June marks a significant date as it is the month that Isabella lost her fight to neuroblastoma. This year will be 5 years since we lost her to this horrible disease on June 28th, 2012. The Santos family has been through their ups and downs in dealing with losing a daughter, sister, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, niece and cousin. But as you have most likely noticed, they have persevered… and they lead the push to fight for kids with cancer in Isabella’s honor. This month we will be sharing both the happy and raw times as we celebrate Isabella’s spirt and the legacy she left behind.

Holding on to every last minute we can…

Father’s Day 2012

“She slept most of the day but was anxious to take Daddy to Red Lobster that evening for a Father’s Day dinner.  She mustered up the strength to put on a pretty dress and comb down her bed head.  We wrapped up his gifts which were a new water bottle with her artwork on it from school and a recordable story book.  I bought this adorable book that is about how I am always thinking of you or want to be with you when are away.  Very cute book but means even more when it is applied to Isabella.  I worked with Ib for about an hour on Friday night, recording her reading each page.  It is so priceless.  She and Daddy went out to eat and she tried her very best to not be sick at dinner.  But she struggled so much as she waited for him to open his gifts.   They had to get dinner to go because she just wasn’t well and the minute he put her in the car, she vomited.  They walked in the door with a full vomit bucket just an hour later.  I cleaned her up and put her to bed, giving her meds to knock her out.  I feel so awful for Stuart and I know how hard that dinner was for him.  He is breaking inside and sadness and pain are words that don’t even begin to describe it.  The anniversary of his Mother’s death from cancer is this week and his birthday is on the 24th.  I’m sick about the fact that I know Isabella is now going downhill and I just hate to think his birthday will hold this cloud over it forever.  It’s like the last slap in the face after all of his hard work to keep her alive.  So unfair and undeserving.  But today I will do the best I can to give him a wonderful Father’s Day.  We both know that it is the last Father’s Day he will have with 3 children, maybe even the last Sunday breakfast with 3 children.  All we can do is hold on to every last minute we can.”  – Isabella’s Mommy (Father’s Day 2012)

We can accomplish so much more if we fight cancer together.  Learn more about donating to the Isabella Santos Foundation.