A day that lived in my dreams for a decade and a half finally arrives

Emily, fifteen-and-a-half-year cancer survivor, became an adult today, celebrating her 18th birthday.

Many days and nights across her long and fierce battle with cancer, I dreamed of this day.

It was my first truly strategic vision.

Comments

[Jay K.]

Congratulations Dr. Barnett! Now there is justification for your deep commitment to the other things you do with your life. My best wishes for your daughters continued health, and long life. May God continue to bless you and your family.

[Mystery Meat]

Great news! I pray that she will enjoy many more birthdays.

[William R. Cumming]

Some of the biggest victories are very personal. God bless you and your family at this season and for the birthday posted about. From a fellow cancer survivor.

Have a very wonderful holiday season to what I know is a wonder family and a wonder at its electicisim.

[Mike Roulier]

Nothing to say Tom, except that I am so happy for her and your family. My daughter was diagnosed with colon cancer when I was in Cuba (after tours in Afghanistan and Iraq), and I know the relief when they go through the regimen and come out the other side. God bless you and your family.

[Petrer]

This may sound corny, but always keep it positive, and the family support! If you can't, then embrace the sadness, or the frustration from time to time(yes, piss and moan, cry, get angry), but then keep it positive again! The cyclical act in and of itself is the most important aspect in my opinion.I can't speak too much on your life, but keeping the cycles working (and truly understanding their inevitability) is the best I have been able to come up with in my life.

You seem to have it anyway...but I am just some guy trying to give his support!

[Cliff Graham]

As a still fairly new father of a healthy daughter (she's 15mo), I can have only an inkling of what you've experienced. I may only know you through this blog, some online videos, and a book I'm half-way through, but it does my heart good to know that both you and your daughter are currently in much better health than you dealt with for years.

You've been added you to my list that includes Amory Lovins and William McDonough of "people we need to listen to in order to get the future right."

[stuart abrams]

Happy Birthday Emily, and congratulations to Dr. Barnett (and family) for starting to build "a future worth creating."

[David Sutton]

Tom - that's just fantastic news. Best wishes to you and the rest of the clan. And big ups to Emily

[Petrer]

Happy birthday to Emily and Best wishes to all of you!...I shoulda put that down, but I started thinking about something else, and then I go into "advice giving" mode...I just think it's important to do so...weird tick I have.