Born with GBM, Matthew Erickson just turned 2

Here’s a mostly sad* story that just wrenched my heart yesterday. The Chicago Tribune reported that Matthew Erickson, who was born with Glioblastoma, just turned 2. And, as the article by Tribune reporter Lisa Black noted, “It’s usually fatal.”

So what has this spunky kid been through in his first two years? “Six brain surgeries. Five rounds of chemotherapy. Thousands of blood draws.”

This just seems horribly unfair. Here’s a kid who probably knows the hospital better than he knows his Grandpa and Grandma’s house.

I am saddened, confused and full of questions about this: Why does this happen to small children? How are his parents ever going to be happy? Can he ever be normal?

The only thing I learned from this is that Matthew’s Mom, Sue, seems to be able to live in the present, the “this very moment” without being trapped by the ominous future.

Here’s a link to Black’s article and the Tribune’s video: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-baby-born-with-cancer-met-20140113,0,3005496.story

*The happy bit is Matthew himself and his smile, his current health, and how the community has adopted him.