Cheering for Charlie

My daughter, Charlie, has been fighting brain cancer since May 2020. When Charlie was diagnosed, our whole world came crashing down around us. A few months after treatment, in December of 2021, she relapsed with a really major spread through her brain and spine. Our world was swept out from under us yet again. We were told we had about 4-6 months left with her. Despite being given that timeline, Charlie has fought. She has stayed positive and has never once let her diagnosis bring her down. 

She has had to relearn how to walk twice due to the location of her tumors and her major brain surgeries. She's had to relearn how to talk. Use her hands. She has gone through more than any 5 year old child should have to. Surgeries, months of inpatient chemotherapy, 60 days of sedated radiation treatments, countless MRI scans. Her strength has single handedly pulled me through the trenches of this life with a child fighting cancer.

Unfortunately, she relapsed for a second time in June of 2022. She had to go through more treatment quickly. We are happy to say that right now, 9 months out from December 2021, Charlie's most recent scan shows response to treatment and that we might have more time with Charlie than we thought. She will be starting a new chemotherapy regimen once her body has recovered from all of the treatment she has endured, so the fight is not over for us. 

I chose the Gold Heart Tiny Tags piece to honor my daughter, Charlie. Gold happens to be the "color" that represents childhood cancer, and hearts are Charlie's favorite symbol. This piece felt perfect to represent her. With the option to engrave the piece, I decided to put "charlie" on the front and her birth date "1.27.17" on the back. She is my little soulmate and we have gone through so much together in her 5 years of life that having this piece to represent that really means the world to me. I decided to put her birthdate on the back because that day is the day that I became a mother. The day my life changed forever. 

Every time I look at this piece in the mirror or feel it jingling around when I'm running around with my kids, it's a gentle reminder of everything good in my life. My daughter and two younger sons that I have the honor to mother mean the absolute world to me and no matter what life throws at us, we will always be a family. We will always be strong. Our love for each other is always enough to carry us through. And I will be reminded of that every single day that I wear my Tiny Tags necklace. Not only does this Tiny Tag necklace symbolize the day I became a mother and spotlight my cancer fighter, it represents the pure strength that Charlie has given me.