Like any busy mom, Debi Tibbles, mother of three, was a
little annoyed when she got the call from the school saying
her youngest, Oliver, had a headache and could she come to
get him. When she got to the school and picked up Ollie,
her normally cheerful and charming five year old "cheeky
little monkey", Debi quickly realized that this headache
was much more severe than anything he had before and so she
make sure she took him to a doctor.
Yet, despite the family doctor's opinion that all was well
and it was probably allergies, the headaches and long
sleeps after them continued. As it happened, Ollie's
father, Peter, was in London, England on an extended work
assignment and the Tibbles family was excited about going
back to England for a few weeks from their American home in
Downers Grove, Illinois.
When a severe attack hit Ollie
while in London, the Tibbles arranged to have their train
loving and playful little boy seen by Dr. Harding, a
pediatrician in March 2002. After getting an MRI, the news
was not good and he was urgently referred to Dr. Haywood, a
top Neurosurgeon at the Great Ormond Street Children's
Hospital. The little boy who so loved Thomas the Tank
Engine and all things related to trains had
Medulloblastoma, a very aggressive and high risk cancer.
What could they do to treat it? How would they cope? How
can they help him?
OLLIE TIBBLES:THE BOY WHO WOULD BE A TRAIN is an amazing and
inspirational story written by Ollie's
mother to help her deal with her situation with her
beloved son, his treatments, and the powerful impact his
love had on her, their family, friends and their
community.
As you read this compelling account, you are
so immediately drawn into her story, it almost feel as if
Debi Tibbles is sitting beside you as a friend
telling you about the joys and sorrows happening in her
life.
You can't help but laugh as she describes the
various antics of her cheeky little monkey and the
inspiration he was to others. Her description of how
George took on the protective big brother role deeply
touches your heart. You are sure to delight as Debi does in the
big as well as the small triumphs of the special bond
between the two
brothers and their sister.
With her "take it on, no
holding back" style, Debi reveals the anguish and honest
feelings and reactions of how Ollie's situation affected
each member of her family and the impact it had on her
relationship with her older children and her marriage.
You will not want to miss reading the exceptional account
of the power of a child's love and how Ollie's desire to be
a train when he grew up was incredibly made real by the
Make a Wish Foundation!
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"I'm going to be a train."
I laughed. "You mean you want to be a train driver, right?"
"No." Ollie put his hands on his hips. "I want to be a
train, silly, and I'm going to be someday."
Debi's happy life as a stay-at-home mum of three began to
change the morning the elementary school secretary called.
Her five-year-old had a headache. When he had another and
another, each progressively worse, Debi's fear set in.
Something in the doctor's kind eyes told her, Prepare
yourself. This child is in danger.
When medical tests revealed a highly malignant, fast-moving
cancer in Ollie's brain and spine, Debi's world fell apart.
Her fun-loving child was about to endure the most
excruciating days of his life, and she was about to
encounter the most profound lessons of hers.
Ollie Tibbles: The Boy Who Became a Train is a journey down
the track of every parent's nightmare. It is a story of
love, tragic loss, and hope—and the true miracle of a young
boy's wish
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