Hi dear friends & family,

It makes me smile and cry at the same time to read your posts, texts, etc and feel your love and support.  You truly CARRY us in times like these…thank you so very much!!!

It’s been a crazy and stressful few months, incredibly intense few days…bringing us to what now feels nothing short of a miracle.  

Cruise and Dr. Ed Smith are quite simply rock stars!

The courage and calm that Cruise demonstrated as they prepped him for surgery…I will never forget it.  We’ve been hearing the possible consequences repeatedly for months and, even the day before, the surgeon’s exact words were, “I can all but guarantee some level of paralysis…” I kept thinking about the impact this would have on the sports Cruise so loves…holding a lacrosse stick or dribbling a basketball…how do you process that and keep going at 13?!  How does he continue to make jokes, find a smile, be so polite…amidst so much constant pain and in the face such a daunting surgery and potential outcomes?!

We laid in bed the night before and he, only one time, calmly said, “Mom, I’m scared.”   

I thought, OH MY GOSH, buddy.  I am COMPLETELY freaked out!  (I definitely didn’t say that…but that was 100% my reality!) A friend had very accurately said he would be playing off my energy…and that I had to stay calm and strong for him…making this last week one of the hardest walks I’ve ever walked. 

And, Dr. Smith…words cannot express my gratitude for his discipline, dedication and the sacrifices he and his family have made for him to operate at this level.  It went significantly easier and faster than they anticipated.  Cruise’s brain allowed for relatively easy entry and Dr. Smith resected the entire lesion missing every nerve in his path.  “No strokes and no bleeds…no seizures,” as Dr. Smith report after surgery.  Incredible relief!

Outside of a couple big bandages and some incision pain, Cruise looks and feels GREAT and appears to have no weakness much less paralysis!  More miracles. And, no headache for the first time in months.  Doctors are cautiously optimistic…there is still a bit of wait and see…and no big activity for this kiddo for about 3 months.  But, we are over the moon to see our child comfortable…and beyond grateful for this best best best case scenario!  

Thank you all so very much for your support and love!!!  It has meant the world to us!  Now, time to breathe and live again!

Jen