As a father of two sons myself, I can tell you I have NO IDEA what the Hyde family is feeling after the passing of their son Cash who lost his battle with brain cancer. The strength and fortitude of the Hyde family has been inspiring. Through their’s and Cash’s ongoing fight with this disease, they were able to touch the hearts of so many; and have inspired many more into action to make sure that kids like Cash do not have to suffer needlessly because of a failed policy on a safe and helpful plant.
Cashy’s story transcends logic and understanding for most empathetic and caring human beings. Here is a great kid who was dealt an extremely bad hand, who found success and relief through ingesting cannabis medicines. Here is information on how cannabinoid medicines helped Cash in his struggle:
Cashy is the youngest Medical Cannabis patient in the United States. We were able to replace seven scary and toxic drugs that were given to Cash as a nausea cocktail around the clock with 0.3 Milliliters of cannabis oil. At the time we decided to give Cash this safe and therapeutic medicine, he was so sick that he hadn’t eaten in over 40 days and was living on TPN and Lipids as intravenous nutrition, he vomited 8-10 times a day and could barely lift his head off the pillow. Within two weeks of receiving the oil, Cash was eating, laughing, and had a quality of life we hadn’t seen in months.
Cash survived septic shock, stroke, pulmonary hemorrhage, pulmonary hypertension, all side effects of the chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants he had received. We were told after his 4th cardiac arrest episode he would have brain damage, organ failure and that he would ultimately die. However, he did not die, and it was because of the cannabinoid therapeutics that he was receiving and their Antioxidant and Neuroprotectant capabilities.
Cashy is the first pediatric cancer patient to receive full cranial and spinal radiation without the use of any conventional nausea and pain medications. Once again Cashy has been given a quality of life that is not possible on pharmaceutical drugs and has had minimal side effects thanks to Cannabinoid Therapeutics and their patented Antioxidant and Neuroprotectant capabilities.
This is the gift that Cash and his family were able to give the world through their experiences…hope. No rational person walking the face of earth could learn about how cannabis medicines helped increase the quality of life and reduce the suffering of this special young man, and still believe medical cannabis should be illegal. Any parent would have done the same thing to save their child. Yet here we sit, still working to convince people that cannabis does have medical value and should be heavily researched some 20 years after the discovery of the endocannabinoid system.
It is unacceptable to me that we, as a society, have allowed this to happen. The fact that we made these parents break the law in an effort to save their son disgusts me, as it should everyone. It pains me to think, if these parents had access to higher dose cannabis medicines, more targeted and regulated cannabis treatment programs, and if our medical community had pulled its head out of the rear of prohibition sooner, that possibly this boy, and countless others, might have been saved. That literally makes me sick to my stomach.
Because the government has made cannabis illegal and unavailable for medical use and research, it is unclear whether cannabis does indeed cure cancer. Yet there is no disputing its ability to reduce the sie effects of cancer treatments and to increase the well-being of those inflicted with the disease. But what Cashy’s courage, and his parents willingness to take a stand against the laws that prohibit cannabis therapies, shows us is that there a.) certainly are medical benefits and promising value in cannabis therapies; and b.) there is HOPE for our civilization yet.
Through Cashy’s life, experiences, and even in his passing we have all learned some valuable lessons that we should be sure to never forget.
For one, life is precious. None of us know how long we have here on planet earth, or what that journey will entail. I know when I learned of Cash’s passing yesterday I looked at my own kids in a different way. I understood how incredibly lucky I was to have two healthy kids, and I understood that could change at any moment. I tried to put myself in the position of this family and tried to imagine what they have been through. I am sure my imagination could do no justice to the real pain and suffering that they must be feeling right now.
I was never lucky enough to meet Cash, or his family; but I still sit here with tears running down my face uncontrollably as if I knew them forever. Cash’s life on this planet, for the time he was with us, has taught me an invaluable lesson about being grateful and not taking life for granted. We often forget that this all could end any minute for any one of us, and that it is our duty to live every day to its fullest.
Another lesson Cash’s story has taught us is that we have the power to make a real difference. Never before has such a powerful message come from such a small package. The Hyde family never anticipated their son’s illness could change the world, but indeed it is. Because of their courage and willingness to share their experiences with us, they have started a fire that is not likely to ever be extinguished. Many of us have poured over the many pictures of Cash, and have followed the story through its hills and valleys. Many activists, including myself, were able to put a face on the fight we have been fighting for so long; and the thought that this adorable boy may have been denied a cure for his deadly disease because of draconian drug laws has made it more clear than ever that this thing MUST END NOW. Not another day should go by where families like the Hydes must wonder if more could have been done, or if the cure was out there. This family has given us our own power and have shown us that our personal courage can create real and meaningful change in our world.
Finally, Cash taught us all that we are in this thing together. One Love. It is easy to get lost in a world of confusion and chaos,and to forget about the big picture. Cashy’s life, and even his death, has made it abundantly clear that we are interconnected. Our actions, or lack of actions, do affect each and every person on this planet. Because our society has failed to end prohibition of the cannabis plant, and continues to stifle research, we are all responsible for the needless suffering of people who could otherwise benefit from legalized cannabis. The fact that we have allowed this to happen with little or no objection for decades is intolerable. We have not done enough. We must do more. What we do affects everyone around us, and it is our duty to ensure that our friends, neighbors and fellow man do not suffer needlessly.
So as I sit here mourning the loss of our youngest cannabis warrior, I am hopeful. I am hopeful that Cashy’s story will be spread far and wide, and that is passing will become a rallying cry for justice and morality. His life touched so many, and continues to inspire us all. I know that it has started a fire in my belly this morning, and I vow to work even harder to ensure others have access to cannabis . We should not have to wonder, “what if?” There should be no question as to whether or not we could have saved one, or a million people. Cannabis prohibition has failed miserably, and Cash’s story symbolizes everything that is wrong with our current policies. We have allowed greed and evil to stand in the way of progress and healing. That is unacceptable.
Watch this touching video tribute. Warning…you probably will cry. But when you are done, wipe the tears away and commit to making a difference so that we do not have to lose any more great warriors like Cash. While he may have left this planet, he will live on in our actions and determination. Selah.
“When he let go, it was very peaceful. And I felt him…and I felt everything that he was go into me, and then my heart sped up, and he was gone,” Cash’s dad Mike Hyde recalled.
Just two weeks ago, Cash rode his bike down the street on Halloween. But something changed, and in the last two days his parents noticed him getting tired and rundown. They knew, their boy was losing his fight with brain cancer.
“And yesterday we gave Cashy back to God, and he passed away in my arms on the couch right there,” Mike said.
“I didn’t want to let him go,” Mike said. “But [at] the same time, you gotta do what’s right, and Cashy fought a hard battle.”
“And last night he chose to pass away on his own terms,” Mike continued. “I can’t be mad at that. He showed us all so much love. That’s why the foundation’s slogan is ‘believe in one love.‘
