Family That Shines: Thull Family

Jared was 11 years old when he got sick. Just about to graduate from 5th grade. It took some time to get a diagnosis. June 18, 2018, he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia  (ALL) subtype b high risk. He is in long term maintenance and is expected to be off treatment Sept. 30, 2021. Jared is a very social creature and loves doing things with his family and friends. He loves to swim and hike. Jared, like most almost -14 -year- olds, loves his video games, too. His favorite movie is all of the Alien movies and the original The Thing.  He has loved horror films since he was little. Jared lives with his mom, step dad, sister and step brother. He also shares the house with a very plump orange kitty named Artemis, black kinda mean kitty named Aidos, and a very rambunctious yellow lab puppy, Radar. 

Candlelighters have been a Godsend to us. It is really hard to manage everyday life or even care about it when you are in the eye of the storm with your child. I was so busy and lost. All of the sudden the electric bill was 2 months behind and candlelighters made it so i didn't have to worry - they paid it in full and then some. I'm not sure what we would have done. Through this, the connections that we have made through candlelighters have been the highlight of this cancer journey. We have a new family and we are so happy to be a part of it. We are all in this together. It takes a village and candlelighters is our village. Kimberly (Carnegie-Brun, Southern Oregon Candlelighters Chapter Chair) has been there for my family since the beginning. She has made multiple hospital admissions so much better by bringing Jared all sorts of stuff to help get his mind off of what's going on.  

Jared could not limit his favorite Candlelighters activity to one but he could get it down to three.  He loved the jetboats - the whole family went and just had so much fun!  He also really loved when we went bowling with all our Candlelighters friends. He got to help out with the pie auction that the southern oregon snowmobilers had. He got to hold up all the pies and walk them around while people bid on them. He was so proud that he got to help raise money for the cause.  

This journey is hard, oh so hard, but my family has always tried to take everything in stride and have the best time we can. Candlelighters have been there for us in ways no one else could be.  The families in candlelighters have become my comrades in this war. WE will fight for our babies and we will always be a part of the Candleighters family. We feel so blessed and lucky to have you all in our life!

-Nicole Thull

More Family That Shines: The Wight Family