Family Stories
Dreer Family Story
When Jimmy became ill two years ago, his father, Patrick, was in Turkey. As a member of the U.S. Air Force, Patrick could do little for his child and family until he returned from his assignment. In Texas, Jimmy, his mother, Alyson, and his two younger siblings, Joey and Carolyn, tried to find what was making Jimmy sick. Since they were far from their extended family, Alyson had little help with the doctor visits and their three children.
After Patrick returned to the United States, Jimmy was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Fortunately the life threatening cancer was treatable with a 130-week treatment, which included chemotherapy.
“When you are at the beginning of that (the treatments), it’s like you’re at the beginning of a marathon. The programs that Believe In Tomorrow provide are like the weigh stations where you can recharge yourself. It breaks up the monotony of treatments and rejuvenates the family,” said Patrick, after participating in his family’s third stay at a Believe In Tomorrow respite house.
After 20 weeks of treatment, the Dreers moved to Washington, D.C. for Patrick’s reassignment. While receiving treatment at the Walter Reed Medical Center, the family was invited to Fenwick Island, Del., for a week-long stay and two weekend getaways in Ocean City, Md.
Recognizing the additional stress of military families when they have a critically ill child, Believe In Tomorrow started their Military Initiative in 2005. The Initiative gives priority for respite programs to military families with critically ill children. Two new houses, the Believe In Tomorrow House On The Bay and the Believe In Tomorrow House at Pinnacle Falls will be dedicated specifically for military families.