My name is Lori Brooks, I wake up everyday and have to live without my 5 year old son Haven Henry Brooks (7/6/09-6/23/14). Saturday 10/29/11 my 27 month year old baby boy was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma a rare solid tumor cancer in children. My life has never been the same!

In these next two weeks my son was BEAT DOWN, BEDRIDDEN, SCARED from all of the sedations, scans, blood work, doctor after doctor poking at him, then within five days the rounds of Chemotherapy began. No other explanation or support from ANY oncologist except "Your son has Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma, we will begin the protocol right away and your son has a 50-50 chance of responding to this treatment." "This is your only option to try and save your son's life."

The Protocol for Neuroblastoma: 1)Central Venous Line 2)Chemotherapy 3)Growth Factor 4)Stem Cell Harvest 5)Surgery 6) Neuroblastoma Consolidation Phase 7)Stem Cell Transplant 0-3 8)Radiation 9)Treating Minimal Residual Disease 10)Accutane 11)Monoclonal Antibodies 12)Vaccines.

Haven had everything on this protocol except #12. He endured all of this treatment and so much more beginning 10/2011-02/2013. One of Haven's most major side effect from #7 was a coma that Haven was in for 25 days April/May 2012. I don't have time to go into all the side effects that nearly killed him in his almost 3 year battle against cancer and conventional medicine.  

I look at this now and say to myself How could I? How the heck did my husband and I allow this to ALL be given to our baby! I will tell you how, you are completely numb, devastated, your world as you know it has collapsed! Not to mention for me I had Haven's 3 week old baby sister at home with his two older brothers, how is this happening? I have been programmed for the last 41 years that Cancer is a death sentence and your only choice is chemo, radiation and possibly surgery. You listen to the doctors, RIGHT?

My husband Ryan and I did up until Marathon Monday April 2013, where we sat in an Emergency Room at Children's Hospital Boston. We were sent here after bringing Haven to his pediatrician that morning because he had a new lump on his clavicle, he had been free of all poison and hospitals for  ONLY the month of March 2013. Now, we are RIGHT BACK! Waiting two hours (before the bombing) after being in doctor office all morning. We could not feed our son or give him a drink until we saw a doctor. "Just in case Haven has to drink contrast and get scans," they said. Our baby begging and pleading he is hungry. This is a day that woke us up as we left the hospital that was on lock down and walked into the streets where terrorists were loose. Our 4 year old son in his daddy's arms passing police officers with machine guns. We felt safer leaving, than staying in the walls of that hospital that we had been held captive for the last 18 months! WOW! is all i can say as I relive this moment and share with you all. 

Haven was now in a relapse/refractory state. I would like to point out here how still no oncology doctor, after doctor has given another CHOICE of therapy, they still only offer chemotherapy. To say we have been thru Hell is still not even strong enough for what Haven and these children endure through it all. We still could not get any other support other than poison. On May 5, 2013 our family began a new treatment combined with theirs at a much lower dose. Our new therapy consisted of 1) Organic Eating 2)Natural Supplements 3) Richway Biomat (FDA approved)  4)Vitamin C IV  5)Cannabis Oil. Over these 13 months Haven's quality of life drastically changed for the better combining the two. We made beautiful memories on the Make A Wish Norwegian Cruise and went to visit Haven's family in Jamaica for what we hoped was not the last time. 

Why after all these decades of cancer there is no other choice? I ask the people to sign this petition "The Right to CHOOSE your treatment OPTION in a cancer diagnosis. For us as parents and individuals to have the support not threats to take our children away. Give children and adults a winning chance to fight this demon. I have to live each day wondering if I started Haven's treatment this way would he still be here on this earth with us. Join together in memory of Haven Henry Brooks for children, people to get a fighting chance. 

"Haven's Voice for Choice"