How was school today? Play with any kids? Very frustrated 4-year-old Ella answers.. I tried to talk to Cooper, but he can't hear me, and he has a funny thing in his ear. Fast forward to Cooper's 3rd birthday party, well remembered mostly because it was at a playground on Folly Beach that I didn't know about, not so much for Cooper. I learned that Cooper has a hearing aid. He's seemingly a normal kid otherwise.. even frustrates his dad just like all kids when they're overwhelmed at their own birthday party. But a brief conversation I had with Cooper's grandmother enlightened me that Cooper's hearing aid was a visual representation of greater health issues; apparently, Cooper was lucky to be alive. Wow I thought, that's great. I explained as best I could to Ella about the hearing aid, but nothing more because I didn't have a real background on the history of his illness - and honestly didn't think too much of it.
Cooper was on the front page of the Your Health section of the Post and Courier this morning.. I wish I had known more when Ella was in class with him, what a great lesson that would have been for both of us.. (it's hard to see past all the minutia sometimes, nightmares like this help with perspective). Cooper has neuroblastoma. He was diagnosed at 6 months old, his liver riddled with tumors. He had to undergo chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants, radiation and other painful treatments. I had absolutely no idea what a big deal his 3-year-old birthday party really was. We truly were celebrating not only his birth, but his life.
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| Cooper Cates and Chase Ringler - February 8, 2011 Post and Courier |
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