wo years ago, what was to have been a perfect Hawaiian vacation for the Lawson family became a nightmare when son Will suddenly became ill. The diagnosis: leukemia, an illness Will has bravely battled ever since. Last October, just weeks before the 4-year-old was to receive bone marrow donated by his 6-year-old brother David, their dad, Lance Lawson, created a Web page to publish an online journal documenting Will's struggle with the disease.

"When Will first got sick," Lance says, "I had a hard time finding the information I wanted. The doctors could give me technical information, but not much from the patient's perspective.

"On the Internet, I found lots of information about chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants. Many people who are looking for marrow donors have great and touching stories to tell. But I found nothing that explained what a transplant is like from a patient's point of view."

Lance says one reason he created Will's page was to help other families going through this ordeal, but he also wanted to keep a journal to share with Will years from now. I've been told that kids this young don't remember their bone marrow transplants. Maybe this record will help Will understand what happened to him.

"The response to Will's page has surprised me," says Lance. "I've heard from people all over the world who have offered support, or who have shared their experiences with loved ones who are ill. It has kept us from feeling so alone."