The school nurse called, worried. Something was vastly different about Sammy when he showed up in her office that October day.
The nurse’s instincts alerted her immediately that something serious was going on.
Sometime later, Sammy described his own recollections about that day. His head was hurting, his vision blurred, and he became disoriented. He had gotten lost in the hallways of his familiar school and was completely out of sorts by the time he made it to the nurse’s office.
Upon receiving that call, Sammy’s parents Sarah and Joe Strawn didn’t hesitate.
A few scans later, the nurse’s suspicions were confirmed as the doctor labeled Sammy’s diagnosis, “pilocytic astrocytoma… brain cancer” and the family began their journey through every parent’s worst fear.
It took two surgeries to remove the tumor in his brain. The possibility of damage to other functioning body systems and sensory centers was an unavoidable hazard of brain surgery, but it was a risk Joe and Sarah had to take to save their youngest child. The surgery was followed by extensive speech, physical, and occupational therapies.
Six months after Sammy was declared “all clear,” his parents decided to use all they learned from their grueling journey to give hope and help to other families walking this same road.
Facing Cancer Together
Joe and Sarah each responded to the news in their own way. Joe, a researcher and planner, took the lead in learning about options and treatments and talking to doctors. He developed and implemented a plan of action to get them through each step. Sarah, a mental health professional, handled the emotions, mental health, and the state of mind/ spirit of everyone involved.
Despite the physical distance the pandemic forced upon everyone at that time, the family never felt alone. “We were fortunate enough to be surrounded by a phenomenal support system of family, friends, church, school, and sports teams.” The support and encouragement they received buoyed them through this trial, but that doesn’t mean the journey was easy.
The older children, who were in 8th and 9th grade at the time, were incredibly selfless team players in the process as well. They were deeply impacted by what their little brother was going through and what it could mean for him, and their support systems had to be handled differently. For Sammy’s sake, they stayed away from places and people where they could be exposed to illness. They understood that if Sammy got sick, he couldn’t receive the treatment he needed.
Due to Covid-19 protocols, they were not able to be with him in the hospital either. They made up for this the best they could with daily FaceTime calls. Sammy and Lauren drew strength from being able to see and talk with each other. Landon could make Sammy laugh like no one else could. They both brought their unique strengths and helped the family through this in a beautiful way.
Angels without Wings
At every hospital the family visited, an often overlooked, but absolutely heroic team served as angels of mercy for them- the child life specialists. These compassionate people stood in the gap between medical professionals and the family and came alongside them to provide comfort every step of the way. They helped explain medical procedures, and the meaning of the diagnosis and brought an element of joy and fun to an otherwise frightening situation. They helped Sarah and Joe devise a plan for how to have difficult conversations with Sammy and his siblings and equipped them with tools for their own strength in the journey.
The SammyStrong Foundation
With the worst behind him, Sammy has continued to grow stronger. At 13 years old, he’s a normal, active, and life-loving kid. He simply must return to the hospital for scans once a year, and only minor residual effects of the surgeries can be observed by his parents.
Wanting to pay forward the incredible support and kindness they received, his parents are eager to extend a hand toward those now following them down the path of pediatric brain cancer, and therein lies the impetus for the creation of the SammyStrong Foundation.
Sammy has always lived for baseball, so raising funds through sporting events seemed an obvious choice. Its inaugural event, the Home Run Derby and 5K, is in the planning stages for its 4th year and will be held at Werner Park. They will also hold a Roaring ‘20s Casino Night on January 17th. Partnerships with Miller United, the Omaha Storm Chasers, Werner Park, and the Field Club, among other sports organizations, have proven what a true “small-town community” Omaha really is. See the SammyStrong website to get connected: https://gosammystrong.com/
As the organization continues to grow, Joe and Sarah hope to continue expanding their network and their impact. In addition to providing resources for more families, they hope to give attention and support to the most overlooked loved ones impacted by a cancer diagnosis…the siblings.
Until pediatric brain cancer is eradicated, they’ll “keep fighting, because HOPE is on deck.”
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