Why Senegal?

I think my daughter believes deeply that if she's in motion, she is going somewhere.

We are going to board our 3rd over-night red-eye flight in as many weeks.

But why Senegal?

Tessie's boyfriend, Bah, knows a healer from his people who practice pre-geneocide spirituality, and pre-geneocide healing.

And she has a skilled miracle-working herbalist friend from the U.S. who has immigrated to Senegal who supposedly has cured his mother of lung cancer with herbs. She has survived 12 years when expected to die in 2.

I try to get her to weigh the benefits of seeking out these healers with the benefits of staying here, beginning Jasi's nutrition - i.e. totally organic, superfoods, herbs, vitamins we already know about - and getting him to bed, sleeping his 10 to 12 hours a night - while seeking out healers here.

She tells me rice and fish are the staple of Senegalese food. It doesn't sound like the worse diet we could have.

But fish from the ocean, as in mercury, heavy metals, not to mention swarming flies if fishing is similar on the coast of Senegal as it is on the coast of Mexico.

But rice most likely genetically modified, although we have stocked up with organic food for him, but not the amount he would get if we stayed put.

I am unable to convince her, to calm her, to find the pause button. She is on a mission, committed to it, believing in it, and so I am here to help the best I can.

I weep for my daughter. It feels like her choices are to allow her son to be shot (should the LCH advance) or stabbed (should she have to seek chemo & steroids). Horrific choices.

I will try my best to support her - and my - first choice: to try to cure him alternatively