After a week of non-stop sleeping and zero appetite, Triton Fritz woke up hungry.
That was music to his mother Jessica’s ears last Friday morning as she promptly made him a grilled cheese sandwich and happily watched as he ate the whole thing.
It’s safe to say that the last 10 days have been a whirlwind for the family of the 11-year-old Hudson boy who went on hospice care as a result of his rare and untreatable cancer.
After being diagnosed with the rhabdomyosarcoma at age 6, the doctors have literally done everything they can to try to save Triton’s life, but his body can’t fight anymore as the tumors continue to replicate in his abdomen.
There are no words to describe the situation, Jessica said, other than the family is doing the best it can in the face of the inevitable and savoring all the great moments in between.
There have been several.
Last week, the family had been prepared for the worst, but over the weekend, Triton surprised them with his burst of energy. Not only was he hungry, but he also asked to play with his cousin Nate, followed by a family movie night watching “Encanto” that evening.
Wednesday, he was up and down the stairs several times and even played a video game.
Thursday, he was eating a cheesy roll-up to tide him over until his father Daniel returned home from work with the Taco Bell order he’d requested.
Currently, Jessica said, Triton is pain-free and resting comfortably underneath his new galaxy-themed bedspread that someone sent him from his Amazon wish list.
The bedspread matches his curtains and body pillow that he now sleeps with.
Because he knows he’s no longer well enough to travel, Jessica said laughing, he’s become obsessed with space. In between naps, he also enjoys waking long enough to sign a few books.
After the Cowboy State Daily article about the book he helped write for other children with cancer, he’s received many orders and tries to sign as many copies as he can.
His aunt Jackie Dorothy wrote “The Brave Adventures of Triton Tough: A Graphic Novel for Cancer Warriors” while his other aunt, Julia Dorothy, illustrated the book.
“He received quite a few orders,” Jessica said. “He had a blast, and he got to sign a lot of them.”
In the meantime, she said, Triton has pared down his wish list to only items he knows he can use, such as squishmallows, bath bombs and other things that make him comfortable.
