“Mama says happiness is when magic rays of sunshine come down when you’re feelin’ blue” ~ Bobby Boucher in The Waterboy

Mike Csikos’ wife Lisa wouldn’t stop bugging him to get a mole on his face checked in 2002. It had continued to grow and was about the size of a pencil eraser that spring when he finally went in to have it checked. As Mike says, “a wife’s intuition is a good thing”. His mole was most definitely melanoma and Mike went to see surgeon Dr. Merrick Ross to have it removed.

On that same day, Mike wasn’t the only one in the family heading to MD Anderson Cancer Center. His son Christopher, who had been battling cancer for two years, was also a patient that day. Christopher Csikos was enduring radiation therapy in preparation for his bone marrow transplant to try to wipe out his leukemia. Due to flooding of the Texas Children’s Hospital equipment, he was having his therapy at MD Anderson that day.

Somehow Lisa Csikos (a brave champion herself) was able to endure having a husband and son going through cancer treatments at the same time.

Mike’s doctor successfully removed his melanoma and Mike, who is a Boston qualifying marathoner, has been free of disease for nine years now.

Christopher’s story was not as simple.

Diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 2, Christopher had to tackle what no toddler should ever have to. He endured chemotherapy, radiation, two bone marrow transplants, and of course, all the torturous tests used to diagnose and stage and re-stage over and over again.

His baby sister, Michaela, donated her bone marrow to her big brother, making her just another brave champion in this amazing family.

Three and a half years after Christopher’s fight against leukemia began, it ended. On December 11, 2003, with his mom and dad beside him, Christopher took his last breath at the age of five. “He passed from the loving arms of his parents into the loving arms of Jesus,” Mike says.

Now when Mike goes out on his morning runs and the sun begins to rise, he is reminded of Christopher’s favorite quote from the movie The Waterboy: “Happiness is like magic rays of sunshine that come down when you’re feelin’ blue”.

Christopher’s beautiful life wasn’t long enough but while he was here, he filled the lives of those around him with incredible love, joy and hope. His family grieves his loss and always will, but their memories remain alive.

Mike and Lisa have run multiple marathons and half marathons with Team in Training, raising thousands of dollars for research so that someday, moms and dads won’t have to bury their 5-year-olds because of leukemia.

Mike, Christopher, Lisa and Michaela are all great champions in the war against cancer.

Christopher and Mike Csikos, two brave champions.

With his sister Michaela who was 16 months old when she donated her bone marrow to Christopher. Michaela is now 10 years old.

Christopher with his mom Lisa. A mother’s love never ceases.