Uncategorized « Knitting Fix

I’ve thought long and hard about posting this here on the blog but now is the time to step up and do something.

As some of my readers know I have been following the story of a little boy in Seattle by the name of Samuel Backus since 2004.

Samuels mother is a work at home mother who makes and sells baby slings (I actually own two),diapers and mama pads. I heard about little Samuel through the cloth diaper boards I frequented. Ever since I saw his little face,I have never been able to put him out of my mind. I think of him daily.

He was diagnosed in May 2004 with Leukemia ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia)

Here are the words of his mother,taken from his website.

On our 8th wedding anniversary, 4/20/04, our third child, Samuel was diagnosed with High Risk Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. On Samuel’s second birthday, April 21st, 2004, he received his first round of chemotherapy. At diagnosis, his white blood count was dangerously high at 265,000.(normal 5,000-15,000). His platelets were less than 6,000 (normal 75,000 to 300,000) and his Packed Red Blood cells were less than 8%. (normal 34-40%) The PICU doctors did not think he would survive the night.

But Samuel did live through the night only to be broadsided with

many lifethreatening and unheard of complications from chemotherapy. He has lost his entire colon, appendix and cecum on day 40 of the protocol. He had an ileostomy for 16 months which had to be revised once before it could be taken down. On day 50 of the protocol, he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus with an unknown origin in which he spent three months in a comatose state, endured 7 brain surgeries and, more than 10 less invasive surgeries to drain CSF fluid from various areas. Our Neuro Surgeons feared Samuel would have permanent brain damage because it took so long to relieve the pressure in his head.

In addition to these horrors, he was septic due to massive bacterial infections, MRSA and typhlitis, had both his lungs collapse after pneumonia, acities, hepatitis, hypertension, and anorexia, all in the first three months of cancer treatment. The odds of Samuel recovering from all of these problems at the same time seemed at times, insurmountable.

He is fed with a g-tube because his anorexia continues to some extent today and is on a very special diet due to the damage to his intestines.. His anus healed completely shut and his rectum collapsed due to damage from chemotherapy and had to be surgically rebuilt 12/3/06. To say this has been a living nightmare would be putting it mildly.

Yet Samuel is happy, healthy and amazes everyone with his resilience. He has no brain damage. As of February, 2006 we walked away from all conventional cancer treatment completing about a year of a three year protocol due to continued complications. Samuel relapsed 6/21/07 and the only conventional medical option was a bone marrow transplant. This would be a certain death sentence for Samuel given his complications. Samuel achieved a second remission 8/21/07 with diet, herbs, alternative cancer treatments, prayers and God’s guidance. We leave Samuel’s life in God’s hands and know Him as Healer and Miracle Worker in our lives. We KNOW who is in control of our lives and we stand on the Word of God. By His stripes Samuel is healed. We believe Samuel is healed of cancer and that God will restore everything taken away from Samuel’s body. We declare this in Jesus’s name. God is BIGGER than cancer.

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If you visit his webpage and read all of the archives you will see that his familys lives have been put on hold to care for him. He has recently relapsed due to an infection.

His mother and Oncologists no longer offer Chemo as treatment but have taken the alternative path. This is VERY expensive and is eating all of the funds available. Jen has recently applied for emergency assistance to help with her bills.

She never asks for help with anything,just your prayers and well wishes. Recently things have got so bad she is finally reaching out and asking for any help with Gas Cards,Food or any donation to help with bills. She has set up a fund for Samuel with Paypal. You can find the donation button on the page.

All I’m asking is if you could imagine what this family has had to go through. If you could help even just a little bit,it would mean Jen eating dinner in the hospital,or helping them get to the doctor.The bills are adding up and this family could really use a helping hand.

If you cannot help out please send some good vibes their way. Or,send this message on.

Thank you for reading this… It means a lot.