Live Like Luke
Written By Beth Childs
On November 4th, 2020 our son, Luke, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. That day, we began the most grueling journey of our lives. Because of the type of treatment Luke needed, we learned we would be living at the Children’s hospital for months. Even though our jobs were flexible and we experienced incredible support from our community and family, the disruption to our lives was unimaginable. While that year was the hardest of our lives, we were held, carried, fed, and loved by our beautiful community here at Arapaho United Methodist.
In the time that we stayed at the hospital, our eyes were opened to a world no parent ever thinks they will have to see. We were witness to small babies and toddlers alone in their room because their parents had to be at work. When a young child has to be left alone in the room they put a mesh net around the bed to protect them from falling to the floor. Every time I walked by a room and saw the mesh net, my heart broke. We observed families torn between their multiple children at home and their sick one at the hospital. We saw Go Fund Me’s created in desperation so families could pay the bills and stay afloat while still being with their child during treatment. For people that are marginalized, a children’s cancer diagnosis is not only medically and emotionally devastating but also financially crippling.
After a brave fight, Luke died on October 2nd, 2021. His six years of life were remarkable. I have never met a braver, more joyful child. Derek and I want nothing more than to make our Lukey proud. We decided to honor and memorialize Luke through the Live Like Luke Fund. The mission behind Live Like Luke is to lessen the financial burden that comes with a childhood cancer diagnosis. To some, that means supplementing their reduced paycheck. Others need help with transportation costs or food for their tables. Whatever the cost, our goal is to lessen the anxiety and enable cancer families to focus their attention where it’s needed most.
In recognition of the loving support poured on us by our church family, we’ve been involved in starting the Live Like Luke Ministry. This ministry’s mission is parallel to that of our Fund’s - while enabling us to more directly benefit families in dire need of financial support in Luke’s honor.
If you would like to make a donation to the Live Like Luke Ministry Fund click the button below.
If you are interested in applying for assistance through Live Like Luke please download the application by clicking the button below.