Happy Birthday Sydney!

Since we last on Sydney Becker she has celebrated her Bat Mitzvah and continues her rounds of chemotherapy in her fight against a rare form of bone cancer. She attends classes at Heritage Middle School when she is able and undergoes extensive physical therapy after surgery that removed much of her tibia (shinbone) and knee to get rid of the tumor. Earlier this spring, she brought the whole for a fundraiser for pediatric cancers.

Sydney writes about her battle and recovery in a daily blog on CaringBridge.org, a nonprofit organization that provides free websites to help family and friends share information and support. You can read Sydney's journal here.

Today Sydney turns 13. With permission, we’re sharing a piece of it.

Caring Bridge Journal, written by Sydney Becker

I'm very excited for my birthday, usually I don't care very much and just think oh yeah it's just another birthday I'm going to have more, but this year it feels different. I have good things to celebrate, therefore I am looking forward to celebrating them.

If you have a reason to celebrate, you should celebrate it, because you just never know when your life could be totally turned upside down in a matter of seconds. I'm doing well, I'm feeling good, I'm living another year of my life, and becoming a teenager, and I will celebrate it.

And we're going to go to lunch to celebrate, which I'm very excited about because I decided we were going to Nordstroms for lunch and they have the very best food there and even though I was just there on Monday the food was just so good that I have to go back. And also the last time we were there in the counter on display they had a chocolate mousse cake that was literally just calling my name. My full name too, it really wanted me, and I really wanted it.

Happy Birthday Sydney!

From all your friends on Livingston Patch, we hope you enjoy that cake!

You may read Sydney's posts and leave birthday messages for her at www.caringbridge.org/visit/sydneybecker.