Tears and a Tiara

As young parents, we thought we had the perfect life. We were happy, healthy, living the American dream, or so we thought. Our bliss disappeared in the blink of an eye. Instead of a life of comfort and happiness, we experienced profound heartache, helplessness, and repeated defeat. Was it fair, the pain-free life most people are blessed to live was taken from us at such a young age? In its place, we faced sorrow and anguish as we struggled to live with the detriment we faced with dawn of each day. We were sad, lost, and extremely afraid of what our future entailed. Would we survive and keep our family intact? Or would we suffer unthinkable loss and end up broken and distraught? As we grieved, we found ourselves challenged to find answers to the questions so many parents ask when confronted with the words, "Your child has cancer."

-- Pamela B. Craig