Walking on Water (3)

When a person hears the word cancer directed towards him for the first time it's like a dagger thrust through his innerds. It's sharp. It hurts. It leaves a gaping hole. When a person hears the word cancer directed towards his beautiful 10 year old son..... it eviscerates him. It turns his world upside down.

Vertigo.......thats what Derek called it. From the moment the word left the doctor's mouth his world started to spin. And he had not been able to regain stable footing since. He struggled for composure....for Jason's sake. He tried to remain calm. But he lost his ability to eat. He couldn't sleep. He constantly felt nauseous. And the spinning overtook him. It was not his head that bothered him so much....but his heart.

The upheavel remained until the day, weeks later, that he decided to take control. After many restless nights of tossing and turning in bed, he finally got up and went to the computer. What he found on the internet amazed him. Hundreds of pages documenting cases similar to Jason's. Thousands of research papers cited. The doctor said the prognosis was poor. But maybe....just maybe there was something new to be found. New research....a new doctor....a new chance.

As Derek's hope rose, Jason's health deteriorated. The chemotherapy had made him sick. He was hospitalized twice for dehydration and low blood counts. His spirits were low. But Derek couldn't tame his need for optimism. He contacted multiple experts in the field. Talked to families with children in the same situation. He couldn't shake the desperate belief that there was something that would snatch Jason from death's clutches.

And one early morning....as the sun started to rise on yet another sleepless night...Derek came to the answer. In an obscure medical journal...a small case study had found a successful treatment. It was a long shot, Derek thought to himself, but it might just work.

Before thinking about it he picked up the phone and dialed Sarah's number. They had been talking alot lately. She was improving.

As Sarah answered the phone Derek hurriedly interrupted her. He couldn't contain himself.....

he had found a way to save their boy.