The above photo shows the smiling face of a little boy named Trey, an ear to ear grin and glimmer in his eye that gives no sense of the suffering just behind them.
Trey is tucked into a hospital bed at CHOP, with perhaps just weeks left to live. His last name is Love, and he needs lots of it.
In July of 2008, at just 21 months old, Trey Love's young life changed forever. His mother, worried about a stubborn black eye, took him to the doctor.
"And when we were there, the pediatrician found a mass in his stomach," says Trey's father, Mike Love.
That mass turned out to be a tumor, which turned out to be a very rare childhood cancer. The diagnosis: stage four neuroblastoma. The odds were long, but Trey and his parents, Mike and Missy, were ready for a fight. And they would have to be.
"Six rounds of chemo, endless surgeries, two stem cell transplants, 19 rounds of radiation," said Missy.
The list goes on. But in November of 2009, the Loves thought they had Trey's cancer beat. To celebrate, they went to Disney world, and then went on with their lives.
This past Sunday, Trey suffered a relapse. The cancer, they were told, is now incurable. The clock, which has only ticked so long for such a young life, is now ticking down.
"We were told he was going to die, either way," said Missy.
But as Trey underwent surgery, and his parents hope waned, an incredible and inspiring sight.
Dozens of people, some of whom never met little Trey, turned out in his hometown of Phoenixville to pray for him and his family, to show the Loves love.
And now they're showing them even more. With Mike and Missy choosing not to work during what could be Trey's final days, Team Trey, as they're known, is raising money to keep them focused on family, not finances, and, with any luck, to get Trey back to Disney World, with more luck, for another celebration.
"I just want to see him, whether it's in a wheelchair because he can't move right now, or, I just want to see him look at the fireworks, look at the castle, look at Mickey," said Missy.
"Someplace where he can feel the sun on his face and enjoy himself, because he deserves it," Mike said.
Team Trey is organizing another vigil on the weekend. They expect nearly a thousand people to take part.
The Loves were told Trey might not survive the surgery he had on Sunday. He did.
Then they were told, he wouldn't get off the ventilator. He has. The little boy, who beat the odds, continues to do so.
Hope Community Church will be holding a Prayer Vigil on Sunday evening from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Hope Community Church
740 North Henderson Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406
Prayer Vigil, Sunday, March 27, 2011
Checks to help the family can be mailed, care of Trey Love, to:
Hope Community Church
740 North Henderson Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406
For more information and to become a part of "Team Trey", click the link below:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/posts/702504
