You go through life and hear about bad things that happen to people but you never expect it to ever happen to you. Well, I guess that is what we were all thinking and then it happened- cancer joined our family and changed our lives forever. We were all busy living our lives. I was healthy, happy, and enjoying being a 4 year old boy. Then all of the sudden with no warning and nothing to prepare us, I was diagnosed with something called Rhabdomyosarcoma- a rare form of cancer that affects around 250 individuals a year.

My form of Rhabdo is Alveolar with no translocation of chromosomes which happens in about 20 individuals a year. Twenty individuals a year? Why me? Was it something I ate? The environment I live in? Was it something my parents did? Did my sisters will this on me…yea that is it? I wish there was something that we could identify as to why. I don’t know why but I do know that it happened. We stopped asking why and started asking how do we keep this Rhabdo from taking my life.

The statistics show that this cancer will take the life of 8 of the 20 diagnosed. The treatment plan to destroy the cancer cells is a brutal plan…let me tell you…it is. We do believe in my doctors at Children’s and the national Children’s Oncology Group (COG) protocols which gives me the best chance to win this battle.

I have been raised to have faith in an all powerful God and to believe in a God that answers prayers. I thank all of you so much for your thoughts, help and prayers during my battle. I am confident that God will heal me back to 100% strength so I can become a soldier in His army. James 1:12 “Blessed is a man that perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" Deuteronomy 4:7 “…our God is near us whenever we pray…” Luke 18:27 “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God”

If you would like to keep up with Colyn’s progress, please visit his site at
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/colynmcdaniel