JJs Journey

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In March 2021our baby boy Joel (JJ) was diagnosed with acute lymphoblast leukemia with CNS This page is a way for you to follow his journey and pray along with us.

02/26/2026

***JJ update***

JJ had his 6 month oncology visit today, and everything went great. Praise be to God!

His hemoglobin has been a bit on the lower side the last few labs draws, but we don't really have any answers as to the why.

But they are confident it isn't a relapse.

He has been having IgG infusions every 4 weeks and his ability to fight infections has been so much better! He feels a bit p***y after the infusions, but his blood tests have shown they are helping. So they will continue these infusions until who knows when 🤷‍♀️

Lastely, his oncologists have noticed his growth has been a bit stagnant. They feel this may be due to having cranial radiation, and want to send him to an endocrinologist for monitoring.

It's amazing how many parts of his small body were effected by treatment. It hasn't been as easy as ringing the gong and then living a normal little boys life.

But we appreciate the thoroughness, and all hands on deck.

So he will now have a 6th doctor 🤪

Most importantly, God has got my sweet boy in His loving hands. We know that our Lord is the greatest physician. I thank him for allowing me to be his mom and that I do have many more years with him. ❤️🙏

12/19/2025

JJ tested positive for influenza A and so his infusion is on hold until he is better.

Praying he starts feeling better in the next few days.

Until then we have him warm by a fire, and all of his favorite Christmas shows on 🎅❤️🎄

12/18/2025

JJ isn't feeling well today. Thankfully he has an infusion on Saturday.

Praying it helps him get over it before Christmas.

11/23/2025

So proud of this sweet boy.

Today JJ received his first IVIG infusion in a long time! His levels have been down for a while now and after a few bad illnesses they decided to start back up infusion with him.

He no longer has a port for an easy access so it is a big tougher on him to have to do a peripheral IV, but he did it!

After a long infusion we set off to Costco to get a hot dog 🌭

09/20/2025

Today JJ got to help raise awareness for childhood cancer at the Hair a thon at Sparrow.

He also got to cut the hair of Aileen Hansen from child life at Sparrow. She was a very special person in JJ's life while he was in treatment. We were so excited to see her under very different circumstances this time 🎗

As always we will thank the Lord for putting the right people in JJ's life to get him well. God was good then, and he is good now. Thank you God for our miracle, and your hand in all circumstances.
🙏🎗🙏

08/31/2025

It's interesting, the things people say to you, when they don't know what to say to you.

Never is this more true, then when you have a child with cancer.

I had someone once tell me that,
"At least your child has the good cancer. I looked it up, the percentage of survival is better than most".

*It stung to hear this.* 😓

I know that hurting me wasn't what was intended. It's a strange thing to talk to a mama who was going through what I was going through.

But I do want to say that what my child went through, what us as parents had to watch our child go through, and what JJ's brothers had to witness, and be impacted by while he was trying to stay alive they shouldn't of had to go through.

There is no such thing as a "good kind of cancer" there is no such thing as a good or easy treatment plan.

Sadly enough we did have to attend a funeral of a young lady we got close to at the hospital who had JJ's same "good kind of cancer". Her body couldn't tolerate the chemo.

I thank God for our miracle child, and cry for mamas out there who's miracle didnt happen.

We need to raise awareness so we can educate others to know what it looks like, and takes for these kids. What it looks like to fight for a number labeled on them, that thankfully most parents won't have to ever face being placed on their child.

🙏🎗🙏

08/30/2025

🙏🎗🙏 Now vs. Then 🙏🎗🙏

❤️ Our miracle child ❤️

September is childhood awareness month

06/20/2025

This sweet boy goes through more than many know about.

Yes, cancer is gone, but the effects of years of treatment remain. JJ gets sick often still, and sometimes with wild things that you wouldn't think of for a child.

Due to JJ's unique medical history and at times compromised immune stystem, yesterday JJ got diagnosed with shingles.

He spent most of the night screaming or moaning in pain. His neuropathy pain is primarly in his lower back and hips.

Please help our family pray that it clears up fast. The Lord has gotten JJ out of bigger issues than this one 🙏

02/08/2025

JJ has another "brother's keeper".

Allison Selah Parks was born on January 25th, and she is the second child we have had that we got to save the cord blood for, in case of relapse.

He is such an amazing big brother it melts my heart to see him with his baby sister. 🎗🩷🎗💙

10/02/2024

***My experience with this situation***

Before JJ got sick I:
Ate only Gluten-free dairy free, fed my family mostly whole food meals, nursed my babies longer than what they recommend, shopped often at specialty stores, cloth diapered, only put certain medications in my children, and only put certain things on my children, and tried my best to stay away from carcinogens.

I'm sure there are ways that I could have been better in certain areas, but even with being what some may consider 'better than most', JJ still got sick.

I also knew families who lost a loved one to not their cancer, but their chemo! I was not uneducated or unaware of the dangers of chemo. But I had to make a choice and I had to make it quick.... JJ was dying.

The day after he was diagnosed with cancer he was in surgery getting his port placed. They placed it on the left hand side right above his heart. Within 1 hour of coming out of surgery they started his first chemo. This chemo was a bright red!

As I watched his line go from clear to red while slowly entering, what to me looked like his heart, I could not hold back the tears. It was devastatingly hard to be able to visually see that toxic stuff going into him.

Within one week of starting chemo I started getting the private messages, from who I know we're well intended people, wanting to educate me on alternatives to chemo.

But I would like to kindly and lovingly educate you back in telling you that the parents of a child with cancer can at times find themselves more educated than the nurses administering these chemos. And if at any point in their journey they felt they needed a different option they would most likely seek you out.

It was hard finding out my child had cancer. It was hard knowing that I chose to let that clear line turn red. In my specific situation it was hard for me to even allow the hospital I was in to administer his chemo when they had broken my trust.

But as well intended as these messages were they made me feel guilty, ashamed of my choices, and judged. Please remember that the parent of a child with cancer would seek you out if alternative medicines were a choice they were considering.

09/27/2024

Today the toughest boy I know turned 5!

Thank you Lord for blessing our family with this precious gift of being able to celebrate his fifth birthday ❤️

Address

1215 E. Michigan Avenue
Lansing, MI
48912

Website

http://JJsJourny.com/

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