We just had to post this poem. It provided me just a small giggle on an otherwise sad day. All of these words had the most amazing impact...every word is just so true, particularly the hairdo and being able to drive efficiently hooked up to an IV drip! Hopefully it will provide just a small insight on being a 'cancer mum'...looking after a sick child.

This poem was written by a friend's friend whose son "victor" has been fighting neuroblastoma for 5 years. He was diagnosed at 7 months of age, and would dearly just love to get to kindergarten. How fickle is life.

I belong to a special group of women
My friends and I have an amazing bond.
We never wanted to be in this group,
Yet we are in, for life.
Maybe we have met, maybe we haven’t,
Yet our love for each other is boundless.
We know the pain the other one feels,
And we share our victories small or huge.
Words like chemo, IV, Zofran , bald heads
Are always parts of our conversations,
As well as roidrage, tears, and meltdowns…
We always know where the closest puke bucket is ,
We can hold it in one hand and if necessary,
Swallow the sandwich the other hand was holding.
We can drive to the hospital ,
Park in the car park,

Make our way thru the halls of the hospital
And to the appropriate floor,
Settle in a room, turn the TV on,
Give instructions to the nurse,
Silence loud beeping IV pumps,
Direct a wagon AND an IV pole
To the playroom without hitting anything
Make our way back to the correct room
And all this, mind you,
With our eyes closed at any given time.
We know how to draw blood from lines
Sticking out of little kids chests.
We can hold them down with one hand ,
While a nasogastric tube is inserted in their little nose,
And be on the phone with their dads at the same time.
We can live for days on hospital food,
And on maybe only one meal a day .
We know the names of up to 20 different drugs ,
Their purpose, dosage and time to be taken.
We are always on call, 24 hours a day ,
Seven days a week.
We are used to not always looking our best,
Hard to do with only a few hours of sleep .
Make up, hair styling, skirts are words of the past .
We have become addicted to texting ,
hospital, clinic, home, wherever…
We talk sometimes at all hours of the night ,
We know we can count on someone to be up.
Then for one of us , the world stops .
She has to walk away, broken.
This job is over .
The job is over, but the fight is on.
Remember , I said we were in this forever.
We are friends, sisters, temporary nurses,
We are each others rock, each others punching bag,
We listen , we vent , we cry , we laugh together .
We share our lives and our deaths
We share our pain and our victories.
We are strong, but not by choice ,
Sometimes we win , sometimes we lose,
But never are we defeated .
We are not nurses
We are not doctors,
We are cancer mums…

Good luck with your continuing fight victor...our thoughts are with you and your family.

the simpsons

xox

Happy 2nd Birthday little Melon

well...its been a big day today. We have just gone with the flow, and did some gardening and lit lots of candles. We have been overwhelmed with text messages filled with love so thanks to everyone for thinking of us on a pretty tough day. We just wish we could take EVERYONE's pain away. But, we cant...and thats just the way it is...

I would like to share a poem we received by a friend just after Eli died. The poem still sits in the corner of Eli's cot and we read it a fair bit.

Secret Cuddles

Mum...dad...please dont be sad.

For life goes on, no matter how bad.

I may not have entered this world,

as you would have liked.

But worry not, for i am resting now, 

somewhere - in the sky.

No pain, no worry, no more pains in the tummy

Just where i am now, peaceful with so many dummies

I know i will be sadly missed, 

a life too short, not even a glimpse.

These circumstances - i cannot explain.

But only to say, that sometimes...

SHIT HAPPENS

What more can i say.

Please, for me, dont look back on this madness

Forward into the future, you must move on, with happiness.

Remember and cherish the short time we shared,

Better your lives will be this way,

rather than with sadness.

I know that i will always be remembered

Your voices...never fading, so lovingly nutured.

Never forgotten, move on now, you need to,

I have already.

I will always be with you, 

in spirit - you know this!

And in your hearts and thoughts i will lie,

waiting to give you,

My secret cuddles....

whenever my memories pass you by.

Happy 2nd birthday our beautiful little boy. We just so wish you were here...to touch, to smell and to celebrate your life.

We love you and you will never leave our hearts. Everyone misses you terribly, but know that you have changed so many lives in the short time you were with us. 

Happy birthday Eli Charlie and thank you for just being you.

Your mum and dad

xox

Our beautiful little 'superman'

Light the Night & Angel Flight...

Hi guys

Again we start off by saying we have been pretty busy with 'stuff'...we attended Light the Night on September 16 and what a wonderful event it was. Pete and i had a fabulous time. The even ran really smoothly and we would love to send a big massive thanks to all of you who supported us and showed up on the night (and for those that didnt, thanks for all the lovely wishes). We were really moved when we lit up our 'gold balloons'...sadly, we were overwhelmed by the massive number of gold balloons that were there on the night...so many people have been touched by this disease..it just makes us want to do more to take away the pain...but we know we cant...all we do know is that we are not alone.

We got to catch up with little 'will'...a wonderful little boy who was in hospital the same time Eli was and is the only one of the 'fantastic four' who made it to the other side. Will, paige and tash look fantastic and its just so enlightening to see that some people do make it...i hope he grows up to be whatever he wants to be...he bloody deserves it!

So thanks again to all those who came and walked with us...it was a gorgeous evening and will be one to celebrate for us on an annual basis i think. Over 3000 people attended, it was HUGE..and we apologise for losing touch with our group when the walk started! it was chaotic, but a great night all the same.

The other thing we were recently involved with is a great little weekend at Nowa Nowa. Margaret Campbell and her gorgeous 'sisters' and friends did a fantastic job bringing the Nowa Nowa hall to life to raise money for Angel Flight. At last count, they have raised over $5,000 which is an absolute credit to them! They had the Nowa Nowa singers - a group of local men provide entertainment and themed the event as 'a teddybear's picnic'. It was lovely to be a part of. As pete said, it was just so lovely to see so many country people supporting country people. I know Eli's story touched many people on the night, and we were again very proud to share it and the great work these charities do. It was also lovely to see our first Angel Flight pilot 'tom courtney' again. It has been a while, but im sure we will see him into the future as he continues his wonderful work!

Im not going to lie, its been a very up and down fortnight for us, and from here on in i guess its going to be tough for us. Eli's birthday is tomorrow...and we are going to just take it as it comes. No stress and hopefully full of memories. So if you can, please light a candle, perhaps indulge in some twisties and look to the stars. I know Eli will be looking down on all of us tomorrow...

best fly...and enjoy the piccies!

love and hugs

the simpsons

xox

The Nowa Nowa singers for Angel Flight...great voices and fantastic entertainment

Light the Night...

Warming up!

Go cats!

Cards for sale...thanks to the Charity Chooks who keep the motivation to do the best we can!

Leona - Treasurer of the charity chooks!

B - great cook! on this day, the charity chooks made heaps of cupcakes to support RSPCA "cupcake day"...together we made around $165 for the RSPCA...well done girls!

The 'chooks' hard at work making little gift cards....

The Fence is finished!

Hi guys

well, we are finally very proud to present the fence around melon's garden...a massive thanks again goes to Gippsland Treated Pine in Bairnsdale - Mick in particular, who has help us source everything you see, and pulled together some terrific instructions for pete to build it! 

It truly is just such a lovely space now...nice and closed in so we can really enjoy it. The flowers are blooming beautifully, the bulbine lillies, and the chocolate lillies are just gorgeous. All the paper daisies look terrific and the correas and pigface are just starting to kick on. A really nice place to be, and if you can, you are more than welcome to visit when you can...we would love to see you...

just contact eli-simpson@hotmail.com to let us know you are coming!

Father's day was difficult day for obvious reasons...we just hung around home, and pete finished the fence off in the afternoon. Our hearts go out to all the dad's who dont have their little ones to celebrate with. I dont mean that in a negative way...but i just wonder how all the mum's and dads out there cope with their 'day'. It should be a time of celebration, but it just isnt...very hard...but thats not to take away all those out there that have their children to celebrate with...hopefully all the poppets got a few more hugs and kisses than normal!

We are heading to light the night on Wednesday...we are absolutely looking forward to it..it should be fantastic, and by all accounts, the weather is looking good for us...if you cant make it...just take a bit of time to look at all the stars in the sky and think of all the people who have succumbed to cancer or leukaemia...and think of all the families and friends who have lost their loved ones, and for those who continue to support families through their treatment journey. Its a bloody tough gig...Book in for that long overdue 'blood donation', or give $5 to a charity. It really does all count.

Anyways...enjoy your week...and we will hopefully get some piccies up of light the night...should be a ripper...

luv and hugs

the simpsons

xox

The side fence complete with a gate on the hinge! noice!

You cant see the full effect of the flowers, but they are 'bloomin' beautiful'!

Just the other side of the garden...we are so proud!

Another team "melonhead" member - Russell Broomhall...thanks russ for all your hard work! Next stop - Bacchus Marsh!