Today is Daniel’s birthday. He is sixteen years old, yet for me he is also forever thirteen. Thirteen, the same age as my youngest. There are days when I look at her and I hurt as I remember Daniel’s pain as he battled through his thirteenth year. How would I tell her if she had leukemia? How would I help her cope with her hair falling out? What if we lost her, our bubbly beautiful daughter?

I first met Daniel before he ever appeared in this world. From the very beginning he lived close to the edge. I was driving home, only minutes away, when at the roundabout I took a left instead of a right. To this day I don’t know why, as I’d been looking forward to having a half hour at home alone before collecting from playschool. Minutes later I was outside my buddies house. I wondered…