We recently had an opportunity to meet with this year's sponsored family, The Buddes! This was truly an exciting occasion for everyone. The Buddes are an amazing family, and their story deserves to be heard.

The Buddes are Brandi and her husband, Matt, and their three children: Catlin (age 13), James (age 7), and Alyssa ( 4 mos.). The Buddes were faced with the unthinkable last year when James was diagnosed with AML, or Acute Myeloid Leukemia. AML is, essentially, cancer of the blood and bone marrow. With Childhood AML, bone marrow primarily produces abnormal blood cells, which results in less room for healthy blood cells to produce and carry out their functions.

James' official diagnosis came on December 23rd, 2009. "I couldn't believe it," Brandi recounted to us, "I thought the doctor was lying." Brandi went on to detail some of the other family member's reactions: "Catlin took it so well. She looked right at me and said, 'It's going to be ok, mom. They can cure him. It's going to be ok.'" Whatever their feelings towards the diagnosis, the family came together to support each other during the difficult months that lay ahead.

In order to treat James' leukemia efficiently, it was decided that he would undergo chemotherapy. This lasted for seven months. During his treatment, James remained a brave and courageous boy throughout. Brandi related to us how James "made so many friends during treatment."  This was an amazing thing, considering everything that James experienced during chemo. Brandi explained, "Whenever the doctors would explain to us that, you know, something could go wrong or that there might be a 'worst-case scenario' side effect, James got it. Every. Single. Time." Consistently throughout chemo, James suffered through dangerous infections. Brandi described how, at one point during treatment, James ran a fever of 104.9 degrees for over four days. "He didn't even recognize who I was," she reflected.

Things seemed to take a turn for the worst in June when James suffered a massive infection to his intestinal area. The family prepared themselves for the worst as the doctors informed them that an emergency colostomy procedure might be the only way to save James' life. The surgeons had to remove 6 feet of James' large intestine during this operation in order to prevent the infection from taking over. It took several weeks for James to recover from the procedure, but it ultimately turned out to be a success. As a result, James' body was able to recover from his infection and focus its efforts on fighting his AML.

While all of this was going on, the Budde family faced more strain on account of their dwindling finances. James' condition required that he receive 24/7 care and, as a result, Brandi was made to sign a legally binding document in which she agreed to quit her job and refrain from pursuing any other employment. While Matt worked full-time, the gap made by the Budde's contract put a lot of pressure on the family - especially when it came time for chemo to begin. Brandi conveyed, "We couldn't just leave James there while he was at the hospital. We were with him all the time. We were always, you know, having to eat out and account for other expenses when we were there - and we were there all the time." This, combined with the emotional and physical impact of having their son experience such a serious illness, proved to be the most difficult challenge the family had ever faced.

In July, after what seemed like a lifetime of treatment, infections, struggles, and strain, the Budde family received the best news they had had in awhile. James' treatment proved successful enough for him to be able to go home. His body had responded to the chemo, and he was no longer suffering from any of the infections that had plagued him throughout the entire ordeal. Brandi explained to us, "The doctors said that he was a miracle child; we had a miracle child." That month, the Buddes were able to take their son home and celebrate the long, hard journey they had taken to reach that point.

While it may seem like this is the end of the story, there is still more to tell. James enjoys being out of the hospital, but he still is under limitations as a result of his ordeal. His stoma has yet to be reversed. In addition, the threat of his AML's return still hovers over the circumstances. James must still continually continually go to doctor's appointments for check-ups and tests in order to determine how well he is actually doing. Taking all of this into account, James could be said to be living a restricted childhood.

In addition to this, the Budde family is still being supported solely by Matt's income. Because James is still receiving follow-up treatment, Brandi has been unable to return to work. "I most likely will not be able to return to work until later next year. It's either that, or we have to hire a full-time nurse, which we can't do," Brandi intimated. Recently, the Buddes had to move farther away in order to adjust for their financial situation.

While their battle may not yet be over, the Buddes have proven to be an inspiring and strong family. Brandi related to us how they are actively involved in their community through their charity work and volunteering. Not only have the Buddes been supportive of each other, but they have extended their love and kindness to everyone they come in contact with. In this day and age, it's very rare to come across such a loving, caring, and genuine family as this - even rarer to find it in a family that has experienced hardships that most of us would never dream of.

-CFC