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OakvilleBeaverLivingLIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN Phone: 905-337-5560 Fax: 905-337-5571 e-mail: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.comA young boy remembers his older brotherThe Oakville Beaverrecently received agot leukemia. It was 8:30 p.m. and I wasletter from a young member of the com-about to go to bed. I went to say goodnightmunity known to the Beaver.to Alex, but he was saying really crazy things.The letter began... "My name is Ben Pace I hugged him and said I love you, but he saidand I am 11 years old. I lost my brother to something that almost made me cry. Whileosteosarcoma and leukemia (cancer) two he was crazy, Alex said I love you back to meyears ago. A year after Alex's death I wrote and from that point I have never forgottena short story called My Experience with those words...Alex. I was hoping now that you might At 5:30 in the morning, my Mom and Dadthink about helping me get it published.woke me up and said Alex had died and thosethree words changed my life.By Ben PaceThat day, everybody came over to supportSPECIAL TO THE BEAVER us and that made me feel a lot better. Fromthat day forward, I have a brother who is not was three-and-a-half years ago at a longer here, but I do have a lot of heart-10 a.m. practice. It was going great warming friends who support me. There areIuntil my brother and his friend also so many other ways to support kids liv-rammed. Alex was on the ground crying ing with and beyond cancer, such aswhile his friend got back up and started the Tour for Kids, Coast to Coast Againstskating around. I thought Alex was just Cancer Foundation, different Inside Rideshurt, but he said it was a Charlie horse and many other things.and so we had to leave.So please help kids like this, so they won'tA week later, Alex's leg was still hurting so have to go through the same thing that Alexhe had to go to the doctor to get it checked did. Make these differences happen.out. A couple of hours later, he came home, but he was not happy. In fact, he was crying. *********Aex and my Dad took my Mom upstairs to SUBMITTED PHOTOtalk.Alex, an avid hockey player and a St.Ten minutes after, my Mom came down Dominics School student, died in FebruaryA FAMILY TREASURE:The first day of school 2008 for the Pace family children, from left, crying and said that I had to go upstairs, 2009, just before his 12th birthday.Ben, Grade 4, Alex, Grade 6 and Maddie, first year of high school. A couple of months later Alex was now. I went into mine and Alex's room and I Since Alex's death, his sister Maddie anddiagnosed with cancer.felt a chill go down my spine. I was pretty a group of friends have twice held the fund-scared when my Dad told me to sit down. He raising Bal de Neige in February. This year'sof days...going. The rest of the day, I just watched started talking and at the end, Alex said he Bal de Neige raised close to $30,000.Alex and I woke up this morning atAlex, Sydney, Maddie and Emily swim, and it had osteosarcoma. I thought, what the heck In 2007, the year Alex was diagnosed,exactly the same time because we couldn'twas pretty hilarious. Sadly, the next morn-is that and then Alex said that it is a type of Team Alex participated in the Oakville Relaywait to get going.ing we had to go, but I thought we would cancer. I was speechless for abut 30 seconds for Life and was the top fundraiser. TeamThe Pace and McIntosh families trip wascome back one day, but for now we would before I ran out of the room crying. I ran Alex participated in the Relay for Life eventback on, but this time we were going tojust have to wait...into my Mom and Dad's room. I sat there for in 2008. To view a slideshow assembly byHilton Head and we were staying in a reallyToday was a great day at school. I got an about an hour until my Mom found me. She The Oakville Beaver at the time, visit http://nice house. Alex and I heard Dad's voice say,A+ on a test and I lost a tooth, but all this said, I know it's tough, but we will get slideshows.metroland.com/OB_TEAM_'Let's get going.'was ruined when I got home from school. through it. It made me feel a bit better so I ALEX/index.html.We were so excited, we almost peed ourTracey was at our house and told Maddie and went back upstairs to see Alex and I hung In the past two years, the Pace family andpants. Alex and I sat beside each other likeI that we had to go to the hospital. Once we out with him for the rest of the day...friends have supported the Coast to Coastwe always do.got there, I saw the look on Alex's face and I I wish I had known before this that Alex Against Cancer Foundation the onlyAfter Dad had gotten to about Hamilton,remembered it from the day he told me he had cancer, I thought, when I woke up this national charity devoted to childhood cancerAlex and I were tired so we fell asleep untilhad cancer. Right there and then, I knew he morning. Then I wouldn't have had to find out and one that ensures that 100 per cent of we got to Hilton Head. Once we got to ourhad another type of cancer. Alex said some-that way. It made me feel really ticked off, but receiptable donations go towards improvinghouse, I went swimming and I told Sydneything about three options.I didn't want to tell Alex that because it could the survival rate and the quality of life of theand Alex that they should come in, so theyHe could have a bone marrow transplant upset him. I thought maybe he was feeling a children and families living with and beyonddid. After that, Sydney, Alex and I playedand keep taking chemotherapy and maybe bit better today so I went in to see him. He was cancer. Apples to Apples, but something caught mysurvive.reading, with a smile on his face.Maddie Pace and her friends have alsoattention.He could not take any medicine and I was scared to ask him if he was feeling participated as top fundraisers in the annualAlex was smiling and it made me feel likeprobably not survive.better because he might not have been feel-Inside Ride at St. Thomas Aquinas Highthis wasn't going to be a lousy vacation afterIt could be his own choice.ing as bad as he was the previous day, so I School. They have contributed the fundsall. I woke up the next morning and Alex wasI was crying so much, but my mom told played it safe and didn't ask him. I didn't raised by Bal de Neige as the minimumgone. I went and saw that everybody wasme we have to spend as much time together want to bother him again, so I didn't talk to entrance fee one that has been so sub-dressed to go to the beach. So I went to getas we can. That night, I could not sleep. him. I didn't see him until dinner and even stantial that it allows all interested studentschanged and we were off. Then I thought I have to be brave and pro-then I didn't talk to him. I know it sounds at Aquinas to participate in the fundraiser,Alex and I went straight to the water, buttect Alex. So I know that would help me get mean, but he was just diagnosed with cancer which they do.while we were running, I tripped and landedthrough this whole thing.the day before, so it just made me think he The Inside Ride will take place again thison a broken shell. I just told him to keepIt was two-and-a-half months after Alex didn't want to talk with anyone for a couple year at Aquinas on Friday, May 6.19 Friday, April 22, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER www.insideHALTON.com