Day 3 of CCAM - Then & Now with Sibling Olivia!

Being a sibling to a cancer patient is quite difficult. They miss out on having their sibling and parents at home more than they ever should have to endure—and probably endure way more things than I will ever fully know.

Treatments have changed, and the COVID pandemic put the kibosh on many long hospitalizations, even when a sick child has low blood counts. That was never the case for our family, though I’m happy that kids can stay home way more in today’s childhood cancer world. Home is the best healing place of all!

That's progress.

Olivia, the stalwart and stoic sibling, was our rock! From her tender young age when her brother was first diagnosed, she showed us how loving, compassionate, and kind she was through all those grueling years. As I mentioned in my book, The Focused Fight, she has always been our ROCK!

And what a joy it has been for her Dad and me to watch her road unfold over these almost three decades—from preschool to college graduation, years of playing soccer, her first job, building a career, meeting and marrying her husband, Bo, and becoming a mother herself (to our Bodie!). Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude!

But... there is another part of Olivia’s story that makes this mom (and dad) especially proud.

She never forgot.

She never forgot what childhood cancer did to her brother. She never forgot what it did to our family. And she certainly never forgot the children and families who continue to walk this road today.

Over the years, Olivia has taken those childhood experiences and turned them into compassion and action. She was a camp counselor at Special Love's Sibling Camp - BRASS (for brothers and sisters) at Camp Maria for years after she herself was a camper. She has also supported other childhood cancer families, given her time and talents, and continued to show up for a community she became part of through no choice of her own.

Proudly for Bill and me, another full-circle moment followed: in the last two years, Olivia became Chair of the Board of Just TRYAN It, a childhood cancer foundation dedicated to helping families with the financial burdens that come with a cancer diagnosis. The Bethesda, Maryland Triathlon is coming up soon—September 20th— and our entire family volunteers at this amazing event, as we have for years.

Think about that little girl for a minute.

The sibling who stayed behind.

The sibling who missed her brother.

The sibling who missed her parents.

The sibling who learned far too young that cancer could turn a family’s world upside down, and in our case, for far too long.

She grew up and chose to help other families whose worlds had been turned upside down, too.

That may be one of the greatest gifts to come from a road none of us ever wanted to travel. Ryan may have been the patient, but childhood cancer happened to Olivia, too. That is the case for any family going through the madness of cancer; it's practically incorporated.

Today, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, I honor the siblings. They are all incredible gifts to their families, and I sincerely hope they all realize that!

...Especially our ROCK...

Our Olivia. 💛

Going Gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!

Terri

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•