Erin, our 3rd kid has been a bundle of infectious joy since birth. She has since forever been her own unique little light. She lives OUT LOUD and we often joke is “all in all the time”. She is spunky and creative and loves to make others laugh. Erin is epically herself and true to that always. She loves and lives all in. She loves animals, science, dancing, performing, and swimming. She is a fierce competitor in the pool, striving to be her personal best.
In December 2019 Erin started complaining of leg pain, we really thought it was growing pains. She was almost 9 and due for a growth spurt, But she continued to insist that it just didn’t feel right. Finally, mostly to appease and reassure her, I made an appointment with her pediatrician. Outwardly her leg looked completely normal, no swelling, no bruising, no bump, it simply hurt her when she moved. Almost as an afterthought, the doctor ordered an XRay to rule out a possible hairline fracture. 30 minutes later I got a phone call saying “ We need to see you and only you, right now” And our world changed.
She is partially a bionic woman! She has custom parts! Her tumor was removed and in its place, she got a one-of-a-kind, custom-made knee, and femur implant. She is rocking out her Physical Therapy, gaining strength and stability back all the time. Her custom parts do limit her from jumping, twisting, or running on that leg. She doesn’t let that stop her at all! She is returning to dance and hopefully swimming very soon!
We have always been a close family, enjoying being together, exploring life and the world, and activities together as a unit. We have tackled cancer the same way, together. We love each other more authentically and intensely. We take nothing for granted, most especially the time we get to spend together. Our bonds within our family (sibling to sibling, husband to wife, father to kids) have been forever strengthened through navigating these battles. We agreed at the beginning of this journey that we would do this as we do everything…… together. Keep living, loving, laughing through it all! We would find joy in the small things and never take our bonds and time together for granted. The biggest joys can be found in the simple. Live, Life, Love, and creating abundant joy amid the struggles.
Another huge thing Erin accomplished during her treatment was to start a foundation, Warm Hugs From Erin. She was gifted a dragon warmie (a stuffed animal that can be warmed up) it became a lifeline. She used it for so many aches and pains and just for comfort. One day in the hospital she announced that she wanted to get warmies into the hands of other kiddos fighting cancer. From that moment, we knew we needed to make this a reality, and Warm Hugs From Erin was created. We have sent warmies to several hospitals and individual kiddos fighting cancer. With the support of our tribe and other donations, we have the ability to send a thousand warm hugs across the country!
She stayed 100% true to herself throughout cancer diagnosis and treatment. Bringing joy to her hospital room, random science facts to stump her nurses and doctors. And an innate spunkiness keeps everyone smiling and laughing. She flashes her impish dimpled grin and you know smiles and laughter are on the way!
Hope session by T-Stagg Photography | Facebook | Instagram