February 20, 2009 results from his biopsy came back showing his cancer had returned.  His doctor wanted to start chemo immediately.  Andrew requested to wait one day so he could go to his best friend's birthday party.

He had more intensive chemo and the tumor seemed to have been shrinking.  He was put on a "maintenance" chemo with pills to be taken at home.  It was not long before the tumor started growing again.  As we all know, statistically, survival was not good.  Even though, Andrew NEVER gave up.  He knew this was something he would have to deal with the rest of his life, but he never thought he would not survive.  Andrew never let the cancer take the best of him.  He continued to do the things he loved, even when he was not feeling his best.

He continued to take guitar lessons and became better and better.  He received a new guitar and amp from a foundation that wanted to give Andrew something to make his life more bearable.  Even though we had numerous days in the hospital for chemo and/or neutrapenia, Andrew just looked at this as what his life had become.

Andrew graduated 8th grade from Holy Rosary School in May 2010.  He was looking forward to starting High school and participate in Battle of the Bands.  School started in July and Andrew started his second round of radiation in August.  He had another 28 days of radiation to his neck.  He became weaker and weaker because he was unable to eat.  The pain from the radiation became so unbearable, he ended up in the hospital to find the right dose of pain meds.  He was so weak that he was put on a TPN feeding that was administered overnight.

Even though he was in pain and very weak, Andrew was determined to go to an Avenged Sevenfold concert in September, his favorite band.  This band was also playing in Las Vegas 2 days before his 15th birthday.  He convinced me to take him and his best friend.  Again, he was not feeling well and under any other circumstances, we would not have gone.  I never wanted to not let him do something he really wanted to do.  I guess because I always knew, this could be the last time.  So, December 11 we went to Vegas.

Andrew turned 15 on December 13.  He had a wonderful Christmas and got a new Amp for his guitar, one he could carry that wasn't so heavy.  Chemo had been put on hold since radiation in September.  He resumed Chemo on December 27 for his 5 day treatment.  Andrew was really getting weak.  Wednesday night he couldn't even walk up the stairs.  When I took him on Thursday, December 30, his blood pressure was extremely low and they rushed him to ER.  I still believed we would make it through this.  Just some meds and transfusion and he'd be fine.  After he was intubated, transfused, blood pressure meds, antibiotics for pneumonia and taken to the PICU, his doctors said they had done all they could do.  I still did not believe this.  Andrew is the most strong, brave and courageous person I have ever known.  He fought so hard for 6 years and a body can only take so much!

At 6:20 p.m. on Thurday, December 30, Andrew took his last breath. 

Yea...we beat the cancer.  Andrew had one wish from Make A Wish.  The one thing he missed was going to school with his friends.  His wish was to go back to Holy Rosary School.  Make A Wish made it happen.  His brothers also returned to Holy Rosary School.

Andrew was now in the 5th grade and was a typical boy.  He loved to have fun, he loved school, and most of all he loved his friends.  He played one more year of soccer and started taking guitar lessons  in 6th grade.  We were all suprised at how much he loved playing guitar and how quickly he picked it up.  He and some friends put a band together and played in the school talent show in 7th and 8th grades.  Music was his life.  He continued in Boy Scouts and went on many camping and hiking trips.  He even had the opportunity to climb Half Dome.

Andrew had a normal childhood.  He was soon a big brother to Adam who was born on June 10, 1998 and Alec who was born on March 20, 2000.

Andrew received his first guitar from his Aunt Kellie when he was 5 years old.  He would play with it just like any other 5 year old.  Andrew played baseball and soccer.  He really enjoyed soccer and continued to play until he was 11 years old.

Andrew attended Holy Rosary School from Kindergarten through 3rd grade.  He made many friends that would continue to be a positive influence in his life.  In 4th grade he went to public school because of financial reasons after his father and I divorced.

On October 30, 2005 Andrew was admitted to the hospital with a mass in the left side of his neck.  It was first thought that he had a reaction to the antibiotics from Strep throat.  He was transferred from Antioch Kaiser to Walnut Creek Kaiser to have this mass drained.  There was so much blockage in his throat, they needed to do a tracheotomy to clear the airway.  Draining did not work and he was immediately transfered to Oakland Kaiser via ambulance.  The next day a biopsy was done and Rhabdomyosarcoma was diagnosed.  This was the most devastating news we could have received.  Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare childhood cancer that is a tumor in the soft muscle tissue.

Andrew stayed in PICU for a few days and was finally transferred to a regular room on the 10th floor at Oakland Kaiser, which would soon be our home away from home.  Chemotherapy was started immediately.  After being released on November 17, I felt like I had just received my nursing degree.  I now had to learn about broviac care, tracheotomy care, blood counts, neutrapenia, GCSF shots, and dealing with a child with a life threatening disease.  I am a teacher and took the rest of the school year off to stay home with Andrew. 

About 6 weeks after leaving the hospital, Andrew had his trache removed.  In February he received 28 treatments of radiation which seemed to zap the tumor away.  Swelling of the throat from radiation treatment meant Andrew had to be "re-trached" for a couple of weeks.  Chemo continued until September when he became "cancer free".

Andrew was born on December 13, 1995 at Kaiser, Vallejo.  His father had just finished building the hospital extension and we thought it was great to have our first child born in the same hospital.  Unfortunately it was not an easy delivery.  We had 25 hours of labor and then ended with a c-section.  Andrew had fluid in his lungs and was in the NICU for 3 days with pneumonia.  He stayed in the hospital for one week before being released to come home.  At 10 lbs. 9 oz. he resembled that of a 3 month old baby.