Where do we begin with all of the thanks we owe each of you and your incredible organization? You've certainly spoiled our family this month!
From our Massanutten getaway to birthday gifts for Ben to wrapping-up with Paw Patrol Live in Philadelphia, we'll never be able to top all the fun ourselves this year, so please accept a heartfelt thank you from each of us!
As I may have mentioned, we're still in the midst of Ben's treatment for neuroblastoma and, like most families in our situation, our schedule is pretty hectic and unpredictable to where we can't plan much in advance. We're in the hospital anywhere from 5 to 10 days at a time every two to three weeks, so we truly cherish the time we're all home together as our "party of five." The good news is that Ben is feeling better than he has since early 2018, so when we're discharged, he's ready to take advantage of all the fun he can. We can't tell you how excited we get when we see emails pop-up for local escapes and when the Massanutten opportunity presented itself and we were able to make it work, we were ecstatic for a much-needed week's getaway, the first in over a year since Ben's treatment was kicked into high gear.
The kids had more fun in a week than they could handle and were wiped earlier than usual, which also meant more time for mom and dad to kick back with a glass of wine and catch-up on Netflix in front of the fire. We, of course, enjoyed the incredible water park and Ben was able to raft, swim, and slide into all the fun after a very long hiatus of not being able to get his central lines wet (earlier this year he had a port placed so is now, thankfully, able to have more water fun). We ventured out on the resort and enjoyed the local restaurants, fitness center, pool, petting zoo, pony rides, and miniature golf. Mom was able to squeeze in a massage at the spa and, dad, an entire 18-holes of golf; so needless to say, we all indulged in some much needed R&R.
As I mentioned before, if there is a silver lining to receiving such devastating news for any family, it's the generous gestures and kindhearted people like you all that make this journey bearable and give us something to which we can look forward. We're so grateful to both Ruth and Jim for donating their lovely vacation home to families who would much rather be staying at a four-seasons resort than packing up for yet another hospital stay.
What's more, Casey Cares sent even more goodies! What a wonderful extra perk when we opened the box full of adorable PJs and generous gift cards to help with expenses and our road trip. The kids enjoyed their very first Happy Meal on you all as well, so thanks for that memory too! The flip side is we're now asked daily for "more more Happy Meals please."
Clearly, we had a blast and can't thank you all enough. We're huge fans of your organization and will continue to rave about you to anyone and everyone! - Ben's mom
