Phenon Updates

We have more than reached our goal now.  More contributions have continued to come in over night, even.  The thing is, you’ve already done it!  We have been very, very well taken care of.  A few contributors noted that we could pass the contribution forward if we wanted to, and we are so grateful for that.  We are still waiting to hear from our friend to see if it’s okay to link to her blog.  She got a virus during the week before her next round of chemo, which is especially, exceptionally rude given that that’s the week you usually feel almost normal.  Urg. Understandably, it may take her a while to respond to an e-mail!

In the meantime, we are going to use $100 of the fund to bring a care package to the Oncology Inpatient Teen Room when Phenon goes for her next round of chemo on Monday.  For those who are just tuning in, the Teen Room is actually a young woman named Zoe, who goes around to the rooms of every teen who is admitted to the unit, talks to them to find out their interests and how they’re feeling, and then she devises activities, crafts, social events, and entertainment options that will help make the time pass less horribly.  When Phenon was an inpatient, it took Zoe one try to find something that would entertain Phenon in her own room, and three tries before she lured Phenon out of her room.  But she was friendly, empathic, enthusiastic, and persistent, and was clearly not going to give up until she figured something out that would work.  Zoe runs that teen room by herself, and her nail polish party involved a meager four bottles of nail polish and some supplies that belonged to one of the inpatients.  We thought we could beef that up a little bit, and give Zoe her own supplies.  We are also going to bring some of the books that Phenon has been given that she has finished – especially the ones that are good reads for when you’ve got chemo brain.

Some contributors have suggested that we use any overage to buy Phenon some cool gift.  But that’s already taken care of, too.  Our friends, the Moore’s, held a fundraiser a while ago to raise money to help Phenon buy a computer that would serve as a recording studio for her.  Phenon had also saved up from babysitting, and her relatives made contributions to the fund for Christmas.  She has spent this week (in which she has been able to go to school for only one period a day due to bureaucratic regulations) recording herself singing, playing piano, and playing ukelele.  People have showered Phenon with gifts, and many have even given Rowan gifts so he doesn’t feel left out.  They don’t need anything else!

We really are going to be okay.  Actually, more than okay.  Because we will move forward carrying all of this love, and help, and support in our hearts.  Thank you, again.