Ray of Hope

Our journey of hope began in March 2011 when Dad's brain tumor was first diagnosed.  The day that we learned the diagnosis, life as we knew it ended.  At that point, our family turned into a family like so many others, one that would begin the fight of all fights.  We knew there were three things that Dad's diagnosis would never take from us...Faith, Hope and Love. 

The first, FAITH was an easy one.  We were raised in a loving, Christian home and still attend the small Methodist church that my Mom's ancestors helped establish over a hundred years ago.  Dad is such an important part of the church and is a man of great faith.  He has only missed one Sunday because of his tumor and that was due to the fact that he had not yet been released from the hospital.  On Sundays, you can find him with his youngest grandaughter, ringing the bell for the start of the service.

The third, LOVE was also a given.  There is certainly love in numbers and Dad is one of 10 children, married his high school sweetheart Vivian and had 3 children of his own.  He has 9 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild, which equals out to be a lot of love!  He has always held a special place in his heart for his family and it should be said, that they each hold a special place in their heart for him.  It should be mentioned, that Dad is a Mr. Fix It.  He's the go-to guy that everyone wants to have around.  In the last 11 years since he retired from his supervisory position at Merck & Co, Inc., Dad has Dx'd (Dealer Exchanged) cars for numerous car dealerships in our area, delivered auto parts and has taken care of his family .  He's the one who has built, diagnosed and fixed just about everything you can imagine when it comes to cars, houses, appliances, etc.  He was always the one who had the best ideas for school projects and who stayed up late helping you make sure they looked their best.  Everyone has depended on him from time to time and he has always been there for us. 

That takes us back to number two, HOPE.  In March, when we got the news and our hope meter was reading "half empty", The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke was there to pick us back up and show us that life with a brain tumor is possible.  Dad will be the first to tell you, that he may not be the exact same person he was pre-brain tumor.  However, with the help from our Doctor and friends at Duke, Dad is back to enjoying many of his old favorites: spending time with family and watching his grandchildren grow up, attending sporting events of all kinds, mowing the lawn and driving.  There is never and has never been a dull moment with him.  We've taken all of the could-be negatives and have turned them into moments that we will always treasure.  Even our long rides to Duke, have become hopeful journeys that provide us all with special hours spent together and memories that will last a lifetime.

It is our family request, that you support The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke and our own Ray of Hope.  It is at Duke where life for patients with brain tumors begins and where there is hope for a brighter tomorrow.  All monies donated will go towards the cure for Dad and patients just like him.  Time together is precious, enjoy one another and find the good in all things...Dad does.