Mike Vs Retinoblastoma

10/05/2025

Mike’s 1st Homecoming with friends, what a blessing witnessing this milestone in his life, it fills our hearts with joy. He has been eagerly anticipating this night, and despite him saying he wasnt going , he took the leap and went, may he have an unforgettable evening and have fun . He looked so handsome made my heart so happy for him .

09/26/2025

08/26/2025

1st day of Mikes Sophomore year , he is thrilled to embark on a new academic journey . He is doing phenomenally well , having reached the 3-month milestone post-op follow-up at Seattle Children’s in September after undergoing back surgery , and is recuperating remarkably he said he is eager to dive into school , starting with a few restrictions until the September doctor’s appointment . Congratulations on your 1st day of school Mike !!

07/02/2025

Mike went out on Sunday for the first time; he really hasn't wanted to leave the house, he has just been kicking back watching baseball and lots of good movies. He wanted to celebrate his birthday with family and he had a great time. This weekend the plan is to take him out to our little area which we have a little place he can hang out and get sime fresh air and still still back and watch movies and basically still just relax in the mountains.

06/27/2025

Happy 16th Birthday to our grandson Mike, our shining hero! This incredible young man has bravely fought battles in his remarkable 16-year journey that no child should ever face. He has triumphantly beaten cancer not once, but twice, starting at the age of 1 and again at 4. Moreover, despite losing most of his vision, he has continued to persevere, and recently underwent spinal surgery. It seems like fate has constantly tested his resolve, but Mike has consistently proven himself to be a beacon of strength and courage. One of his most euphoric moments was participating in Track during the last school year, which brought him immense joy. He culminated the year on a high note by advancing to State, solidifying his status as our Hero Super Mike. As he heals from surgery, Mike continues to inspire us with his unwavering determination, demonstrating that nothing can impede his pursuit of dreams. So, Happy 16th Birthday Mike, we love and admire you more with each passing day.

06/26/2025

Late post, one week later: Mike had spinal surgery last week for scoliosis from T3-T12 at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He went in on Tuesday 6/17/25 and was discharged on Friday. He did great, sitting up that same day and sitting in a chair the next day. His pain was very well controlled. He is doing amazingly at home, walking great and doing everything he is supposed to do. His nurse called yesterday and was very impressed. We never used the oxy they sent us home with, just Tylenol and muscle relaxers. Michael was diagnosed with scoliosis a few years ago, and it progressed. We tried everything, even going to a chiropractor. He went from a 21-degree thoracic curve to 54 and a lumbar curve to 34 degrees. The doctor did not do surgery on his lumbar to leave his flexibility and mobility. The thoracic surgery will help his lumbar. He will be ready for track season in the spring, but for now, our focus is for him to continue to heal and stay strong and healthy. Here are a few pictures of his journey. I will post a video too.
Michael also is now 5”6 tall he went in at 5”4 he is standing nice and tall .

06/04/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1562Kip3tr7/?mibextid=wwXIfr

This past weekend, our East Valley Red Devil Track & Field team wrapped up an incredible season at the WIAA State Championships held at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, WA.

We are proud to announce that seven of our athletes represented East Valley at the state level, showing true Spirit, Pride, and Excellence on and off the field!

🔥 STATE COMPETITORS & EVENTS:
🔴 Zeliah Wade – Discus
🔴 Michael Cruz – Ambulatory 100m, 200m, Shot Put, Discus
🔴 Garen Chapman – 100m
🔴 Melia Guardado – 100m Hurdles, 300m Hurdles
🔴 Preston Bates – 110m Hurdles
🔴 Jacob Glenn – Unified 100m
🔴 Kaden Hunsaker – Unified 100m

👏 Special congratulations to our medalists:
🥇 Preston Bates – 4th Place in the 110m Hurdles
🥇 Michael Cruz –
8th Place – Ambulatory 100m
4th Place – Ambulatory 200m
8th Place – Ambulatory Shot Put
5th Place – Ambulatory Discus

05/25/2025

Here are a few additional photographs from Friday evening. Go, Mike! Also, a memory resurfaced today, highlighting Mike's remarkable progress from age one to the present. What an incredible, strong young man he has become. Some of you may recall the last picture taken when Mike was four and battling retinoblastoma, which unfortunately led to his vision loss, having already lost his left eye at age one due to cancer and subsequently losing the remainder of his vision in his right eye at age four, leaving him with approximately 20/600 vision, which continues to deteriorate over time. However, this has not hindered him. The shirt he is wearing has a story behind it. Go Team Mike !!

05/13/2025

Our track star, I'm so proud of him! We got his pictures today and Nana's heart is happy. I can't wait to share with his long-term care team in New York everything he's doing. On Friday, he goes to districts in his ambulatory division. Go Mike!! Michael battled Retinoblastoma twice, at ages 1 and 4; his vision is 20/600 in his remaining eye. To see him accomplish what he has over the last couple of months is amazing. He has pushed hard at every practice and track meet. To hear the crowd cheer him on and encourage him is amazing, and his teammates are so supportive. This is a great accomplishment for him. We're all so proud of him. This couldn't have happened without the support of the coaches and his one-on-one team. In a few weeks, he will be a sophomore. Wow! Thank you, everyone, for always thinking of Michael over the years. 

04/20/2025

PR(Personal Record) he was happy this was only 2nd time he has done this event this is pretty new for him .