10/09/2026
REMI HAS OFFICIALLY FINISHED RADIATION!! Six rounds of total body irradiation. Three days of not being able to eat until after 4pm, traveling between hospitals, and watching my little boy go under anesthesia six times. Six times waiting for him to wake up. And now, we can finally say he’s DONE!
After his final treatment, Remi was offered the opportunity to ring the bell, but he declined. He also wasn’t interested in taking a picture in front of a crowd. Waking up from anesthesia is hard on him. It leaves him tired, cranky, and needing some time to feel like himself again. Today was no exception, and I think he was simply ready to be done with everything.
Thankfully, once we got back to his hospital room and he had some time to recover, my sweet boy started coming back around. He was in a much better mood, happily eating the Taco Bell he had personally requested (and had been asking for since he opened his eyes this morning!!!), and finally feeling like himself again.
He even told me he would take a picture with his certificate from his radiation team! So that’s exactly what we did. No crowd, no big celebration. Just Remi, his certificate, a full belly, and another huge accomplishment behind him!
I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible people at The James Cancer Hospital, because I truly don’t think I could put into words how much their kindness has meant to us. Radiation was one of the parts of transplant preparation I feared the most. The thought of my four year old undergoing total body irradiation was overwhelming, and walking into that hospital for the first time carried so many emotions. But from the moment we arrived, their team made us feel welcome.
Every single person we encountered treated Remi with kindness, patience, and compassion. They took the time to get to know him, to make him smile, to make him comfortable, & to remind him how wonderful he is. They never made him feel like he was just another patient coming through their doors. And they took care of me, too. They checked on me while I waited, offered me food and drinks, listened when I talked, and gave me room to feel whatever I needed to feel. There were moments when I sat alone in their lobby and cried, and moments when a few kind words from someone on their team were enough to bring tears to my eyes all over again.
They understood that while Remi was the one receiving treatment, I was going through something difficult right alongside him. There is something so special about people who can make you feel cared for during one of the scariest experiences of your life.
When I talk about Remi’s radiation experience years from now, I don’t want the first thing I remember to be the fear. I want to remember the people who helped us through it. I want to remember how they loved on my little boy. How they celebrated his personality, encouraged his bravery, and made him feel special. How they looked after a mother who was trying her hardest to hold everything together.
They couldn’t take away the difficult reality of what Remi was going through, but they made those days so much easier to face. I will forever be grateful that, during such a vulnerable part of our journey, we were surrounded by people with such beautiful hearts.
To the entire radiation team at The James, thank you for everything. Thank you for the compassion, the conversations, the reassurance, and most importantly, the love you showed my sweet baby. You made an experience I was terrified of into one I will always remember with gratitude.
And to my Remi, I am so incredibly proud of you. Another milestone reached, and another difficult chapter behind you, my sweet boy🤍
linktr.ee/RemiStrong
