Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Nicholas Foss got a haircut yesterday. Then, he went all the way to Richmond late last night. He got up super early. He wore a tie. He represented. But he didn't get a turn to talk. Please hear what Nicky had to say and leave him a comment. Thanks ever so much.

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My name is Nicholas Foss. I am 11 years old and in the 5^th grade. My mom and dad teach me at home. But some of the most important lessons I learn, I learn from my big brothers. I have four big brothers and four sisters. I am the youngest boy. 

I have watched my brothers play sports all my life. Michael played soccer when he was my age and I watched him play up through college at George Mason.  Patrick plays soccer, too. He’s played at the highest level possible in this country. I went to visit him last year when he was playing with the US National Team and living in Florida. I went to Charlottesville with him last fall when he committed to playing for UVA.

I play soccer, too. I’m a goalkeeper for a Division 1 travel team in McLean.

My brother Christian was a champion basketball player. One of the most fun games I’ve ever watched was when Christian was the MVP of the State Championship last year. Even though he was homeschooled, Leesburg Christian let him play on their team. And I think he won that championship for them.  Our local high school basketball team was terrible. They have never even had a winning season. I think they needed Christian.

Christian is my teacher in lots of ways. For the last five years, he has been my basketball coach.  Together, we’ve won championships in our local league. He loves basketball and so do I.

I know that very soon, I will have to choose between basketball and soccer. I’m pretty sure all my brothers think I’m better at basketball. And even though they don’t admit it, they all know I’m going to be the tallest in the family. But I know that if I play basketball, I will have to search for a place to play and that place will never give me the opportunities of a public high school.  Once I’m high school age, I won’t have good opportunities to play basketball if I’m homeschooled. If I play soccer, I can play all the way to the highest level if I’m good enough. I know this because I have watched my brothers.

Tim Tebow is my hero. He was homeschooled. He played high school sports in my grandmother’s neighborhood. I’ve been there. I don’t think anyone in that whole town is sorry they let him play.

If you pass this bill, I can choose the sport that is best for me. My brothers will all be so happy because I will get to do what they always wanted to do. I will get to see just how far I can go no matter what sport.

Anybody up for a miracle?

All the details are here. Please, please click and GIVE. Time's of the essence.

Happy Birthday, Stephen Thomas!

How your name saint, St. Thomas More, must be smiling at the way you are spending your thirteenth birthday! You spent the morning in the General Assembly Building in Richmond, supporting a bill that will allow homeschoolers to play high school sports. You supported Patrick as he testified. Delegate Ramadan personally escorted you to the after party meeting following the victory that got that bill out of committee! For the afternoon, you and your brothers will be introduced to full General Assembly. 

How perfect. How totally YOU.

You are a statesman. You see yourself as a modern day Thomas Jefferson in soccer cleats. And you love Virginia. Oh, how you love Virginia! (The Commonwealth and The University--you've already picked out your locker.)

It is 11:11 as I write. And I can't help but think of that day thirteen years ago, right about this time. Ever the Super Bowl baby (I just spent half an hour trying to search my own archives for Stephen's birth story. Surely I've written it here? Prize to the the first person who finds it), you are still and always Superman. Certainly, you are doing things in the superlative today.

I love you, buddy!

A Happy, Hopeful Update for Your Prayer Journal

Thank you for praying for Ian Stowe. After a very difficult week, the news is guardedly optimistic:

As many of you who care for Ian and have been following his story may know, it has been an arduous, weeklong journey for him, his family and his friends thus far. Ian entered Fairfax INOVA Hospital early on Sunday, January 22nd, and he has been through an insurmountable number of tests, procedures and operations. 

The news has varied for Ian, with expectations reaching highs and lows over the course of his stay at the hospital since he was admitted. His surgery went fairly well and the biopsy was completed last week, though the area of the tumor made it inoperable at the time. 

He has since come down with pneumonia, which he insists hardly bothers him, and was told some frightening news that he might have a GlioBlastoma (GBM). This is a very aggressive type of brain cancer and is the kind of news that would scare even the bravest of listeners; however, Ian has remained incredibly poised, confident and hopeful of better news and a positive outcome. 

Today, Ian had a Barium Swallowing Test in order to see if he would be able to eat on his own without having food or liquids enter his lungs. Unfortunately, the test revealed that Ian will most likely not be able to eat without assistance for short period of time, and may need to be fed through a tube that will lead directly to his stomach. 

 Finally, the much anticipated news from pathology came back, the news that would tell Ian exactly what form of tumor he had in his brain stem. After all of the frustration, the tests, the sleepless nights and anxiety of not knowing what the future may hold, Ian was given some good news.

 The type of tumor that Ian has is called a Germinoma. This kind of tumor is very sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation, meaning that the chances for long-term survival, or even cure, are excellent. Ian will most likely continue treatment at MCV in Richmond, VA where he will be close to family and friends, he plans to be moved there on Thursday.

 Though Ian is not completely out of the woods just yet, hope is at its highest point and he is confident that he will beat this tumor. Ian made it clear that he is very thankful for the love, care and support that he has received from everyone so far, making his stay in the hospital bearable. 

 I think we all know what kind of a guy Ian is and how much he means to us. The evidence of the significant impact that he has had on all of our lives so far has been portrayed in the reciprocated support for him during these rough times. Ian has always put his family and friends before himself and I think that one would agree when it is said that we owe him this kind of help during such an onerous period in his life.

So, thanks again to everyone for every ounce of support you have showed, and I ask you to please continue to fight alongside him as he wins this battle.

And a hopeful update on James Brogan from his sister:

James has the doctors & nurses AMAZED!! My mom & aunt have been working James all day & you are not going to believe what he did today. Mom brought in flash cards with pictures & the word of the picture on the back. Then she told James to squeeze her hand when she said the right word of the picture on the card. He did that immediately, so then she flipped it over to the word & asked him to do the same. Well James did 20 IN A ROW!! Then his right arm, which has had a harder time moving around lately, was all over the place today. So after the flash cards he put his hand in my mom's palm & acted like he was trying to write with his finger. My aunt ran down & got one of those huge pens for him & a notepad. They put the pen in his hand & James wrote "mom"!!! He also wrote my name, dad's, & then his name a bunch. When asked if he wanted to keep on writing he wrote "no" with a bunch of o's following after it (: Finally he reached over & grabbed his football squeezed it tight & threw it across his bed! Tears of happiness & relief run down my face typing this, but James is there! He remembers. I know he does! He is a miracle & he's not stopping until he is home! Everyone keep praying. It's working!!!

I still think children are good for a marriage.

Way back when I started blogging, I was very shy about writing about marriage. It's a tricky topic and, though I venture there a wee bit more these days, I'm still hesitant. But I got bold one day way back when. I think I was bothered by somehting I read. (Isn't anger a great motivator to write? On second thought, don't answer that.) I wrote about how openness to life made us better--better spouses, better friends, better Christians. That piece has been republished today at Suscipio. Won't you join me there?