We bring widespread awareness to improve the quality of life during cancer treatment for children.

There really is a reason for everything that happens to you. I really do  believe that and your about to find out why. I also know that there is a positive in every negative. Now, my families story is not so different than most others I would suspect. Maybe it's how I tell it or how everything happened all at once. I can't say for sure. Only way I know is to just tell you as best I can.

My wife and I were in our early twenty's. This was going to be our second child. They would be 4 years apart almost. I wanted them to be in school together. Well high school more so. Not sure why that had any importance to me at the time. It was one of the many things to come together later on in life for the girls. For now it was 1984. We had gone through Lamaze classes again at the local hospital.

Lamaze is a method that prepares a mother for natural childbirth. The pregnant woman can be in classes at home or the hospital. She practices (usually with the help of a coach most often the husband),and learns about the physiology of childbirth and techniques of relaxation, concentration, and breathing.

We had no reason to suspect that anything would be different, wrong or would even go wrong. No reason at all. So on the day it came time to deliver, some things didnt fall into place very well for us. At the hospital, the OBGYN we had was out of town so there was a different Doctor. We were not real happy about it as we didn't care for him to much. The reality was this: “What at that moment could we have done?” Nothing. The Delivery went very quick. From the first labor pain to birth was just over 2 hours maybe.

Then, as sudden as a blink of an eye Rachel was born. Wait! Wait! Wait! What's wrong? Why did they just wrap her up and whisk her away from us?!?!? The wife said to me “What's wrong? Somethings wrong! Go see what they're doing to her! Tell me now!” She was as frantic as I was. I went towards the table where the Nurses were cleaning Rachel up. Startled, I saw her for the very first time in full view.

In that moment I saw what looked to be the size of a large marble seemingly stuck to her lip. It was purplish red in color. I went blank. Had no clue what to do or say. I heard faint sounds in the background. This world just stopped. I wanted to cry and deep inside started to. My beautiful little second child. Mass of confusion, lost, helplessness. bewildered, and fear all start to well up in us for Rachel.

Then I could hear the wife's voice again as I emotionally checked back into all that was happening. She was desperately asking what was wrong, and what did I see? I'm not real sure if I didn't want to say, or didn't know how to say anything at that point. Seeing a small bump on Rachel's little tummy and this indentation on the back of her arm just above her elbow as well now. Then we wondered " what else could be wrong that we can't see?" The nurse picked up Rachel and took her over to the wife and she was able to see her new little girl now.

The things that started to run through our mind's. She's not perfect, what happened? What did we do? What did we not do?? Right along with 8 billion other questions you start asking yourself all racing through our minds. Staring at each other with tears in our eyes no longer sure of whats ahead for us.  Maybe we hit the mortality wall right then.  You expect things to be a certain way and  one kinda hopes a bit less the second time because of this expectation. You assume all will be ok. In all the confusion there was another problem now being created and taking place.

The doctor didn't do everything to be sure it was a standard delivery every other way. We were soon to find out how bad this was about to get. Just a few day's later I came home from work. My father-in-law was there to help my wife. He said that something was really wrong.The wife could not get off the couch. She was really sick. She was pale, cold, and sweaty. I helped her into the bathroom. Carried her there almost. This was so not like her. Such a strong woman, which made me really stand up and take notice right then because it was so out of character for her. It scared me as I looked at her. She was having problems standing or setting up very well. I got her dressed set her down in the rocking chair. I called so a family member could come over and watch the kids.

When I looked back at the wife her lips, fingers and nails were all turning blue. Well we made it to the hospital and took her right in to ER. What seemed like days passed. It was a few hours with no word.

Then the doctor came to talk to me. Told me I had one sick young lady on my hands. I was told she stopped breathing 4 or 5 times. “I almost lost her! The attending OBGY had not got all the placentia out and caused Toxic Shock Syndrome. Over the next weeks she was in ICU, and CCU. There were high fever's  and bout's of  pneumonia.  After a timewe got her back eventually. All well and able to be Mommy again.

With the wife well again, our pediatrician set us up with University medical center in Tuscon, Arizona. We took Rachel there to learn what this was and get help. Over the next few months, the University covered our medical bills that mounted because of what was found. They sent to us a highly extensive and comprehensive report documenting everything they new about what they told us Rachel has.

It was a rare form of: Infantile myofibromatosis: A benign fibrous tumor that usually occurs in children or infants. The tumor at that time fell under the heading of Cancer but didn't appear cancerous. The location and size of the tumor can cause problems and even death in some cases if certain organs are involved. Tumors can occur in the skin, muscle, internal organs and bone. As such they found one on her belly. One above the elbow inside her as well. It was also stated that they were all over the bones in her legs.

It was stated that at that time there were no living cases known. (That scared us a to the core!) They made sure to document everything with photos as well. Those were to be placed into the medical journal. The most visually prominent lump was on her upper lip. We were sent to have a biopsy done on it. After which a very strange yet highly amazing thing happened to it. Over a span of the next two weeks it was as if the air was let out if it. Yes, it shrank in size till it it was flat. We were talking about plastic surgery for her. Now that didn't need to happen. You know one of the other things we were told was that due to the tumors on the bones in her legs she would most likely never be able to walk.

The University saw us over the next few years and watched in amazement just as we did at Rachel's growth. Running and playing this kid fell just short of hyperactive and we loved every second of it. Yes she was walking and loved going to the University. She enjoyed the attention from the Doctors. Today She is married, approaching 30 years old, and has a beautiful little girl of her own. Her daughter is in school, healthy, and happy.

I don't get to see her so often anymore. I love and miss her.

I'll say again ...”You just never know how things will work out!”

The end of this story is......

“Rachel lives today. Happily ever after a Mommy.”