By Elena Matyas

Doug & I had different parenting styles, but we were equals in caring for Roxie. He changed as many of her diapers and fed as many of her bottles as I.

Roxie idolized Doug. She loved playing with her cars, trucks, dragons and robots in games and adventures only she & her daddy understood. She longed to make him proud. As soon as she came home from school, she worked on her homework with daddy sitting patiently by her side. She knew the sooner she finished, the sooner she could play.

In February of 2017, Roxie was to undergo her 1st immunotherapy treatment at CHLA, a 3-4 hour IV infusion of antibodies. I was nervous and panicked as to how we could make this daunting experience easier for our baby girl. Seemingly effortlessly, Doug came up with a story about germs - the “bad guys” in her body that could make her sick. Dr. Church had to give her lots of “good guys” to keep her healthy. She left the house for CHLA cheering “Let’s go get some good guys!” From that day forward, we referred to her antibody treatments as “good guys.”

Doug did the typical “dad” things. He let Roxie ride her scooter in the house, taught her how to ride a bike, play t-ball and soccer, build Lego castles and sandcastles, and how to roll down a grassy hill. But he & Roxie also shared quiet moments, talking about the stars, how her body “the machine” worked, and compared their favorite colors and cereals.

Roxie was so very fortunate to have a dad completely invested in her, and I am so very fortunate to have his love and support surviving a life without her.