New Jersey may not be the friendliest state, I believe that distinction falls somewhere slightly west of here. But when our family really did need some helping hands, we got more than we ever thought possible.
Our twin boys, Spencer and Sammy, are inseparable. They literally do everything together – same sports teams, same friends, same after school tutoring (even though Sammy doesn’t actually need the extra help). So when Spencer was diagnosed with cancer, we had no idea what would happen.
School had just started for the boys, junior year of high school, when Spencer started getting sick with fevers. Before his diagnosis, we thought Spencer was just tired – he always seemed to be tired – but we took him to the doctor anyway. The doctor noticed things we never thought to ask about, swollen glands, easy bruising. With the results of a few tests, we learned Spencer had lymphoma, and were sent to an oncologist.
At first, Sammy never left Spencer’s side. Spencer now had a more booked schedule of doctor’s appointments and treatments, so he couldn’t do all the extra-curricular activities the twins once treasured. If it wasn’t mandatory (like school!), Sammy wouldn’t go. He’d much rather be with his two-minute older brother. During an especially hard week, Spencer put his foot down. He didn’t want Sammy to miss out on their important games (they were twins after all, so if Sammy was playing great, Spencer was too – in spirit).
There was only one problem – we were a one car family, always have been. My husband and I both work within blocks of each other, so we always carpooled. And since the boys did all the same things, we never had a problem of where to drive who and conflicting schedules. I told my neighbor Dianne about this recent development, and the next day, a car appeared out of thin air! It was just an old, little sedan, but it was all we needed. Dianne had contacted a group that supported families of childhood cancer sufferers, and had found out about their donate a car for kids program. Now, while Spencer battled at the doctor’s office, Sammy could battle the other soccer team.
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