This past weekend we attended the first annual "Celebrating Our Heroes" party for the pediatric oncology patients of UCSF. The party took place at the SF Zoo. It was tons of fun to see Rosalie's doctors, nurses, and social workers out and about. And it was exciting to meet other families going through the same experiences. At the hospital there is a definite tone of privacy. You talk to people in passing when in the family pantry or in some of the waiting rooms. But for the most part I have made no major connections to families while at the hospital. In this environment everyone was free and open about their experiences. It was really valuable.
We met a tenth grader who also had medulloblastoma and his family. We must have been fated to meet because we randomly sat down at the same picnic table. It was so great to share experiences with posterior fossa syndrome. For me, it was so inspirational to see him walking on his own two feet! He recently stopped using his walker and is now using a cane.
Rosalie and Susannah had fun too - their favorite part was the face paint - or in Susannah's case, the arm paint. Please note Rosalie's heart and Susannah's butterfly :)
2 comments:
What a fun event and a great opportunity for you all to interact with other families.
I LOVE the face/arm painting - they must have brought in professionals - I've definitely never had my face painted and had it look that good!
I just glanced at the black and white picture of Rosalie that heads up this blog. Her eyes have the same sassy spark in this picture (and clearly Susannah was enjoying something chocolatey!). How great to see that she's feeling good! Elisabeth Snell
Post a Comment