More Than a Statistic

"Every 4 minutes a person is diagnosed with a blood cancer."

You hear things like that all the time. It's an easy thing to understand.

Until you really think about it. . .every 4 minutes a person receives devastating news . . .every 4 minutes family members are scared for their loved one's future. . .every 4 minutes life changes.

On March 26, 2008, we experienced what "every 4 minutes" felt like. I will never forget sitting at the stop light at Edmonds and 3040. My sister received the phone call with the voice saying "They think Jordan has Leukemia."

In that minute, my life changed. And I'm not a parent or even a relative. I am simply Jordan's fan.

I delight in her intelligence, her wit, her outlook in life and her cuteness doesn't hurt either. This was how I felt long before March 26, 2008.

In two years, I have been so impressed by Jordan. And I'm still a big fan. My plan is to continue to be a Jordan fan for a very long time. Because when you're only 5, there's still a lot more cheering to do. . .first days of school, losing teeth, dance recitals, school plays, solos, 100s on spelling tests, graduations . . . so much more cheering.

My heart breaks when I consider "every 4 minutes." Because I remember what that phone call felt like. And to be honest "every 4 minutes" is too much. The feeling is still so real two years later, I can not imagine not being involved in the Leukemia and Lymphoma society in some capacity. This disease must stop.

There's another part of that statistic. . .and I hate this part. . . "every 10 minutes someone loses their battle."

I'm grateful that I can tell you that I have no story of a personal experience. But "every 10 minutes" must be so much more painful than "every 4 minutes." My heart breaks for any family, friend, or fan that know firsthand how that half of the statistic feels.

In July, Jordan finishes her treatment and I must admit that there's fear involved with that. Life will continue and I don't want to forget the desperation that began 2 years ago. Because even though my "every 4 minutes" happened approximately 1,051,200 minutes ago, statistically there's a chance that someone else's journey has just begun.