Trying to fit my son Xander into a paragraph is difficult. He was larger than life and as his mom, I

want him to be remembered for the person he was, not for the cancer that took him from us. 

 Let me tell you a little about him. First, he loved his sister more than anything. They are only

one year apart and were best friends. He loved his teachers and his friends. He volunteered to

help at school every chance he got. He was president of his 6th grade class and was in the

gifted and talented program, he even skipped a grade. His goal in life was to be a doctor in the

military and he would have accomplished that goal. 

When we first got to Children’s hospital, he made personal books for all the kids on his floor,

telling each one of them why he thought they were strong, beautiful and brave. He personally

knocked on every door and presented his handmade books to his friends. He cherished his

friends. He especially loved Hopie! He wanted to call her every day. He never got to meet her,

but they talked like they had been lifelong friends. 

The day before my son was diagnosed with DSRCT he was a funny, happy, vibrant force in this

world. One minute he was riding his bike with his friends, and the next he was getting his first

round of chemo. My son was 12 years old when he passed away at home in his bed on March

7th, 2012. I could tell you the story of what he went through during his 2 years of treatment, but

that's not my son’s story, that's just the monster that took him from us. His story is the person he

was before cancer and that's the only one I want