"He does understand what he's going through; he does know that children have passed away," the father said. "The very first conversation he had about it was that he was worried about losing his hair. He came walking up the steps right after we came from the hospital, and he said, 'Dad, if I lose my hair I won't be me.' Luckily, it came back the same way it went out."
The family took part in an array of activities during the week, including an outing on a replica pirate ship.
"The kids really got into it," said Paul Nichols. He added that the trip was not only important for Tomas but his siblings, Anna, 5, and Tereza, 15.
"Tereza has it the hardest," he said, "because she's at an age where she wants to explore but she's limited. She can't do sleepovers because we have to limit her brother's exposure to kids. She has had an opportunity to relax and take in all the activities here without a care in the world."
Later this month, Tomas must undergo another battery of treatments, including chemotherapy. Paul said that the one-week vacation was just what the family needed to rejuvenate.
"Our family," he says, "has become comfortable with having a miniature pharmacy in our pantry: daily multiple chemotherapy drugs; 12-hour intervals for this drug, take this drug two hours after food, do not take this drug within 24 hours of the other drug, the timing, sequence and results of not taking the drugs at the proper time all lead to the parent's worst nightmare.
"Believe in Tomorrow threw a curve ball at us and let us be in charge, no strings attached. When we make decisions on what we will do tomorrow and run into other families that are also making those decisions, well, we are almost like a normal family for seven days."
Brian Morrison, Believe in Tomorrow's founder and CEO, hopes to build foundation properties across the nation; the next property is scheduled to open in Asheville, N.C., this summer. The Assawoman Bay and Wisp facilities prioritize stays for military families, Morrison says, because the Mid-Atlantic region treats more critically ill children of active military parents than any other region of the country.
"But unlike many other patients, they are very far from their support networks and their hometowns," said Morrison. "They're going through a treatment process that keeps them moving sometimes. Some have one parent that's deployed at the time."
He added, "We wanted to make sure that those families who have a difficult journey down the health care process had quick access to a respite facility when they need it."
