Mother’s Day 2017

This picture was my first and only Mother’s Day with Shane.

Today, I am a mother who cannot celebrate with all of my children, but I can celebrate my accomplishment of being their mom. Time moves on and new beginnings are upon us, but I am changed forever by my precious boy.

In his short time here, Shane taught me to appreciate the beauty of each day and how precious life’s moments are.
I will never doubt my ability as a mother or the things I can push myself to do for the sake of my child.
Even if that meant letting go.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you….moms, moms to be, moms who lost, moms of sick children, moms who are trying to conceive, and those who aren’t moms by blood, but play the role of one…..celebrate you.

 

2 Comments on “Mother’s Day 2017

  1. I’m sorry to learn of your loss.
    In the year 2002, I lost my firstborn son, Hassan Nicholas Hammoud, to a rare brain tumor. He was eleven years old and I think of him everyday with a heart full of love.
    As a tribute to his memory, I am doing my dissertation research on communication between parents and oncologists.
    Would you consider participating? More info is below:

    Dear Future Participant:

    You are invited to participate in a study that seeks to better understand how parents of children with cancer make treatment decisions on behalf of their child. Part of this study includes an interest in communication factors between healthcare providers and parents. An additional interest includes how parents manage the grief process after the loss of their child to cancer.

    The principal investigator in this study has invited you to participate because you have direct experience with making cancer treatment decisions and you have experienced the death of a child in relation to cancer complications or disease progression. Your participation is voluntary and you may discontinue at any time.

    The purpose of this letter is to fully explain the nature of this study, the time commitment involved in your participation, and the type of activities you will engage in. You will not receive monetary compensation for your participation. However, as a gesture of appreciation for your assistance, you will receive a $35.00 Amazon gift card, mailed directly to your email account.
    This will be sent to you upon completion of all questionnaires, described in detail below.
    If you can recommend someone for the study who is qualified and accepted, you will receive an additional $20.00 Amazon gift card, sent directly to your email account, once the referred person is deemed eligible. More information is included on the consent form for this study.

    If you agree to participate, you will receive an electronic link to a four surveys and one open ended question. You will be presented with a series of statements about your satisfaction with physician communication, and the decisions that you made on behalf of your child. There will be eight additional questions about how you experience your own life today. In each case, you will be presented with five response choices. Each survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. The final open ended question should take approximately 15-20 minutes to answer.

    There are no anticipated dangers to you for participating in this research. However, possible discomfort may include feelings of sadness or anger when recalling past events about your experiences in a health care setting. The investigator will take all precautions to make sure that you feel as comfortable as possible in all activities.

    If you should feel the need to receive individualized counseling during or after your participation in the study, you should contact your primary doctor for a list of mental health providers covered by your medical insurance company. If you would like to connect with a grief support group online, please refer to the following list of resources as listed on the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists website: http://www.aamft.org/iMIS15/AAMFT/Content/Consumer_Updates/Grieving_the_Loss_of_A_Child.aspx

    Resources
    • Bereaved Parents of the U.S.A. A self-help group that offers support, understanding, compassion and hope to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings.
    • Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation: Founded by parents of children with cancer, this group offers support to parents who have a child diagnosed with cancer and those whose child has died of cancer.
    • Compassionate Friends: An organization for bereaved parents, assisting families following the death of a child.

    Sincerely,

    Danielle D. Sperandeo
    Principal Investigator
    909-286-0002

    • What an amazing tribute. I will be in contact with you shortly.

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