| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alaundo |
Posted - 02 Apr 2006 : 09:50:42
Well met
I received the following this morn from KnightErrantJR, who asked me to post this herein...
quote:
Hello fellow scribes. I miss all of you, and am looking forward to getting a chance to talk to you all again soon. I have missed you all greatly. In the meantime, though, I have a favor to ask you all.
My friend, one of the members of my gaming group has a problem. If any of you are familiar with my campaign journal, you will recognize this friend as the player of Grim Greycastle, the druid/rogue of Mielikki from Eveningstar that has been dodging the People of the Black Blood.
But on Friday March 31st, 2006, Tanis was diagnosed with leukemia. As my friend put it, this is a parent's worst nightmare. All I am asking is that all of you that are inclinded to do so would take a moment to say a prayer for Tanis and his family. If nothing else, wish good thoughts and hope for the best.
No child should have to deal with something like this, and no parent should have to wonder what they can do to help their child. For anyone that is so inclined to do so, and that has the means to do so, I have put a few links to various charities in this message, so if you are moved to give, I hope that you will do so. I will admit that I am biased in my desire to fight lymphatic cancers, since my sister died of complications relating to her Hodgkin Lymphoma in her thirties.
Thank you all for your time, your well wishes, and your support. I look forward to seeing you again soon.
http://www.lrf.org.uk/en/1/dislymhome.html
http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/
http://www.ronaldmcdonaldhouseboston.org/
http://www.cmn.org/
KnightErrantJR
I have passed on my best wishes and thoughts to the family on this sad news and to hold out all hope at fighting this. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Darkmeer |
Posted - 18 Jun 2009 : 08:49:09
To all: Thank you again for the kindness and congratulations for Tanis. It's odd that this is all done. As a matter of fact, we went to the pharmacy we use on Saturday and he handed the pills to the pharmacist and said "I don't need these anymore."
Proud moments like these only come once in a lifetime.
/d |
| Kilvan |
Posted - 17 Jun 2009 : 16:33:51
Ed, he is just... great. He never ceases to amaze me. |
| edappel |
Posted - 17 Jun 2009 : 16:23:23
Darkmeer..
I almost cried of sadness and than happiness with your posts.
3 years.. That was a long road. My son is 7 months old now, and even my heart being struck for everything that I read (imagining me on your story), I know that's impossible to know exactly what you felt. (imagining and knowing is two VERY different things)
Some months ago, I asked Ed if he could send a message to my friend that were in jail, last weekend he answered, and it were truly amazing. Even that messaged being aimed to him, it helped me too for my own problems, and probably on a smaller or larger scale, it could help you.
So, I will quote his message:
(replace Alan to Darkmeer, and EdAppel to KEJR)
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
To Alan,
From the hand of Elminster of Shadowdale,
This:
Word hath come to me lately of thy recent sojourn in durance vile.
I set down these few words not merely to congratulate thee on thy release, nor to hearten thee down the rest of thy days, but to extend the hand of friendship and let ye know that there are other wayfarers through life who honour thee and understand thee. The one I know as EdAppel, for one. Even when companionship cannot be directly seen or touched, thou art not alone.
Now that thou hast known a cage, and seen something of the darker sides behind the faces of thy fellow men, reflect: ye still live, and breathe, and are stronger for the experience.
Trite words, those, I know. Others have said them before, and no doubt they shall be said again. Yet a truth lies in them, for we are strengthened by every experience we survive. “Enriched” is the currently-popular word, I believe. We cannot help but be enriched, for a life is no more than a collection of experiences, and what their remembered colour and lessons lend to us as we face later experiences.
Think of thy life as a pathway ye are building through an unknown, mysterious, mist-shrouded land, a forest or jungle. Ye never know what lies ahead, and may even question why ye are making the journey. More than that, every flagstone ye set down has its cost to ye. Yet ye are on the path before ye truly know ye have begun it, just as all others are on their paths. Our paths may cross, or run together for days or months or years, yet in the end our path is - - must be - - our own. We all make choices, all the time, and some of them turn out to be mistakes, or less bright than other choices we might have made, yet the time of that particular choosing lies behind us, and we cannot go back.
So, in the end, we are left with three sorts of choices: to refuse to choose, and drift aimlessly, restless and accomplishing little and tasting more and more dissatisfaction; to choose recklessly, not really caring or letting anger rule us or the excitement of the moment and hurling aside judgment, consideration, and counsel; or to choose with thought and deliberation the route of our path, its way marked by choice after choice. The last way can be hard at times, yet also holds the most satisfaction, for however unwisely we choose, we at least have chosen, have taken some hand in deciding and shaping our life.
Ye did not choose that cage, nor the time spent there. Yet having tasted it, ye can draw from those memories and call on their teachings in thy time ahead. Ye can look back and take pride in surviving that dark time, and take it up like a bloodied and battered suit of armour, and say, “I wore this.” More than that: “I wore this, and lived to look back and gaze upon this armor. If ever I must put it on again, I will know what I am putting on - - and know that I can survive through it, for I have survived before.”
Not everyone lives that deeply, ever. Not everyone is tested and tempered in flame. The old warrior who has scars can be proud of them in a way that the naïve young maiden can preen in her beauty, but any pride she takes in it is empty and foolish, for it has cost her nothing, and so she knows not its price, and is not mindful of the weights of life. The darkness that makes warming flames all the brighter.
Hold on to those flames, and do not forget your time of imprisonment. Be as the bars that confined thee: patient, enduring, uncomplaining. If ye remember fear and anger, close thy hand around it and keep it safe and stored, ready to be a weapon when needed - - but wielded well, not foolishly, wildly, and to no good end.
Let it be thy inner flame, a flame that faileth not, until the day of thy passing - - and let that day be a long way off, after the deaths of all who put thee in the cage. Endure, outlast, and be stronger.
For it is the only good way to build thy path, and the best prize of the hard work of building.
Know quiet pride, and wise peace, Alan. Ye are not alone.
And ye do NOT lack armour, nor the respect of thy friends. Walk tall.
Until next,
Elminster of Shadowdale
Whooo. So saith Ed.
love,
THO
All I could say to you is: CONGRATULATIONS! You surely deserve all the happiness that life can give you. |
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 17 Jun 2009 : 15:22:38
quote:
Originally posted by Darkmeer
Erik,
You are the second one to consider my writing worth reading and to consider writing. Thank you for that (although I am still at a loss as to why my words are worth reading, I do appreciate the compliment, please feel free to tell me why I should consider it, as I really don't understand). Oddly, I've considered consolidating the nightmare's log into a book at someone else's behest, I can't think of many who would want to read such a... mess.
People are always interested in reading about struggles overcome, and if they're true stories, then so much the better.
Also, going through something truly traumatic like that is extremely stimulating to the creative parts of your brain. I would highly encourage you to explore some fiction/non-fiction writing, whether it's related or not! I find it extremely helpful in working through things like that, and you'd probably produce some great stuff. 
Cheers |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 17 Jun 2009 : 13:58:19
Glad to hear this, Darkmeer! |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 17 Jun 2009 : 09:21:04
That´s really great news to hear indeed. Thank you. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 17 Jun 2009 : 01:11:21
Glad to hear the good news! |
| Darkmeer |
Posted - 15 Jun 2009 : 04:25:07
quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
Thank you for updating and resurrecting this thread, DM. Your story is tremulous and beautiful, and you tell it from your heart. Flawless.
Thank you, and all my best to you and yours--and to all those of us who fight these battles, loudly or silently. It means a lot that we are none of us alone.
Cheers,
Erik
P.S. IMO, if you aren't a professional writer, you should seriously consider it.
Erik,
You are the second one to consider my writing worth reading and to consider writing. Thank you for that (although I am still at a loss as to why my words are worth reading, I do appreciate the compliment, please feel free to tell me why I should consider it, as I really don't understand). Oddly, I've considered consolidating the nightmare's log into a book at someone else's behest, I can't think of many who would want to read such a... mess.
On to everyone:
Sharoth over at Paizo worded it nicely, stating simply that he was a part-time cheerleader. Something like that, for those of us in these battles, is worth its weight in gold. Not just for showing the one going through the battle and saying "see this guy, he's from >insert location here< and he's rooting for you Tanis!" But for the reasons that are all that much more human. People care, and I, for one, needed to be reminded of that, a lot.
Thank you everyone.
Steve |
| Kes_Alanadel |
Posted - 14 Jun 2009 : 15:26:49
Very good news indeed! May he continue to gain his health, and his childhood, back! Here's to all the homeruns he will hit, but it sounds like he has hit the most important already!
~Kes |
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 14 Jun 2009 : 06:39:15
Thank you for updating and resurrecting this thread, DM. Your story is tremulous and beautiful, and you tell it from your heart. Flawless.
Thank you, and all my best to you and yours--and to all those of us who fight these battles, loudly or silently. It means a lot that we are none of us alone.
Cheers,
Erik
P.S. IMO, if you aren't a professional writer, you should seriously consider it. |
| Dart Ambermoon |
Posted - 14 Jun 2009 : 01:38:54
That´s really great to hear. Thanks for the update. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 13 Jun 2009 : 16:15:18
Indeed. We appreciate the update, Darkmeer. Thank you. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 13 Jun 2009 : 15:57:22
It's good to see a happy ending. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 13 Jun 2009 : 15:22:49
Actually, he just posted good news.
I'm very happy for you and your family, and my thoughts and prayers will remain with you.
--- Mark
|
| sfdragon |
Posted - 13 Jun 2009 : 09:24:34
terrible news.
best of luck and hope |
| Darkmeer |
Posted - 13 Jun 2009 : 05:55:30
A little thread necromancy (for those that don't go to Paizo to see the original):
Day 1169.
The bacterial growth from last week didn't show up anymore badness, so we got out of the hospital on Saturday (yay!). So, Tanis got to play back to back baseball games (yesterday and today). He even had a 11-person cheering squad (thanks all that made it out). All of this adds up, and helps to make this an even better update because:
The game has been won.
We've been actively working towards this goal for 1169 days, 9 hours, 35 minutes, and 8 seconds. I can't believe we're here finally.
Our exact duration (thanks very much timeanddate.com for existing, and yes, this is exact as I had it going as I gave Grey his final dose of medications)
From and including: Friday, March 31, 2006 at 1:29:42 PM
To, but not including : Friday, June 12, 2009 at 11:04:50 PM
The duration is 1169 days, 9 hours, 35 minutes and 8 seconds
Or 3 years, 2 months, 12 days, 9 hours, 35 minutes, 8 seconds
1169 days, 9 hours, 35 minutes and 8 seconds can be converted to one of these units:
101,036,108 seconds
1,683,935 minutes (rounded down)
28,065 hours (rounded down)
167 weeks
Don't get me wrong, therapy may be done, but Grey is still going to be on meds for pneumonia while his immune system heals itself, as well as having to remove the mediport. Outside of those things, there is somthing more important than all of that. Tanis... gets to be a real boy. That's something he lost 3 years ago, and he gets that back now. Let's make it count and not have any more hospital stays.
The one thing that really bothers me about this all is the impact that watching Blue run around as a normal child, something that we all lost with Tanis. As I drove home from work tonight, I listened to some Green Day (Wake me up when September Ends to be specific), and this line in particular stuck out:
"as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost"
I lost my son for three years... and now I get him back, no drugs, no nightmare... Just Tanis.
Not only does he get to heal, we get our son back. Not the medicated child, the happy one, the one that we lost 3 years ago. I'll never forget what I lost that day, and I hope that he can. I gave him my word that he would have someone with him throughout his nightmare, and that word was not broken. Thanks for walking the nightmare with us, and thank you all for your support, prayers, good karma, voodoo to make the pain stop, and everything else that I've missed.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." Psalm 23:4
Plenty of fear... but at this point, the fear is gone.
ESOM
Steve
|
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 14 May 2007 : 02:17:04
quote:
Originally posted by Darkmeer
I want to move to Florida just so that I can volunteer there.
Take it from some who has lived in Florida since 1987: You don't want to move to Florida!  |
| Darkmeer |
Posted - 14 May 2007 : 01:00:14
All--Thanks
One thing I've noticed, primarily about the gaming community as a whole, is that there is a huge outcry of support (even if only words). So much happens in the world, and everywhere you go you only see the worst. Rapes, Murders, Suicides, among other things. Thanks everyone for the kind words, I merely wished to show what we are capable of... Not what the world would have us believe.
I'm still in shock over what we did there. I still don't know what to think, other than I want to move to Florida just so that I can volunteer there. I don't really care so much what I do, just that I get the chance to put smiles on the families who have gone through so much, and to know that the little amount of time that they get is truly appreciated and will be remembered a lifetime.
/d |
| Cyric-The-Insane |
Posted - 13 May 2007 : 14:17:28
Bump.
I will keep him in whatever prayers I can. (Not very religious myself).
I wish him the best. |
| Kiaransalyn |
Posted - 09 May 2007 : 11:28:00
I'm sorry for replying late to this thread. The last few weeks have been busy for me as I've been relocating from The Netherlands to Southern Germany so today was the first time I've read this particular scroll.
I just wanted to let you know that Tanis has my family's prayers and good wishes.
Blessed Be. |
| Darkmeer |
Posted - 09 May 2007 : 07:28:56
Thanks KEJR. This is a double post from Paizo, but not everyone goes there, so I want to make sure that everyone who is following my son get's the chance. Usually, I avoid his real name, but since everyone here already knows, Tanis had a blast.
So, I've been home about 2 hours now... And I want to spread some good words.
This is the story of how Darkmeer the Dark got at least a tiny portion of his faith in humanity back.
And it's about children being treated like CHILDREN.
I have been to the edge of the abyss, looked into its depths, and found it staring back at me. I have gazed upon the fear in my heart, the loathing, and the anger. I have dealt with it all, having been pushed down and pushed around for most of my life.
Here, all were lifted up. ALL were treated like people. And, most importantly, ALL WANTED TO BE THERE. Further: Please and Thank You held true meaning. That's all you can say.
This place is more special than anywhere I've been in the continental United States of America. It is founded upon someone who had been through a deeper abyss than I will ever have to (I hope). The founder went through the holocaust and lost a deep part of his family (parents and other relatives).
And yet, he created this special place. This place is beyond anything I can possibly describe. I cannot do it justice, and most will never know its depths of meaning to the families that go there. Most never know that this place, if only for a short time, removed that fear of the abyss, the anger at the world, and the hatred that burns so brightly at times.
Here, in this magical place, children are just that CHILDREN. Why bold? Because this place takes the children who aren't well. Some of them will never know what it's like to be normal. Some of them will never be treated like a human being ever again in there entire life. Some of these children go home to DIE.
But, for one small amount of magical time, they are not PATIENTS, they are not DEFORMED, they are not MISTREATED by their peers, they are given the most special gift of all. Being human, and being treated that way.
What I saw there, beyond anything else, brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. I saw children, who I am pretty sure will be going home to cease living, hooked to their chemotherapy riding rides in a train. Some of these children were in motorized wheelchairs, but the train lifted them to it's heights, and brought them wherever they needed to go. I saw children, deformed from birth or otherwise, able to walk around with their heads high knowing that everyone there cared that they were HAPPY. But most importantly is the fact that I saw them SMILE. They were happy, they were empowered. Nevermind the rest of the world for a moment. These kids were given that which most of us will never know or truly appreciate... a true chance to be treated like they are the special ones. And they are.
There was no shock at seeing a wheelchair, there was no shock at seeing a child with x deformity, or x implanted surcially into their bodies. It did not matter.
They got to have Christmas with snow, they got to ride horses, they got to eat as much Ice Cream as they wanted. They got to swim, they got to know which star is theirs to wish upon, and where, in the Castle of Miracles, that star lies. There are about 80,000 stars in the Castle of Miracles.
These stars are wished upon when they get home, to get better, to make the pain stop, to make the other children stop picking on them because they are not "normal." They are part of the hope in these children's eyes
Truly, we are winning our battle. I know some of the families at Give Kids the World Village aren't able to leave the Village. They have set up as much as they possibly can, with private 2-bedroom "villas" for families to use for the durations of their stays. They have set up an amusment park, named after a wish child (Amberville), they have an Ice Cream Shop that opens in the morning (Ice cream for breakfast), they have swimming pools, a fishing area, a place to eat normal (a la carte) style meals, and there is the Castle of Miracles. They really have done something truly, truly wonderful for the children.
GKTW is beyond anything I can describe in the happiness that it brings the families there, nor in the memories that will last a lifetime. Surely, I will see MY abyss again, but I will be armed with a faith of humanity and what we are truly capable of to fight my abyss with.
They rely on volunteers (3600-give or take), and a very small staff (126-ish). I hope that one day, I will be able to take Tanis, my wife, and our youngest, Landon, with me, and we shall all volunteer and return the favor to the other families going through their hells and making life better and happier for them, if only for a moment in time.
I am sad to have left, and for me to remember what I do, and know what I do now brings me to tears. What KEJR did not put in his post was that my voice was shaking when I called him. Not the same shaking that I had when I typed my email to everyone I knew when Grey was diagnosed with Leukemia, but a shaking... stammering... complete loss for words.
This was the most amazing trip I have ever been on in my life, and Grey will remember it all of his life I hope. He won't remember everything we did, but he'll remember Christmas on Thursday, the Mayor's Birthday party, and all the other things we did at GKTW. Further from that is all the amusement parks we saw (Disney, Sea World, and Universal Studios). This was a very, very special trip.
I'm still at a loss for words, as this post is meager to the true expression of my feelings towards the trip. I don't know that 1 million or more pages would cover it either. Not a single word I am aware of can possibly describe this.
The closest I can come: Awestruck. And that is at least 1 million times too soft a word.
Good night, Good morning,
Darkmeer the Dark
Mod edit: Fixed the coding on the link.
|
| KnightErrantJR |
Posted - 07 May 2007 : 01:07:40
Well, thankfully, he has been doing really well, especially the last few weeks. I'm sure Darkmeer can fill you in better than I can at this point. Last year he was so overwhealmed that he wasn't much of a presense online, and as such, I had Alaundo post this why I was away. The main thing I wanted to do posting to this thread a few days ago was the Lay's site matching donations to the Make a Wish foundation, because Darkmeer was so impressed with how they were providing for the children there at the Give Kids the World Village.
At any rate, he is enjoying Disney with his family right now, and last I heard from him, they were having a ball. Thanks for all the well wishes, and if you are moved to donate to the Make a Wish Foundation, its a great cause. I'm sure Darkmeer will have more when he comes back. |
| Victor_ograygor |
Posted - 06 May 2007 : 23:37:27
I am really sorry to hear the bad news. I work as a child caretaker and it’s always hard to hear when children become sick. I have experienced children with this disease and its hard fore both the parents and the other children who know the child.
I really hope fore a complete recovery
Best wishes from Denmark
Vic.
|
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 06 May 2007 : 23:05:24
Ditto. I guess I missed this news last year--best wishes from RF. |
| EytanBernstein |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 18:33:16
Best wishes on a speedy and complete recovery. |
| lokilokust |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 15:59:09
damn...
best wishes to your friends, knight. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 13:58:51
I don't know why this is affecting me so much, but it is. I've never had any kids, and I've always told my wife if I ever had a son I wanted to name him Tanis (she put her foot down when I said if I had a daughter I wanted to name her Lauralanthalasa <g>). I have a step-son I've raised for the last 6 years, and I love him, but its not the same. Darkmeer, I do truly hope your son lives a long and healthy life, and hopefully the prayers I just said (which probably surprised the man upstairs since I haven't spoken to him in a while) help out. |
| KnightErrantJR |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 02:28:23
As far as updates go, everything has been going fine on this front, but I wanted to post this message that Darkmeer had me post at Paizo as well. He was very impressed with Make a Wish people and with the Give Kids the World Village in Orlando:
Hello all . . . I'm posting by proxy for Darkmeer, who currently doesn't have internet access due to the trip that he and his family are on. He wants me to relate that is son is having a wonderful time, and that he is absolutely amazed at the "Give Kids the World" Village in Orlando.
He was really very impressed with attention that the children get that are staying there, and he also heard while he was there that Lay's is matching dollar for dollar donations to the Make a Wish Foundation, and he wanted me to post this so that they could get the maximum number of donations that they could before this drive is over.
You can find the details at Lay's site, right here:
http://www.lays.com/ |
| Reefy |
Posted - 17 Apr 2006 : 00:16:35
That is a bit of a relief I suppose. My best to all concerned. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 16 Apr 2006 : 06:31:52
That's welcome news.
Again, thank you for sharing this with us KEJR.
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