[Chief Rum]

I didn't get permission to post this, but I think the message it delivers is important and re-emphasizes how truly horrible this disease is and how we should take whatever steps we can to fight it.

Brandon Huffman is a high school football scout who works for the Scout network. Bug and I and dawgfan and other Pac 12 fans who are members of Scout's family of college sites will be very familiar with his excellent work covering high school recruiting out west.

Seven months ago, Brandon and his wife Amanda's 7 year old daughter Avery was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. It has been an uphill battle and Avery, a truly darling little girl, just came out of her second brain surgery as a result of complications from this disease. Brandon posted this tonight on his and his wife's website in support of Avery.


*****

The reality of Avery's fight...

By Brandon Huffman — 20 minutes ago


This whole thing sucks. Make no mistake, this whole entire cancer fight by Avery sucks. On numerous levels.

There is nothing good, there is nothing fun, there is nothing enjoyable about watching her struggle so badly.

Have there been good aspects of it? Define "Good".*

We've done some memorable things- Make a Wish, sporting events, concerts, benefit events- all have been memorable and have meant a lot.

But the price being paid for those is deplorable.

Watching our 7-year old daughter fight for her life, writhing in pain from her latest procedure, it sucks.

Since June 30th, Avery has had double-digit nights in the hospital, 30 radiation treatments, 8 infusion treatments, 5 MRI's, 4 CT scans, two brain surgeries. More medication than a pharmacy, countless pokes in the arm and hand, numerous IVs in the system. Nearly seven months in a wheelchair, an inability to walk and use her right side. An eye patch to keep from double vision.

That is unfair. That sucks.

Imagine being a parent having to watch that. And there isn't a dang thing you can do about it.

Go ahead, imagine it, because we still can't even imagine it.*

Yet it's our reality.*

Worse, it's Avery's reality.

And that breaks our heart daily.*

Wait, no, our heart is already broken. It just keeps it from healing.

Today, she was in good spirits- Coco visited her again, she was able to eat well, and talk. But she can't get out of bed right now, still tender and sore from the incisions in her head and her stomach. It's painful to watch. Yet we're only having to watch the pain.

She's living it and experiencing it. And it's only going to get worse.

Its the reality of what she's facing.

Someone said recently "I bet you guys have gotten to do a lot of fun things as a result of it."

Quick correction- there isn't a dang thing "fun" about doing trips that are the direct byproduct of your terminally ill child.

Maybe it was poor choice of words, so I'll give the benefit of the doubt.

But lets be frank- there is nothing "fun" about ANY of this.

This is real life.

And it sucks.*

And we hate every freaking second of it.

People have been tremendous to us, to Avery. The outpouring of love and support has been incredible.

But we've also heard the stupid words, granted said by a small few, that are treating our reality like it's some kind of phase we're going through.*

Spend 5 minutes in Avery's room, while she's on hospice care.

You'll see it's not a phase.

This is reality.

This is real life.

This sucks.

Today sucked, yesterday sucked and the last seven months have sucked.

No way to sugarcoat it.

It's real, it's raw and it's painful.

I'll be more positive tomorrow night. Maybe.

But tonight, I'm just not feeling it.

#AveryStrong

-Brandon and Amanda

*****

Really powerful and heartbreaking. If you get a chance to, please send up some prayers for Avery, Brandon and Amanda.