Sam's Fund: Latest news

For anyone out there, possibly still being directed to this blog, I want to thank you for looking. We raised $5761 for Sam and his mom which I deposited for them in June 2012. He has moved on to chemotherapy, which is supposed to be 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. He had a very scary late July and early August set-back. He spent his 5th birthday in the hospital, but out of Pediatric ICU.

The gallery of quilts that you see below are still offered for sale to benefit Sam and his family. If you see something you'd like, please contact me at okko@cox.net.

My husband and I went up to Oregon in late September to visit our daughter, who is now living in Portland, and was able to see Sam and his mom a couple of times while there. We visited them in their 'home-away-from-home,' the Ronald McDonald House just a few steps from the Doernbecker Children's Hospital where Sam is receiving treatment. I'm relieved to say that Sam is a happy, bouncy, normal five-year old boy. He greeted us with big hugs and smiles and immediately initiated game-play and gave us a tour of his turf. He is extremely verbal and expresses himself very well, is reading above age level, and has a boat load of determination when things aren't going his way. As my husband says, 'Sam is my hero!'

Here's a story about what kind of a boy Sam is. Recently, a young mother was admitted to Doernbecker and her husband was staying at RMH. She was pregnant, near term, when it was discovered that she had a brain tumor. They took her baby early by c-section and were going to continue with surgery and treatment for her tumor. They told her they would install a shunt, permanently, in her brain. She was afraid. The staff told her about Sam and she asked if she could talk to him. Yes, he agreed. One of her questions was, 'wasn't he afraid of the permanent shunt?' Yes, he was, he admitted with a shrug and a giggle! This little five-year old set her mind at ease and she was able to go ahead with the treatment. That's Sam - a big ambassador in a little body! I have a treasured picture of him saying goodbye to us at the back door to RMH; big arm waving and a huge smile on his face - as if this really was his own home.

As of October 15, 2012, Sam is tumor-free, eating normally and tolerating his treatment well. If everything goes well, by the end of the year Sam will be done with therapy, his mom will be able to return to work, and they will be able to move on with their lives as a healthy, happy family.
Amen!