Personal Note from the RBAZ President

I'd just like to put a personal note to this website. This is my son, Noah, age 7, who, in April, 2000, then 2 years 4 months old, was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma. He had his right eye removed and in the next 2 years went through a total of 6 surgeries on his eye having to go for a total of about 2 years unable to wear a prosthesis, just having the open socket. People can be so cruel, if not just staring, a person would ask my son what happened to his eye, his head would hang down, he'd freeze, and begin chewing on his fingernails. Times like these my heart just broke and my stomach would turn, but having to keep positive and strong for my son I would respond that he had a booboo in his eye, the doctor took it out and he was getting a new eye soon. That following February, 2001, 10 months later, on an RB listserve I met some other RB mothers living in the Phoenix area and I suggested we meet. We met that March, 2001, we all had such a great time we agree to meet again, and so it started. We mothers gained so much out of meeting other RB mothers, a bond was immediately formed and we arranged to meet again. But the most amazing thing was the change in my son. Soon after that first meeting we went to a park where a child asked him about his eye. I immediately started to jump up to save him by answering the question. But instead of freezing and holding the eyes down to the ground, my son held his head up and preceeded to explain that he had had a booboo in his eye, the doctor took it out and he'd be getting a new eye soon. The other child shrugged his shoulders and they went on playing. Tears rolled down my face, my child's confidence and self worth and so much more was amazing after just one meeting with other children with a "new eye" like he would get, the emotions were overwhelming. The other mothers and children had the same effect.

I just think every child that's diagnosed with this horrible pediatric eye cancer deserves to benefit all that our children did just from meeting at least one time with other children with a "new eye(s)".

I watch a new mother come to join the group, which in most circumstances might have her feeling a little hesitant, not knowing anyone yet, but I watch her fit right in, feeling right at home immediately. There are no words to describe the bond that happens immediately when you all have a child affected by the same cancer. Our group comes from all walks of life, yet we are a family we are blessed to have in our lives.

I truly feel blessed and thankful to God that he's helped me to reach out to these other families. It has helped me to heal and then I watch others in the group start that same healing process reaching out to newly diagnosed families.