Jake Hatton (Heather & Brian Hatton's son)

[bhatton]

 Hey Everyone

   I know it has been a long time since I have updated this. So Jake has finished his chemo a couple of months ago and had his port removed also. This was a big day for us. His hair is growing back he still gets tired easy but this too shall pass. He is getting ready to start kindergarden on Monday. I am not ready....he is. I am nervous as to how he will do. He has some short term memory loss and some hearing loss and is having problems with his fine motor skills....writing. But I really can't complain as he is still with us thanks to God. He struggles a little trying to understand it all ,as one of the little girls who was going through treatment with him just passed away. We were close with the family and her birthday was 3 days after Jakes and they were the same age and lived here in town. All he knows is they have the same thing and I have been trying to explain to him that he is not going to die but this is hard for him to understand. Anyway I am still at GE. If anyone would like to e-mail me my work e-mail is Heather.Hatton@GE.com. Again I want to THANK everyone. Ohhh Jake fell last night and got stitches in his chin and was so brave....He told me he is a man now not a boy....

            Heather

[Camella Black]

Heather, I was moved to tears. How many times do we think our life is sooo bad and that we just can't handle another lay off, a late payment or that sinus infection.

You have struggled with something that most of us will never face and have done it with a huge heart and a strong will, I wish I knew you as you must be a wonderful person.

I pray that Jake continues to improve and trust me sending him off the kindergarten is a big step in a huge ladder; soon he will be marching across the stadium to recieve his high school diploma.

Keep us all imformed about his first day in school and his progress.

Camella

[nuke_girl]

Dear Heather and Brian

I was fortunate enough to have worked with your  mom at Brunswick last season, and what a proud grandmother she is !!  :)She passed around the lovely pictures of you and your family ..and especially your Jake. We all added your family to our prayer lists as she told us of the things your family has not only endured ..but triumphed over. Continued prayers for you and your family for peace..strength and serenity as well as health for Jake.

God Bless
Kathleen
ps  please tell Deb ive said hello

[bhatton]

Camella It is nice to hear from you and I hope your family is doing well. Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Kathleen, my mom also had nice things to say about you. She told me to tell you hello. I feel blessed to have such a wonderful mother.
We also got good news from the Make A Wish Foundation, they have granted Jake's wish to go to Disney World. So we will be going on Dec 10th for a week. Our whole family is excited. Jake loves school. His memory is a funny thing. He can not remember letters which is hard trying to teach someone to reconize the alphabet. But he can spell words when he writes. If you ask him what the letters are he does not know. He is starting to get them it just takes a little longer . Jake had another MRI and it was clean.
We miss seeing everyone but it sure is nice to be home every night. Take Care and I look forward to hearing from ya'll.

         Heather

[Camella Black]

Heather,

Take pictures please and allow us to share is this wonderful adventure with Jake. I pray nightly for his health and happiness. Unless you have had a sick child you just don't know what tragedies can happen.

Our son who is now a strapping 6'1" and a nuke worker at one time screamed when he saw a nurse, much less a needle due to all of the tests he had to go through as a child. Luckily he ended up only having childhood migraines; but later did face having a 4" tumor removed from his femur bone which was not cancer.

Tell your mom I said hello and keep in contact.

BTW, Dorie our granddaughter is doing well, finally begin to walk at 17 months and has not slowed down. Doing ok except for being blind in her left eye does at times cause her to be accident prone.

Camella

[bhatton]

Camella

I am glad to hear your granddaughter is doing well. My niece was born blind in her left eye. My husband and I raised her for a time while her parents got their crap together. Any how I signed her up for soccer. The coach loved her she was the best player on the team. When it happens that young they just compensate and they do it so well unless you know you can't tell at lease that is how my niece is. I will try to get some pics of Jake on here. Gotta go I am suppose to be working...

        Heather

[bhatton]

Well it has been quit some time since I have updated this. Jake has started 1st grade and is doing quit well. This December will be 3 years since his diagoses and what a 3 years it has been. There are many people whom have lent their strength to my family and to them I would like to thank. We could not have made it through with out you. I am often reminded as to how lucky we are that Jake has done so well. Of the 5 children from this area that were diagosed in the same time frame as Jake. He will be the only survivor. There was a boy Bryson who went to school with Jake that was diagosed 8 weeks after him that passed a week ago.  And a little girl with the same type of cancer Jake had that is expected to pass anytime now.This as always is hard for us as a family but hard for Jake. I thank god everyday for letting me keep my son a little longer and cherish every moment as I know how easily our outcome could have been much different. I would not wish this on anyone but my husband and I are much better people from being through this. There is alot to be said for empathy and compassion. We spend alot of our time doing fund raisers for cancer research, Ronald McDonald House,Make a Wish and for the families in this area to help pay medical bills. I never volunteered before Jake got sick, I was always too busy or had an excuse. Now I volunteer like crazy I guess I have learned the importance of helping others. There are alot of people who reached out and touched our lives in our greatest time of need some people we knew some we did not. I would encourage each of you to take the time to touch another presons life you may make a bigger difference then you realize. We hope you all are doing well and look forward to hearing from you all.

Heather

[Camella Black]

Heather, as always my heart goes out to you. I'm sending you a hug of encouragement and strength. It is good to hear an update on Jake and I am glad that he is doing so well. First grade is a bit step and I'm sure you are awfully proud of him. I hope that others will follow your instructions and reach out and help others as there is no greater gift than giving of yourself.

Our grand-daughter is making great strides everyday; thankfully Dorie is healthy although she has several issues. She finally walked at 18 months (she's now almost 3) but she is still unsteady. She actually jumped for the first time this week, now we are working on jumping forward.

We have been waiting since March to get into a SC Autism Center so they can diagnose her as the state will not recognize a diagnosis from Medical College of Georgia. She mainly has sensory issues; she's smart as a whip and almost has a photogenic memory. Many of her problems stem from her being legally blind (although she can see to get around, she is blind in one eye and has a blind spot in her upper field of vision in the other).

Our family has also gotten more involved in volunteering and donating to causes due to Dorie; several years ago when our son Andrew had to have bone grafts we all immediately signed donor cards. I guess you don't see the good that various organizations do until it hits home.

Tell Jake hello and please keep us updated.

[mlslstephens]

There is alot to be said for empathy and compassion. We spend alot of our time doing fund raisers for cancer research, Ronald McDonald House,Make a Wish and for the families in this area to help pay medical bills. I never volunteered before Jake got sick, I was always too busy or had an excuse. Now I volunteer like crazy I guess I have learned the importance of helping others. There are alot of people who reached out and touched our lives in our greatest time of need some people we knew some we did not. I would encourage each of you to take the time to touch another presons life you may make a bigger difference then you realize. We hope you all are doing well and look forward to hearing from you all.

Heather

Heather,
This thread is years old but I just found it yesterday.  Your strength is encouraging and Jake's courage is amazing.  One month ago, this thread wouldn't have hit me as hard as it did today...it was one month ago today that my oldest daughter was sent to pediatric ICU for DKA (diabetic keto acidosis).  While our fight with Type 1 diabetes is in no comparison to Jakes' fight, I totally understand what you mean by getting involved for a cure.  Our kids are precious and until something happens to one of your own kids, many people like myself just don't get involved.  Now I wear a red "find a cure" bracelet for my Katie.
I will add Jake to my prayer list as well as your family.  Stay strong and keep the faith.

[ljeanniepc]

Jake has had a relapse. He is in Raleigh at Chapel Hill Hospital. He is undergoing chemo. Please pray for them!!!!!!!!!

[Camella Black]

Please pass on my prayers and thoughts to Heather and Brian.

[Mike McFarlin]

Your son is in our prayers.

[hezabear]

Your son is in my prayers, Hope he's better soon. Brad

[hhatton]

Thank you for your support. We were very shock at his relapse after all it would have been 5 years this Dec. WE have started a Caring Bridge so people can keep up with our progress. We just started it and we are in the hospital so we will update it with pictures when we get home. Here is the link http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jakobhatton

[jason]

Heather, My mom will request prayer for Jake at her church in Hartsville.
God Bless, Teresa Truett

[tigger]

As many people may know already, about a month ago, Jake had a relapse. Things had been going well, then this past Friday, Jake turn a turn for the worse. The MRI showed that there were several tumors on his brain, and not just the two that we all thought were there. Jakob Hatton lost his battle with cancer on Monday morning with Heather and Bryan by his side. They have recieved tons of love, support and prayers from family and friends. And I know they are both thankful to have such wonderful people in their lives.

They have a website they had started while Jake was going back and forth to Chapel Hill. The web site is http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jakobhatton

This is the information for Jake's Memorial Service.
We will be having a memorial service for Jake on


                Saturday  Nov 14th, 2009 at 1:00pm

              At :  Port City Community Church
                     250 Vision Drive
                     Wilmington NC   28403

                     910-202-8800

                    www.portcitychurch.org

There will not be a viewing just a memorial service to celebrate Jake's life.

Anyone who knows Heather and Bryan know what they have gone through and how much this little boy means to them. Please keep them, and their daughter Danielle in your thoughts and prayers during this time.