Every month I count my blessings as we unfold another Rick and Carly's Kid. A kid here in the Treasure Valley who, along with their family is battling something different and something bigger than all of us. Getting to know these beautiful families and getting to know these special children is a blessing from God. A blessing I am so grateful for and this month I feel more blessed than ever.

16-year-old Damian Roby lives here in Boise, Idaho. Damian has been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Castleman Disease.

Last November Damian started having a hard time eating and he was throwing up a lot after meals. His parents obviously were concerned, brought him into doctors and eventually, a Cat Scan was scheduled. The Cat Scan was scheduled on January 16 which also happened to be Damian's birthday. When Damian's mother and father received the results of the Cat Scan, doctors told them that it looked like he had Lymphoma Cancer. Not what you want to hear as a parent.

When you hear cancer all sorts of thoughts race through your mind but the number one concern almost anybody has when they hear that ugly 'C' word is if it's fatal or not. So I'm sure that was a major concern for this family.

Eventually, after Damian's test results had been examined by specialists in the Los Angeles area they diagnosed him with Castlemans. There's a specialist on Castleman in Seattle and that's where Damian and his parents went. Currently, there are only seven doctors in the entire United States of America qualified to treat Castleman. If you'd like to know more about Castleman Disease just click below.

CASTLEMAN DISEASE

There is no cure at this time for Castleman Disease and what's worse is that the lifespan expectancy is usually about 10 years at most.

I have five children. I'd do anything for them. When I see them struggle or hurt it hurts me twice as much. I can't imagine the hurt and pain Damian's feeling right now and I can't imagine how incredibly horrific this is for Damian's parents and his family.

Carly and I had the opportunity to talk to Damian's father, Geoff a few days ago and our brief conversation was a powerful one. It's hard for Geoff to keep it together and who can blame him.

We've put together a special Father / Son whitewater rafting trip on the Salmon River with the help of our good friends at H2O Idaho. It's something small but I hope it's something the two of them will enjoy and create memories that'll last forever. Below is a short conversation we had with Geoff (Damian's father). Geoff could barely get through the conversation and my heartfelt every ounce of pain he's going through with every word he spoke.