Christian L. - Quilt Finished in 2007

Born: January 29, 2001

Illness: Wilms Tumor Stage 3 - favorable histology

A Thank-You from Christian's Family!

Written on May 2, 2007

Dear Cathy and all of our quilters,

THANK YOU so much for the amazing gift you have given to Christian.  Although "thank you" hardly seems words enough.

Of course the quilt is GORGEOUS (Christian says it is AWESOME and FANTASTIC and he LOVES it!!) but the love that I know is behind it is just priceless.  Christian has slept with his quilt every night since receiving it.  Whenever anyone comes for a visit, he brings them right up to his room to see his treasured gift.  He is so proud.  He tells them, "This is because I beat cancer!"...*sob*  I can barely write this without choking up.

He can't wait until the next "sharing day" at school so he can proudly share his quilt and what it means to him.  He is also tickled by the many different places each square came from. 

He always is looking forward to his next scan date to show all of his nurses and doctors.  (That is a FIRST..trust me!  ha!)

I have attached some pictures...I ADORE the one of Christian holding the pillow...his face truly reflects the joy your gift has brought him!

A thousand thank you's...God Bless!

Christian's Story

Written by Christian's mom Rene' in May 2005

Christian was born on January 29th, 2001.  My husband and I felt very blessed as it took us over 2 years to conceive.  Christian is our first child and then, 19 months later, Devin was born.  They have been best buddies ever since.

Everyone says Christian is very colorful as he emotes when he talks.  Christian has a great imagination and loves to be creative.  He has a passion for all animals but mostly for dinosaurs!

Up until December of 2005, Christian led a pretty normal life.  In mid November, 2005, we moved.  Only a few weeks before, I was due to deliver another brother or sister.

I went into labor and delivered another boy, Brendan, via emergency c-section on December 18th, 2005.  Christian was visiting his new brother and I in the hospital when his dad felt a lump on his tummy.  Christian had had no symptoms and had just been to the Pediatrician in October 2005 for a physical.  We went the very next day for tests.  On December 21st Christian was diagnosed with Wilm's Tumor.  He went to Children's Memorial Hospital only two days later for a nephrectomy of his left kidney as well as removal of a football sized tumor and some inflamed lymph nodes. (Merry Christmas, right?!)  Pathology confirmed Christian had a Favorable Wilm's' Tumor Stage 3 since there was one positive lymph node.

Christian received his first chemotherapy treatment on December 29th, 2005 and will continue to receive treatments every week for 9 weeks and then every third week after that for another 4 months.  Christian also received 6 treatments of radiation, which began on January 5th, 2006.

Christian has really had a hard time adjusting to what has been happening to him, as the beginning of this journey was quite a bumpy one.  Christian was very tired and weak from the radiation and chemotherapy right from the start.  Christian also had a continuous low-grade fever, which worried us a lot.  He was very achy all over (mostly in his jaw and legs) from the Vincristine, but he would not take anything for the pain.  (Christian despises oral medications).  He was fortunate not to experience any nausea.  Christian did, however, lose his appetite and lost over 6 pounds in 2 weeks.  Even his favorite foods smelled and tasted funny.

Christian then had problems with the venous port they had surgically inserted into his chest.  It would not allow blood draws.  They found a thin sheath of skin and dissolved it, but he still had days where they could not draw blood.  They made him move around and raise his arm since we though it might have been a positional problem.  That usually worked.

Christian had also developed a bacterial infection (and a high fever) and was hospitalized a second time - this time during his 5th birthday.  But he's finally accepting things as they are and is coping a little better with each passing day.  Christian has a ton of wonderful friends and family who are praying for him every day. Christian just KNOWS that with the good grace of God, he can beat this thing!