Quotes from Dragonfly Families: “I have no family here and I could have never made it through without this support system. And I’m not a support group kinda girl!…somewhere the thing that isn’t immediately obvious is not just the care and support you provide the patients. It’s the support system you create for the families. (I’m crying) We are all …
Little Reef, his parents, and sister left their home and family in South Africa to find treatment for his aggressive form of leukemia. The first stop on their treatment journey was Los Angeles, CA, where Reef had a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately, he developed a severe complication, graft versus host disease, where his immune cells attacked not only the cancer, …
A reminder to err on the side of kindness: Over the weekend, a Dragonfly family with 4 young kids, one of whom has cancer, went to East Fork to do some early trick-or-treating at a special event. To make taking them easier, J, the patient and oldest child, suggested putting the 3 younger kids in his wheelchair, while he would …
Want to appreciate the ocean? Go there with a cancer patient who may be seeing it for the last time. Dreading your next birthday? Sit and listen to a cancer patient talk about her next birthday party that she may not get to have. Think dance recitals are a hassle? Go with a parent whose child was released from the …
“When a social worker suggested Dragonfly and told me that they did lots of fun activities, I thought I would never have another day of fun in my life and neither would my child. However, I joined for my child’s sake, thinking she needed support outside the family. Dragonfly has done so much for our family! I’ve found support not …
Reprinted with permission from a Dragonfly Mom: “A few weeks ago, I met a woman who shared her story with me. Her younger brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor 35 years ago, when she was also a young child. He was treated with surgery and chemo and has survived. As she fought back her tears, her emotional scars were …
Wilmington News Journal September 22, 2015 By Dylanne Petros Jayden Hairston, 8, in remission from nephroblastoma WILMINGTON – A local boy dressed up as Superman for Halloween. The next day he was in the hospital. Jayden Hairston, now 8, was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor, or nephroblastoma, in 2013. The tumor is a cancer of the kidneys that usually occurs in …
From a Dragonfly Mom: “Does anyone else ever wonder when enough is enough? The constant doctors appointments for all different issues. Everyone thinks R is handling it all so well because she has a smile on her face when they see her. But no one is there at night when her PTSD doesn’t allow her to sleep or the nightmares …
“Dragonfly Family, I have been meaning to write this note for some time…. In the beginning of the summer I was doing a lot of reflection on our summer last year. How hard it was to take E to the pool and watch her look so sick and deal with all the stares and whispers from people around us. In …
One of our Dragonfly mom’s posted a note online that echoed the hurt, the frustration and sense of isolation that many of our families experience when their young patient goes through treatment. With her permission, we are posting it here in the hope that it may provide insight for friends, family and others that know a family affected by a …
