POWIP Piece of Work In Progress – Former Abode of Dan Collins

Football Player Meets Heroes

I'm a Packers fan, as you are probably aware, and I love the franchise.

Unfortunately, the gushing about the Packers at the beginning mars this otherwise heartbreaking and inspiring article:

The tornado that ripped through the area damaged the Luxem home and property. There's debris to be cleared. Matt, a carpenter, is busy setting up jobs.

Worse, doctors said a clinical trial chemotherapy drug was not working for Ryan.

"He had blood work done, and the results showed that 100% of those cells tested were cancerous," said Winters. "Ryan is being taken off of the drug. That was his last hope at survival. He and the family were asked if they wanted to take another oral chemo drug to try and prolong his life a few more weeks or just let him go.

"Ryan wants to take the chemo, so he was sent home with the oral chemo for now. Matt and Amy are obviously very upset, and I'm told that Ryan is really down right now, as you might imagine. He's feeling more sick, as well. Ryan knows he only has a short time to live, and that is very scary for a young boy who has been trying to grasp onto hope."

What words should go here? . . . Some message of how we should all be thankful? Some lesson that every day is a gift?

Impossible.

The Luxems didn't ask for a thing. There's no push for a fund-raiser. They are just going through the worst nightmare any parent can imagine. They're so busy right now with their Ryan, their two other young children, the house, the tornado and the holiday.

In fact, the family has asked for some privacy.

Matt was busy Wednesday delivering turkeys (he prepared himself) and homemade pies to the staff at Children's out of gratitude for their care.

Amy was getting medical supplies. They have been told Ryan must be readmitted to Children's next week.

Ryan Grant got it right, and kudos, but compared with Ryan Luxem and his family . . . he's a good football player. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers, and all like them. I've spent enough time at NIH with parents and their kids to know that love can make a hero of any normal human being.

There is great nobility and great decency all around us, if we would only look and acknowledge.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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