老虎母亲战斗赞美诗章消息对父母来说无法忍受day23tiger.pdf

2017/11/28

Day23

BattleHymnoftheTigerMother

Chapter27：Katrin

ThenewsaboutKatrin’scancerwasunbearableformyparents.Twoofthe

strongestpeopleIknow,theysimplycrumpledingrief.Mymothercriedallthe

hisvoiceanguished,askingme—overandover—iftherewasanyhope.

Fortreatment,KatrinchosetheDana-Farber/HarvardCancerCenterinBoston.

We’dlearnedthatitwasoneofthebestbonemarrowtransplantfacilitiesinthe

country.HarvardwasalsowhereKatrinandherhusband,Or,hadstudiedand

trained,andshestillknewpeoplethere.

Everythinghappenedsofast.Justthreedaysaftergettingherdiagnosis,

KatrinandOrlockeduptheirhouseatStanfordandmovedtheirentire

householdtoBoston(Katrinrefusedeventoconsiderleavingherchildren

behindinCaliforniawiththeirgrandparents).Withthehelpofourfriends

JordanandAlexis,wefoundthemahousetorentinBoston,aschoolforJake,

anddaycareforElla.

Katrin’sleukemiawassoaggressivethatthedoctorsatDana-Farbertoldher

shehadtogostraighttoabonemarrowtransplant.Nootherrouteofferedany

chanceofsurvival.Butforthetransplanttobepossible,Katrinhadto

-1-

overcometwohugehurdles.First,shehadtoundergointensivechemotherapy

andpraythatherleukemiawouldgointoremission.Second,ifitdid,shehad

togetluckyandfindadonormatch.Foreachofthesehurdles,thechancesof

successweren’tgreat.Forbothtosucceed,theoddswereterrifying.Andeven

ifallthatworkedout,thechancesofsurvivingthebonemarrowtransplant

wereevenworse.

KatrinhadtwodaysinBostonbeforeshecheckedintothehospital.Iwasthere

whenshesaidgood-byetoherchildren.She’dinsistedondoingthe

laundry—twoloads—andshe’dlaidoutJake’sclothesforthenextday.I

watchedinparalyzedincredulityasshecarefullyfoldedherson’sshirtsand

smoothedherdaughter’sbibsandonesies.“Ilovedoinglaundry,”shesaidto

me.Beforesheleftthehouse,shegavemeallherjewelryforsafekeeping