We like to believe that with abundant love, lofty connections, persistent prayer, and elite medical care, anything can be fixed. We cling especially tight to this belief when it means doing so will cure a child suffering from a life threatening illness. First-hand experience has taught me otherwise. The truth is, no matter how vast and unconditional our love, how excessive our network of resources, how devout our faith, how exclusive our medical care – some things simply cannot be fixed. Even when that something is ‘everything’: our beloved children.
Thus is the nature of childhood cancer. It is vicious. It is relentless. It cares not about skin color, social connections, demographics, nor religion. Navigating a child’s cancer diagnosis does not simply consist of supporting the child, rather supporting the entire family unit throughout their journey, wherever it is that may lead. This is where the Paxton Andrews Foundation steps in. I truly believe the very Army of Love that inspired PAX, is why I am still here today.
I lost my son to childhood cancer. My nuclear family dissolved shortly thereafter. Nevertheless, I remain humbly grateful for the outpouring of love and innumerable acts of kindness I’ve received from the PAX Army of Love. These kind and generous souls held my hand and shouldered my pain in ways that allowed me to survive the darkest walk of my life. By pledging a donation to PAX, you are essentially setting into motion a domino effect of love – and inspiring the unique supports needed to ease the cumbersome burden that comes along with the mind-numbing diagnosis of childhood cancer.
I feel compelled to reiterate that when you make a donation to PAX, you are not supporting families with no face and no name. You are providing assistance to individuals who may ultimately be your closest friends, your childhood classmates, your neighbors, and your fellow community members – who for reasons that cannot be explained, are dealing with the unimaginable.
Everyone has a story. Some may be hopelessly public about their journey. Others may be fiercely protective. Our journeys are as unique as our beloved babies. Unfortunately, our fear, distress and pain are eerily similar. You don’t know that the mom picking her child from school is driving her family back to the hospital to visit their ailing sibling in the HOT unit. Or, that the dad cheering his son on at basketball practice, was just in tears on the drive over – mourning his nephew who he lost to childhood cancer. You’re unaware that your neighbor just received news that his beloved grandson was moved from the HOT unit to ICU. Therein, he faces the loss of two generations of his lineage – one from an incurable disease; the other from an incurable heartbreak.
With your continued support and generosity, PAX is able to provide assistance to families just like yours – who, through the complete randomness and unfairness of life have been handed one of the most heart-wrenching circumstances known to mankind.
Thank you for making a difference. Thank you for helping to ensure these brave and deserving children and families are not in their fight alone.
PaxLove, Always…
xoox
Paxton’s Momma
