Joncee Troy Lenker is a four-year-old boy living in Monrovia, California. He loves any and all kinds of sports, whether he is on a team or simply cheering on a team from the comfort of his living room. He is bright, beautiful, and amazingly caring toward others. His smile is infectious to any who dare look into his gorgeous blue eyes. There is no doubt that this little guy is going to grow up and be incredibly popular with the ladies.

Few people would look at this family of four (Joncee, his parents, Keegan and Jayme, and his little sister, Kaizlee) and not think about perfection. Their white picket fence and mini van only contributes more to the ideal suburban family picture. Not one person who looks at that family now could imagine the hell that they went through only three years ago.

In the August of 2006, less than a month after Joncee’s birth, that precious little boy was diagnosed with retinoblastoma— a rare malignant retinal tumor that affects children. Having been on earth for less than two months, Joncee had experienced more tribulations, troubles, and hospitals than millions of people who have years and years on him. 14 months after that, while he was still battling with retinoblastoma, Joncee was also diagnosed with acute myloid leukemia.

This following passage is from Joncee’s carepages, written by his father:

“She [Jayme] woke me up to tell me that Joncee Troy had a fever of a 102. His breathing was still wrong and I honestly thought and felt within me that I was losing my son. I cannot even express in words what that felt like. It was then my time to freak out and Jayme to be our stability. We made several calls and I cried as I shared my fear of the unknown.”

It’s incredible to think about the effects that cancer has on families and parents.

It is very difficult to put oneself in a position to consider the effect this illness has on families. It’s one of those things that a person probably thinks will never happen to them or their loved ones. Until it does, that thought never changes.

Our society doesn’t shy away from the statistics and survival rates of cancer. There are constant streams of commercials and advertisements that tell you that one in eight woman will get breast cancer. People hear it all the time. But it’s not real to them. Its just numbers.

In response to the Relay for Life event that happened in the Los Angeles area this past weekend, I encourage everyone to see these causes (be it cancer, diabetes, or cystic fibrosis) and not think “them.” Those kids over there who are suffering, those patients in the hospital who are going through this, but instead, put a face on it.

Every single one of those patients is somebody’s child, somebody’s sister or brother, or wife or husband. A person who is loved.