MERRY CHRISTMAS..

Today we received the best Christmas news that we could have received, Hunter's PET scan came out clean and clear. Thank you God for answering our prayers! He truly is AMAZING. As our children were growing up, at each christmas time I would always tell them that, "If they didn't believe, they wouldn't receive." I never knew how that would relate to ALL of us on SO many levels as our family would continue to grow and go through life experiences. "WE" truly have to believe..BELIEVE in all that is possible, all that is good, and of course ALL that CAN BE. Believe in the power of prayer, and God. We are so blessed is so many ways.

We hope that each of you have the Merriest of Christmases and a WONDERFUL New Year ahead of you. We are TRULY blessed to have each and everyone of you in our lives. THANK YOU for all that you have done for Hunter and our family through-out the year. May God bless you and your families.

Our love to ALL,
The Herrick Family,
Joseph, Jeanna, Lauryn, HUNTER and Maddison

December's Doctors Visit..

Hunter had his doctor's visit last Thursday on December 2nd. The visit was a pretty routine one. Took blood, was weighed, was checked out and talked to the doctors for a little while. Since we are not in there daily, or weekly anymore it is nice to see them and talk to them all in the office. They are all truly ALL amazing people there. I think Hunter almost gave his doctor a heart attack though when he asked her about getting a tattoo after his 18th birthday in January. She asked why and he said he wanted a cross and rosary to remember what he has been through and she told him to just wear one or just look at the scare on his back. It was pretty cute.... He was a little bummed that it can't even be talked about until his one year mark which will be in July, but it gives him something to look forward to and also something to really think about. I'm sure it will be more around after around his two year mark, since that is so critical for him, but I guess time will tell.

Hunter has a PET scan scheduled for this Wednesday the 8th of December. Please keep him and clean test results in your daily prayers! This would truly be the best christmas present I/we could ask for. We will keep you posted as the test results come in.

Thank you for all of your love, support and prayers. May your holiday season be full of love, laughter and many joyful memories that will last a lifetime.

All of our love,
The Herrick Family - Joe, Jeanna, Lauryn, HUNTER, and Maddison

We are truly THANKFUL for each and everyone of YOU..

First of all we'd like to let each and everyone of you know that we are truly THANKFUL for you ALL! We hope that everyone had a Thanksgiving that was filled with family, love, and memories. Our was one that was just that. We were able to spend a lot of time as a family, and some quiet time at home. Days like that just don't come around too often any more. Joseph and Hunter were also able to get in a half day of Hunting which is always a special time for the two of them. This Thanksgiving was a relaxing one but one that was very much welcomed.

Hunter spent the first half of his break filling out College applications and getting them all in before the end of the month. It was exciting to watch that for us. It's the little joys in our lives that you never take for granted anymore. Hunter would really like to go away to a UC College but we will see what happens. He knows for this to happen he will have to have major scholarships, so at this point the last thing we want to do is discourage him. He worked on two essays to go to these schools. One was extremely long, "What has made an impact on his life and how did it change him?", A REAL tear jerker for mom, the other was, "What makes your community so unique?". This one also brought tears to my eyes because even though he was going through so much at the time, he still was aware of all that was going on. He said that this was a hard essay to write because it had to be a short essay and he had to limit what he could write. He couldn't write all that he wanted to. I wanted to share this essay with you, although it is a little long, it's his own words on how you ALL touched him and what it meant to him: By HUNTER HERRICK....

Through my experience with cancer I have realized I come from a phenomenal community, family, and school. When I was going through chemotherapy my community pulled together and pretty much saved my families life. They put together fundraisers to keep us from losing our house, cars, pay medical bills, and pretty much everything. They even helped bring my family Christmas presents when we could not afford our own. Their kindness really showed how a small community could make such a big difference in some ones life.

Because of the helped I received I became involved in my community because you never know when you’ll get the opportunity to make a major difference in some ones life like they made in mine. I have gone through so much and been helped by my community and am now starting to give back. I am now volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club to help kids get through their days. These kids don’t really have much of a family, so I volunteer to help be a role model in their lives. I help them do their homework, play games, and hopefully help them live a better life, or have a better day.
My community has really inspired me to be a better person and be as helpful as possible. I would like to use my experience to be able to help other people get through their hardships. I am thinking about becoming a psychiatrist for kids and families that have to go through some of the things I had to go through, because I know that everyone needs a shoulder to cry on at some point in their life.

Thank you again for all being there and being that difference in our lives. For all of you that we know, see daily, monthly, yearly, don't know, basically each and everyone of YOU...We thank GOD everyday that you came into our lives....

We Love You,
Our Love, Thoughts, and Prayers,
The Herrick's,

Doctor's Visit

Life has been moving along in the Herrick Home. Hunter had a doctors appointment last week, and as with every doctors appointment we kind of hold our breathe. This was just a check up and it happen to be the same week as Hunter's one year Anniversary since he was told that his cancer had returned the second time. Not an Anniversary we like to remember or celebrate, but one that is there none the less. Hunter's doctor wants me/us to keep an eye on the area that they were concerned with and make sure that it doesn't get any bigger, wider or nothing abnormal occurs with it. We need to check the area weekly and if we see anything than take him in right away if we do. We are praying that those days are over and we will see nothing but happy, HEALTHY and memorable days ahead of us.

Hunter has been getting ready and filling out college applications. He is really hoping to go away to college but that will all depend on what kind of scholarships he can get. We truly feel that he just wants to start new, start where no one knows all that he has been through and begin fresh. I am praying that his dreams come true, and he starts to live the life that he was intended to live. He is one amazing young man with such a bright future ahead of him..

THANK YOU everyone for ALL of your LOVE, SUPPORT and PRAYERS,
The Herrick Family

PET Scan..

THANK YOU GOD..The PET Scan came back clean, NO Cancer Cells..

A LONGGGG Week..

We started the week off on Tuesday, due to the holiday. I called the doctor to just verify the time of Hunter's doctors appointment of Wednesday and asked if the CT scan results were in. The receptionist told me that the CT scan was in, the doctor wanted to talk to me but she was busy with patients and that she would call me back. After about an hour and almost going into a major panic attack I called back, but still couldn't get ahold of the doctor. I asked to speak to one of the nurses and she told me that from what she could tell the CT scan looked good and that the doctor would still call me back later. I finally talked to the doctor at about 7p.m. and when we talked she said that the CT scan looked good. She didn't see anything that we should be worried about and that she would like to wait to run anymore tests for 3 more months. She wanted to wait because Hunter has had so much radiation that she really didn't want to give him a PET scan if it wasn't necessary.

Joe took Hunter to his doctors appointment the next day, and the doctor was concerned about an area that was raised a little. So, she ordered a PET scan to be done on him. We had the Pet scan on Friday, late afternoon/evening. I am praying and hoping that we get the results back soon as possible...like yesterday would have been nice for us. We are praying that it is his muscles growing back together, or some other easy explanation. That is what we are thinking it is, but when life throws us the curve balls that have come Hunter's way, each and every time we hear "concerned", we too panic a bit. Please keep Hunter in your daily prayers, he truly is an amazing young man, but when it comes down to it he still is just a boy at heart.....

All of our LOVE and PRAYERS,
The Herrick Family

Hunter Begins His Senior Year..

This week was a GREAT week. Its a week that we thank God for the little things in our life. Hunter began school this week, his first week of his Senior year. He is loving his classes, his teaches and best of all seeing all of his friends again. He did have to miss some school already this week due to a CT scan that he had on Monday but tests and doctor apts. are still going to be happening, but thats something we can adjust to.

Hunter is feeling good, he started back to work at Dalton's Restaurant and his hair has finally started to grow back. It took a long time for his hair to grow back this time. We think that it was because of the intense treatment at City of Hope, with Stem Cells and Chemo. He just went on his annual Dove opener with his dad and grandpa, all the little things that we are so happy he is able to do again.

He has an appointment with his Oncologist next week so we will know more about the rest of the tests that he still has to take and when. Looking forward to taking those and getting the results back..

Sending our love and thanks to ALL...
The Herrick Family