with sadness…

While most of us are bustling about, planning our holidays and making/checking off our lists, 2 families we care so much about face the coming weeks bearing unimaginable pain & sadness. Please keep the Hauschildt’s in your prayers; little Ella is now an angel after battling DIPG (a rare brain tumor) for just about a year. She has left quite a mark on this world and we ask that you keep her Mom, Dad and little brother Caden in your prayers. They have been and continue to be a real inspiration through their faith and hope. And our friend Donna, who we’ve mentioned here before, also passed away over the weekend. She, too, fought valiantly against an aggressive cancer, with grace and a real sense of humor. We met Donna & Biz not too long after moving to Brainerd, when Ty joined the softball staff for a couple years, and after Donna’s diagnosis, we would see them at the U, as she and Peter were going through treatment simultaneously.
So we near Thanksgiving with much sadness for our friends, while continuing to feel so fortunate. Peter continues to do well. He seems very “normal” now, participating in hockey, swimming lessons and loving school. Each trip to NY & round of testing seems a little harder to handle, as we are sort of out of the “cancer routine” now. His HAMA level is coming down slowly so he will continue the antibody treatment when the numbers are low enough. We will go to NY sometime in January for testing.
In case you are in the area, the Rosemount Hockey program is having their annual “Skate with the Irish” event in honor of Peter for the 3rd straight year… wow. The proceeds of this event will go directly to the foundation we started last year, called CHECK (Coaches Helping Eliminate Cancer in Kids). We hope to spread some financial help and happiness to kids and their families who are battling cancer, and also to further the research of pediatric cancers, in search of a cure. The event will be held on Wednesday the 26th from 7-8:30pm at the Rosemount Civic Center. We’re excited to be able to attend this year, as we have been too far away and preoccupied with treatment the past couple of years!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for checking in!