Why I Ride ...
June 30th of this year will mark 10 years that our beautiful Boo has been fighting cancer. It has been a long and sometimes terrifying journey. We have learned a ton about cancer and treatment and complications and shunt failures and tube feedings and chemo and the list goes on and on. This is stuff I never thought I would need to know about. Stuff that I never considered when I thought about being a dad.It also marks 10 years of seeing how good people are. How friends and family stand by and never, ever let you struggle alone. Of how hope and prayers hold you up and let your lives go on. It has been 10 years of advances in research (some of which has been funded by our yearly rides in the PMC) and new protocols to address persistent tumors. Its been an education in twisted brain tumor humor and finding a smile or laugh in the least likely of places. 10 years of growing faith and belief that there truly are answers out there and we can find them.The last 10 years have also been a time of growth for Emma. She remains busy and active and smart as well as beautiful. This year brought her first ever shunt failure and another quick visit to our friends in the PICU. She was off of all protocols for 6 months and had a blast and some pretty nice hair. She even had a haircut for the first time in years. She is in chorus, select chorus, plays the flute in the band, landed a role in her school play, landed a speaking part in the Palace Theatre's youth production of Seussical, will be appearing in the children's choir in the professional production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, is a member of an amazing Destination Imagination Team, and still loves Girl Scouts. She loves reading and art and time with girl friends and cousins. She still loves travel and adventure esp in NYC and any place warm. Unfortunately Emma's scan in January was not good. She went back on protocol and now has daily chemo. She is losing her hair quickly and although she is disappointed she has found several fabulous hats (thanks to Auntie and Grammy) and is so busy she hardly has time to notice the change. She remains busy but gets tired a little more quickly. She understands that the scan showed her tumors "weren't behaving" and originally agreed to chemo "once a month, for 1 year, on the Fridays that she didn't have French". She was not happy with the plan but doesn't have time to argue and so is simply moving on with life.
I believe with all my heart that the reason Emma can do all this is her shear determination. Her belief that she is unlike anyone else never fails her. She trusts her doctors and her parents and pushes on no matter how wiped out she might feel.
I also believe that the money we raise riding the PMC is funding the research that proviides Emma these moments. The chemo regimens that she is on allow her to thrive and the cancer to be held at bay. Please consider supporting my ride and providing my beautiful Boo with more amazing life moments. I really believe with all my heart that this team is making a difference.
You can sponsor my ride by clicking on the egift icon to the right or by sending a check or money order made out to
PMC
to Tim Bechert
5 Scott Rd
Bedford, NH 03110
