Something propelled you through the emergency room doors, but you did not realize that when they closed, they would shut you off from a version of yourself and your family you would never reclaim. Once you hear the words "Your child has cancer," there is no pathway back to "before."

This is why I think of it as being a castaway on an island. The one thing that helps is realizing you are not alone, and that others will see your shared experience as a strong family bond.