Rheagen was first diagnosed with kidney cancer in the spring of 2009, he was just 4 years old but was able to keep his spirits up and fight with all he had. Since then he's been through 3 relapses and countless rounds of chemotherapy,radiation therapy and nearly a dozen surgeries but still he fights. when his cancer returned in spring of 2010 it spread too far to be removed safely. Instead he was forced to have intensive chemotherapy and spend most of the first 12 weeks in the pediatric inpatient unit in hopes of shrinking the tumor for safe removal. He was able to have the tumor removed but needed radiation to kill the remaining cancer cells. During the most difficult part of his treatment he asked me to please let him go to heaven and made me promise if his cancer bugs came back I wouldnt make him get anymore "pokes" (IV chemo) He finished treatment in september of 2010 and went on to start kindergarten. unfortunatly Rheagen's remission didnt last long, in January we found out the tumors had spread to his lung. When we told him what his doctor told us Rheagen put on a brave face and told us he wanted to fight agian.

We packed up and headed to Seattle Childrens Hospital to settle in for another 24 weeks of chemotherapy. We checked in at the SCCA house and
Rheagen started his current treatment on september 27th. Last tuesday Rheagen went in for a mid-treatment scan to measure the effectivness of the treatment, his body is no longer responding to treatment. Despite the efforts of his oncology team at Seattle Childrens Hospital his tumors have continued to spread through his lungs. We sat down with his doctor to discuss the results of the scan when my son confessed his true feelings "I'm done with all of this mommy, I dont want to do anymore chemo. The only reason I tried it this time is because I didnt want you and daddy to cry anymore" I apologized to him for making him feel that way and explained that seeing him happy with or without chemo will make us happy.

then we got out a piece of paper and wrote down all the things he'd like to do this year.Rheagen overheard Ryan and I talking about our need to get a car so we could do more together for christmas. He wanted to know
"whats wrong with the bus?" We told him we wanted to be able to take him home for christmas and drive around and look at the christmas lights while keeping him warm and safe. We had to explain to him that this will be our last christmas with him until we get to join him in heaven and that we want to make it a very special one for our family
Ryan and I asked him what he would want, if Mommy and Daddy could give him anything in the world before he goes to heaven what would he want us to do for him. Do you know what he said? He didnt ask for toys or anything for himself he looked up at us and said. "I want to buy presents for all my friends at the hospital" he went on to explain that just because we couldn't beat his cancer he didnt want us to stop helping all the kids that still have a chance to live a good life.