Logan is still in remission, praise the Lord! His 1-month blood test was this past Wednesday. And remission is as good as it gets for cancer patients who recently completed five rounds of chemotherapy. Logan will have monthly blood tests for the next year. And I imagine each month the family will be on edge as the test approaches. For now, though, we rejoice!
As part of the blood testing, Logan’s ANC levels were tested to check out his immune system. Good news on that front as well. His levels increased to the point that Mimi Donna and Big John could see him again. The picture above is Logan swinging in front of our home on Friday. Logan absolutely loved this simple play and could not stop smiling and giggling. I could not stop smiling, either.
The House
Can you see the beautiful kitchen? Neither can I – moving day!
This week was also joyous because Amanda and A.J. finally closed on their new home. The home was contracted to be built waaaay back in February 2021. So, ‘only’ 15 months to build. Problems are well known. Labor shortages. Supply chain delays. That the extended home build coincided with Logan’s leukemia made it that much more difficult to endure. Their nomadic life between the hospital, Chris/Casey’s, Big John/Mimi’s and Kim/Mike’s is coming to an end.
Now Amanda and A.J. are unpacking boxes and preparing the home. UV light air cleaners have been installed in the HVAC units in the attic; thank you, Uncle Kevin! HEPA filters are running throughout the inside of the home. Everything that can be done to make the house clean for Logan is being done.
Getting back to normal, whatever that is these days.
Logan’s first swing on the playset, surrounded by the volunteers’ messages of support
Update
Logan has been doing great staying with Mom Amanda and Dad A.J. at Aunt Casey’s and Uncle Chris’ home. In the weeks since discharge Logan’s body is building back his immunity. We will see how that process is proceeding when Logan has a 1-month blood test this week to determine ANC levels – and most importantly – to confirm remission. That is our prayer, continued remission.
It’s a big week on the home front as well – literally. Amanda and A.J. are set to close on their new Drees home this Friday, May 13. Movers are scheduled for Saturday. It’s been a long build process because of material and labor shortages. And as I have written before, during Logan’s leukemia treatment they have not had a home to return to, adding to the stress of it all. Having their own home will be, well, wonderful.
“Build Hope” – The Playset
This blog post is mainly about a wonderful foundation and its volunteers. The Roc Solid Foundation out of Chesapeake, VA provided the playset and tools and instructions and leaders. Volunteers from the local office of PRA Group donated their time and talent to built Logan a playset. A huuuuuge playset.
The circle of Roc Solid and PRA Group volunteers as we begin
I also need to shout out to Drees Homes, the builder of Amanda and A.J.’s home. Drees allowed this crowd to descend on their property to build the playset before the sale. This, I know, is really unusual. So we also appreciate Drees’ flexibility in allowing this build. Roc Solid was in the middle of a “30 playsets in 30 days” effort and Logan’s was the 3rd in Texas. Then the builds moved to Ohio. So, the schedule and logistics for getting material and tools and people from one child’s home to another was complex. Once the schedule was set there was no moving it around. Thank you, Drees Homes!
The Build
I was not sure what to expect – I was the ‘family representative’ during the build since the family did not yet live there. Truth be told, I did not expect to actually help build. I was all set to sit in my folding chair with my laptop and work in the air conditioned comfort of the empty living area. But, when I met the leaders at 7:30a, they encouraged me to be a part of the build. And I was so happy that I participated.
The team adds the top
The Roc Solid leaders set up build stations throughout the yard and broke down the volunteers into teams so everyone was building a piece of the structure in parallel. We began with a circle to share why each of us was there to help. I must tell you that throughout Logan’s leukemia treatment, I have been in awe of the kindness and generosity of strangers – of the greater community.
The volunteers from the PRA Group arrived at 9am. I was able to say of few words of thanks to them, and once again my emotions got the best of me. To this day the love that is shown to Logan makes me choke up. I noted that the ripples of cancer treatment extend way beyond the immediate family, and the value of the playset was more than they could imagine. The shirts that we wore read “Play Beats Cancer,” and the entire idea of these playsets is to provide some normalcy to kids suffering from cancer. That they do.
So we all broke into our teams and built sections, and then we came together and assembled it. Nothing was forgotten by Roc Solid to allow the team to get this done quickly and correctly. Tools, work tables, re-written and super-clear laminated instructions, pre-sorted and bagged/labeled hardware for each section and step, weed fabric, edging, rakes, mulch, trash cans, trash liners, water. Even a port-a-potty. Roc Solid Foundation has this down.
Presentation to the Family
I texted AJ and Amanda about 30 minutes before the playset was ready for presentation, so they could drive over. The build of this huge playset was complete at 11:30a, a testament to the organization of Roc Solid and their leaders. But before the presentation, the most special thing happened. Permanent markers were distributed to allow all who had a hand in the build to write a note of support to Logan. How special is that? The photo collage at the beginning of this post shows those notes of encouragement.
Logan’s first slide down with the help of Big John
The Roc Solid leaders then presented the playset to the family along with a special framed placard for inside the home – and toys brought along from PRA Group. And Amanda was able to say words of thanks to all who gathered to help. The morning with Roc Solid and with PRA Group was the most meaningful thing that I have done in a long time. The entire family is grateful for everyone’s love. Thank you all!
