Lessons learned

Our family lost a wonderful boy to leukemia. Ethan Jay Mithchell lived a short eight years on this earth before returning to his Father. Ethan is my cousin's son and in his time on this earth he taught many lessons to those who were blessed enough to learn. Ethan taught all of us to live life to it's fullest. He lived life with a desire to meet as many people as he could and to simply enjoy people. Ethan always worried about others first placing his own needs last. At his eigth birthday party he wanted everyone to swim in the pool even though he could not because of his port. It was important to him for everyone to find joy in life. Ethan always thought of others. When we came to the realization that his time on earth was short he worried about his mom and dad. How would they handle his death? He did not want his mom to be sad. I can not imagine the pain of saying a final good bye to my child and I am not sure that I would have done so with the dignity that my cousin and his wife did. Ben and Joy are heros inmy eyes they did not loose hope that Ethan would be get better and they faught for him up until the end. Joy, Ethan's mother told me that you can't give up on the hope. It is with that hope that Ethan's legacy will continue.

This year I will be walking in the Relay for Life in April at Kerr Middle school in Burleson, Texas to help raise money for the fight agianst cancer. Cancer has touched our family with the death of three of my grandparents and with little Ethan. It is a disease that can strip a family of hope and send them spiraling into dispair but it can also make a family more united. If you would like to give to my walk please click on the link. labeled Relay for Life.