CONTRIBUTED PHOTO — Heidi (Grove) Becker, whose family is from Gladbrook, is the author of the new book “Grasping Joy: A Mother’s Story of Faith Amid the Unimaginable,” which tells the story of her late son Drew’s journey with childhood cancer.
FRESNO, Calif. — For Heidi (Grove) Becker, making the most of every day and living for a greater purpose, isn’t just a mantra — it’s how she survived the darkest time in her life. In 2016, her son Drew was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a cancer that forms from immature nerve cells (neuroblasts) in infants and children, usually under age 5. The family spent his final Christmas together and went on a trip through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“A year of treatment at Mayo Clinic was ultimately unsuccessful, and Drew died on Jan. 19, 2017, just three months shy of his third birthday,” Becker said. “I’m thankful that we had such good times with Drew. And he really went from Magic Kingdom and Disney World to God’s Kingdom just within days.”
She describes her new book “Grasping Joy: A Mother’s Story of Faith Amid the Unimaginable” as deeply personal, yet relatable to anyone who has ever faced adversity.
While Becker, husband Josh and daughter Molly, 14, reside on the west coast, relocating periodically for Josh’s work with Hormel Foods, they have ties to the area. She’s related to the Grove and Ploen families of Gladbrook.
“My parents, Jim and Deb Grove, graduated in the Class of 1969 from Gladbrook High School and are still very active in the town events,” she said. “I grew up in Ames, and growing up, I made many trips to Gladbrook, and never missed a Corn Carnival…There’s a chapter in the book that includes the Corn Carnival. Drew even ‘competed’ in the big wheel race in 2015 and won.”
After accidents, cancer is the second-leading cause of death in youth ages 1 to 14.
“Cancer struck our family, and during that year, from when he was diagnosed, we had to decide how we were going to approach this,” Becker noted. “We weren’t given a choice on the diagnosis and what was happening to us, but what we could choose is how we were going to respond. Early on, we said we wanted to keep a positive outlook, and then also make the most of our time and the most of each day.”
She added that “being positive” is more than a bumper sticker piece of advice.
“I made notes in a gratitude journal, being thankful for the little things. As you do that each day, trying to be aware of all the blessings that are in your life, even when all of these terrible things are happening, what it does is kind of show you that there still is good in each day. Even if the bad things are obviously right in the forefront, you can find those little blessings. My faith is a major part of how we got through it and still today,” she explained.
Drew endured six cycles of chemo, surgery, the first tandem bone marrow transplants at Mayo for Neuroblastoma, and 13 treatments of radiation. And although her son spent part of his childhood in medical settings, she treasures having watched him evolve from a baby to a little boy.
“When Drew would have his smile back from a really hard week and then start to feel better, that first smile was something definitely I took note of and kind of savored,” she said.
Becker recalls days when snacking on a delicious treat in the hospital cafeteria helped move her forward.
“If I can get through each day, if there are good things here, I have to believe there’s a good reason for all of this, and I can just trust in that,” she said. “And man, the peace and relief that brings is just overwhelming, and it really then will help you through those hard days too, and the tough weeks, because obviously there still are, and I share all about those ups and downs in the book.”
Becker first chronicled her journey in her blog “Drawing from Drew.” Receiving feedback from her posts led to her decision to write the book, published by Ten16 Press, an imprint of Orange Hat Publishing. Before it was released this spring, Becker was already doing advocacy work. Mere months after Drew’s passing, she and Josh established Warrior Wagons. The nonprofit organization teams with hospitals to gift a collapsible wagon filled with practical and comfort items to newly diagnosed childhood cancer families.
“In nine years we’ve grown our program to include 10 hospitals across six states. We’ve given out almost 800 Warrior Wagons to families just like ours,” she said. “One of the meanings of the name Drew is warrior. Drew’s little red wagons carry more than physical support to families like ours, but also joy and hope.”
Penning “Grasping Joy” gave Becker “time” with her son again. Looking to the future, she’s open to the idea of writing another book. She also does speaking engagements.
The book is available as a hardcover, paperback and e-version via her publisher as well as on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Learn more at: www.heidijbecker.com and www.warriorwagonsinc.com.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO — Heidi (Grove) Becker, whose family is from Gladbrook, is the author of the new book “Grasping Joy: A Mother’s Story of Faith Amid the Unimaginable,” which tells the story of her late son Drew’s journey with childhood cancer.
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