The Obstacles We Face: A Childhood Cancer Journey

No family is ever prepared for a childhood cancer diagnosis. The moment you hear the words, your world stops, and life is suddenly divided into before and after. Our story is deeply personal, yet heartbreakingly similar to so many other families fighting this awful fight.

The first few weeks of pediatric cancer treatment are filled with impossible questions — the kind that echo in the quiet moments and steal your breath.

Why Parker?What did we do wrong?Is it our fault?What is the cure rate?Will my child live?Will he make it home?

These questions don’t come with easy answers, and for cancer families, learning to live with uncertainty becomes part of daily life.

The Unexpected Love That Finds You

In the midst of fear and exhaustion, something beautiful also happens. You are surrounded by some of the most incredible people you will ever meet.

Doctors who carry both brilliance and compassion.Nurses who become family.Case managers, social workers, and child life specialists who see your child beyond the diagnosis.

The amount of love that pours into your life during this time is irreplaceable.

I’ve often said that childhood cancer families become part of an exclusive club you never want to be a member of — yet the moment you enter, you are welcomed with open arms.

Care packages arrive from people you’ve never met.Warm quilts stitched with love.A wagon full of hospital essentials from Mama Bear.A backpack overflowing with entertainment and comfort items from Roc Solid.

Strangers show up in ways that forever change you.

Just as powerful was the outpouring of love from our own community. The swim team I coach wrapped their arms around our family in ways I will never forget. They organized a GoFundMe to help ease the financial weight of treatment, started a meal train so we didn’t have to worry about putting dinner on the table, and connected us with trusted people in the medical world whenever questions felt overwhelming. Their support reminded us that even in our darkest moments, we were never walking alone. Community support during childhood cancer treatment isn’t just helpful — it’s life-giving.

When Love and Obstacles Coexist

Even with all this love, cancer treatment comes with relentless obstacles.

One of our first challenges was welcoming a newborn while navigating Parker’s treatment. Our first “night home” as a family wasn’t home at all — it was in the hospital. For the first two weeks, we were separated at night, then spent every day together at the hospital, trying to find a rhythm in chaos.

Our second day "home"

Next came Parker’s port placement. The procedure itself went well, but a few weeks later, his port flipped when a stitch came undone. We had to redo the procedure and correct it — another emotional hurdle layered onto an already heavy journey.

Then there were the high fevers. Each one meant rushing back to the hospital, admissions filled with anxiety, and waiting to make sure nothing serious was happening. For cancer parents, fevers are never “just a fever.”

The Challenges of the Blina Phase

Many of our toughest obstacles came during the Blina phase of treatment. While Blinatumomab is an incredible medication that significantly reduces the risk of relapse, it came with its own set of challenges for our family.

There were line breaks.Bag breaks.Unexpected restarts.

At one point, the line broke and blood started spilling out. Other times, we were admitted back into the hospital to restart the medication safely. Because Blina runs at such a slow rate, Parker’s line eventually became blocked and developed a clot.

His medical team faced the incredibly delicate task of unclogging the line without flushing the Blina, which was no easy feat. They handled it with grace, confidence, and an unwavering commitment to Parker’s safety — something we will always be grateful for.

Blina Start

The Steroid Phase: Surviving the Storm

I can’t talk about the obstacles of childhood cancer treatment without mentioning the steroid phase.

Wow.

A full month of steroid rage tested every ounce of patience and strength we had. There were tears — his and ours. Yelling. Big emotions. Parker not acting like himself.

During that season, we constantly reminded ourselves — and our family — this too shall pass. Steroids change behavior, but they don’t change who your child is. Holding onto that truth helped us survive one of the hardest emotional stretches of treatment.

Holding Onto Hope Through It All

Cancer families face obstacles that most people never see. The sleepless nights. The medical trauma. The constant balancing act between fear and faith.

But woven through every challenge is hope.

Hope carried by medical teams who never give up.Hope delivered through care packages and quiet kindness.Hope found in moments of laughter in hospital rooms.Hope rooted in the belief that love is stronger than fear.

Our story is just one of many — and if you’re walking this road, know that you are not alone. The obstacles are real, but so is the strength you never knew you had.

And even on the hardest days, hope finds a way to show up.