What are the Chances? My story of 'Lucky' Black.

What are the Chances?

    He has a dry whit about him. He is the King of one-liner humor. His patience is rewarded with perfectly timed one-liners that can bring down a room. He is a slow eater who enjoys and savors his meals. Lucky loves animals. He didn't have any pets growing up but now he sponsors many No-Kill shelters which he loves to visit and help. His personal favorite is the Wild Cat reserve in Southern Colorado. He has a soft spot for baby Bobcats and Lynx kittens. He can name every teammate on the Stanley Cup that Pittsburgh has engraved.

     It's a common oversight. Canes and wheelchairs get stares then quick glances away when noticed staring. Handicapped people can hide in plain sight. He is limping with a cane on the sidewalk toward the river. He is in his 30's and walks everyday about the same path here in Wheeling, WV. You would never tell by his wardrobe of jeans and Columbia jacket his net worth is estimated at $2.3 billion with a B. He is off of work today, a billionaire with a part time job. What started out as a simple task of wanting to thank someone, led me here after 15 months of work. This is the story of "Lucky" Black, the man who changed my life.

    We got the news every parent dreads, "Your child has cancer." Our beautiful 2 year old Olivia has a tumor in her brain. Of course everything stops when disaster strikes. My wife quit graduate school in law and started to take care of Olivia full time. Treatments, surgeries, chemo and doctor's appointments fill our schedule and constant travel. Living in Monroeville, PA outside of Pittsburgh we are close to a Children's hospital but it has taken a toll on my wife and I. Today we are using radiation to shrink the tumor. Olivia will be in the hospital for 4 days. The "Specialist" gives her a 50/50 chance of surviving the cancer. 50/50 sounds good until you pull out a coin and flip it to try and guess the outcome right. After the 3rd flip my wife, Suzeanna couldn't take it anymore and started to cry. We are in Olivia's room waiting for her to return from the 4 hour procedure. I go and hold her and tell her everything will be fine, a lie. We have spent so much time in a sterilized, doctor's office, waiting room environment, I can't tell you the last homemade meal we ate was. The crappy fast food and disruption to my regular routine, I have gained 15 pounds. Suzeanna has lost 20, she barely sleeps and hardly eats. She is always near Olivia. After holding her for a few minutes, she fell asleep in my arms. I let her sleep. I go to flip the coin and stop. So I turn to the bible in the night stand. A higher power is in control, so I seek guidance. But the bible isn't what I found that changed everything. I opened a drawer near the door looking for the bible and found a business card. Plain white card with two lines of text and a phone number. I quietly leave the room with my wife sleeping and go to the nurses station. It's 5:35 pm and Olivia's only 37 minutes into her procedure. Carla is on duty with Teri and Lisa, great nurses and dedicated to helping the children. It takes a special person to work in a children's cancer ward.

Carla smiles, "Hey, Alex. What can I get ya?"

"I found this business card in the room. What is it?" and I handed it to her. "Don't know, couldn't tell ya. But maybe you should call and find out." She said, handing it back.

"Okay, thanks." I said as I pulled out my phone and started walking toward the coffee shop downstairs.

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     The last five months have been the toughest so far. Suzeanna spends about 23 hours a day with our Olivia. I have maxed out all my vacation days at work but luckily my job at the newspaper has been helpful and understanding. Our savings is almost tapped out and we are in the process to sell our house for an apartment closer to the hospital. My insurance is really good but even with that, deductibles and copays add up really quickly. But we will give it all up for Olivia. Her hazel eyes are just like her mothers. She is my Sparkle. I would move the world for her to be healthy.