tragedy
What Do You Say To Parents of a Dying Child?
By: Daphne Brogdon
According to the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5648a1.htm Cancer is the fourth most common cause of death (after unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide) for people 1- 19 years old. The survival rate of childhood cancer has increased. That's the good news. The bad news is there are still children dying every year from cancer. Monday night a dear boy I know, Hunter Zen Thawley died in his parent's arms. He has been fighting leukemia since he was about 16 months old. He was not quite 3 and half. He has wonderful parents, Lenore and Zen who are my friends. Lenore has chronicled their lives with cancer in her well written blog www.healinghunter.com. They have done everything they could do to save him. What they have gone through no one would wish on their enemy, let alone such good people. I am devastated that Hunter has passed. When I taped this momversation I knew he was terminally ill, but I guess I still held out hope for an 11th hour miracle. This kid has been tough and his parents have been amazing. Staying positive, persevering through it all. The injustice of this staggers my mind and breaks my heart. What can I or anyone say or do for his parents or for any parent who is losing or has lost their child? There is no greater hell. That is what lead me to ask Heather Spohr ,what I should do? Sadly, Heather has first hand experience with this. She lost her beautiful daughter Maddie to a respiratory infection when she was 17 months. Somehow Heather has gone on and now has a new baby girl. She kindly allowed me to ask this very tough question. She is a dear person who is permitting us into her painful journey. Nothing funny or idle today folks, this is as rough as it gets.
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