One year ago, my sweet husband, Matt, was preparing for a surgery we never saw coming. His first hospital stay, and his first surgery were scheduled for December 13th, 2011. He was having an orchiectomy, a preemptive surgery for testicular cancer. That December, he celebrated his 28th birthday being pushed in a wheelchair by, me, 7 months pregnant, and our two little girls. One month later, cancer having been confirmed, he began chemo. 9 weeks of chemo, and 9 weeks left in my pregnancy. January, February and March were rough months for us that year. I would sit through every chemo session, 21 in all, and watched him go from good spirits to horribly ill. Our children, 3 and 5, were too young to understand why Daddy couldn't hold them, hug them or spend time with them. The day I went into labor, one week earlier than planned, he had just finished a week long, 20 hour session of chemo. He was too ill to drive us to the hospital or get the girls in the car. He was too weak to hold my hand through the birth of our 3rd daughter. He layed on the couch while I labored through her birth and for the duration of our hospital stay. In May 2012, he was officially diagnosed as cancer free! I celebrate his diagnosis, but he still stands reserved, worried it might someday come back. The chemo and cancer left their mark, though. He now walks with a cane and can't stand for long periods of time. Neuropathy left neuroma's in both feet and tarsal tunnel in one ankle. Struggling through the trial of cancer has brought our family closer together. It has helped us to realize that life is good and the love of family is priceless. Matt is an amazing man. He is a wonderful father. And he is a cancer survivor.

Signed,
Amiee Ingebrigtsen