Oakley has grown so much since last year!, both physically and mentally! First off, he is happy to report that he's been cancer free since August 2011. It has been a great year so far. Oakley's strength and stamina have slowly been building since January! He's gained enough strength in his legs to begin running again. He loves this new accomplishment! He just finished a year of tumbling and is excited to start t-ball, soccer and swim lessons this summer. He hasn't let the past 2 years hold him back and we're loving his drive to continue forward! Oakley's trials didn't end with becoming cancer free. His newest challenge has been his esophageal stricture. This is a buildup of scar tissue in his esophagus due to "radiation recall". The doctors say this sometimes happens when the patient's body reacts to some of the chemo drugs as though they were getting radiation. Because of the amount of radiaton Oakley received to his spine, the doctors said this wasn't uncommon. He's been traveling back and forth to Utah receiving esophageal dilations (a stretching of the throat) and has had several stents placed. Once again we are praying these "small" procedures do the trick otherwise the next step is an esophageal transplant! Still, through all these trials, Oakley remains strong and has a positive attitude. He's truly our hero! :)