4 days ago I put up the PayPal link, I wrote an explanation as to why I felt that we had to ask for help and I contacted someone who I have the utmost respect for and to whom I thought might be able to get the word out.
Well, my goodness, I never thought for one moment that this plea would, within hours, turn into a sort of mini ScottAid. The support from Dr. P Z Myers and his readers at http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/ has been overwhelming. Not only have we received donations but also many emails of comfort and support from around the world. Most of the donations were for $5 or $10, several were substantially larger, and it just goes to show how every little bit really does help. A total of just under $4000 has been donated!! David, Derry, Scott and I are gobsmacked and have absolutely no idea how to say thank you and let you SEE just how amazed and grateful we are. I wish I could line up everyone who chipped in or sent us a message and give you all a big cuddle.
Like I said in my previous post, we have become bogged down in medical debt. For a while we managed to stay afloat but there comes a point where you have used up all your rainy-day money and all of your families too! These donations have relieved a great deal of stress and will go a long way in helping us keep the wolf from the door.
Obviously our main concern here is Scott’s health and wellbeing. He has suffered so much in the last few years, first the dog-attack, then cancer and the side effects, a stroke, shingles, the death of his Dad and Granddad, fungal pneumonia and more recently cerebral edema. Thankfully he has a twisted sense of humor and can see a funny side to all of it – well sometimes at least – other days he just feels doomed. Oh hell, I’m waffling on again and can’t quite remember where I was going with this. I think what I’m trying to say is that the bottom line is Scott being well, and Derry too obviously, and David, and me! Health is everything. Yet, believe me it sucks when your child is seriously ill AND the debt collectors won’t stop bloody calling. No-one can wave a magic wand and guarantee a cure, but what people have done is simply shown their humanity and said, “Sure, I’ll give you a helping hand”. I just hadn’t expected so many hands!
Thank you PZ and all at Pharyngula.

Also thank you to Shel and to Kristy. You both kind of got swamped by the invasion but we saw your names in there and are very grateful to you for digging deep to help our family. Thank you.

A little Scott news … he is still fighting this cold and feeling miserable. I am in the same boat, so we are sharing my bed at night (we have been quarantined) where we cough and sneeze and blow our little noses on the bed sheets and wait for morning to come. His anc on Thursday was a pathetic 763 (neutropenic) so how he has avoided getting a high temperature is beyond me. I just hope that his body can keep fighting this without the need for a hospital stay. On Thursday, if his anc is okay, he is due for vincristine, methotrexate, 6mp and prednisone so next week will be horrible too.

Lastly, we were all sprawled out on the couch yesterday watching some drivel on the TV when an advert for Cialis came on. So, as I do in these situations, I start chattering away very loudly about the first thing that comes into my head, in this instance I went with how much I was missing tomato ketchup crisps (chips) when all of a sudden Scott, whilst still watching the Cialis Ad and with a dead serious expression on his face, pipes up with, “I have that problem too, I need Cialis”. Derry cracks up laughing and David and I just look at each other and share an, “oh shit” moment. A multitude of thoughts are running around my head, he is going through puberty after all, is something ‘wrong’? Would he even know if something down there isn’t working right? Has he read something about chemotherapy and late effects? Dammit he’s too young to have a willy problem!! So, after a moment, I turn and ask him what makes him think he needs Cialis. His reply, “I haven’t had a normal poop in months Mum, I’m constipated today, tomorrow I’ll probably have the runs. Immodium is useless so maybe Dr Tebbi will give me Cialis for my rectal dysfunction?” He was dead serious, and I am still laughing.

Oh and one more lastly, congratulations to Derry for being so awesome and being on the winning ice hockey team this year. He played well and made an amazing save. This dude was charging down the ice determined to score, Derry was struggling to catch him so decided to fly instead. He shot down the ice, splattered into the dude; hit the puck away and both of them ended up inside the goalie net. He’s all bruised up but happy as a lark. Here's a blurry picture of him going to colletc his medal:

Goodnight, sleep tight and thanks for coming by. x