My first blog....

Hey there family and friends!   

I’ve started this blog to share Tyler’s incredible journey to Sochi and our family’s adventures while we travel with him to Russia.  I hope you will follow along, but I can’t promise anything too extravagant as I’m not very computer savvy, texting has destroyed my spelling and grammar skills and I really don’t have a lot of time to write.  I am under pressure already from my editor in chief (my sister Patti-Ann), and I have my top researcher (Dean) searching Google for info, but he is just a wee bit slow.  I’m hoping Meg and Nat can help with input too when we are in Sochi.  Wow!  I have people to do my stuff for me, this is awesome!  I will try my best to keep this honest and real with maybe just a bit of humour.  I can’t promise you won’t cry, because I have already cried over three medals today.  Something about the Olympics!  WooHoo, way to go Canada!   

It’s been four years since Tyler’s diagnosis with cancer and I think back now and wonder how we ever made it through.  We were thrown head first into a world we knew nothing about.  Hospitals, medicine and sick kids were so far from our day to day lives.  We were in a foreign land and scared to death.  Sometimes it seems like ages ago and then tonight searching through old pictures it all came back fresh like it was yesterday.  The tears are always just a blink away.  Our lives are forever changed, and I have come to terms with the fact that life will never be normal again.  I would not wish the world of childhood cancer on anyone.  It’s like a warzone that you can never leave.  The memories and the scars stay with you forever. 

While under pressure from my editor to find pictures for the blog I pulled this particular picture from the file and remembered it instantly.  It was February 12th, 2010; Tyler had been in the hospital since his diagnosis on January 28^th.  The opening ceremonies of the Olympics were about to begin that night and we were looking forward to watching. 

We were also anticipating meeting Dr. Peter Ferguson that afternoon; he was a sarcoma specialist coming from Toronto.  Unfortunately, when we met him the news he had to deliver was not what we were hoping for; Ty would have to have his leg amputated.  It was a devastating blow and I wasn’t sure if he was going to pull through.  He was so afraid he’d never get to play hockey again, and I didn’t know how to fix this, I felt so helpless.  It was probably the hardest time for Tyler, but with a lot of support from family and friends and his positive attitude, he made it.  And most importantly, he never gave up his dream.  He found a way to play hockey again. 

There have definitely been some ups and downs for Ty in the past four years, but he has found his way.  He is living the dream!  On March 7^th 2014 he will be representing Canada as he travels to Sochi, Russia playing for the National Sledge Hockey Team at the 2014 Paralympics!  Woohoo… Go Tyler!  Go Canada!

I hope you will be watching and cheering for Team Canada from home, and I’ll do my best to keep you up to date and informed from Sochi.  By the way, Tyler will be celebrating his 20^th birthday in Sochi on March 11^th.  It would be awesome if you could send him a birthday greeting in the form of a picture or video of you showing your Canadian spirit cheering him on.  If you don’t have him on your facebook, then send it to mine, or send him a greeting on his caring bridge