I found a lump on the abdomen of my 7-month old son, Brent, in March of 2001 while I was changing his diaper. I thought the lump was his rib cage but when I measured his left rib cage against his right side, the hardened lump was lower. I called the doctor immediately and Brent was scheduled for an X-ray a few days later. After the X-ray, Brent was referred to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tucson, AZ for a CAT scan, then for a biopsy. The biopsy determined cancer of the liver, Hepatoblastoma. The tumor was in 90% of his liver and he was severely anemic because his liver was not functioning properly. He was admitted to University Medical Center in Tucson to begin chemotherapy. The hospital administered four different types of Chemotherapy the first month to try and shrink the tumor so that they could do a re-section (remove the part of the liver that was diseased.) Brent had to remain in the hospital during chemo because he was dehydrated and couldn’t keep any food down. He had to have a feeding tube inserted in his chest for the entire time. Because of the harshness of the chemo, Brent developed sores on the inside of his mouth and esophagus and several infections in his feeding tube. Chemo destroys the cancer, but it also destroys the natural defenses causing breakdowns. He had to be closely monitored and ended up in intensive care twice because of reactions and side effects of the chemo. Brent went through a really rough time and there were a few times we were not sure he was going to make it. I know that everyone’s prayers kept him going. When my sister learned I was pregnant, she sent me a little musical lamb that played “Jesus Loves Me”. This became Brent’s favorite toy. He always wanted to hold it or keep it in his sight and whenever they gave him another round of chemo or stuck him with another needle or inserted another tube, I would wind the little toy and Brent would become instantly calm. In September of 2001, Brent, his dad and I flew to Chicago to undergo several tests and eventually remove the tumor or have a transplant. The chemo had shrunk the tumor down small enough to remove by surgery. They would not know the extent of the damage to the liver until after they began surgery, so Brent's dad and I had to be tested for compatibility just in case they had to do a liver transplant. Even though Brent's dad was the same blood type, they couldn’t use him as a donor. I was tested and then accepted as the donor in case they couldn’t remove the tumor. I was put on standby as the liver donor. A doctor from Canada was flown in and then performed the surgery. Brent was in surgery for 8 hours where they removed 70% of his liver and two cancerous portal veins. The largest and strongest vein was perfectly healthy so they were able to leave it, thank goodness, to help with the regeneration of the liver. The doctor was very confident that the entire tumor was removed. Brent had to undergo one more round of Chemotherapy in Chicago to make sure any remaining cancer cells were destroyed. In 2009 Brent was diagnosed as cancer-free but has annual alpha-fetoprotein tests to see if any cancer cells are present. All tests have come up negative. I know that Brent would never have made it through this terrible illness if not for the prayers of friends, family and other caring people for the recovery of a little boy they have never met. The prayers and hospital visits gave Brent strength to fight the cancer and still keep a sweet smile on his face during the worst of times. Thank you all for caring and God Bless you.