Duncan Busy at Play, Two Weeks Before Diagnosis
On Thursday, September 22, 2005
our 15 month old son, Duncan Leon Burge, was diagnosed with
a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer, hepatoblastoma.
Our deepest fears were realized when we learned that it had
already advanced to stage IV and had metastasized to his lungs.
From the moment we heard the doctor speak those painful words
our lives were redefined. We went from peaceful little family
of three, still happily finding ourselves as Momma, Poppa, and
Baby Boy to a world of IV's, surgeries, CT scans, and chemotherapy,
but mostly, a world of terror and uncertainty. In order to find
the strength and hope to fight for our son's life, we have searched
for inspiration in such a frightening experience. That is why,
with the help of a very dear friend, we have created this website.
It is, in fact, the help of dear friends, family, and loved
ones that has made these times bearable. This site is to serve
as a place where family and friends might come to find information
about childhood cancer, what we are experiencing, and about
Duncan specifically. It is a way for us to include everyone
close to us as we take on this immense task at a time when a
simple phone call or email to update is not logistically possible.
On a larger scale, it is our intent that this site can serve
a global purpose -to educate the parents, families, and friends
of children affected by cancer, particularly hepatoblastoma.
After Duncan was diagnosed and Chris and I helped each other
up from the floor of our lives, we began to use the internet
to try to break from the isolation of coping with a seriously
ill child, feeling more alone as we realized exactly how rare
hepatoblastoma is; the odds being .9 in one million that a child
will be diagnosed. As desperate parents, searching for a family
going through what we were going through, knowing what we might
expect, we were dismayed to find only a few sites mostly containing
similar medical texts and only one website expressing a family's
perspective. We hope that Duncan's site can give newly diagnosed
families the knowledge and support that we so craved in those
early fall days of diagnosis.
Lastly, we would like for this website to be a public tribute to our beautiful and amazing son. At times when hope is in a trough or when fears threaten, it is Duncan's grace and strength in fighting this disease that inspires us to stay by his side, to fight along with him, never to doubt him. He eats, he plays, he makes messes and throws tantrums, he does everything that a live, little boy should do and he does it amid multiple surgeries, massive amounts of chemotherapy, and in spite of his odds; he is truly "one in a million." Ultimately this site is for him, to bear witness to his incredible journey. This is the story of Duncan, The Bravest Boy In The World...
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