Kevin Phuong

Doing it for the kids

This year I'm part taking in relay for life.

Being a paediatric nurse, I have been able to meet all sorts of different kids and families with a variety of situations. Sadly, these also include children with cancer. 

One of these patients, I first met being a 12yr old boy in for a knee replacement from an osteosarcoma. He was bald, a lil shy and awkward. He slowly opened up and it was a cool friendship. Unfortunately, the cancer returned and had to have the same leg amputated. Now, a 13/14 year old boy, who has stylish grown hair, way taller and in a relationship. I would greet him with a dap, talk about colognes, spit banter to each other. His mum told me about how worried she's been as he does as any teenage boy does and catch random buses, jump into trollies, come home super late.

Then, just before his 15th birthday, it develops back into his lungs and goes back into chemotherapy, becomes too unwell to go to Dreamworld, and a month or two later passed away.

He still lives in my mind. I can't help but imagine living. Finishing highschool, flipping patties or restocking shelves at Woolies. Later living a small unit with his future partner and his new born.

Kids like him deserve to live life to the fullest no matter what.

So I'll be doing the relay for him, fellow co-workers, and other patients.