Often when we talk about children with cancer, we talk about how important the role is that Moms play in the journey.  We see photos of them holding their child. We post quotes from them about how difficult this journey is for the whole family. We read their stories via their blogs and their Facebook pages and every other form of social media that can be used as a platform to tell their child’s story.

But what about the Dads?

Though Dads may not immediately be at the forefront of the image in our mind, the devastation of a having a child with cancer is just as heartbreaking for them.  And some Dads, like my very own, carry the sorrow of having a child with cancer while also carrying the burden of keeping an income for the house and insurance for the family, and taking care of the other children. While they may not be the immediate ones we see or hear from, it is far from true that they are nonexistent in this journey.

My diagnosis came at a time in my Dad’s life when he was building his very own business selling real estate.  Yet anyone who sells real estate knows that you have to be in town, showing homes, meeting with clients, and closing deals in order to make money.  The days at the Mayo Clinic for my treatment and care took my Dad away far too often.  So at a time when my parents were spending an extraordinary amount of money on my care and on travel costs, they also were struggling to bring in an adequate amount of money to sustain the family.

This led to the necessary decision where my Dad abandoned his new business venture and returned to working at John Deere, where he would have a stable income, vacation days where he could still get paid and be with me at the hospital, and insurance for our family.  So while it may have looked to the external world that my Mom was my only constant caregiver, the fact was that my Dad wasn’t there was because he was playing the much larger role in taking care of me, my Mom, and the rest of our family.

So for this Father’s Day, I want to celebrate my Dad  and truly thank him for doing everything in his power to help me fight cancer and for taking care of our entire family at the same time. I also want to celebrate all the Dads whose children are braving cancer and for the important roles they play, especially if their role is behind the scenes.