Father’s Day Thoughts

$210,000 Raised — And A Few Thoughts Heading Into Father’s Day

Because of your generosity, because of your willingness to help, and because of the $100,000 match that we were able to fully unlock — together, we raised $210,000 for kids and families walking the path that we’ve been walking for a very long time.

I’ve said this before but it bears repeating: every dollar matters. Every gift, no matter how big or small, stacks up into something that changes lives. It buys research. It funds clinical trials. It allows science to keep moving forward. And somewhere right now, some family is sitting across from a doctor hearing words they never imagined — but maybe, just maybe, the words they hear tomorrow will be different because of what you’ve done today.

As I write this, we’re heading into Father’s Day weekend. I’ve found over the years that Father’s Day hits a little differently when you’ve been through this world.

You stop assuming you’ll get another one. You stop assuming there will always be more summers, more birthdays, more everything. You become painfully aware of just how fragile it all is. And instead of hoping for “better,” you find yourself deeply grateful for “right now.”

Right now, I have my kids.

Right now, my son is living his life.

Right now, I still get to be a dad.

That is not something I take for granted. I know too many dads who don’t get to say that anymore.

We throw around words like “warrior” and “battle” when we talk about kids with cancer. I understand why. But most of the time I don’t see it that way. Will wasn’t battling. He was just being a kid. Watching cartoons, eating pizza, chasing whatever happened to make him happy that day. He didn't carry the weight — we did.

Our kids aren’t dragging around all the baggage that we do. They wake up, they live, they play, and if they happen to do it with a port in their chest or a bucket nearby, so be it. They get on with life the way a three-legged dog does — with no self-pity, no complaint, no “why me.”

That’s what this fundraising is really about. Not grand causes or lofty slogans — just giving other parents the chance to have one more ordinary, beautiful, completely unremarkable day with their kid.

So thank you. Truly.

You gave me the gift of knowing that somewhere out there, another dad might get one more hug, one more laugh, one more Father's Day.

Happy Father’s Day.

— Patrick