Sad news: Chad Carr entering hospice

Submitted by Quail2theVict0r on

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2015/11/5-year-old_chad_c…

Five-year-old Chad Carr, who has been battling with a rare, inoperable form of pediatric brain cancer for the last 13 months, has started hospice care after several aggressive treatments and no substantial progress has been made in his recovery in the past few months.

In a Facebook post Wednesday morning, Tammi Carr, Chad's mother, said it was a tough decision she and her husband Jason Carr made, but after watching their son's health continue to fail, they wanted to allow him to rest more peacefully than he had been during the last year since the non-stop medical treatments began.

UM Fan from Sydney

November 11th, 2015 at 10:06 AM ^

Shit. That is horrible. It's bad enough when adults deal with cancer, but when it's kids...that's just fucked up. I really hope a cure is discovered ASAP.

East German Judge

November 11th, 2015 at 12:06 PM ^

OMG, agreed.  As a parent/adult, you always know that as some point your parents or older sibling will probably die, but a can't think of anything worse than having a young child of yours suffer so much and then pass away.  Prayers and blessings to the Carr family.  Thanks Chad for fighting the good fight and you must have something better waiting for you son!

samsoccer7

November 11th, 2015 at 10:10 AM ^

Damn.  Used to volunteer on the Peds Onc floor at Mott and seeing those kids is sad and uplifting at the same time.  They don't always know how sick they are and they keep up this positive, playful, joyful attitude (not all the time of course) and it's amazing to see.  I hope Chad enjoys what he can enjoy.  Without knowing all the circumstances, glad they chose hospice so he can avoid the poking and prodding now.  Hospice is very underutilized in this country but I've seen it personally and professionally, so shout out to those folks as well.

MottNP

November 11th, 2015 at 10:12 AM ^

And I've been whining about my back pain for the last week :(   

What a wonderful family.  And the irony of it being the Carr family--after the whole Peds Cancer floor is named after them.

 

 

Rabbit21

November 11th, 2015 at 10:16 AM ^

My wife is facebook friends with Tammi Carr(we went to the same church and had a similar circle of friends, I never met her but my wife knew her) and so I saw Tammi's post on the family's decision.  It's heartbreaking and I can't imagine how awful that decision must be.  It sounds like there was nowhere to go but down for that poor little boy and I'm glad they had the courage to make this decision.

I lost my sister to a genetic disease eight years ago and even though she was 27 at the time and my mom had had years to prepare for it, my mom is still not over it.

Thoughts and prayers are with the Carr family and every family struggling with childhood cancer.

Goggles Paisano

November 11th, 2015 at 10:17 AM ^

I will be praying for the Carr family for peace and strength.  My heart breaks for them.  I am a father to 3 little ones and can't imagine what this journey has been like. Hard to see it now, but there will be a lot of good that will come from his courageous battle.  

RobM_24

November 11th, 2015 at 10:18 AM ^

My Mom died when I was 16. She also had inoperable brain tumors. Honestly, Hospice was the most positive part of the whole ordeal. After months of being pumped full of chemical cocktails and pain killers, it's nice to get to see your loved one be themself again. My Mom actually dealt with the pain and passed on painkillers while in Hospice, just so she could have a clear mind for her last couple weeks. Hospice gives them a chance at some dignity before they go. The hospital is the most depressing part.

Bocheezu

November 11th, 2015 at 12:49 PM ^

I think refusing drugs is a big part of that and it's quite strong of your mom to do such.  Hospice was a pretty awful experience in my mom's case.  I mean, I don't know how she felt (I'd like to think she didn't feel any pain), but it was either the tumors or the drugs talking because she would talk to her invisible friend Penny (ie, the wall next to her bed) for the final couple weeks.  That came a few weeks after answering every question with "zero zero"

How you feel today mom?  Zero zero

What day is it?  Zero zero

What did you eat today? Zero zero

What the fuck does that even mean?

I visited her every weekend, and every weekend it was like we lost another part of her.  For five months.  At the end, I'd really had enough, and figured she wouldn't even know if I was there anyway, but my grandma was resolute and still wanted to see her every Sunday.  So I kept grandma happy.  I would just say hello and walk back to the lobby.  

The whole thing, from early chemo, to later chemo, to signing off on hospice, to just waiting for her to die; it's just emotionally and physically draining for everybody involved.  I don't envy this poor kid or his parents, because it's really not fair for this to happen to anybody.

RobM_24

November 11th, 2015 at 2:07 PM ^

Yes, my Mom went through the same thing (while on pain medication). She was very loopy. As soon as she refused pain meds, she was coherent again. She really had to gut it out though -- tumors on her brain, lungs, and spreading elsewhere. She was really at peace aside from the pain though. Just being clear-minded and out of the hospital setting was very comforting for her.

seegoblu

November 11th, 2015 at 2:10 PM ^

Inoperable tumors made my mom a stranger to me and my family, as the pain was incredible towards the end. I don't know how anyone could have refused painkillers. 

I hope Chad's passing will be a release for the entire Carr family and they get to celebrate his life and not be left only with how he died.

JFW

November 11th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^

My son is getting treated for a benign bone cyst at DeVos. They do the treatment in the pediatric oncology ward. Every time he goes in it breaks my heart to see the patients in there dealing with that. Young innocent lives should t have to deal with that. Every time I Thank God for the health of my kids.

I've been through cancer with both parents, uncles, and cousins. I hate Cancer. Fucking hate it. With an adult, it's bad, but you get it. But when it preys on the kids it's like the worst monster.

Hospice is sad, but for a kid in his situation, and for many, it's a good thing. These people will work very hard to make his last days peaceful, and to help the Carr family through this. Death, even for little ones, is a fact of life. And when you can't defeat the monster the hospice workers will help its victims go with as much peace and dignity as possible.

I'll be praying for you Chad, and for you Jay Carr and family. This sucks. But you guys are doing the best thing for your son.




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Everyone Murders

November 11th, 2015 at 10:22 AM ^

I had been operating under the assumption that this young man had been on the mend.  I don't know him or the Carrs, but this is just awful.  I hope that the hospice experience brings him and his family comfort.

Just awful.

FauxMo

November 11th, 2015 at 10:25 AM ^

I downvoted this. Because hearing about a child - ANY child - in this condition makes me want to punch something then cry.

My deepest sympathies go out to the Carr family.