I attended the St. Jude Country Cares seminar in January of 2018. It was a life-changing experience for so many reasons. But, the most life-changing experience I had was listening to Dr. Baker speak.
Dr. Baker is the Chief of the Division of Quality of Life and Palliative Care (layman’s terms: hospice) at St. Jude. Yes, the overall pediatric cancer survival rate is at 80%, but there is still that 20%. That’s where Dr. Baker comes in. He helps families face the reality of what that 20% means: a long, difficult journey ahead, with an outcome no one wants to ever face. Families may only have 6-weeks left with their child, but Dr. Baker makes sure that 6-weeks is FULL of life, and that families know how to grieve and get the most life out of the situation.
Enter Tasha Ives. She originally caught my attention because she’s from Rockford, IL. Tasha was one of the parents on a bereaved parents panel. Heavy, right? She didn’t shed any tears. She very matter of fact-ly told the story of her deceased daughter, Sydney: How they were given a terminal diagnosis from the beginning, but they were determined to live life to the fullest, no matter how much time they had left with their 9-year-old daughter.
What’s the first thing I do? Find this woman on Instagram, of course. Could she really be as positive and filled with hope as she put on at the seminar? She sure is. Everything she posts about Sydney includes the hashtag, #LiveInPeace. I love when Tasha’s posts appear in my timeline. They are always positive and filled with a hopeful message.
Tasha is now a Bereaved Parent Mentor at St. Jude. She says, “it helps Sydney live on, and it helps heal our hearts.”
I was thrilled Tasha was available to speak with us and share Sydney’s story the second morning of the Radiothon.
I’m a Partner in Hope for the healthy kids in my life and for kids and families like Sydney’s. Live in peace, dear Sydney! -Taylor
