[Usittne] Update on Devlin Family

[Devlin, John]

Hi folks,
 
I'm taking advantage of the circles of emails that I am involved with to get news out quickly and widely to friends, I hope this doesn't break the protocols of this list serve, but you're a part of my family too.  
 
We have had bad news in my family, and there is no easy way to share this.  My 15 year old son, Patrick, was diagnosed with AML Leukemia last Monday.  There were no significant warnings or family history, and we've been kind of knocked off the tracks.  This is an aggressive form of cancer, and is being met aggressively.  Pat has come through six days of chemo treatments already, and is doing fairly well.  His body is responding well to the chemo and following an appropriate course of reaction.  If you go searching for info on the net, please look at the National Institute of Cancer and the Children's Oncological Group.  Also make sure to search children's leukemia as the adult version is different.  Many of the treatments have changed from what you might find online.
 
I created a CaringBridge site to keep you up to date on Patrick Devlin. CaringBridge is a nonprofit organization that helps friends and families stay connected.

You can visit Patrick's CaringBridge site at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/patrickdevlin.

If your e-mail program does not allow you to click on the above link, just copy and paste the address into your web browser's address (or URL) location.

When you're asked for a site password to visit Patrick's site, enter: scouting.

Please visit our CaringBridge site anytime. You can use the site to check in on Patrick, read the journal entries and send us messages by signing our guestbook. When you register with CaringBridge and sign our guestbook, you will automatically receive e-mail notifications each time our journal is updated. Or, you can subscribe to receive these notifications even before you sign the guestbook. (Of course, you can unsubscribe from these e-mail updates at any time.)

Please print and save this e-mail for future reference.

CaringBridge is a free, nonprofit web service that connects family and friends to share information, love and support during a health care crisis, treatment and recovery. 

http://www.caringbridge.org

Right now, there is not much that can be done outside of the treatment Pat's getting in the hospital.  He prefers "stay strong" to "get well" should you wish to send anything more than prayers and words of support.  We are in the hospital in Burloington and will be for the next 2.5-3.5 weeks, and then in for 3-4 week stints over the next 6-8 months.  So, you won't be seeing much of me out and about before the summer.

Thanks--future communication will come through the CaringBridge web site.  If you have kids, hug them for us--they don't need to know why.  

John Paul Devlin
Saint Michael's College
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