February 14, 2013 is the fifth Valentine’s Day I’ve spent without Cristian. I remember Cristian was always such a ladies’ man. In the hospital, he would charm all of the nurses and tell each one individually that she was his girlfriend.

My heart is filled with sadness today as it was four years ago that Cristian lost his hard-fought battle with DIPG. I remember that day so well. I remember watching Cristian suffer horribly as his fever and his heart rate got so high that his heart finally gave out.

oday marks six years since I received the worst news any parent can hear. It was January 22, 2007 when doctors reviewed Cristian’s MRI and determined that he not only had a brain tumor but a DIPG brain tumor. I could barely believe what I was hearing as they told me my son could possibly live another nine months, if they were being optimistic.