Ralphie’s Jedi Cancer Fighters
Hello everybody, I just wanted to invite all of our friends and family to take part in Team Ralphie’s Jedi Cancer Fighters.
We are participating in our second American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Event.
What is that?
Relay for Life is a way to help many families that are taking part in the battle of defeating the Evil Sith we call Cancer.
What do they do to help out?
I can’t speak for others, but when we had to drive every day to Los Angeles for Ralphie’s radiation treatment, gas was almost $5 a gallon. Sara and I had to take time off from work, during Ralphie’s stay in the hospital, for continuous treatments, money was tight, and the American Cancer Society gave us gas cards to help us with our finances.
Camp Reach for the Sky is a camp that is put on by the American Cancer Society. This is a camp just for children that have or are currently fighting cancer. This camp is so amazing, imagine seeing a bunch of kids running around, playing, laughing and just having a great time, then realize that these kids just went to Hell and back. The camp is staffed with a Doctor, nurses, and the camp councilors are former children that attended the camp. This camp alone is a great reason to donate.
Here is a link to the camp , and please take a look at the pictures
(Ralphie is on the front page from last year with the guy with the big glasses)
I just want to thank all of you that have reached out to us during this crazy time in our lives and that no prayers went unanswered.
I wish the best health to you and all of your families
Love
The Pachecos
And of Course
Ralphie’s Jedi Cancer Fighters
To make a donation please follow this link
Become a Jedi by Donating Here
Our Latest Journey
The last three weeks has been absolutely crazy, I thought it would be easier to pull this old dusty unused Blog from my attic wipe it off, and use it to update our family and friends with the health of our son Ralphie. A quick recap on what happened, how it happened and where its going. A couple weeks back, we noticed Ralphie’s left eye was turning inwards, at first I thought he was joking around, being in Kindergarten I figured he learned how to cross his eyes as a joke. We noticed when he woke up from a nap, his left eye was involuntarily turning in. My wife Sara made an appointment right away, December 2 was his appointment, the doctor said it could be the weakening of his muscles, but he wanted to be safe and he made an appointment to get a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. He had the scan and on the evening of Wednesday December 8th, we received a devastating call that stabbed us in our hearts and ripped the rug from under our feet, “Your son has a tumor in his head”! Sara and I took turns spending time in our bedroom to absorb the news that was thrown at us, while the other watched our two boys in the living room. This had to be the most surreal moment in our lives, and after we informed our family we looked at each other, and basically said, lets move forward and get this taken care of, no matter what it takes.
December 15th, Ralphie was admitted to Kaiser Hospital and then on December 20th he was transferred to Rady’s Children Hospital. The experiences we had with the two Hospitals have been amazing, so many gifts and toys have been received from donations to the hospital, and he even met SD Charger player Legedu Naanee. All the gifts and visits are great, but the best experience has to be from the staff of Rady’s Children Hospital and Kaiser, they are AMAZING! December 23rd he was discharged, my Son will be able to spend Christmas in his own bed, well I think he will be in our bed, but his own house with his whole family and his own tree. Monday December 27th, we will be returning to Rady’s Children Hospital for his surgery, the removal and biopsy of his unwanted tumor.
We all thank you for your prayers, and positive thoughts
Merry Christmas and Good Health to All
Hope you all had a great Christmas
Update on Ralphie’s Procedure.
Yesterday, Monday December 28, Ralphie had the operation to remove the tumor and have a biopsy preformed on the extraction. Yesterday was a very long day, he went in the OR room at 7am and six hours later the operation was completed. They removed most of the tumor, we now have to wait a couple of days for the result of the biopsy. Ralphie is doing well, he is a little beat up, but he is very strong, and the nurses said that he is very mature for his age.
All your prayers and positive words of encouragement have not gone unnoticed. We thank you all so much.
BestHealth2All
The Pachecos
Funny side note:
After the procedure, we had a consultation with the most amazing pediactric surgeon, Dr Levy, as he was speaking with us, I noticed a very familiar image, Boba Fett! They Doctor had Boba Fett hanging with his Identification badge. See the Force is with Ralphie
January 15 2011
I hope all of you had a great New Year, I apologize for not updating earlier, but life has became a little hectic. I have to thank all of the support that we have received from our family and friends, it has relieved us from a lot of stress, so that we can focus on Ralphie’s recovery. Ralphie has been doing very well, he is a very strong kid, that’s why is called “Jedi Ralphie”.
A game plan was developed by the oncology team which will include chemotherapy and radiation treatment. This past week, Ralphie began his first four days of chemotherapy, he seemed to do quite well, the only problem was he wished he was back at home with his family. Sara and I are trying to balance out his time with us by alternating the nights that we spend with him, while the other stays at home with Baby Lewi. Friday 1/14 Ralphie was released from the hospital, but we had to drive straight up to the Kaiser in Los Angeles for the radiation consultation, which only lasted a couple of hours. We made it back home Friday night, just in time to watch his favorite show Star Wars The Clone Wars.
Thanks again for all the Prayers & Positive Thoughts
The Pachecos
Ralphie Strikes Back
February 2 2011
What’s new? Well this week Ralphie is back in Kaiser for his second round of Chemo Therapy, he has a stack of Mad Lib workbooks to fill in, handful of pens and pencils to write and draw to keep busy these next four days. Last night we watched How to Eat Fried Worms, he thought it was pretty funny, I think he wants to try tasting one now! Believe it or not, this is a week of rest for Sara and myself, last week Lewi had the flu, and being such a generous brother, he thought Ralphie should have it too. Ralphie’s white cell count was low due to his Chemo Therapy, so he was admitted to the hospital again, just to play it safe. The flu has passed, and both boys are doing well.
Next week is going to be the big test for the family, mostly Sara. Ralphie will be starting his 6 week Radiation Treatment up in Los Angeles Kaiser, unfortunately I will have to go back to work that week. Kaiser has an apartment set up for Sara and the boys, thankfully her family will be assisting her with watching Lewi while she takes Ralphie across the street for his treatments. Ralphie’s treatments are scheduled for five days a week, Monday-Friday, the procedure only last about 15 minutes, but with sedation, I am sure it will be around 2 hours. They will be coming home on the weekends, but to keep us in visual contact, Sara just picked up a webcam and is setting up a Skype account so that we can communicate with video.
Again I can’t thank you all enough for all the generous support, and prayers!
February 13 2011
Week one of Radiation Treatment is complete, and now there are only five weeks left. The first week of Radiation Treatment seemed to go well, Sara decided to stay with her parents, since they live closer to the Los Angeles Kaiser Hospital, and the boys are able to relax and play with the dogs at their house. I was looking forward to seeing my Boys & Sara returning home this last Friday , but Ralphie’s white cell count was low, and they admitted him to a room for the weekend. I drove up and have been staying with him in his room since Friday night, we have been having fun by playing games, watching movies, and playing on my computer, hopefully he will be released on Monday morning. I am hoping that I will be able to spend a little time with Sara and Lewi before I have to run back down to San Diego for work.
Wish you and your family the BEST.
Here is another page of pictures of Ralphie and our family
www.ralphpacheco2.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/11/
March 8 2011
Yes another update, Ralphie has a couple more weeks of radiation to complete, then his team will follow up with another MRI scan to determine the condition of his tumor. Ralphie is doing well, he is regaining more muscle control on the left side of his face, and I swear he has stretched out another inch in height. Since Ralphie’s treatment is in Los Angeles, the Boys and Sara continue to stay at her parent’s house during the week, I can’t wait for the weekends to arrive, so that I can have my family together again (tons of hugs & kisses are given when they are home).
I just want to let everybody know that my wife Sara is so amazing, everyday she drives down 2 hours from her parent’s house to Kaiser in Los Angeles, takes Ralphie to his treatments, then jumps back into the car, drives back another 2 hours, to relieve my Father in law “Papa John”, from his duties of keeping Lewi entertained. Sara had to learn how to apply a daily shot to Ralphie and to keep him on schedule with his many medications. It has not been easy for her, there are good days, and there are days that she feels like pulling out her hair, but she has handled this better than most people that I have witnessed going thru similar situations. When Ralphie becomes overwhelmed with his new daily rituals, Sara finds a way to put him at ease, and to let him know how proud she is of him, she has given him the strength to continue forward with his treatments. I wish I was able to be with them everyday, but she has blown all my expectations, and I know all will be fine.
Love my Girl!
P√O
March 16
Welcome to the Muppet Show, with special guest Ralphie………yeahhhhhhhhhhhh
Guess what we are watching?
Writing from Kaiser in Los Angeles, Ralphie starts another session of Chemo tonight, so we are getting comfortable, watching Season 1 of the Muppet Show, playing with Play-Doh, and eating treats. Monday he was scheduled to start chemo, but his blood levels were too low, he had his bloodwork today, levels were great, and here we are entertaining each other in a hospital room. We were just visited from a little dog named Sasha, I will post pics on the bottom link.
Oh yeah, just wanted to share this with the whole world, today Ralphie had an MRI scan, guess what? No really guess! His tumor has gone down in size by 50%. 50%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All your prayers and positive thoughts have not gone unnoticed and are truely working. Thank you so much, and I will be updating his photo site.
Peace Love & F*#k Cancer
www.ralphpacheco2.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/11/
July 18 2011
Hello, I know, I know, it has been some time since I have updated Ralphie’s page, but I am back to let you know how thankful we are for the love and support we have received, thank you all so much. Since the beginning of December, when we found out about Ralphie’s condition, we have been focused on removing this “Bastard Cancer” from our son’s life. As you can imagine, we have been keeping busy with numerous trips from San Diego to Los Angeles for his radiation treatments, and many days and nights were spent in Kaiser San Diego for his Chemotherapy. Looking back, it has been one big blur. Ralphie has completed his radiation and chemotherapy, and for the last month and a half, he has returned to a life where he has not been connected to iv bags, scanned by some huge loud MRI machine, or strapped down to a table to get zapped by radiation. To spend time together at home, watching the boys play together has been a gift.
I am so amazed how well Ralphie has handled all that he has gone thru, he is an amazing kid. While his body was connected to all these tubes and wires, my little guy was more concerned about getting his toy Obi Wan Kenobi picked up from the floor, after it fell off of his hospital bed, or he would say “Dada, where is my Anakin’s lightsaber, he needs it to fight off the Sith”. Don’t get me wrong, he is still a kid, and when they had to poke him with a needle, it took a couple of nurses to to hold him down, the male nurses wear a cup when they know they have to deal with the Jedi turned Dark Sith.
The time away from the hospital has been a great break for the family to reconnect with each other, especially poor little Lewi, that kid was never with both parents at the same time, he is doing well and is enjoying the whole family being together. April 23 was Ralphie’s birthday, he received a very special gift, a new puppy, a Pug which he named Tofu (after his favorite food). So now we don’t only have two boys to watch after, now they have a little burrito shaped smashed faced dog to add into the mix. The boys are having a great time with Tofu, and she keeps them busy, gives Sara and I a little more time to reconnect with each other, come to think of it, we need another date night soon.
I can’t thank you all enough for the love, prayers, gifts, and support that we have received from all of you, it has been amazing. Ralphie did not return to school, but Highland Ranch Elementary has been very supportive, he has received cards and pictures from numerous classes, gifts from the PTA, they even gave him a yearbook. Since when have elementary schools been getting yearbooks? The yearbook is nicer than the ones we bought in high school, so cool! The Principal of Highland Ranch, Anita Watson, has been so nice, she calls to see how Ralphie is doing, and he is excited to go back to school this fall.
I just wanted to add one more thing, this past week, we lost a very important person in Sara’s life, her Uncle Doug lost his battle to cancer at age 53. He is an amazing person, always happy and positive, he had no children, but all of his nephews and nieces loved him like no other. I need to edit what I wrote, he did not lose his battle with cancer, Cancer still Sucks, and Doug Darby is still alive and well in the hearts and minds of all that he has met and loved.
Thank you all!
Love The Pachecos
August 26 2011
Getting Back to Normal……….
Summer is almost over, and it is hot as ever, but we are enjoying every minute that we are able to spend with our boys. We have great news about Ralphie, his tumor has shrank down and there is no sign of growth. So what does this mean? It means that all your thoughts and prayers has helped a little boy heal from his cancer. Ralphie is now able to resume the life of a healthy 6 year old boy. Wednesday August 24, Ralphie returned to Highland Ranch Elementary School as a 1st grader, and he was so excited to be back with all of his little buddies.
This weekend is a very special weekend, we are participating in Relay For Life, from the American Cancer Society, here is our message:
We are making a difference by teaming up to participate in the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life on August 27th in Encinitas. Saving lives from cancer starts one team, one participant, and one dollar at a time.
As most of you know, my son Ralphie was diagnosed with a scull base tumor back in December of last year. He was in aggressive therapy (Chemo/Radiation) through late may. He is feeling much better & enjoying his summer. With that being said the Cancer Society is sending Ralphie to a day camp called “Camp Reach for the Stars” this July for an entire week. He is really looking forward to camp, which makes us incredibly happy. It will give him a chance to connect and make friends with other kids that have fought cancer. I would like to give back and need your help!
By joining or donating to our team, you will be a part of a life-changing event that gives everyone a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that takes too much. Here is our team page for more info:
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11CA?team_id=978429&pg=team&fr_id=31476
Please support our efforts to fight cancer by joining Ralphie’s Jedi Cancer Fighters or by making a donation. You may forward our friends and family too if you would like to help spread the word. The impact we can make together is much greater than what any of us could do alone.
Thanks and love you all-
Sara & Ralph
September 25 2011
Aloha
It’s time for another update. September has been a busy month, and one I am sure we will never forget. Ralphie returned back to school, and he has been so happy to be back with all his little buddies, plus, being a little Book Nerd, he is enjoying his studies (please stay this way through your teen years).
On September 5, Ralphie’s wish was granted! I forgot to tell you about this beat up old arabic lantern that Ralphie found, he started to rub the side of it and……Poof! Well that did not happen, but more amazing than that, when Ralphie was diagnosed with cancer, we were contacted by the Make A Wish Foundation. Well to make a long story longer, Ralphie’s wish was to “Swim with Dolphins in Hawaii”, and without blinking an eye, a trip was set up for our family. They set everything up, a Limo picked us up at our house, drove us to the airport, and when we landed in Oahu, a Make A Wish representative greeted us with Leis. A Rental car, a week stay at the Hilton, snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, Luau, swimming with dolphins, and all the amazing memories were all given to us from the most generous group of people I have ever been in contact with. Make A Wish is so Amazing !!!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU
Last month we participated in the American Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life” and I want to thank all of you that had participated and helped raise money for a great cause. This was our first event and we were not sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a very powerful and touching experience. There was a Survivor Lap, my Dad and Ralphie walked together, it was really cool, Ralph the 1st and Ralphie the 3rd walking hand in hand with the pride that they Kicked Cancer’s Ass. Oh yeah, we raised $2500, thanks again to all that helped out.
Thanks
&
Love to all
The Pachecos
What's New 