right decision. Either way, it’s a decision we cannot look back on, either way, we have to believe it’s our baby’s ultimate CURE and to be here on earth with our family for many more Thanksgiving’s and Christmas’s to follow and share with his family that he so deserves!
God wants us to grow; I know he doesn’t want us to give up. He will give us what we need to endure our waiting period and our hurt thru this toughest decision and keep moving forward toward Hope!
With all my heart, looking for the right decision and resting in the promises of God,
Wednesday, November 9, 2005 11:05 PM east coast time
THE MRI IS CLEAR!!! YEAAAA!! PRAISE GOD!! -NO MORE SCANS- YEAAAA!!!!
PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR CLEAR SCANS - NORMAL BLOOD WORK...PRAY FOR NO MORE CANCER!! PRAY UNCEASINGLY FOR OUR BABY TRENTON…
THANK YOU...THANK YOU.. FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!
WE HAVE THE BEST PRAYER WARRIORS!!
Hi Journey Family,
It’s me tonight, Grandma Linda. I was moved to write tonight, mostly because of the precious picture we posted today showing Trenton and his sweet brother, Taylor. I don’t have to explain that picture, the look on Taylor’s face tells the entire story of a brother’s little heart. As much as an 8 year old can possibly understand of all this, it is that little look of love, fear and concern that says how much he loves him and he wants him to wake up and come home, no more owies!!!
I know all of you sometimes wonder where Ginger & Greg are and why they haven’t updated in a few days, but as she has explained so many times, they really are so very busy with Trenton and Taylor and just, every-day life as well. Sometimes, they are just mentally and physically exhausted and more often than not, their emotions take them over and they can barely speak two words, let alone write them. So just be patient, because they will always keep you up to date on their baby's progress as they can.
But of late, they are busy running back and forth to Clinic, getting blood drawn and scans and PLANS for Trenton’s future treatment. We still have so far to go, but not nearly as far when we look behind us. Oh Thank you God, for our journey so far!!! We have been SO BLESSED that we have our baby and he is doing so well at the moment. We are SO BLESSED that he is getting to be a little toddler and reach some of his milestones right now. We do NOT take any moment for granted, trust me. We are SO BLESSED to have had each and every one of you along beside us throughout this journey. You have been strong companions and faithful in your prayers. JUST LOOK AT THE RESULTS!!
It is with abounding joy that I am able to write this tonight, knowing that our baby is safe at home, tucked into his little bed without fear of someone coming in to wake him in the night with yet another stick, poke or procedure. Every day that Trenton is home with his family is such a deep blessing, we cannot even begin to describe our hearts to you. We can only PRAISE and THANK GOD and THANK each and every one of you, prayer warriors.
Trenton has had his blood work done now and today, the PET scan. He still has the MRI to go thru on Thursday and then…we find out the whole picture and plan. PLEASE KEEP HIM IN YOUR PRAYERS…Unceasing intercessory prayer. It works, it has been working Praise God!!
Ginger will update when she gets all the results from these tests. She hasn’t forgotten, believe me. You have been her lifeline and her hand to hold as well.
On that note, we are reminded that as Christians, we have a built-in list of unifiers that keep us working together with a oneness of spirit, just as in our intercessory prayer that you have been demonstrating for the last 9 months. In Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul listed seven items on the list. " Think of how helpful they can be to any group of believers, such as our prayer warriors, working together for the benefit of Trenton, Jacob, and all the children who are suffering needlessly with cancer or all other childhood diseases, as well as those who are of broken spirit, broken body or broken homes:
One body—we are a single family unified for one purpose
One Spirit—we all have the Spirit as our power source
One hope—we all look forward to the same future
One Lord—we all trust the same Person in charge
One faith—we all trust Jesus' sacrifice for our salvation
One baptism—we all have a single identity
One God and Father—we all share the same source of our existence
What a difference it would make if we all could dwell on those seven "ones."
Our hearts in Christian love!
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
Grandma Linda for Ginger and Family, especially our little toot TRENTON xo
Wednesday, November 9, 2005 10:21 AM East Coast Time
PRAYER #1 ANSWERED for our family this morning.
Our first Post BMT scan, the CAT-SCAN test we had yesterday has come back CLEAR this morning - We are PRAISING and THANKING God this morning for giving us this ultimate JOY today.
We are still waiting on the BONE SCAN we also had done yesterday as it has not come back yet - we hope to know by late this afternoon!
These scans are the most important in our lives today and the days ahead! Thank you Father for the miracle of medicine and the doctors that read our results and help us to the ultimate CURE thru Your guiding Hand!
Ginger and family xo
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Our hearts are filled with so much sadness again and aching for another family suffering the loss of their beautiful little girl - their CHILD. Please say a prayer for Victoria’s family as they go through the painful suffering on their new days ahead - pray, pray, pray for such a sweet family during this nightmare. (ga/victorianewsome).
WE also need YOUR PRAYERS so very much today! TRENTON begins HIS SCANS TODAY - PLEASE PRAY FOR NO TUMORS - PRAY FOR CLEAR SCANS - PRAY FOR COMPLETE REMISSION AND HEALING
TRENT-TRENT STARTS HIS FIRST OF THREE (3) SCANS TODAY!!! WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS FOR HIM, THROUGHOUT THE LONG PROCESS OF THE SCANS AS WELL FOR CLEAR SCANS!! SO...WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS AGAIN JOURNEY FAMILY!!!_______________________________________
Sorry for any inconvenience but we noticed a couple of times that our email address keeps changing to a wrong address. If you’ve emailed us and we haven’t replied, thru this site, PLEASE make this correction in your database as to the CORRECT address:
Dear Journey family,
Another day……..at home and
We’ve had a blessed week. Just several normal crazy family LIFE things to count and that’s such a good thing. But I won’t bore you with those; just know that we feel so grateful for every single one of them.
Another clinic visit today and no blood or platelets were necessary again. We were so happy! However, Trenton’s overall blood counts have dropped considerably since we haven’t been giving Neupogen shots since Friday night, (that’s the medicine Trenton’s body cells rely on to bring those up) BUT WE NEED THEM UP on their own and to climb on their own! Even though they are low and the overall ANC was very low, they still wanted to wait over the weekend to see if his counts will climb on their own the next several days then we’ll evaluate the next step. We are praying for his body to prevail and grow, graph those new cells and climb, climb, climb to a normal range soon in our future.
We return to clinic Monday for an overall check up and hope to have our scan dates and results that these counts are gaining their own strength after labs are drawn that morning!
I had such a treasured birthday today all because my baby was here with me and we were all at HOME and BOTH boys by my side. Just another day as for a just turned 42 year old girl. But my gift from God wasn’t my birth today, but I thank him for my 2 boys and my baby Trenton being HOME and with me and my biggest boy Taylor by my side and growing so strong every day. They gave me a pretty little cross necklace that I will treasure always and forever. It already has more meaning than any other gift I could possibly receive in my lifetime. The symbol of Christ our savior who watches over us each day, and the year 2005 this cross was given to me and what this YEAR has meant to me and given to me by my two priceless gifts; my 2 boys. I could never ask or want for more – ever!
The moment the boys gave me my cross was priceless and another moment in time that I wished I had a ‘video’ to capture the moment to share with all of you. Trenton and Taylor walked out with their p.j.’s on and Trenton was carrying the little red box with a gold bow on top and both of them smiling from ear to ear, walking hand-in-hand, knowing it was a secret soon to be told! That was my treasured moment. My second gift was helping Taylor with his homework tonight and listening to him read his sentences he was asked to come up with on his own from questions on his worksheet. The manner for which he put them in and all his own little thoughts so well written – it brought more tears to a Mom’s eyes on my day with my boys!
I will end with begging prayers for little Jacob in Florida www.caringbridge.org/fl/jacob. He continues to battle this beast so bravely but with so much hurt and pain lately, once again – it breaks my heart. PLEASE pray for his recovery very soon and to rise above this cancer beast and bring him back home to his family very soon. God bless him tonight and keep him safe, he’s constantly in our prayers and I ask you to do the same if you have a moment. There are always soooo many I want to list here every night, it just rips my heart to pieces.
“The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Numbers 6:24”
As always, no matter the circumstance or the worry, we are Celebrating Life, Praying for Miracles, Believing in our baby’s healing and relying on God for everything always, my heart pounds for comfort from these things I have relied on and said over and over since March 18th. Always reaching for God’s hand for comfort when I cry with joy and peace for our Trenton. He’s so brave and strong right now and the moments just flash by as I find myself hanging onto the good moments and never wanting them to fade away.
Ginger and family, especially Trenton xo
Tuesday, November 1, 2005 10:05 PM east coast time
Our dearest family,
God’s miracles mean you always have something wonderful to look forward to in each and every day
And that we have in another wonderful celebration of family and fun God has given us and He brought us all the way thru to a fun, safe and healthy Halloween night with family and friends – and just think, we were told we probably wouldn’t be home in time for Halloween. Not only have we been home for TWO weeks now from BMT #2, but also Trenton and Taylor were able to trick-or-treat with the whole family together. WELL, let’s rephrase that a bit. Trenton was just plum tuckered out after a few houses, and came back to give out candy with grandma and grandpa Kindred, but Taylor was in such high spirits with his best little buddies in the neighborhood, both Adam and Joe, and he was on top of the world running to every house. Trenton was totally fulfilled by just watching all the pretty girls in their butterfly, fairy, kitty-cat, and Marie Antoinette costumes, to name a few. Daddy didn’t scare him at all in his scary-mean costume that he borrowed from Uncle Randy, and his brother’s Storm Trooper outfit was a hit. Mr. Reg scared him to death though at our pre-trick-or-treat neighborhood party, he wasn’t sure about what all that paint was all over Mr. Reg’s face, usually Mr. Reg is his lil’ buddy.
Anyway, what a great day and we are so thankful to be enjoying our family LIFE living all together once again.
Another blessing we were able to adventure was on Sunday when we ALL went to church together. First of all I had to find pants to fit little Trenton that morning, since we haven’t been shopping for him for pants since his diagnosis in March. So the little guy was wearing some very snug high-water pants for church on Sunday. (tee hee) - Well he was diagnosed at 1 years old and now he’s 19 and half month old, so we were scrambling for some warm pants to fit. – But he didn’t care, once we got there he was just happy to be toddling down every pew until church started and then he wanted to chime in on singing, babbling and talking about 15 minutes into it. So needless to say, Trent Trent and me were roaming the halls together. But it was a hoot, just watching him run after all the Sunday school kids as they were having a scavenger hunt that Sunday. So he thought he’d run out in front of all the big kids and laughs and giggle just as hard as he could. It was just a sight only a mom could totally watch forever. I unfortunately didn’t hear much of the sermon out in the halls, but we were at church - and in our God’s house all TOGETHER and we haven’t been able to do that in almost 8 months. …………………………. Soooooo many things to cherish in so little time………EVERY SINGLE MINUTE counts!
I really am thankful I’ve had this journal to write to all of you our every day since March 18th. It’s especially nice to keep in touch with all of you so you know the inner details of most everything going on. A lot of times I write like I am sitting on a bench individually with each one of you by my side telling out my heart and hoping you’d have a reassuring voice to give back – and YES, all of you have and with that we are so grateful.
But I also found myself reading over past journals and hearing my voice TALKING TO GOD. I found myself communicating with God thru this journal, as if I was inviting Him every day to sit along side of me on my bench and hear my Pain, Suffering details of my child, his Happy times and the wonder and disappointments and quandary’s of questions that surrounded us each day and continue thru this journey. But pouring out my troubles of this journey to Him helps me be more direct. A lot of days I was just asking God to take my pain for that day and handle it for me and he did and then he always, but always gave me HOPE in return.
Prayer is a long rope with a strong hold – thank you friends for being our Rope.
Celebrating miracles and continuing to pray for them every day…..Thank you for this day! And thank you family for always checking in on us…….
Ginger and Family, especially our giggle-monster TRENTON xo
Saturday, October 29, 2005 10:37 PM east coast time
Dear Journey family, (change your clocks back)
I can’t believe we are still HOME, it’s like a dream! We’ve been in the hospital more than we’ve been at home the past 7 and half months and we are making the house ALIVE again. “what do I mean by that” – food in the house, things getting somewhat organized, plants being watered or tended to, cleaning out old summer/spring clothes since our diagnosis in MARCH and just watching TRENTON AND TAYLOR play, fuss, and wonder around the house wondering what to do next. “That’s what I call a HOME coming ALIVE again! It’s the best feeling and proof of a miracle to be lived!!! We are all just a family and I praise and THANK God for every single minute of it that I watch thru out the busy days!
As always, THANK YOU, THANK YOU and THANK YOU. Those words mean more to us than to all of you I am sure, but I hope one day that all of you will find the true thanks we have for you way below the inner parts of your heart that you truly know how thankful we are. You are each our prayer angels and we KNOW that the power of multitudes of prayer together is what God celebrates and provides our miracles. Tons of hugs to all of you every day for our miracles!
In a time of celebration for us, I again find myself so sad to say that another one of our cancer families has found her Angel Wings. I found this out on Wednesday, the day of her leaving this side of heaven to join our other Angels and my heart breaks once again. Destiny, is on our personal site under ‘Trenton’s Buddies’ link, you can visit her site once again to read the details as she joined our angels on Wednesday morning. We didn’t know her personally, only thru our caringbridge sites! I never want to talk about these things, it’s never easy for any of us, but I carry so much hope for every one of our children, as they are all fighting this horrible “C” beast no matter what kind it may be.
This time always leads me to a huge prayer place that I visit more frequently these past 8 months. You never know what this place is until you walk thru these doors, but all I wish for tonight and every night are for these families to rest in the promises of God and give them strength like no other! Please pray for this family tonight!
I’ve had a very special request from 2 of Trenton’s very dear Winter Park Florida friends, Parker and Hamie! What does Trenton like to eat now that he’s home? GOOD QUESTION, because he’s gained his appetite back tenfold! Now back on March 18th at diagnosis he loved Banana popsicles and spaghetti-O’s, - his favorites! But now, it’s Fettuccini Alfredo, Spaghetti, Yogurt of any flavor, gummy bears of any flavor, bananas, popsicles, Italian ice, pizza, del-Monte apples, and you know what???? JUST ABOUT ANYTHING…….but he’s not a huge meat lover yet, but we are sneaking it in when we can……..! So Ham and Parker, what’s for dinner when we come visit YOU……..haha – we miss you boys and send bunch of hugs and kisses from Mrs. Ginger right now! And Trenton sends BIG smiles and Taylor says GO NOLES – YEAH!
Well, I know I am LONG WINDED on just about every update and this one could be no different, but you all may be bored with us right now, so I will try to cut it short! But WE ARE SUCH A HAPPY rejoicing family right now. We have counts from Friday’s clinic visit that are doing great (with Neupogen shots) helping out of course, but no blood or platelets needed right now. We are allowed to take Trenton out and about now, to church (no day care yet for 8 months, and no church nursery so we’ll be sitting in the Dunwoody U.M. church cry-room when he gets loud or our minister Wiley may kick us out. But either way, we are excited to take him back to church. Restaurants, etc. are allowed too, but of course be mindful of germs…….etc. We need to keep this boy WELL – no hospital with fevers etc…..
So with all this great news said, I will close with thoughts of just praising the moment for sure. Every minute is accounted for now, and we look at every precious moment as the FIRST. We are so blessed!
Do we believe in miracles? Absolutely, - we have one! But are we mindful of what could be around the corner? Yes! But that is why God gave us this miracle, so we could appreciate every minute like never before!
“I believe God is in the miracle business – that his favorite way of working is to pick up where our human abilities and understandings leave off and then do something so wondrous and unexpected that there’s no doubt who the God is around here. There are times in all our lives when we don’t have any more tricks in our bags, when we turn a corner and find ourselves staring at dead ends. AND WE DID, believe me! And that’s when God’s miracles start. We may be looking for a magic show when God is arranging gradual healings. What we should keep in mind is that God does miracles on his own terms, not ours – God’s miracles don’t always work as fast as we want them to, or the way we expect. More often, miracles unfold as part of a process, but I also believe He does intervene supernaturally in response to OUR PRAYERS and He did for us many times. So with all these readings and spiritual hopes and my faith, I too know what God has taught us, “When we reach the end of our abilities, God’s possibilities are just beginning.” And here we are…….living his present miracles TODAY and trying not to worry about what tomorrow brings! Enjoying all of YOU our family and especially our boys and our MIRACLES IN TRENTON!
Our continued journey is clinic visits the next couple of weeks and then finding out our Mri and Pet SCANS dates (yikes, what a day that will be for sure) and then the beginning of our next journey RADIATION!
“Only God has the big picture for us ALL and where we’re going, but he’s given us what we need to Journey successfully”!
Ginger and family, especially our walking, talking TRENTON (with a huge 19-month old smile on his mischievous face)….
Tuesday, October 25, 2005 11:07 PM east coast time
Hello to our Journey family,
Praise the Lord for keeping all our Florida family safe. And that means you too our Orlando/Winter Park family and Ft. Lauderdale – all of you. I finally talked to mom/dad and my sister Monday night and was happy to hear everyone was safe. As well we were so glad to read updates from our awesome buddies the Sweeney’s and Chandy’s family. We were praying so hard and knew you would all be protected as you all have taken such good care of us and angels surrounding you!! Thank you God for answering our prayers.
God has to be overworked. Thru our Kindred journey of prayers alone and the hurricane prayers and all our cancer buddies and beyond, he’s never stopping for a minute. Always looking out for all of us and teaching each of us something along the way.
Greg and I don’t have much time for each other these days since March 18th but I can assure you that the time we have had has been bonding and thru much prayer. We have always prayed and attended church and gave what we could in person of ourselves at church and financially, and tried to teach Taylor about God, church and the good things; but we very rarely actually got down on our knees to pray so hard and so close together like we have in the past 7 months. Now you might say to yourself that it takes a bad thing to get down on your knees; but who’s to say we haven’t been thru bad times before?! But when it’s your child, it’s horrifying. But God has been at work thru us thru this journey and thru so many friends and family so close to us that’s he’s touched thru this journey. And all of you are with us watching God and the healing thru our Trenton and GLORY BE TO GOD. I thank Him for trusting in me to hold our faith thru this journey when I doubted myself so much early on and we’ve all grown so much every step of the way!
One difficult thing was, we didn’t have too many people in front of us that have had a child with such a disease spread like Trenton’s that have survived, but we did have our sweet Austin that’s been our light of inspiration and Hope to look towards on our toughest days and God sent that family to us as well. Austin is 10 now and diagnosed at 21 months. It’s truly amazing to watch God at work in so many ways and I am thankful for Trenton’s journey thru this work of God that has taught so many of us the true meaning of healing, miracles and how to appreciate every day and all the little things.
I started off with my glory above, because of all the thanks we have that’s filled our hearts since we’ve survived BMT number 2 as a family thru Trenton.
Now I’d like to share Trenton’s past 2 days!
BUSY, good, great, bad, bad and tonight great! Now how is that to sum it up?! Haha
Okay DETAILS:
Monday morning we went to clinic at Scottish Rite at 8:30 am. It was so great seeing everybody and after all the hugs and excitement of how great Trenton looked, we found out that Egleston released us back to our Scottish Rite team, so the excitement continued. No longer under Bone Marrow Transplant supervision! Can you believe it? We were so thrilled and confused why so early. But that meant great news, even tho we loved our team at Egleston, this was good news! They said he looked great. Here’s our low-down of the entire scoop in bullet form:
· Dr. Rapkin was happy to see Trenton looking so good after everything he had been thru, and advised us of the following:
· Still 8 months of treatment to go (radiation and oral chemo),
· The next 3 – 4 weeks are crucial in getting Trenton’s counts UP to begin radiation
· An MRI and PET scan will be the scans of our doctors choice for Trenton’s POST BMT scans. These scan dates will be done BEFORE radiation, so within the next 2 to 3 weeks. These scans will determine that all tumors are still gone and NO new tumors have arrived and hopefully disease free. God and prayers for more miracles on this day!!!!! A long day of sweating I am sure of it!
· Radiation will last for 2 weeks total. Monday thru Friday, every day for 2 weeks
· A custom-made mask will be designed for Trenton’s face
· Trenton is sedated during every procedure, every day, since he has to be totally still and strapped in place with NO movement to hit each targeted area dead-on.
· Hoping side effects are minimal – we didn’t go over this in detail at this time and didn’t want to really.
· Following radiation we will be on oral chemo for 6 – 8 months
· Still have Clinic visits often and monitoring and scans will all be necessary thru these next 8 months remaining to our protocol, especially the next 3 months.
· We were told we NO LONGER NEED Trenton to wear his little blue mask; Yippee, he’s happy about that; however,
· We still can’t take him to large crowds of public places for the next 3 weeks, (church, grocery, frat parties (haha) etc……….)
· His counts went back down on their own, so that’s yuk - so we’re giving NEUPOGEN shots again
· Platelet transfusion was needed as they were very low again and too low for surgery and he needed surgery today (TUESDAY) to get his line out – YEAH, no more chest line till radiation, - But WOW what a horrible day of surgery today……….
So that’s the stats and we were thrilled. They advised us that all this is good news, but we still needed to be mindful that there are 8 months of detailed protocol for Trenton. BUT, we look at it like it’s a dream that we’ve made it this far, that our little TRENTON has made it this far. No doubt we are mindful of what we still have ahead of us, however, we are celebrating that we’ve discovered many miracles along the way and grateful for every one and happy to be this far along! THANKS FOR BEING WITH US THIS FAR – I know many of you have aged ‘years’ just as we have, thru this horrible nightmare, but thank you for being with us. You gave us strength like NO OTHER you will never know!
TODAY was the bad, bad, bad part of the above details mentioned. All the above was the good and great details, but today was bad.
Today was another FULL day at clinic but ALSO surgery to get Trenton’s line out! THAT MEANS NO FOOD AND DRINK. No food past midnight Monday and no drink past 7am this morning. Surgery didn’t take place until 12:20 today. Well all of you know how much Trenton LOVES food and drink, it’s his hobby for gosh sakes! AND WE’VE BEEN THRU THIS sedation surgery thing now 14 times – can you believe it, 14 surgeries. Every single time, with no food and drink and we NEVER get an early schedule time! Therefore, our 19 month old still screams his head off. Well after 3 and half hours of that noise we are ALL worn out to say the least. Even the nurses are ready to put an I.V. sedation drug thru their own arms at that point – haha! Seriously, this is what Trenton’s life has been for a LONG many months and we are REALLY GRATEFUL to only have 8 months of protocol left. Those were sweet words to hear from our Dr. Rapkin.
In closing tonight, I’d like to share a moment of reflection. As we celebrate our news of first being HOME again and making it thus far after a long journey, Greg and I sat in the Scottish Rite cafeteria today for a quick bite of soup when Trenton went into surgery. We sat in silence just starring around the room seeking total PEACE for many reasons. ONE being that our nerves were once again shot with almost 4 hours of crying/screaming and Trenton not understanding it all; and the other was the scariness brought over our bodies returning to the hospital where it ALL began March 18th. It really brought back a lot of memories. A nightmare full actually! Greg felt a real discomfort with it all the most, just digging up a horrible nightmare from the back of his heart of being told “your son has Stage IV Cancer” and has only a 20 to 30 percent chance of survival. A parents WORST nightmare!
I felt those memories tapping on my heart as well, but I also felt a comfort of being back to the same hospital that we heard the good news of tumors vanished and a feeling of a new family we discovered at a hospital we lived in for almost 5 months fighting for our CURE. They took care of us so good and I felt like IF WE WERE THERE, we were being healed and fighting for the CURE for our baby TRENTON.
So we both discussed our feelings and how nervous we both are knowing that we have been fighting for the CURE for so long and still 8 months remaining, but this will be it after this protocol. It’s BITTERSWEET actually – because at least while he was being treated, we knew we were fighting cancer away. But what happens now? If Neuroblastoma comes back, it’s a ‘death sentence’ they’ve told us. That it’s one of the few cancers with n-myc amplified like Trenton had that likes to make it's own bad cells fight back and you can’t keep repeating the same protocol over and over that it’s a one shot deal. We haven’t stopped long enough to worry about this when they actually told us this long ago, but at a time of celebration you pause!
BUT our love for our baby and our faith carrying us we don’t want to pause, WE ARE FIGHTING ALL THE WAY we still live on our prayers daily. I only share this with you all because it’s our fears. And as we stay positive and knowing GOD is always by our side giving us miracles, we are human and get scared, especially as we are celebrating finally for a change, we pause and reflect. It feels so good seeing Trenton so happy and our family being TOGETHER as a family again, it’s just an amazing glory that you can’t describe.
It touched my hearts inner strength in that cafeteria today, watching so many sick children in wheel chairs and special needs and so many illnesses. I cried in my silence and looked up at Greg with heavy eyes just asking WHY – knowing that when I asked it once again, that I’ll never have the answer here on earth, but the intelligence God’s given me to try to understand and look forward to our days here on earth with our family and our eternity together in heaven with Him without these fears and hurt.
Love to all of you and thank you for always being a part of our family. My long time dear friend Alicia shared this message in her entry with us yesterday, and I loved it so much as it’s our normal crazy little life we are so thankful for today and always:
”It is the little things in life that make living so Grand”..
Praying for miracles every day, and thanking Him for every single one!
Ginger and family, especially our fighting tiger TRENTON xo (He’s been thru so MUCH - that’s what makes this Trenton’s journey)!
Sunday, October 23, 2005 10:23 PM east coast time
Dear Journey family,
PLEASE PRAY FOR WILMA TO STAY AWAY and reduce to the smallest of winds and storms for Florida, and NO bad hurricane results. As you know my family is down there and need our prayers! As well as our family of friends in Orlando/Winter Park and even the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area, as they will still get bad winds and hurricane results…..Please God protect all of them!
We are so happy to be home. For all of you that are actually still checking in on us, I apologize for not writing sooner, but normalcy has gotten the best of me. Laundry, goodnights for both of the boys, bills, bills and bills, thank you’s, homework and housework and who’s to say the garden is a disaster for sure – we are all thankful for NORMAL however. BELIEVE ME!
Trenton’s check up was A-okay on Friday and counts still rising. However, his red blood cells are stable and no blood transfusion at the moment and platelets were still stable. We go to SCOTTISH RITE instead of Egleston for Monday mornings check up so that’s a great thing because it’s soooooo much easier to get to. We hope and pray for good check ups on Monday as well. Hopefully see Dr. Rapkin and the rest of our Oncology team of doctors to discuss the rest of our protocol, but not for sure if we will see them Monday since it’s just a blood work day.
I’ve enjoyed cooking for the family again, as many of you know that’s a passion of mine. Although the meals everyone brought the past several months and more have been wonderful, I’ve enjoyed cooking again WITH TRENTON ON MY HIP watching and helping with every move. It brought back many memories – so needless to say it’s been busy, busy but great!
Taylor and I enjoyed church today. It’s the first time in a couple of months I’ve been able to attend. Greg and Taylor have gone a few times on their visits during BMT’s stay, but this was my first. We sat with our buddies the Cook’s and listened to Darby sing with the youth choir and it was very meaningful and most enjoyable.
Little Ryan Connor is HOME. Hannah is out of BMT and in the hotel and little Jacob is stable. So we have a great deal more to be thankful for. I have to be honest though, I wake up every day checking on little Jacob and PRAYING him all the way home. My LIFE is consumed with these children with cancer, just like our little Trenton, they can’t leave my side. They need our prayers, because I know this is what’s brought Trenton this far. Given that our Trenton was only given a 30 percent survival rate based on his stage of cancer, we know PRAYERS are the only CURE.
We are so grateful and so thankful for so much. I find myself crying a lot. But it’s tears of joy and just getting back to normal.
We will update further once we get more information on the rest of our protocol and most importantly all the good news on Trenton’s counts rising. Pray for Trenton to get back to some normalcy of LIFE that he doesn’t remember at all and not to cry so much. He’ s got such a cute personality and so full of expressions, but unhappy with the unfamiliarity’s right now that surround him, which includes still SLEEPLESS nights.
We are so happy to be HOME, it’s truly magical in every way possible, no matter what craziness surrounds our house in getting back to a normal kindof crazy world, it’s just HAPPY to be HOME!
Celebrating life in every kindof way,
Ginger and family, especially little TRENTON xo
Thursday, October 20, 2005 11: 11PM east coast time
NEW SHORT UPDATE JOURNEY FAMILY
I'm keeping my update from last night so we can all keep praying, but also let you know that the prayers you prayed for last night and today ARE WORKING:
TRENTON is feeling so good and doing so well. I am so proud of him and sending prayers every minute of the day to STOP and THANK our FATHER in heaven for this blessing and miracle!
He's WALKING so strong around the house and the yard, it's a priceless, precious moment that we can't get enough of. AND the giggle laughs he makes when his brother Taylor is chasing him is ditto - priceless beyond imagine! WE THANK YOU LORD AND PRAISE YOU for every single moment! Believing as always that you are always by our side!
SECONDLY, some additional prayers answered and thanks to GOD - but still keep praying.......
HANNAH - left the hospital - Yipppeeee - way to go HANNAH!
RYAN - as of 2:30 today, his mom told me they are still doing many test,which include a scan and Kristin is trying to update that info when she can, so I would rather let her detail things - as many things are still pending, BUT PLEASE STILL KEEP sending LOUD PRAYERS!
JACOB - is stable - BUT STILL NEEDS VERY STRONG PRAYERS -
If you've been on his site, they asked for everyone to join in prayer tonight at 9pm.
I shared one of my 'Bible promise prayers' out of my BOOK that I prayed over and over to myself during our BMT ONE - as Greg and I went thru Trenton's horrible 7 days when he was attacked by that infection - those days are such a black place for Greg and I to still go back to and still too fresh to talk about!
However, I am sharing my prayers I shared with Jacob's mom tonight:
"Heather, I thought you'd enjoy one of my prayers I said over and over to myself a couple of months or so during our BMT ONE - the infection was a parents worst nightmare experience to see our little boy thru:
"When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in your secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
MATHEW 6:6
"Therefore I say to you, whatever things YOU ask when you pray, BELIEVE that you receive them, and you will HAVE them." MARK 11:24
Maybe this 'Precious Bible Promise' prayer can help one of you one day.
Sending my love and always Praying for miracles, BELIEVING in every one of them, and may God Bless you today!
Ginger and family, especially our fighting hero TRENTON xo
=====================================
Dear Journey Family,
As we arrived home yesterday it was a true celebration – two days full of fall sunshine and fresh air was for Trenton and the full moon was for Taylor’s pumpkins outside (tee hee).
An ultimate HIGH was Getting Trenton out of the car slowly after HIS arrival HOME, he immediately wanted to stay outside with his bright blue mask on and pointed to the bright orange Halloween balloons that Mrs. Wendy attached to our mailbox for Trenton’s welcome home. Then observing all the Halloween decorations that had been placed so carefully by (big brother)Taylor for Trenton’s arrival. Spooky, cute or otherwise, Trenton was just in awe. Eyes as big as saucers filling his little pale face so gleefully. It was just a special family moment as he gently got reacquainted with his home again.
We quickly unpacked the car, thru things inside and left Trenton with grandma/grandpa and Zoja so Greg and I could go pick up Taylor at school as a surprise; since we didn’t plan on arriving home before 3pm. We were as excited seeing him in carpool line as he was to see us. All three of us talked all at the same time, just having so much to say; especially the main subject which was ‘Trenton’s home, we can’t believe it and we ALL are home’ and hopefully never to leave again for long, long stays at the hospital ever again. Of course we all understand there is still a journey left ahead of us with Trenton’s remaining protocol, but hopefully not long overnight stays. We have the faith to BELIEVE this to be indeed so for our family.
Greg, Trenton and I drove Taylor to school this morning and after we dropped him off, we headed back to the hospital for our first post BMT #2 follow up appointment. Trenton did not want to be back there, but after blood draws we were happy to hear Trenton’s counts keep rising (thank you God), no blood needed still yet (praise God) and platelets still looked good, since his platelet transfusion on Monday (God’s work continues). So Trenton was still looking good. He’s getting stronger by the day, walking more each day and trying to speak more words that were once a little more involved in his vocabulary, which is all a part of his body recovering, and again, we PRAISE God.
We have so much to be thankful for that it makes me speechless at several moments in my day. Just the thought of being out of our second BMT after 3 weeks stay and NO infections we give so much thanks.
We visit the hospital BMT clinic 3 times a week for the next few weeks. When Trenton’s body is fully recovered from his two bone marrow transplants after these few weeks, we will begin radiation. We don’t have those details yet, but will keep you posted. We are just enjoying being home for now.
After the 3 weeks are up, we will have POST BMT SCANS to visit Trenton’s entire body to see the results of his journey protocol so far; (i.e., TUMORS still all gone, NO NEW TUMORS) and so on. Important day for sure! We don’t have this scan date yet.
This cancer family road has so many highs and lows that it’s tough to explain. I feel like my body is overwhelmed with it all. Our family prays for our strength every day, and we have so much of it given by God. That’s why we’ve grown so much stronger these seven months.
Why these highs and lows are mentioned from me tonight in my update is because of my experiences in the past for sure, but yesterday and today have been a celebration for us, but immediately I hear news of our other cancer families; as many others are still so sick.
Please prayer angels, continue to pray for the following as they need OUR prayers from the deep depths of our hearts and sent to God tonight.
www.caringbridge.org/fl/jacob - to bring him back to good health to fight these bad clots in his bladder so he can finish his chemo and have his ultimate healing on earth. Jacob so needs our prayers tonight and the future. He’s such a sweet little boy.
www.caringbridge.org/ga/hannah - to bring her home this week from BMT 2 – we all know how much Hannah means to our family since this journey.
www.caringbridge.org/ga/brandonconnor - But this time the prayers aren’t needed for Brandon at the moment, they are needed for his big brother Ryan. Kristin is trying to update on this site to keep everyone posted on RYAN, but it’s difficult right now as she’s with Ryan every second. HE NEEDS OUR PRAYERS to give the doctors the knowledge to discover what is wrong with Ryan as he’s in Scottish Rite right now still undergoing many test to find out why he’s had internal bleeding. Ryan is the big brother of Brandon and you can read more on their site. For all of you that are close to me, you know what a sweet new friend Kristin has been to our family since meeting her thru this journey. Please pray for sweet Ryan tonight he’s such a great big brother and has been such a strong boy thru his brother’s fight for the CURE.
The list goes on my friends, but these 3 are heavy on my heart tonight. As I know many need our prayers and you can continue checking ‘Trenton’s Buddies’ link on our personal site at www.trentonsjourney.com where all these precious children and MORE need your continued prayers.
I ask so much of each of you every day by praying for our sweet Trenton and we need those continued prayers to fight for our ultimate CURE. But I feel it’s so important to pray for these children above tonight and every night as well.
I hope you join me and I give thanks for so much we have tonight. Our family has so much right now by just being at HOME together and having made it this far thru Trenton’s horrifying journey the past 7 months. I can’t ever let my heart go to a place where I think this cancer hasn’t left his little body, nor can I go to the place that if it has gone, that it will return, in the next 2 years, 4 years or forever. I truly have so much peace in my heart of his healing that God has given me. But the highs and lows that we parents live with every day with this cancer family journey is all a part of it and so unforgiving. Watching your children with every little bump or cold, or rash or ache and pain that comes up, you think ‘oh my gosh no’ is it that ‘C’ thing coming back again.
With God’s great love we give so much thanks tonight for the blessings and PEACE that He gives us each day, celebrating our families lives together every second of the day and Praying for miracles for the CURE of CHILDHOOD CANCER!!!!!!!
God Bless,
Ginger and family, especially our toddler walking hero TRENTON xo
MONDAY, October 17, 2005 6:52 PM east coast time
LATEST UPDATE, WE ARE OFFICIALLY COMING HOME TOMORROW (TUESDAY), hopefully home sometime early afternoon - Praise the Lord! - We are so excited to take Trenton outside and breath the awesome fall air (thru his little blue protective BMT mask of course) but who cares, it will be the freshest and the BEST!
.........gotta go PACK - yippeeeee! (p.s.: we had such special visitors drop by today, our sweet friend Michelle from Florida and my friend Christi from Chief; I teared so bad when they left, as it's been soooo long and sooo good to see them) what a nice visit! AND Trenton loved the yummy French bread and balloons they brought him!!!! xoxoxo
Much love and Faith sent from all of us to all of you on this blessed day!
Ginger and Family and most of all TRENTON xo
---------------------------------------
LAST UPDATE BELOW:
Dearest JOURNEY family,
We're celebrating SUNDAY full of a miracle of good news once again!
You all are not going to believe this, but we may be coming HOME as early as Tuesday this week or possibly WEDNESDAY! - Praise the Lord for more Blessings to our family! Xo,,,,,,,,AND it looks like sweet HANNAH will be going home this week too! YEAH - together - YEAH...
If you BELIEVE and PRAY with a multitude of prayer angels (like YOURselves) and HOPE hard enough and stay focused on the baby steps of positives – HE will make it come! And that HE did and continues to do for our sweet baby TRENTON and our family. THANK YOU, THANK YOU and THANK YOU xo.
I hope you all can feel the celebration in my heart when reading this news and it rubs off with all the goodness it deserves. As we heard the angels in this room speaking miracles every day and Trenton feeling so poorly we Believed in them and we are now ‘almost home’ once again. Wish we were in our church celebrating this news together, but I know Greg and Taylor will be there on Sunday.
I spent Friday afternoon and night with Taylor and when he and I said goodbye to grandma and grandpa going back to Florida this morning; we were sad and decided to go get a Dunkin Donuts fix. As we both sat in the morning sunshine enjoying the Fall air we were both wishing daddy and Trenton were with us on a beautiful Fall Saturday morning. Right at that moment my cell phone rang and it was dad and Trent-Trent! Greg wanted Taylor and I to speak to Trenton and when we did Greg said he grinned and coooed from ear to ear. Greg then asked “honey can you get that bottle of champagne we’ve been saving for our return home after Trenton’s 2nd BMT and put it in the fridge”? I said yes I can yes I will, but what’s up with this? “I know it’s your turn to come home with Taylor today, but have you finally just snapped and gone off the deep end and gonna come home this afternoon and just call it quits and booze it up with a bottle or what”??? He laughed and said NO, but Trenton and I are ready to celebrate, because we have just been told that we are coming HOME this Wednesday, as the doctors have informed Trenton and me that he is looking great and we will be coming HOME Tuesday or Wednesday to be a family again! ……………..
Well, you all know me, I just started tearing up right then and there and Taylor was jumping all around Dunkin’s tables outside. I am sure this was too much of a scene for the Saturday morning Dunkin Donut neighbors, but we were OVERJOYED! There was so much excitement in my heart that I immediately called mom/dad, mom/dad Kindred, Lee Ann and Wendy; as they are my prayer chain and call warriors to spread the ‘almost home’ good news. BUT, oh how I wish I could pick up the phone and call each and every one of you, I truly mean that too, but Taylor has had enough of mom on the phone during ‘our time’, and I am now gladly back at the hospital with my little Trenton Steam Engine – watching him play so hard and for so long until he finally dropped to sleep at this very late hour of ¼ to 1:00am, but so peacefully and I am praising God with prayers right over his precious little body, it’s indescribable!
I really don’t know what kind of good in my life I’ve done in my past to feel this much excitement right now, but I surely hope that I have made God feel this happy at some point in my life as He has watched over me the past 41 years. I could only hope that I’ve given Him this much JOY in my lifetime!
But friends, we are excited as you can tell and here’s the SCOOP. As you all know, Trenton has felt sooooooo poorly, just like the pumpkin light picture that was displayed on our site the past several days. But regardless, he is feeling better, so we posted the picture above that we took in weeks prior to show his happy self. His counts are still rising, as they went from .14, to .18, to today .30, so that’s a good thing. HE HAS A LONG WAY TO GO in white blood counts to reach soaring levels, but he is getting there on his own Trenton–time. But he is so back to his little normal self. Full of energy and SMILES again that you can’t get enough of. I look forward to Trenton progressing like this each and every day moving forward.
All of you parents out there, I want you to know something! As I write my entries every night, with many times of sadness and many times of joy, NO matter what illness, sickness or special needs all our children are going thru, YOU each know what pain it feels like as a parent to watch your children suffer or in harms way going thru such meanness! We Kindred’s are not the only ones but I may have thought so on March 18th, 2005! When we watch our children so ill or incapable of progressing in the normal world with such pain and meanness within their little innocent bodies, it breaks your every heart and soul. I truly look at every parent living with cancer, special needs, or any sorrow we have as we watch our children being so sick or needing special angels all their very own on a full time basis. I also have special friends close to me that have sick children with asthma, allergies, special needs and other diseases and cancer that burden all our hearts and souls every day and we ALL have our hearts weary in ALL the same ways on each given day. Even though my sorrow is deep I never forget all of you suffering out there as well, and that’s the truth! When I pray for Trenton, I pray for ALL.
Even though my little son has Neuroblastoma cancer, it does not override any other sickness out there in any child over what All us parents feel and our hearts being ripped out with disbelief especially those that have already become Angels, they are the true Heroes. You want so much for your children to be healthy and succeed on their own on a daily basis, but no matter what the illness, sickness, special needs or other that strikes OUR child, it ALL hurts tenfold.
I write this for a reason today, one being the journal note that someone noted and two, I have some special friends in Florida dear to us that have written to me or called and said that they think of me when they have their worst days with their sick child. As they may think theirs is not as debilitating or feelings of going insane with it all, in comparison to what we are dealing with, I believe in my heart that’s not true. As we parents ALL hurt with our children when they hurt and it strikes our hearts and our weariness as parents no matter what, it’s just terrible and we all have NO sleep and endless worry! I never want anyone to think that their situation is less, or that we think it’s less, but what I do believe is, you see what you are going thru and we are all NOT alone but are warriors of HOPE and PRAYER all in it together, and I don’t know about you, but I think that’s quite comforting!
There are so many of us parents that are dealing with many issues, sickness, illness, life-threatening diseases, special needs, drug abuse and so on, but I am one of the fortunate ones to have this caringbridge site to share it all with you and watch it first hand on the Aflac cancer floor as to how it ALL rips our hearts out as parents. And if you are not dealing with cancer or ANY sickness or any of these special need issues, you are a special blessing; However I also know you all worry about the day you may need to deal with it and prayers of HOPE fill your heart from these experiences you’ve heard and celebrate life in keeping these things far away from you little ones lives, as I too did that in my nightly prayers.
So what I do hope is, that our journey and experiences with Trenton for which I write ‘straight from my heart’ to all of you, reaches all of you in some way no matter the circumstance and appreciate that we are ALLl in this together as one family because that’s what we really are. We have each other to lean on and LEARN from these experiences together and CELEBRATE LIFE. Something in it must make all of us cherish and appreciate life every day, in a much better way to live better and no matter what the situation we will all gain a closeness to God from it all. That’s what I hope thru this beast, that we will all overcome in some way TOGETHER!
As for us Kindred’s, we still have the backside of this journey yet to come and of course need your loving prayers. The radiation which entails a ‘Halloween type of customized Trenton mask’ which Trenton will be specifically fitted for, with straps to hold his body tightly down for radiation with no movement in our days ahead.
Dr. Haight advised me today that our radiation appointments are every single day (Monday thru Friday) for the next several weeks after BMT recovery, but she didn’t know the full protocol or for how many weeks but unfortunately we are looking at the Christmas season of Love and the Reason for the Season for ALL in December, so I am sure Trenton will be covered with Christmas Angels surrounding him! However, Trenton is sedated each day for this procedure, which stinks if you ask me.
Our doctors at Scottish Rite take over again from this point and we will get these details from them when the time comes. But when Dr. George stopped by here the other day, Greg threatened me with my life if I dare ask him these details yet to come in Trenton’s journey; as he just didn’t want to visualize those days ahead just yet – but instead to take one day at a time and ENJOY our moments that are soon ahead of us which is being: “ALMOST HOME”. ……. And that is what we are doing every step of the way so happily I might add…………..
So my dear friends, as always, we HOPE, BELIEVE, and CELEBRATE LIFE in every way and SECURE all these things around our PRAYERS and our FAITH! One possible thing happened today and that is God giving us yet another miracle in the works could only celebrate this day and it’s here once again! As bad as Trenton has felt, there is no other reason for this celebration at this point in our journey but to Thank God for us going home soon this week with NO infections and counts climbing! I am already celebrating the ‘reason for the season’ that’s forthcoming in the December month ahead! What a double dose of inspiration and love that month will bring to our family!
I reach out to each and every one of you tonight and always THANK YOU for being here with us thru this journey every single day – what would we do without you?
Much love,
Ginger and family and our little steam engine TRENTON…… xo
Thursday, October 13, 2005 10:30 PM east coast time
Dear Journey family, (our strongest prayer angels)
(Trenton received such a precious surprise today, a blanket for him and a blanket for his brother Taylor that were handmade and specially PRAYED over prior to their arrival. What a treasured gift from a dear friend and acquaintance thru Greg’s work – KATHLEEN your love sent to us today is priceless and will always be cherished)
I will begin this update by saying THANK YOU for your prayers! They are working and now we should immediately thank God for those prayers being answered, as Greg and I are thankful for every baby step towards our little Trenton’s miracle. They may be slow and they are working in baby steps, but hey, the Kindred family here at Egleston BMT will take one day at a time and if in baby steps it will be, we will take it with a huge smile on our face, as long as it’s positive and heading in the right direction AND let’s not forget NO INFECTIONS and NO ICU. Thank you our dear Father!
With that said, Trenton’s counts have finally gone from ZERO to .14 meaning they are at least beginning to go UP in the right direction. We just need to PRAY they stay that way and not go back to ZERO again like they did 2 days ago, but instead keep going UP on their own.
Trenton could not be any crankier and he is letting us and all the nurses know how bad he’s feeling. Anything you ask him is NO and a mean snarl following his response, no matter what the question may be. He still has swelling so he is still on water retention drugs to release all that chemo fluid from his abdomen and liver. He CRIES most of the time if he’s not sleeping, but every day we try to get him moving a little more, by making him take a few steps and play in the BMT playroom and laugh. It brings smiles to our faces when we get him to do this, even though he’s grumbling along the way! The nights are still extremely restless with breakouts of CRYING and unsettledness, this is a tough one, but we did get about 4 and a half hours last night straight. But forget about us, he needs his rest the most to heal. But it will come in time I am certain of it.
You know I could bore you with all his effects he’s having right now, but I would rather tell you that we are staying focused on the positives. His counts went up slightly today and we have NO infections or Candida yeast infections, and we feel that’s a blessing! We knew this when we went into BMT that this was no cake-walk, and we definitely had double doses of this ‘no cake walk’ last BMT, so we are hanging in there by our little ones side and staying positive on WHAT WE DO HAVE instead of what we don’t have right now and again we truly are so thankful.
You know what? There’s something I’d like to share. You know me, I can’t hold things back, just tell you’all everything from my heart – but I always just hope that there’s a little something you will gain out of it in some way; hopefully something for yourselves at the moment or something you might see clearer throughout your day, or just more prayers sent to heaven for Trenton, but regardless I’d like to share as you’all are family.
I went to my yearly doctors check up that I have canceled 3 times now and finally went. (been a little busy to worry about going to the doctor myself), but I finally did. And it was a good day doing this yesterday, as I saw another family that I knew we had at my doctor’s office. After all Doctor Hirsh delivered both of my boys, so how close of a family can he and his nurses possibly be, but BIG family. They were not aware of Trenton’s journey so needless to say there were many tears for us all! Dr. Hirsch and JoAnn were the greatest support and very comforting. But Dr. Hirsch thought I sounded too good for something so deep in my life right now. But I explained to him that I had a kind of PEACE with our baby right now and the BEST support of family on our Journal site. But if he would have checked on me as little as 2 months ago that would not be the case; let alone March 18th diagnosis day, he would have suggested the most intense drugs and a straight-jacket for sure. BUT WITH ALL THIS SAID, I want you all to know that we truly are positive in our hearts and thru our Faith, it’s all we have that’s strong in us right now and that keeps us strong for Trenton and I think this is important. We also have to keep strong for Taylor on the outside as well, as he’s seen us CRY more than enough tears to fill a lifetime times 2 now.
So our FAITH has taken on OVERLOAD drive now and we pray we are never let down for something different from this. Our Trenton is strong, but our faith and your prayers are stronger and we want you to know that ALL these THANK YOUS I put on this update are meant from the heart and we never want you to take those words lightly or for granted; as we couldn’t be this strong without all YOUR support for us and mostly our Faith and trust in God that Trenton is in His hands.
With this we have much PEACE and with this we continue to Celebrate Life in so many ways, as we now look thru the dark beast hole in back of us and what we’ve been thru we see the LIGHT ahead of us,
God bless and much love as always from my heart but thru God’s love to all of you,
Ginger and family, especially our little hero TRENTON xo
Wednesday, October 12, 2005 1:40 PM east coast time
Dear Journey Family,
As you can see from our sweet baby’s picture above; he’s feeling very poorly. It’s so sad to watch Trenton feeling so, so bad. But as bad as it is Greg and I are staying as strong as possible for him and for his CURE thru all this. I think it’s because we know ‘we’re almost home’ after this BMT stay at the hospital. We feel that spirit in our hearts and minds and try to look forward to that moment of going home! Not to say however, that the NO SLEEP nights are easy to bare, I can tell you they aren’t! Let’s put it this way, I’ve had 2 newborns now and a working mom myself and I would go back to those days in a heart beat – those were a piece of cake compared to these nights. It’s the suffering that’s so hard! First being that you get NO SLEEP during this journey stay in BMT cancer world versus an occasional waking up for feedings/teething etc in normal new-baby at home world…….but mostly the hurt is the worst right now as we see Trenton hurting so badly. He wakes up every single hour – if not more, in screaming mode and we can’t console him. It breaks your heart. All he does is hold his pumpkin light (around the clock) or his milk bottle (that he doesn’t dare take a sip of) – and nothing consoles him until finally he gets settled lying on your chest or dancing himself to sleep in your arms – thru the screaming spells of hurting pain!
HOWEVER, thru all of this, we are looking forward to coming home one day soon!
The doctor’s and nurse practitioner have told us that he is doing good though; even tho the pain and observance of his swelling in his liver and stomach and sad eyes are so heartbreaking, he is doing well. Even tho his counts are ZERO again today, she feels like he’s showing better signs than that on paper! SO AGAIN, we keep the faith, trust in our Lord that we are having Trenton healed thru this ordeal and ultimately the CURE at the end of this Journey. AND THAT KEEPS US strong!
Taylor has been doing great! He’s had so much energy and doing so well at home with grandmas Linda. She keeps him busy and strong! Grandpa Paul arrives back today to end the week with some more fun, so I think he has been happy as can be expected. He misses us so bad and cries when we leave after our visits, but of course we ALL do and to be expected but we enjoy every moment together. But Taylor too looks forward to the light at the end of the tunnel and being HOME all of us back to our crazy family at home! As Taylor keeps calling it “after Trenton’s cancer” we can do ‘this’ and ‘that’ – it’s so priceless listening to his outlook on it all and what he calls things! AGAIN, I love looking thru my children’s eyes! It’s the best!
We love you all, thanks for keeping your prayers strong and checking on us. Sorry I haven’t had the chance to talk to you all or write individually, but please hear my prayers of Thank yous – we really do miss you!
Celebrating Life as always, and staying strong! And last but not least our endless prayers for miracles!
God bless,
Ginger and Family, especially punkin TRENTON xo
MONday, October 11, 2005 8:57 PM east coast time
NEW SHORT UPDATE
We will write more later, but just sending a quick note to say 'keep praying' as I know you already are, but maybe we can throw them on a fast roller-coaster to heaven to speed them up a bit.
Little Trent has been feeling sooooo bad. Greg and I were up most of the night, we actually didn't get too far in counting sheep for ANY of us at all.
He's in so much pain, not drinking ANYTHING, or eating, but just holds his bottle in his hands and his little pumpkin light Mr. Reggie brought him, just to hold onto a little light of HOPE that he will be feeling his great old self again!
Gotta go, but we are holding on to better days ahead.
Much love from all our family,
Ginger & family
-------------------------
Last update below:
Dear Journey Family, (we love you so much for checking in on us and PRAYING)
I finally got to the computer to update. I wish I could tell you that things have just been so busy, busy like the first week of BMT 2; but it’s been a different kind of busy unfortunately, but one that we expected. Trenton hit his ground ZERO on Thursday, the day after ‘stem cell transplant day’ and he’s got all the symptoms showing us so. Therefore, we’ve been doing nothing but a lot of hugging, rocking, carrying, dancing, loving, cuddling and soothing in any way we possibly can for our little Trenton and to relieve his pain and side effects.
His little mouth is protruding out like a little baboon from all the swelling from the mouth sores and the sores that continue all the way down his G.I. track, which makes it tough for him to swallow his own saliva, let alone his juice, food or milk. So eating and drinking have been to a bare minimum intake for the past couple of days. But no TPN (which is steak and potato’s in a bag) has been necessary so far; but by tomorrow they will need to start that kind of food supplement.
He’s been running very low-grade fevers, which doesn’t necessarily mean sign of infection, but just part of the process going along with everything else. He’s very achy to say the least all over his body, as he cries a lot with whimpers thru the night and day when he wakes up, not knowing what’s going on with his little body. We have his morphine pump to accommodate him the best way they can for pain. But WE of course don’t always know ‘when’ to hit the button for pain, but try to guess the best we can as to when he needs it.
So with all this said, we’re busy trying to comfort the best we can for our little boy. And as I write this to all of you I know it sounds horrible and believe me it is; however, it surely isn’t as bad as the last BMT. Please keep your prayers flowing for no INFECTIONS! That was the worst and as long as our angels are surrounding us in this room 357 to keep those bad yeast infections away this time, we can fight thru this one, one day at a time! We also try to fill laughter in the room for Trenton thru crazy witty things we can come up with, watch or do – laughter is such good medicine. And speaking of laughter, he had two different visitors today, Ms. Wendy and Ms. Lisa and they brought Trenton and I a lot of laughter in the room today, AND a lot of yummy food for me and Greg too - xo.
We are very positive and strong and staying focused on our little guy getting better each day and that keeps us strong for him.
We stay focused on the positives; just like today his counts went from zero to ‘point 1’, which isn’t much at all, but hey, it’s climbing on it’s own after 2 days of zero, so it’s going in the right direction – UP! And that’s good enough for me, And of course with that, we are thankful for every baby step.
My parents arrived Wednesday night and are now staying with Taylor, giving grandma and grandpa Kindred a little break to go back home. Taylor’s kept grandma Linda already very busy putting up all the Halloween decorations, as I went home on Thursday to help as well. He’s been so excited each day doing different things, nice family time.
Greg went home today to watch all the sports games on TV. with Taylor and throw the ball, and help George close down our pool for the winter. Sad to see summer go, but on the other hand we know it’s fall and we are gradually progressing towards the CURE of our Trenton, so with that we are so happy to move into the beautiful holidays together as a family (out of the long day stays at the hospital).
I’m going to go home Sunday to stay the night with Taylor to spend some more quality time so we can wake up on Monday and maybe go pumpkin hunting since Taylor has no school Monday and I hear it feels like Fall in the air outside – that sounds nice!
It’s so difficult pulling ourselves away from Trenton when he’s so, so sick like this; but it’s also so important for Greg and I to alternate turns to be with Taylor too. We miss him so, so much and he needs us at home too; just quality, lovable time together. Even it’s to do homework and fuss and argue over homework or clean up room time, it’s still quality family normalcy and balance that every child sibling of cancer needs too. THEY CAN’T BE LEFT BEHIND, it’s so important and a juggle for sure for all of us.
No matter how sad so many days can be, when we stop and think or have quiet time at all late at night, we are always celebrating life each and every day towards the steps of Trenton’s cure. I just feel it in my bones the excitement of reaching our CURE thus far, and what all we’ve been thru already, when the light seemed like a black hole so far away on March 18th, 2005. We celebrate getting Trenton thru this BMT 2nd round knowing we won’t be back for another one. We dread the radiation and the details we are discovering of that process for our little one, but I’m trying to stay focused on the present for now and think of that on another day, when that day arrives. So we stay as positive as we can be with the outlook of each new day.
I’m so blessed to have my children’s eyes to look thru, they look at things so completely different than we do; and those eyes brighten my every day.
As always, celebrating life, miracles that we are blessed to be a part of so many and BELIEVING IS SEEING WHAT OUR EYES CANNOT SEE.
We have so much hope and strength thru all of you and your prayers.
Ginger and family, especially our little fighting hero TRENTON xo
Wednesday, October 5, 2005 11:26 PM east coast time
Dear Journey family, (let’s celebrate all your prayers today)
We had a great day. Trenton’s Angels above came down and were flying all around the room today, keeping busy to make Trenton as comfortable as possible. He was holding his own for sure with all their help, until our favorite nurse practitioner Ellen administered his stem cells at 11am today. The cream corn taste was way too much this go around for little Trenton to handle and Yuk, he got very sick, all over his mommy while I was holding him so tight. But not sick for long, then he fell fast to sleep in our arms shortly thereafter. He really did so great, even with all the morning premeds he had prior to the procedure, he just kept on going. It’s funny though, last BMT he slept most of the afternoon afterwards; but today was different, he slept about an hour or so and then off he went again. Ms. Zoja came up afterwards to play with him and wore him out. Greg and I were so excited to see her and glad to get out and enjoy some fresh air together – it was such a beautiful day. We even brought Trenton and Hannah back some Halloween goodies to decorate their door and room with. They were both so excited. The small glow up pumpkin is Trenton’s favorite; he’s mesmerized by the orange glow of light in his hospital room.
So friends we thank you so much for all your hard work today with all your prayers. Trenton was so well taken care of. After he was sick and everything was complete, nurse Tammie monitored him closely for about 4 hours with blood pressure, oxygen, heart rate and temperature checks and he did great on all of the above. She even said how much she enjoyed being his nurse today; on his day, with all his new fresh good stem cells.
Directly after the stem cell transplant, Greg and I crossed some of the Holy Water that Aunt Victoria gave us last BMT round on Trenton’s little head and said our prayers together, with several tears flowing of ‘hope and believe’ and we could just feel the Angels on the end of Trenton’s bed. I truly felt Trenton’s calmness.
WE THANK ALL OF YOU from the bottom of our hearts, once again! Like I’ve said so many times; we couldn’t be here this far with so much success in little Trenton’s healing if we didn’t have all your prayers and support. And most of all, it’s the ultimate joy to praise and thank God for every miracle he gives us along our way to Trenton’s CURE. That’s all we think about. Every day our minds are so very weak and tired of so much worry consumed in our heads every day; we look to God to give us strength……..and He always does.
As you can see we are very thankful for yet another great day. But we also know that last BMT Trenton hit rock bottom about a week out of receiving his stem cells on transplant day. It was the scariest time we’ve had with him since our diagnosis on March 18th. So we need your continued prayers for his day to day as we crawl forward, watching over him and keeping his body strong. We can’t wait to report to you with counts rising and Trenton cheering, just like his pictures above with the bubbles circling all around him!
One last thing. I have to say to all of you – are these pictures above a page of Hope, Love and Believe or what? Well, I could also say the cutest pictures you’ve ever seen! But I’ll let you be the judge! We are so tickled by them. Trenton and his sweet little Hannah friend are so cute besides what all they are both going thru in this journey together! Hannah’s daddy never goes anywhere without his camera and as you can see he’s great at ‘picture-taking’ and he lent his talent to us to reflect on little Trenton. Hannah’s mom and dad came to our room to visit and took pictures of Trent while I was blowing bubbles to him and as you can see he really hammed-it-up for Hannah’s daddy and mommy. So Bob shared his pictures with us and thru in some of Hannah too and grandma Linda worked her magic with the graphics, and we have these cute ‘my girl’ photo collage of Trenton surrounding his sweet Hannah – his ‘girl’. They are so cute and they are both just picture perfect when you see them blow kisses to each other thru the BMT glass window. It’s nice to have them here with us thru this journey.
Celebrating our life here on earth with our ‘circle of family’ thru this journey. Hope, Believe and Faith are our drivers and I’ll never stray from this ride!
Much love,
Ginger and family and most of all our little fighting spirit TRENTON xo
Tuesday, October 4, 2005 11:49 PM east coast time
Dear Journey Family,
Can you believe it?
Well FIRST, let me put it this way, WE ARE FINISHED WITH CHEMO – Yippee– No more, all but the oral chemo after radiation, but we can handle that I just know it!
SECOND, Our day ZERO is tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct. 5th) and Day Zero definition here in bone marrow transplant world means Transplant Day where we receive all our good Stem Cells back into Trenton’s bone marrow. The time will be 11:00 AM. So for all of you that don’t remember last bone marrow transplant when we received our stem cells, it’s Cream-Corn Smelling time. The entire room and TRENTON smells like cream corn for a few days. Bless his heart, he doesn’t even know what cream corn is yet; but I bet he won’t like it when he gets older and won’t even know why! And I have to say, I won’t ever cook it again as it will always be a reminder and there are just some things in this world that are best locked up in memory - !
On stem cell transplant day, it is a pretty uneventful day actually. A small bag of stem cells that we harvested many months ago from Trenton’s remaining good bone marrow himself, is taken from a locked freezer vault and drawn into a very large syringe. It’s slowly administered thru Trenton’s central chest line, which usually takes about 10 minutes or so and that’s it. He’s monitored continuously for blood pressure, fever, etc. and we just wait for things to start grafting, but mostly pray and pray. In a few days they will begin Neuopogen medication again to assist the white blood count to boost the rise and we just wait, wait and wait. But most of all, as we always do, we pray, pray and pray for complete success of the transplant, no infections and complete grafting and ultimate healing. And with all that said, we are sooooo positive and have just felt so many Angels flocking around Trenton this past week and we know they will remain with him thru his healing; I truly feel this and believe this! He’s done so well! He’s still eating some and cranky as ever from the pain and tiredness of his counts hitting rock-bottom today; so he’s letting all of us know just how he feels – which I am sure is pretty puny.
Thank you for all your prayers, I know in my heart this has been the healing prayer of Trenton’s smiling success. Thank you for all your kind words and thanks so much for your continued journal entries. I know that so many of you think that you’ve already said all you can say to us, or if you didn’t that somebody else has. But that’s not the case and anything you have said to us, is worth hearing all over again. I truly mean this from my heart because I really look forward to running to the computer for a quick glance of all your support, love and kind words!
God bless all of you tonight, we are celebrating a new life tomorrow of Trenton’s little cells – may they all be good cells and REMAIN THAT WAY. Neuroblastoma Free!
Every day we are praying for continued miracles and looking up at the stars,
Ginger and family especially baby Trenton xo
Monday, October 3, 2005 10:05 PM CDT
Dear Journey Family (Trenton’s ultimate prayer warriors),
First of all, the most important news of all, Trenton is on Bone Marrow Transplant Day Minus Day number 2 (which is hospital terms for BMT patients meaning we’re on our 6th day today Monday) and he is a fighting machine. And I am the proud mom of a Neuroblastoma 18-month-old fighting cancer child here to tell you the news. He’s doing so great or I use the word great anyway. I wish that he could speak his own words in sentences to confirm this information to be true and back his mommy’s word 100 percent, but from what I see every day, my baby boy is doing great. Even Dr. Horan smiles when we sees him EATING; it’s almost unfathomable to see this child eating from what chemo he's going thru. But what the doctors don’t know is, Trenton really isn’t eating quite like himself, as he is only eating a very limited menu. That would be Ramen noodles, Easy-Mac macaroni and cheese, yogurt of any flavor, jell-0 and let’s not forget honey- nut cheerios. Although all those things may not be on the 20th century low-carb diet menu, they are kicking-cancer-butt as far as I’m concerned on the 3rd floor Aflac Cancer unit at Eglestons Children’s Hospital in room #357. And I am so proud of this little hero of mine.
Now let me just share with you, it’s not a cakewalk by any means. I am sure that he’s in some slow-going pain, with counts that are decreasing by the hour and his very cranky moods and wanting to be carried a lot with his 26 lbs. self; but as I’ve been sharing with you all; I don’t look at the statistics on black and white and how he should be feeling, I look at my little boy and see him looking so good after everything he’s been thru. Dr. Horan can’t believe he is eating so well after all the chemo he’s endured this BMT round, this amount of chemo would probably kill us adults and our bodies they say.
…… So what I am trying to say is journey family, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, and THANK YOU, all for all your prayers. There is absolutely nothing in the world that can convince me otherwise that our baby boy Trenton is doing so well so far on day 6 into BMT #2, than because of the prayers you all are sending to heaven for us. It’s just another blessing that I thank our God for and secondly I could only thank all of YOU for sending them straight to heaven!
Believe me, we can’t send the prayers alone; as God say’s, the more people together in prayer, the better! (Well, that’s my words of course, but the verse itself would be much more inspiring I am sure; but my Bible is on the desk in this room, but me and my laptop are on the bed with baby Trenton). I’ve never said I memorized the Bible word for word, but I do know scripture, but YES, I’ve read it and live it and believe every word of it, and if it says it I believe it, but I’m not a good direct quote of word by word, but I know all of you understand what I’m saying and believe in His word of what I’m trying to say. Gosh, I suddenly sound like Feebie on Friends!
Anyway, we are doing great. Unfortunately Greg has been home since he left Saturday afternoon to spend time with Taylor, but Greg caught a little cold bug. Not bad enough of a cold to keep Greg away, as he really wanted to be here, but any cold right now is enough of a cold where the doctors wanted to keep Greg away. Since Trenton’s counts are so, so low and going lower to soon be Zero, and we can’t RISK any infection what so ever. So even though Greg wanted to be here, he’s had to stay away. But Taylor was one happy little boy with Dad home for a while. And even though mom and Trenton have been busy, busy, it’s been the best time spent, it really has. I’ve got to enjoy him while he’s BUSY and feeling so good. I'm really the blessed one right now!
Okay, last but not least. I am extending my Update tonight; with something I thought was a MUST to attach to this update on Trenton. Because somehow, it really does relate. I personally think it’s a must read for ALL. It’s a letter from my Mother to Oprah after Oprah had a guest on her show last week that my mother personally felt she should personally comment on straight to OPRAH herself. Not only comment, but also state her opinion and state it loudly. But as many of you know me so well, you can now see where I get my passion. My mother doesn’t speak up loudly actually, UNLESS something really hits home, and I think when you read her letter she wrote to Oprah below, you would find that it hit HOME. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and I know all our mother’s with children with cancer (the QUIET HEROS of children with cancer) from Chris Glavine and Kristin Connor’s luncheon Sept. 10th will most enjoy.
I hope nothing offends anybody, as it’s just written from my mother’s heart straight to OPRAH and I wanted to share it with all of you. And IF it gets us on the show to make childhood cancer research more public then it’s worth every word or for that matter the ANGEL NETWORK, which I already know who my Angel Network nominee will be on the show – let’s keep you all guessing on that one and at least have some enjoyment on that mystery anyway for now: Enjoy my mother’s word that I am sharing with all of you, our JOURNEY FAMILY:
(BUT FIRST, please say a special prayer for my very special friend LEE ANN's mother Betty - she is such a special person in our lives and Betty is too! As I won't get into the details, as it's not my place, please just say a prayer that she gets well soon! She's okay, as she's strong just like her wonderful 2 daughters, but she needs some special prayers of just plain old GET WELL SOON BETTY - we are thinking of you! xo
God Bless, good night and as always, celebrating life in so many ways, as God wants us to here on earth - and as always I am sending this update thru God's love and my words from the heart!
Ginger and family especially baby TRENTON xo
------------------------here is mom's letter to OPRAH ------
Ginger,
I know you were laughing at my words to Oprah the other night so I thought I would send you what I wrote to Oprah's folks personally. I sincerely DOUBT I would ever get a note back from them.
Love mom and here is the e-mail and letter I wrote to Oprah on every email outlet she has available, I am sure she will be pleased - haha..
To whom it may concern:
First of all, I would like to say that I have enjoyed Oprah's shows for a
very long time and try not to miss them if time permits. However, I must
comment (and I never do this) on the show with Naomi Wolf as a guest. I was
incensed and therefore prompted to write.
Regarding Naomi Wolf's review on "parenting" vs. "personal growth, wealth and career". Excuse me...but I do have a question as to her aberration of motherhood and how horribly sleep deprived, tortured and miserable she is and what time it has taken from HER life? Didn’t they make a PILL to prevent that problem???? Where has SHE been!!! You would think a feminatzi would certainly be aware of the success rate of the PILL!!!
I find it difficult to relate to her woes in her life as "life interrupted"
by parenting!! What an idiot!!! She has managed to take the greatest gift
given to womankind and turn it into a laborious chore. It is called...PROCREATION!!!! I do believe it has been spoken about for centuries. Mother's everywhere are honored to even HAVE that title...mother. With it comes responsibility, sleepless nights worrying about your child, delight at small laughter, first words, toddler's steps and watching them grow into a loving, responsible, caring adults whom YOU, as a mother, have been responsible for. What an HONOR...What an ACHIEVEMENT!! She certainly does NOT speak for the rest of American women or women anywhere!!! Oprah should be ashamed of herself and she is lucky that the audience of 99omen didn't storm the stage and rip this feminist neonatzi's head off!!!
Perhaps you, as "Oprah's people” need to research and find (not hard to
do) moms who have children with cancer. How about a Tribute to Our Quiet Heroes! Just look at the strength they have to exhibit - even when they do not feel strong inside. Those moms have to watch their child, day after day, go through torture and sickness beyond any adult’s comprehension. Every waking moment and hour of her child's life, she is praying to be granted just another day without pain or sickness, praying for her child's chance to have a future. These families are forced to live through the most extraordinary chaos and suffering. The world of childhood cancer is sad and devastating. Let Naomi Wolf take a double look at THAT situation and perhaps her "sleep-deprivation" may not look so ominous. Please...give me a break!!! She has the good fortune to have a healthy child, a good job or career with a future to look forward too and perhaps grandchildren (however, I hope that she has NONE because I would DOUBT that she would cherish those dirty little rug rats!!!). Many mothers do not have that to look forward to and hold their breath moment-by-moment praying for the life of their child!!! The demands on Naomi’s time are totally insignificant in comparison.
Oprah needs to stick to interviewing people with some WORTH and PURPOSE in
this life. Those that leave a mark on someone else's life rather than
selfish, self-righteous, self-evolved feminists who have no business being
given the gift of life in the first place. Oprah also needs to have a show
completely dedicated to APOLOGY and a REBUTTAL to women everywhere for this
insult to motherhood and character. Perhaps she needs to do a show on "The
purpose Driven Life". We DO have a purpose in this life. We WERE put
here for a reason and it sure isn't to be negative as to the gifts of life
or the beauty that surrounds us or to take our FREEDOM lightly as well.
Everything comes with a PRICE. I guess Naomi's price is loosing a little
sleep.
What has happened to Oprah’s motto..? " Angel network " ..or
doing only good works. We haven't run out of Angels in this country, there are MANY who have not been on Oprah's show. Angels are not hard to find either just contact me and I can show you hundreds just on my own!!! Oprah is STRETCHING to have people of this sort of character on her show if she is reaching this type of entertainment!!!
Saturday, October 1, 2005 11:12 PM east coast time
Hi to all our family,
As always, we are glad you stopped in on us via this website to check on our family and how Trenton’s day was. As it’s really difficult to talk to everybody on the phone while being in the hospital, this is the greatest way to communicate to all of you. I think it also saves you all a lot of time and convenience, as you can check on us when you have the time! We are grateful for your dedication to our baby Trenton in so many ways and support and most of all every single PRAYER.
Trenton’s had another good day. I’ve enjoyed being with him so much, regardless of the track-run marathon he runs in these small walls and small amount of space he’s allotted to in BMT. The circle around the nurses station is hard to explain to our little guy, he just wants to run thru every exit he passes by with his push-walker. We all get a little dizzy after several laps in a circle. And I don’t even like the teacups and tilt-awhirl at the fair – so go figure – tee hee! I’ve had a lot of mommy time with him tho today and tonight and it’s been so nice. I was so mesmerized by his little voice when I was lying next to him putting him to sleep tonight as I do most every night here. But tonight was special, as he said mommy over and over and over again looking up at me with those big blue eyes and the glow of the night shining on his little pudgy cheeks, I was taken by every word. MOMMY, MOMMY, - I swear I think he said it about 40 times. So the more I said ‘mommy loves Trenton, the more he said ‘mommy, mommy’. Treasured moments for sure, that I wanted to share with you all!
Greg went home today to spend some time with Taylor. They of course were going to watch the Florida State game on T.V. and go to Happy Sumo. That was a real treat for Taylor because we don’t go out to eat anymore as a family, since BMT patients still aren’t allowed in crowds/restaurants/grocery stores, etc. And Happy Sumo is Taylor’s favorite little spot and his choice tonight for dad to take him. They saw one of his favorite little girls in all the world, Maggie Bonatz – it was her BIRTHDAY – HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET MAGGIE – we miss you!……
Greg called tonight and said he and Taylor really enjoyed some great family time together and on Sunday they will continue to enjoy; as they plan to go to church and Greg ushers on the first Sunday of each month. Taylor will join him and be a big boy to sit by himself and take communion as I am sure Daddy will greet him at the alter. As always, a lot of prayers will be left at the alter by them both on Sunday.
We have some good news. More blessings sent from God. The kidney test that was performed prior to BMT on Tuesday came back normal. We were so happy, since the doctors thought things might show some ‘dinging’ on the kidneys from the fungal medications during BMT #1. We said a lot of prayers of thanks for this news, as it was confirmed again today. Secondly, the Urologist informed our doctor this morning that he felt like the swelling on Trenton’s lower body area I mentioned last night, are signs of communicative hydra-seal which is kindof like cysts of some type forming in the abdominal area causing back up of all the fluids being administered thru the kidneys to flush the chemo thru those areas mentioned. Something that should be fixed later on after all the cancer treatment is over and our pediatrician they recommended can do this; but nothing to be worried about for now. Although the ultrasound results have not been reported yet from radiology to confirm this information, this is their best guess and speculation from their examination yesterday and today thus far. So Greg and I feel good about this info at this point and blessed to here the reassuring news. Therefore, no speculation of their original fears are raised at this point; which would have been a hernia and/or kidney problems, as this could cause life-threatening issues as the counts continue to drop to zero onto transplant day this coming week. So we are blessed so much with this reassuring news of blessings.
Although Trenton’s counts are dropping so low each day, we try to stay in tune and focused as to how he looks and acts to us and try not to dwell on these counts decreasing in large amounts each day on paper. But that’s what happens here in BMT and to be expected, but it doesn’t make it all the better for us parents to absorb. Again, watching our little guy so full of life and energy is our greatest day and reward we have to be thankful for; so it stinks to see it dwindling to an ultimate low right in front of your eyes. But we are really praying and staying positive that ‘this BMT is not going to be as bad as the last one’ – and that remains to be our calmness thru each day.
I’m gonna close for tonight. Thanks again for ALL the emails a lot of you send to us. It really is something we look forward to thru the long days in the hospital especially; just knowing you all are out there and thinking about us, make us also realize there are a lot of prayers at that moment of ‘thinking’ that are sent to heaven for our TRENTON and hopefully our Taylor too.
God Bless and always remember to celebrate each day with your healthy children & family. Every day at dinner after a busy day!
It’s such dreamy moments for me to see so many families with their children in the park here at Emory when I get a break to go for a jog. Sometimes I just want to walk up to these sweet families and make sure they are treasuring every healthy moment, no matter the craziness in their lives they may be experiencing. ‘But they’d look at me like I was some crazy bag lady just out of her mind’ - as they just wouldn’t understand! If only they all knew what was going on in the hospital next door to them full of little children, as the families in the park are just neighbors taking a stroll – sipping on coffee and passing by.
Miracles do happen every day, we are blessed to be a part of so many. Thank you friends and family for sharing them with us and supporting us in sooooo many ways! As always speaking from my heart and sharing every moment and thought with God and straight to all of you our family.
Ginger and family and especially our little hero TRENTON xo
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