Two years. It’s been two years since day 0. Two years since we prayed over a bag of donor cells. We hoped. We prayed that this would make Remi better. We’d endured the fevers. The sickness. The chemo. The blood transfusions. The medications. The ER visits. The hospital stays. The surgeries. The complications. We’d endured it all, and here was our big day. The day we would introduce new cells into Remi’s body. We’d pray that they would work. That her body wouldn’t reject them. That we could be able to have a future with Remi, even if we weren’t sure what it would look like. 

God answered our prayers. We had a rough few weeks post transplant. (Although, I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t) A lot of days was an uphill battle. Always another setback. An issue to work through. A hurdle to overcome—but she did it. Only through God’s grace and faithfulness, Remi has overcome each thing that she has encountered. It reminds me of a song we had on repeat this time two years ago

“God sees the storm from the other side

He knows the lessons learned

And just beyond the clouds

He sees clear skies

He speaks peace to the raging storm

When peace cannot be found

He already sees the rainbow when we see only clouds”

Here we are two years post bone marrow transplant. No medications. No major complications. No delays. Nothing that would make anyone suspect she’s anything except a normal 2 year old. 

So now looking back over just how far Remi has come, I’m thankful. (Honestly, I’ve said that so many times that you’d think it would start losing some of the meaning but it doesn’t) I’m so thankful. Thankful for Remi. Thankful for her donor. Thankful for God never leaving us. Thankful for the lessons it taught me. Thankful for my family. Thankful for the families I am lucky to call my friends.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If you have a healthy child at home, be grateful. We are all guilty (even me) of taking it for granted. The days when your kids are bouncing off the walls (and driving you up a wall), be thankful. They could be sitting in a hospital bed, puking blood from the sores in their mouth and throat left behind by chemotherapy. They could be fighting for their life. They could be gone. In the blink of an eye. Praise God for his mercy on my family. I’m so thankful He allowed me to keep Remi on this side of eternity. Life wouldn’t be the same without my wonderful, silly, loving, singing, wild child Remington 💙

#HLHawareness #RemingtonStrong #HLHwarrior #bethematch