HOW I SEE IT: Some special reasons for Thanksgiving

John, Mary, John Matthew, Reagan, Justin, Jacob, Ryleigh and Jack Flemming
Published: November 27, 2008

Imagine taking your 4-year-old to the doctor because she just can’t seem to get over the flu and finding out that her liver is failing.

Suddenly, you find yourself at the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital talking to transplant surgeons about donating a portion of your liver to save your daughter.

Thankfully, your hometown pediatrician runs several tests back home at your local hospital. She discovers that your daughter has Auto-Immune Liver Disease. The doctors at U.Va. are then able to care for your daughter’s needs without a transplant. She recovers and thrives.

Imagine then, only four short months later, taking your 8-year-old son to the same pediatrician, believing that he has a bladder infection. After a few short tests, she tells you that your son has Type I Diabetes. He is admitted to your local hospital and is educated in glucometers and daily insulin shots.

Another four months pass and you notice that your 11-year-old daughter is losing her appetite, having pain in her leg and is extremely fatigued.

You return to your pediatrician and learn your daughter has a cyst on her hip. The doctor orders x-rays, and she tells you that your daughter most likely has a rare form of bone cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma. You are sent to U.Va. Children’s Hospital for treatment and after several months of chemotherapy and consults, your daughter has major surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to remove a massive tumor and a large part of her hip.

The surgeon reconstructs her hip and saves her leg. She then returns to U.Va. for the last six rounds of chemo to destroy any rogue cancer cells.

This is the true story of our family.

We are so thankful for all the support we have received from the Culpeper community. We have been blessed by the staff of Culpeper Pediatrics, Dr. Charles Stein and in a very special way, Dr. Susan Werner.

Dr. Werner has become our dear friend and faithful companion on this emotional journey of faith. She has blessed our family in countless ways throughout this ordeal, meeting our needs physically, emotionally and spiritually. She is personally invested in encouraging our children throughout this process. We have been forever blessed by Susan and will thank God forever for blessing the world with this beautiful person.

Our church family at Pre-cious Blood Catholic Church and our friends at Epiphany Catholic School have supported us with pantry items, meals, financial assistance, gifts and, most importantly, prayers and spiritual support.

Many other friends from the Culpeper and Fauquier school systems and area churches, especially Culpeper United Methodist Church, have sojourned with us as we trust in God to provide for all our needs.

We would like to thank every single person that has selflessly lightened our burden is some small or large way. Happy Thanksgiving!
John, Mary, John Matthew, Reagan, Justin, Jacob, Ryleigh and Jack Flemming are residents of Culpeper.