June 11th will soon be here… It’s Noel’s 5th re- Birthday!!! Five years ago on this day he received the gift of new life. Stem Cells donated by an unrelated donor, who we now know was a young man named Ryan, to whom we will be forever grateful, a true hero, his unselfish gift saved Noel’s life after being diagnosed just over 6 years ago with a rare form of bone marrow cancer, for which there was no medical cure.

There are many others far too numerous to mention all by name, who were there for us and still are. The Medical teams at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute both in Boston and the CR Wood Cancer Center in Glens Falls. Our family and friends who have always been there for us in so many ways. And we are eternally grateful to God for all our answered prayers. His faithfulness and his mercy are new every morning and His Peace that passes all understanding.

Those who have followed Noel’s story posted here in the journal updates know it has been quite a ride at times. With many ups and downs but here we are celebrating a 5th birthday and it’s 6 months since Noel saw his doctors in Boston, life is good. The GVHD (Graft versus Host disease) that Noel has had since the transplant still from time to time rears it’s head. Making life uncomfortable for Noel with mouth sores. But he takes all his medications and these periods come and go. Life is pretty normal whatever, of course, normal is?

We will be back in Boston this coming week. Noel has appointments with both his doctors, we hope that they will be satisfied that all is well and that Noel won’t have to see them again until December.

We will be home from Boston just in time to be at the Greenwich Relay for Life on Saturday 10th June. This is always a special event for our family. I’m a cancer survivor, Noel is a cancer survivor, and our eldest granddaughter Charlotte, now almost 10 years old, is also a cancer survivor… Every year we try to pay it forward to help others… As they go through the trials and tribulations of fighting cancer. Raising funds for the American Cancer Society who do so much, we know because they have helped us personally so much. Providing ‘free’ to us accommodation in Boston at their amazing Hope Lodge. Saving us thousands of $$$ in hotel bills for the many, many times we have been to appointments at the DFCI and B&W’s over the past 6 years.

Our fund raising is channeled through Charlotte’s Relay for Life page…
http://main.acsevents.org/goto/Charlottegymnast

If you can help us to pay it forward please make a donation here.

And check this site for updates of our visit to Boston this week and photos of us celebrating life and standing with those who fight and remembering those who fought but lost their fight at The Relay for Life…

Thank you! Meryl, Noel, and Charlotte.