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I have never met you, didn’t even know you existed one month ago, yet today I feel as though I’m in some small way connected to you. I have been following your story for about a month now and I’ve never in my life seen something so incredible come out of something so tragic. Your life truly speaks to the glory of God. I have seen the very worst of cancer and I know there are days were it physically hurts to breathe knowing that the person you love is gone, but I know it goes without saying that you know Cole’s presence is all around you. Every person you help through your site is a testament to your son. Cole may have had only three short years on this earth but his legacy will last a lifetime. Why God gives children cancer is a question that will baffle me for the rest of my life, I choose to believe it is God’s way of teaching us all a lesson. Cancer’s a horrible disease yet children seem to be oblivious to it, they are not concerned like adults are, they have much more important things to deal with than worry, they have LIFE. Children are God’s truth, they are the window to heaven. I work at a place called Camp Kemo every year, its for children with cancer, and there is one thing those children have taught me is that cancer does nothing more than make us physically weak, it holds not control over who or what we are. Cancer may be able to cause physical pain but that is all. I read a poem somewhere that said for all the terrible things that cancer can do there’s a lot it can’t do. This is so true, cancer can bring pain and suffering, but it can’t destroy hope, cancer can’t destroy love, it can’t erase friendship, it can’t eliminate memories, it can’t erode faith, it can’t destroy the spirit, and it can’t compete even for a moment with the will of God. Cancer is powerless in the face of the One who created us all, and that in some way brings me comfort. If I can get one thing across to you today it would be that your son’s life mattered. Cole’s life helped renew my faith in God and mankind. I know today that God has a plan for us all even if we don’t seem to understand. I know today that the life of one little boy can drastically change the lives of many. Your son was sent to this earth to teach the world a very important lesson, love surpasses all other forces and it is what will bind us all together. I’m 19 years old and I’ve seen too many children inflicted with this horrible disease, I don’t know if there will be a cure for it by the time I’m 80, I hope there will be, but regardless I know that because of what you have started there is hope and hope is exactly what this world needs. Cole’s life and the life’s of so many other children are reason enough to keep hope alive and to continue searching for a cure. I will remain forever indebut to your son and the many other children in this world who have had to deal with this horrible disease. They have taught me to love a little more and stop taking life for granted. I will also be forever indebut to you, because of your site I have a renewed faith the God is in control even when I feel like I’m alone.
Thanks, South Carolina |
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What words can I say other than I'm sorry for the loss of your beautiful boy? I don't know you, and I never had the privilege of meeting your son but I heard about your story from another caringbridge site and your story has truly opened new eyes for me. I am a 22-year-old single mom from MN and my son, Austin, just turned 3 the same day that your son went to heaven. Austin is my whole world and although I’ve known that since he’s been born, reading your story really made me feel like I've taken so much for granted. About a year ago, Austin was hospitalized for something called intussusceptions. One night, he started crying in pain, telling me that his stomach hurt. The sound of the hurt in his voice still echoes in my head, and the helplessness that I felt I would always remember. Within a few hours I knew something was really wrong so I brought him into the emergency room at our local hospital, they told me something was wrong with his intestines and sent us to the children’s hospital. They told me that these intussusceptions were pretty common and easily treatable. We spent just one night in the hospital and have had no medical problems since, other than the norm for a typical toddler boy. My reason for writing to you about this is because that one night of Austin’s pain could’ve changed our whole lives, and it was your story that made me realize that. What if he was diagnosed with something much more serious, would I be able to look back and say I never took a single second for granted? For the doctor to come in and tell me that this was easily treatable, I admit, I took those words for granted, maybe not at that time but looking back, yeah I didn’t realize how blessed I was. Will god forgive me for that? I will always be grateful for the times that my son is capable of getting up out of bed in the morning and being able to laugh, play, and maybe even get scraped knees. It’s because of your story and your precious Cole that I will no longer take these special gifts for granted. Thank you for taking the time to listen, just know that you, your family, and your special Cole have touched and forever changed the lives of complete strangers.Thinking of youA lucky mom from Minnesota |
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The very week I was asked to pray for a boy named Cole, my marriage seemed to be questionable. Cole's story gave me strength, courage, and faith - the reminder of what God can do, all that I have in this life, and where my focus should lie. We are now working on our marriage - cherishing the blessings we have, reminding ourselves how short life is, and being thankful for the "normal/average" days. Cole's life helped save my marriage! Good luck with your book - I look forward to buying one of the first copies! All the best today and always! Blessings, Green Bay, WI |
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We heard about Cole from a prayer chain that we have at work and from the moment that we read his story we felt like he was part of our family too. We shared the ups and downs with you reading from the journal each day, praying and waiting. We have grown stronger in faith and in love as a family, it’s almost a feeling that I can’t describe. Cole brought back to our attention that God has his path set for us, don’t look down in sorrow…look up for faith!!! We hug a little longer and take those few extra moments in the day to tell each other that we love each other. Cole taught me to be more involved with my kids knowing that they could all be gone in a moment. So, thank you Cole for reminding us that God is there for us always, to have faith, love as hard as you can, hug as hard as you can, until we all meet in heaven and spend eternity with our creator!
Much love and blessings for sharing Cole’s story with us… |
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