Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Asking For Help
This is a letter Young and I sent to friends a couple weeks ago. One of the lessons we've learned on this journey is how to accept help - if not as gracefully as we'd like to, at least with profound gratitude. To all of you, thank you, for being with us, for letting us know you watch the blog, for putting up with us, and for your response to this letter. It has been humbling and heartwarming.
And if you already received the email, you don't have to read this.
Dear friends,
Those of you who have been with us during the three and a half years of Jacob’s journey through treatment for his brain tumor know how many twists and turns it has taken: chemo, radiation, remission, relapse, more chemo, radio surgery, bone-marrow transplant, recovery, and the seemingly endless emergence of the late effects of treatment.
Throughout this journey, we have been incredibly fortunate that Jacob has been treated at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, a truly remarkable place.
During the last year, the consequences of treatment have begun to take a toll on Jacob, however. He's dealing with many kinds of impairments, most devastatingly, major depression. In many ways, this has been the hardest year of all.
And once again, we have been tremendously fortunate. The Packard Foundation and Hospital funded a one-year Post-Doctorate psychologist, Jennifer Trapani, Ph.D., assigned specifically to the Neuro-oncology service. We can't begin to tell you how much it meant to us to have someone who understood what Jacob has been through and was versed in his situation.
Jacob and Jenny at Stanford
This summer, as Dr. Trapani’s post-doc year drew to a close and we said good-bye, we realized that it is up to us to let people to know just how critical the need for this support is.
It is only in the last few years that children began to survive these brain tumors. Even the doctors who treat them are just beginning to learn what the long-term consequences are. We have a binder full of “informed consents” we signed before Jacob’s treatment, but there was simply no way, with the best will in the world, anyone could really inform us.
What we are learning is that there is an imperative need for more direct psychological services to kids with life threatening illnesses, especially for neuro-oncology patients.
We are asking for your support for the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital to provide these services, through the Lucille Packard Children's Hospital Foundation.
Making this request is difficult because you have all given us so much already. We are putting aside those reservations now, because the need is so critical. What we can do is answer questions. Please feel free to call or email me any time. And please pass this email on to anyone you feel might be interested in the issue of childhood cancer survivorship.
To make a donation specify "Expanding Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Services at Packard Children's (Lasko-Harvill)" on the second page of this donation form.
This article tells more about the psychological needs of kids with life threatening illnesses.
If you have questions or comments about the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, please contact Ann Rose, at 650-497-8444, or ann.rose@lpfch.org. You may also find the Hospital and Foundation websites helpful.
With much love,
Ann and Young
And if you already received the email, you don't have to read this.
Dear friends,
Those of you who have been with us during the three and a half years of Jacob’s journey through treatment for his brain tumor know how many twists and turns it has taken: chemo, radiation, remission, relapse, more chemo, radio surgery, bone-marrow transplant, recovery, and the seemingly endless emergence of the late effects of treatment.
Throughout this journey, we have been incredibly fortunate that Jacob has been treated at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, a truly remarkable place.
During the last year, the consequences of treatment have begun to take a toll on Jacob, however. He's dealing with many kinds of impairments, most devastatingly, major depression. In many ways, this has been the hardest year of all.
And once again, we have been tremendously fortunate. The Packard Foundation and Hospital funded a one-year Post-Doctorate psychologist, Jennifer Trapani, Ph.D., assigned specifically to the Neuro-oncology service. We can't begin to tell you how much it meant to us to have someone who understood what Jacob has been through and was versed in his situation.
Jacob and Jenny at Stanford
This summer, as Dr. Trapani’s post-doc year drew to a close and we said good-bye, we realized that it is up to us to let people to know just how critical the need for this support is.
It is only in the last few years that children began to survive these brain tumors. Even the doctors who treat them are just beginning to learn what the long-term consequences are. We have a binder full of “informed consents” we signed before Jacob’s treatment, but there was simply no way, with the best will in the world, anyone could really inform us.
What we are learning is that there is an imperative need for more direct psychological services to kids with life threatening illnesses, especially for neuro-oncology patients.
We are asking for your support for the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital to provide these services, through the Lucille Packard Children's Hospital Foundation.
Making this request is difficult because you have all given us so much already. We are putting aside those reservations now, because the need is so critical. What we can do is answer questions. Please feel free to call or email me any time. And please pass this email on to anyone you feel might be interested in the issue of childhood cancer survivorship.
To make a donation specify "Expanding Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Services at Packard Children's (Lasko-Harvill)" on the second page of this donation form.
This article tells more about the psychological needs of kids with life threatening illnesses.
If you have questions or comments about the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, please contact Ann Rose, at 650-497-8444, or ann.rose@lpfch.org. You may also find the Hospital and Foundation websites helpful.
With much love,
Ann and Young
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Big News
Ellie and Jacob Fenton are getting married!
Don't they look happy? They are so cute!
Don't they look happy? They are so cute!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Made it to 15
Tuesday was Jacob's 15th birthday. It was the fourth birthday we wondered if he'd ever see.
Things have been pretty difficult lately, but days like this make it worth it.
Things have been pretty difficult lately, but days like this make it worth it.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Matthew
Jacob's cousin, Matthew is living with us.
photo by Jacob Harvill
It's wonderful to have him with us. He's going to school full time, and working, so we don't see a whole lot of him, but he and Jacob get to have a game of Halo (not 3) here and there.
photo by Jacob Harvill
It's wonderful to have him with us. He's going to school full time, and working, so we don't see a whole lot of him, but he and Jacob get to have a game of Halo (not 3) here and there.
