Side Trip to Philadelphia

In a couple other posts on this blog, I have mentioned our cousin, Rowan, and her battle with a rare form of Leukemia, AML M7. AML is a really tough cancer, but Rowan is tougher. In fact, she is the toughest person I have ever met even though she is only four years old. When we were just starting this trip, she had just gotten transferred from the children’s hospital at Duke, where she had received a stem cell transplant, to the one at UNC for a clinical trial due to a relapse. We visited her and her family there right before moving onto the Airstream and heading north. It was another reminder of the importance of family and how quickly life can change – some of the reasons why we took this trip in the first place.

While we were in Maine a couple weeks ago, we got a call that the UNC trial did not work so Rowan was being transferred to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for another clinical trial. Since we were in the Northeast, we knew we had to get down to Philadelphia to see her and her family again before turning west. Both of Rowan’s parents and her sister are staying with her and helping her fight this battle each step of the way. Her mom, Mandy, is officially my cousin, but I think of her more as a sister since we grew up next door from one another (we are from Southwest Virginia after all). She is also one of Jamie’s best friends. She is a nurse, which is a huge help for Rowan. Her husband, Scott, is a really strong person and the kind of guy you would trust your life with. Her sister, Emory, is a boundless ball of positive energy. Together, you could not have picked a better team to kick this cancer’s ass.

We parked the Silver Baguette in central New York near Syracuse, drove to Philadelphia, and got a hotel for the night. It was the first time in nearly two months that we had not slept on the Airstream. A part of me missed it a little, but not the part of me that takes showers. We all loved getting to take a shower in a shower that both ran continuously and was clean. We have had one (shower you turn off and on to conserve water in the Airstream) or the other (shower you run all-out in a campground bathroom that will definitely not make our Instagram page) but not both at the same time! After checking in and taking showers, we took an Uber to CHOP to see Rowan and her family.

When we got to the hospital, Rowan looked really tired and wasn’t as feisty as we were used to. I don’t know what else I would have expected after all the rounds of chemo she has had. She looked a hell of a lot better and stronger than I imagine I would have in that position. After a couple hours, she perked up and played with Smith, Archer and Emory for an hour or more. Rowan has always had a smile that could light up an auditorium but seeing that smile then made me feel better than I have in a long time. The kids played with toys, painted each others fingers and toes for spa day, and sat around the bed playing with Rowan. We are super grateful for this family and for the bonds our families have been able to grow together over the years. 

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Scott stayed back at the hospital with Rowan and we went out with Mandy and Emory to Penn’s Landing. The kids all had a blast playing in the arcade, trying to win prizes at carnival games, and riding the carousel. It was a beautiful night to walk along the Delaware River as well. We stayed up late and didn’t leave until our kids started begging us to call an Uber to take them to a bed. The next day, we met up with Mandy and Emory for lunch before driving back up into New York. We can’t wait until Rowan can join us on those trips out again. It was great getting to see them all and give them all big hugs. It breaks our hearts to see all that they are going through but we know that Rowan will win this fight. If you could see the look in her eyes when she is determined, you would know she is capable of anything.

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Please keep Rowan and her family in your thoughts and prayers. You can learn more about what she is fighting and how to help at the “Rowan Strong! #rowfightwin” Facebook page. They still have a big battle in front of them and will need lots of love and support along the way.