Light the Night

By Bill Ericson
At Christmas dinner in 2010, my partner Tom began to feel very ill. He had been experiencing flu-like symptoms for a few days but then realized he was extremely fatigued, not even being able to stand for more than a minute. He rested that night and we headed to the Edgewood Clinic on Sunday morning. His blood pressure had sunk to a dangerously low level and we were rushed off to Emory Midtown and then Emory Hospital, where the diagnosis was acute Myeloid Leukemia. Tom spent almost a month in the hospital with daily chemo for the first week and countless blood and bone marrow tests over the next several weeks.
Towards the end of January 2011, Tom was released to begin a six-month regimen of chemo and many visits to the hospital for tests, including two more weeklong stays for high fevers.
The end of chemo came on May 13, 2011. And after a few more months Tom began to feel as he did before this all began. We were very fortunate that Tom’s leukemia had been successfully treated and that he was in remission. At this writing he has been in remission for 18 months. About every three months, Tom goes for blood work and will for the next four years. As we go about our lives, the thought of relapse is never far from our minds, but as time goes on the long-range outlook gets better and better.
About the same time we were celebrating Tom’s remission, we received word from friends at St. Paul United Methodist Church that a little boy in the neighborhood named Owen had been diagnosed with acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, also known as Childhood Leukemia. The news was almost as devastating to Tom and me as Tom’s illness was. We knew that what Tom had endured for the better part of a year, young Owen would have to deal with for three years, as the treatment for a child is spread out over a longer time with more frequent but less strong doses of chemo.
Very quickly the neighborhood reached out to Owens’s family: parents John and Mittie Fox and sister Mittie June. Members of the neighborhood were preparing meals, arranging play dates, and offering “Love and Prayers for Owen” on Facebook. Soon we would all learn of Light the Night and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s battle to cure blood-related cancers.
Team Owen was formed by Grant Park resident Angela Russell to walk in the November 2011 Light the Night Walk in Centennial Olympic Park. Tom and Owen carried the white balloon of a survivor, and the rest of us carried the red balloon of caregiver and friend. Regrettably, there were gold balloons in remembrance of loved ones not so fortunate as Tom or Owen. Team Owen raised over $17,000 in its first year.
As of today, Owen has completed just over a year of intense treatment including chemotherapy and radiation. For the next two years, he will be in maintenance treatment. Owen turned 7 on August 4 and in the fall will be in the second grade at Wesley International Academy.

Recent

AdvertisementAd: ScreenFixing, We're here because you broke something. Phone: 404-969-6FIX, 1267 Glenwood Ave SE, Atlanta Ga 30316, http://screenfixing.com
AdvertisementAd for CR Mortgage Solutions, phone: 404-222-0456, web: www.crmortgagesolutions.com

More from Author

June 2023 Print Issue

Open the issue in a new window

Introducing: The Pooch Press

By Robert M. Sarwark Calling all pets of Grant Park, the SAND...

Grant Park Sign Topper Update

By Phil Kelly In the fall of 2021, the Grant Park Neighborhood...

Zuber-Jarrell House Receives a Preservation Award from The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation 

oto by Elena Kaplan Homeowners & Representatives from the GA Trust,the ...

Read Now

June 2023 Print Issue

Open the issue in a new window

Introducing: The Pooch Press

By Robert M. Sarwark Calling all pets of Grant Park, the SAND neighborhoods, and East Atlanta! We want YOU for a new feature in this newspaper. The Pooch Press invites all notable dogs, cats, and any other non-human friends and associates to submit their stories, skills, and photos for publication...

Grant Park Sign Topper Update

By Phil Kelly In the fall of 2021, the Grant Park Neighborhood Association's Homes & History Committee asked the Transportation Committee if we could take on the work of the Sign Topper update project. Since then, we worked hard to understand the City process for the project and...

Zuber-Jarrell House Receives a Preservation Award from The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation 

oto by Elena Kaplan Homeowners & Representatives from the GA Trust,the Jarrell Family, and ZJH Tradesmen. Left to Right: Front Row: Tiffany Alewine, Brandy Morrison, Mark McDonald, Jennifer Murray, Marc Dobiecki, Rob Wanderman, Back Row: Alan Keck, Douglas Frey, Norris Broyles, Rebecca Jarrell, Dick Jarrell, Robbye...

Grant Park Pool Opens for Summer

By The Friends of Grant Park Pool Splash into your pool! The Grant Park pool is one of 12 public outdoor pools provided by the City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation. As of late April, the city plans for the pool to be open five days a week...

May and June Happenings at Oakland

By Angie Wynne Oakland’s late-spring calendar is filled with family-friendly opportunities to experience the cemetery in unique and educational ways. May is National Preservation Month, and to celebrate, Historic Oakland Foundation’s preservation team will lead two “Behind-The-Stones” preservation tours. Tickets for these tours tend to go quickly, so...

CALENDAR – April/May 2023

COMMUNITY MEETINGS GPNA (Grant Park Neighborhood Association) 3rd Tuesday, 7:30pm-9:00pm. Check www.grantpark.org for details. SAND (South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development) – 2nd Thursday of every month at 7:30pm, Ormewood Church Fellowship Hall, corner of Woodland & Delaware Avenues. EACA (East Atlanta Community Association): 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7:00pm. www.eaca.net for details. EABA (East Atlanta Business Association) General Meeting,...

EACA Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Call to order / Meeting recording started 7:00 pm. Approved without dissent, March 14, 2023 meeting minutes. Approved without dissent, March 2023 treasurer report. Public Safety Update – Zone 6 Representative and Myron Polster: FBI now says robberies are not a violent crime for statistical reporting purposes, and now Zone 6...

SAND Meeting Minutes – Thursday, April 13, 2023

Submitted by Kate Champion The developers of Halidom Eatery at 1341 Moreland Avenue presented architectural drawings of their proposed food hall. They expect the facility, with its art deco/South Beach vibe, to house about 11 eateries and invited those with concepts to contact them. They hope to also...

GPNA Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Register in advance for the meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctd-GurzgjGdBhY9lxJr2uJh7N2LKfiNZO. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Call to Order–7:30pm. President’s Introduction: We will be moving voting items to the top of each meeting moving forward. There are no items today. Public Official Update: Jonathan Harris - Community...

Thanks, EACA Topper Volunteers

By Henry Bryant What would any community be without volunteers to cover the gaps when public funds don’t quite stretch? When the East Atlanta Community Association (EACA) decided to take part in a Neighborhood Planning Unit-W (NPU-W) grant, the allotted money was not enough to print and install...

Red’s Farm Update

By Paul Bolster District One Council Member Jason Winston told The Porch Press the City of Atlanta is interested in acquiring Red’s Farm to preserve open space in Ormewood Park. Winston said the city, Red’s family, and the Conservation Fund are in active negotiations regarding the acquisition. He says, “The...