June 12 Update from Mrs. Figueras

From Madeline
Dear friends of Charley:

I spoke with Charley’s dad on Monday. It has been a pretty busy week for this special family. They came home last Tuesday (June 5) and on Wednesday they were back at the hospital for a transfusion, and then again on Friday for another transfusion. Charley has no bleeding and he is a little bit better every day.

He has a nasal-gastric tube inserted through his nose into his stomach, and he is taking more nourishment in this way. He is taking vegetable broth, fruit juices, and pureed foods through this tube. Preparing and serving up this food is a little tricky…it has to be given in a slow, regular rate so that it doesn’t cause nausea. Good news, this food is stimulating his appetite. Yesterday he ate some cherries, dumplings and watermelon.On Sunday, Charley went with his parents to Church. This was so special because this past Sunday was, “Children and Youth Sunday.” The news that little Charley was there spread through the congregation. The Pastor announced, “Charley, Charley is here! Let us give him a hand,” and they all clapped for Charley. Charley just stood there and waved his hands.
This past weekend was the Relay for Life, a weekend event sponsored by the American Cancer Society to raise money for cancer research. There were many teams of walkers participating, and there was always a member of a team walking around an outdoor track. Charley’s name was placed on many luminaria bags, white bags with a candle inside, which circle and light the track during the overnight walk. People make a donation to dedicate these luminaria to someone who has battled cancer. This weekend these events were held in both Worcester and Westboro, (and in Shrewsbury a few weeks earlier). Many people remembered and dedicated their walk to Charley.