For the past four years, Neesha and I have tried to tell Phin's story here. We’ve drawn on our own writing interests and backgrounds, sprinkling in medical updates and day-to-day tidbits on Phin's progress in an attempt to portray this individual, our son, in a way that seemed accurate and true, knowing that many readers had never met him (and, in some of the darkest moments, it seemed, might never meet him) in real life.
Occasionally, we've brought in other voices, too--quotes from his sisters, nurses, doctors, friends--and the result, we think, is a fairly functional trail of breadcrumbs through the twisting and often terrifying terrain of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia treatment, recovery, relapse, bone marrow transplant, recovery, and ongoing outpatient care. We intend to keep dropping breadcrumbs, too.
Through all of this, however, the one voice that's been conspicuously missing is the most important voice of all.
Phin's voice.
So with his permission, we are sharing this assignment he completed, which came home in his school folder today: Phin's life story, in his own words.
