UPDATE – June 19, 2006

Emily and her family had a busy Father’s Day weekend. We celebrated with Happy Saturday night by watching Jake’s race at Wilmington’s Slot Car Raceway and taking Dad to dinner at the Red Robin Restaurant, thanks to a generous anonymous gift-card from a church “friend.” Big brother, Jake, left first thing Sunday morning with a big youth group from church to travel to Lutheridge, a Lutheran Camp in Arden, N.C., near Asheville. Emily was very sad to see big brother leave! After going to an early church service at St. Matthew’s, Emily, Mom and Dad traveled to Swansboro, N.C., to meet Grandmommie and Granddaddy Weeks for lunch. It was a beautiful day to celebrate Dad. Emily’s Mom has been in close communication with doctors at UNC. Emily started her oral chemo Friday. Coupled with steroids she is currently taking, the chemo and related meds are causing alot of fatigue. Emily is having some balance problems, but we feel, so far, that it is related to the medications and not a change in the tumor itself. Our thanks to Dr. Brian Feldman for his help over the weekend to calm Mom and Dad’s nerves. We appreciate Dr. Gold and Nurse Diane squeezing us in the Wilmington Pediatric specialty clinic this morning and helping us to “make things happen” at NHRMC. Thanks to Dr. Gold for taking time in from a hectic morning schedule to evaluate Emily. Thanks, also, to Stephanie in the UNC clinic, for keeping us on top of communicating treatment regimens. We are trying to wean Em from the steroids, so we can get a clearer idea of how it is or is not affecting her physical symptoms. Please continue to pray for Emily, her family, and her caregivers. We take things one day at a time. That has been our survival mechanism since Oct. 1, 2005. At the same time we are grateful for each and every day. We classify a “good” day by the sun rising, and Jake and Emily waking with a smile.