Sigh.......

I got a phone call yesterday, the kind you hate to get, full of bad news and leaving you pretty much wanting to curl in a ball and cry.

I know a wonderful young man, BJ, who is eight years old, and blind as a result of a cancerous brain tumor present at birth. It's an extremely rare condition, as you can imagine. Several months ago, during his regular exam, they discovered that the brain tumor, which had been dormant for five years, had begun to grow. The decision was made to leave it alone for the time being, and monitor it closely. This was in part because the diagnosis came the same week of BJ's father's death from pancreatic cancer.

Now, however, it seems that the cancer has returned. The phone call I received yesterday was from my friend Karen, who is BJ's braillist at school. She says that he will be receiving two rounds of chemo, and has already begun the first round. They are apparently going to be very aggressive in treatment.

BJ is a bright, energetic nine year old boy who charms everyone he meets. He is one of the most loving, friendly, adorable kids I've ever known. I know that his prognosis is not a foregone conclusion, but I can't help imagining the possibilities.

I can only hope that his family have the strength left, after everything else they've gone through recently, to handle everything that will be coming their way.