#cd240 - Picnic with an angel

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with a dear friend and her angel daughter Iris.

Iris was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Giloma, (DIPG) in February 2014. DIPG is a highly aggressive and difficult to treat brain tumor found at the base of the brain.

Sadly, this rare form of cancer is untreatable and not enough is known about it other than bleak statistics such as the median age at diagnosis is 6-7 years with median survival at 9 months. 90% of children pass away from the disease within 2 years of the initial diagnosis.

Iris was a super intelligent 7 year old with a smile that could light up any room. I always admired her special bond with her younger brother Tutavake. They were so much more than siblings and she was so much more than a daughter.

I remember one time when I was given a ride home one day, hearing Iris and Tutavake giggling in the back seat as their mama and I laughed in the front. (I’m sure they were laughing at us, we must have sounded like two crazy ladies)

As we drove the same route they took every day to school I could hear them get excited, thinking they were going back to school. They excitingly asked their mama if they were going back to school to only be disappointment when she said "no, we're dropping aunty Annabella home." The collective sigh from the back seat was adorable. I have never come across any child so excited to go back to school. Nevermind that they had just finished for the day only an hour or so earlier.

Thankfully, mama did turn down the street where their school was, to their delight, and this was followed by cheers from the back seat. As we pulled into the car park of their school Iris and Tutavake proceeded to tell me all about their classrooms, the playground and pointed out exactly where they played. I will always treasure that afternoon.

Sadly, Iris slipped into her forever sleep in July of 2014 but not before spending each and every day laughing and creating amazing memories with her devoted parents, brother and family and friends. She even got to meet a real Prince and Princess, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge.

Tonight I light a candle for you darling Iris and pray for your mama, your dad and your darling little brother. I'm sure you were laughing at mama and I yesterday as we cried and laughed. I promise next time to take some back up gardening tools for mama just in case she forgets :)

Fly high angel xoxo

You can help continue the important research to find a cure by donating at http://www.childcancer.org.nz/How-you-can-help/Donate/Donate-online.aspx

#cd240 -Picnic lunch with someone special...done!

Special thanks to my friend Darlene Tuiono Tuaanu Pouao for allowing me to share these photos xox