During his sixth grade year Dalen did not make the cut. I remember him telling me he had ran into and tripped over so many boys during try-outs. At this time it was just two weeks after we found out Dalen was loosing his eye sight because of the brain tumors. He had no peripheral view and could only see about five feet straight in front. My heart ache knowing that my baby may not ever play any game again. And just a week later he was in the surgery room for his first powerport and then fourteen months of chemotherapy treatments. How much more could he handle.
His seventh grade year, Dalen was just too sick for try-outs from chemotherapy treatments. He was missing an average of two to three days a week from school, because of vomiting, stomach pain, and headaches. Lets not mention all the homework that was not completed. Instead of taking ten to twenty minutes to complete a sheet of math problems or reading; it now took Dalen two to three hours just for one sheet. Him and I were stress out and overwhelmed.
Now his eighth grade year started off pretty good. Dalen had finished his first course of chemo. He has gained a lot of his vision back along with his peripheral view and school work was being completed.
Until just only six months from being a normal kid, we found out that the brain tumor had grown back and he will start a twelve month chemotherapy treatment. This news was devastating! When I told Dalen he had to go through surgery agin for a second powerport. I remember him storming to his room crying saying how he could not play basketball with the powerport. Within ten seconds my baby had given up on his dreams. Sickness, chemo, and tumors had won.....
But God! God turned it around! God gave me the words to encourage Dalen not to give up. He had given my baby hope. Dalen and I start thinking of ways to cover up the port that when someone hit it, he couldn't feel it. Almost like a small cup taped over the port; we are still working on this invention.
However, on Monday HMS had its first try-outs for the 2014/2015 school year. Dalen was super excited and ready to show out. The try-outs consisted of seventeen back and forth court runs and drills. Afterwards he was stating how his calfs were burning and he felt tired, but he was still excited.
On Tuesday morning he found out that he made second round try-outs. He left school early for his chemotherapy. He told the entire hospital that he had basketball try-outs at four o'clock and couldn't stay long. He was so ready to get back to school. However, try-outs did not go as he wanted. He was bummed because he thought his performance wasn't good enough. I tried to encourage him because he had just received chemo thirty minutes before try-outs had started. But Dalen was not hearing anything I had to say. He wanted to do his best to make the team.
On Wednesday morning Dalen was informed he made third try-outs. He was super excited again and was ready to try his best. Afterwards, he had called me three times in a row to tell me how well he had done. When Dalen tells a story, he tells the entire story including face impressions, slow motion replays, and what he was thinking while everything was happening. I remember walking in the house from work still on the phone having to hang up because Dalen is now in my face. I could see all the excitement in his smile.
On Thursday morning, I dropped Dalen off to school reminding him to text me when he finds out if he made the team. I probably texted him about ten times befor eleven o'clock to see the results. I finally told him to just call me when he get the results....
(Drumroll)....DALEN MADE THE TEAM!!!!
I screamed, I cried, I smiled, and I cried again! My baby did it!! With everything he has been through and what he is going through right now, he didn't give up. I am so overwhelm with emotions right now. Our God has blessed us, again with hope. Years, days, hours, minutes, and seconds, of all the pain, tears, and sleepless nights means nothing. Sickness, chemo and tumors did not win!!! Our God is awesome!
I'm so proud to be Dalen's mother. Go Dalen!!!!
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