February and Looking Ahead
In support of
Joss Cook
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Joss Cook
So much has happened since our last update, and as her mom, my heart feels like it’s living in a hundred different places at once — gratitude, exhaustion, hope, and constant prayer. This experience is so hard to describe. Most days feel like you're living someone else's life.
Yesterday, my brave girl finished her last chemo treatment of the interim maintenance phase. Watching her sit there, knowing what her little body has endured, I felt overwhelming pride. Next, we move into round two of Blina (immunotherapy) — continuous medication through her port, 24 hours a day for an entire month. The thought of it is heavy, but if there’s one thing leukemia has taught us, it’s that Joss is stronger than we ever imagined.
She also started physical therapy twice a week. We’ve added Ankle Foot Orthoses (AFOs) to help support her ankles and improve her walking. Seeing those braces on her tiny legs is bittersweet. They’re a reminder of how much her body has been through, but also a sign that we’re moving forward. She is getting stronger every day, and I pray constantly that we’ll see her walking confidently again very soon.
Earlier this month, Hands of a Sportsman invited our family to their annual pheasant hunt and chose to auction off a .22 Crickett rifle in Joss’s honor. I still don’t have words big enough to describe what that meant to us. The generosity was overwhelming — the bidding went through at least five rounds and raised $21,000. Watching people rally around her like that brought us all to tears. If you’ve seen the video circulating on Facebook, then you know — it’s impossible to watch without crying.
Joss was also given the amazing opportunity to create artwork with a local artist that will be auctioned at the upcoming Isabella Santos Gala. The Isabella Santos Foundation supports children battling rare pediatric cancers, just like Joss. We’ll get to attend the gala later this month, and for a moment, we’ll trade zipper chemo shirts for fancy dresses. The girls are already so excited to get dressed up, and I’m holding onto that joy with both hands.
We know harder months are ahead as we step into the next phase of treatment. There’s no sugarcoating that. But right now, while she’s feeling fairly well, we’re soaking up every smile, every laugh, every “normal” moment we can. Leukemia has changed our lives in ways I never could have imagined, but it has also shown us the depth of love and community surrounding our daughter.
Please continue to pray for Joss — for her healing, her strength, and her little body as it fights. And please pray for us, too, as we walk beside her every step of the way. 💛
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