Today's Update

Tonight was a BIG night — Jonah had his first proton radiation treatment, and he absolutely crushed it.

No complaints. All smiles. This kid continues to amaze us. He is brave beyond words and, quite literally, our superhero.

Jonah will have proton radiation Monday through Friday for the next six weeks. So officially: 1 DOWN. 29 TO GO!

The plan is to keep life as normal as possible through all of this. His treatments are scheduled after school, so as long as he continues to feel good, he’ll keep going to school, seeing his friends, laughing, being 14 and doing all the normal things he loves. And that feels really important right now.

Proton radiation is incredibly precise, allowing the doctors to target the areas that need treatment while limiting radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue as much as possible. There may be side effects as treatment continues — fatigue, some nausea and hair loss in certain areas — but we’ll cross those bridges if and when they come.
He will meet with the radiation/oncologist every Thursday. 

For tonight, we’re celebrating the win.

1 treatment down. 29 to go. 
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#BlickyStrong Bracelets + An Incredible Mitzvah

I also want to share something really special that Tyler Frist is doing for his Bar Mitzvah project.

Tyler is raising money for pediatric brain cancer research in honor of Jonah, and he and some friends will be selling #BlickyStrong bracelets on September 18 from 5:00–7:00 PM at Barn in Dunwoody Village.

I love these bracelets for so many reasons. Yes, they are raising money for desperately needed research — but I also love what they represent. Every bracelet on someone’s wrist is another reminder to Jonah and the Blick family that they are surrounded by an entire community fighting alongside them.

If you’d like to order bracelets, you can do that here:

Order #BlickyStrong Bracelets - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKF0by70FDMv8QjEB2xIViMT0lJAJx6gGezyJ0jlS5PRinlQ/viewform

You can also support the fundraiser via Venmo: @blickystrongbracelet

Let’s get these bracelets onto wrists all over our community. People who know Jonah and people who don’t. Kids, parents, teachers, coaches, friends. All connected by one little bracelet and one really big hope.

Because no child or family should ever have to face this.

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A Sweet New Year

And finally, tomorrow begins Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

One of our traditions is dipping apples into honey as we wish one another a sweet new year.

I’ll admit, sweetness feels a little harder to imagine this year.

But maybe that makes it even more important to look for it — to notice what we still have to be grateful for, to hold our people a little tighter, and to create as much love, laughter and sweetness as we possibly can in the middle of the hard.

So for those who celebrate, when you dip your apple into the honey this year, please think of Jonah.

And if you are attending services, please add him to your prayers. His Hebrew name is:

Yosef Ben Rivkah

Please pray for continued strength for Jonah and his family. Pray for his doctors and everyone caring for him. Pray that medicine and research continue to advance. And pray that somewhere in all of the testing being done and all of the brilliant minds looking at his case, we find the right combination of treatments to fight this beast.

Tonight, though, we celebrate.

Treatment #1 is DONE.

Let’s keep surrounding this kid with community, love, laughter, hope — and as much sweetness as we possibly can.

L’Shana Tova. May this year bring healing, breakthroughs, miracles and so much sweetness.