Here’s the news that no parent wants to hear: Your child has been diagnosed with a very serious, possibly life-threatening, illness. Those are the parenting moments when time seems to freeze in what feels like an alternate reality. Those are the moments when parents think, “Is this really happening? To me? To us? To my child? How, in heaven’s name, is this possible?” The painful reality, of course, is that some parents and their children have no choice but to absorb and bear this dreadful news, and then face the challenge of daunting treatment, uncertain prognoses, and the highs and lows that often accompany this new, albeit unbidden, normal. The most fortunate figure out a way to navigate this emotional turbulence, often with the help of remarkable support from those they love, skilled professional care, and, perhaps, pure grit. And this is what we hear from parents Christine and Michael Link.
Christine and Michael Link live with their children in Johnston, Rhode Island. Their family is actively involved with the Izzy Foundation in Providence, whose mission is to design creative projects for hospitalized children and their families.
