(I thought you might enjoy this for the U-M Cancer Center web site. My son wrote this about his experience when he was 7 and I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It takes the perspective of looking through a child's eyes of what is happening with their Mom, if you ever played Mario brothers you'd see the connection. He is 18 now and we are both fine. From Deborah Mero, July, 2001)

Stompin' and smooshin' mushroom men with a hop and drop
Picked a flower from the question mark box
And I took out plumber-eating plants
Poppin' out of pipes with my fireball saliva
Risking my life to save the Princess from the reptilian grips
Of King Koopa

And my mom had just been diagnosed with breast cancer

Didn't really know the significance when
Dad said with teary eyes, "Mom might die"
In my eyes dying was old people in the obituary column
Not young mothers with young children
Mom might die
But I'm tucked away in my 8-year-old fantasyland
Dodgin' flyin' fish
Traveling through warp zones
Knockin' out my enemies with the kick of a turtle shell
While chemotherapy battles cancer cells
But maybe if I beat this game, I thought
My mom would win hers too
Just three more levels to go

While mom faced surgery
I faced bombardments of blasting bob-omb shells
And chaotic clouds dropping death devices
I jumped over bottomless pits
Dodged death with bottomless courage
Cuz if "Game Over" gleamed on the screen
I'd get second chances
I'd just have to start at the beginning of the level

Outside of videogames
I raced my bike around the neighborhood
With other videogame-addicted kids
Just cuz we had to get some fresh air
Well, that's what our mothers told us
Though my mother was indoors most of the time
Grandma from California by her side
Imported in to take care of us
But I was already taking care of myself
Conquering a 24-inch screen
Beating levels by hoppin' on flagpoles
Defeating the Hammer Brothers with shining star-struck sprints
Journeying to King Koopa's castle
Where the Princess was locked away
Hoping for rescue

Doctors fed my mom radiation waves
While I worked my raw thumbs
Over the controller
Already beat the game, but played it again and again
Trying to beat it faster each time
Making sure I mastered every section of every level
So King Koopa would never return

It took a few years of childhood games
But along with my mom's recovery
I was struck between the eyes
A terrifying realization
How close, how lucky
How glad I am that the pot-bellied plumber
Helped clean the pipes

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