Victory over This Present Darkness

22 years ago, on March 12th, our oldest daughter, only 18 months old at the time, was diagnosed with cancer.  It was stage 3 and very scary and even after removal of the initial tumor, she relapsed 6 months later, almost causing our little family to lose her 3 times.  Problem was, the wonderful Doctor's and Nurses at Children's Hospital of Oakland, CA., refused to give up and she is now 24, and is about to start her 2nd semester at a bay area college!

Shortly after our arrival at Children's, I found out about a 7 yr  old boy whose parents couldn't handle the process of losing their son.  I told this woman who had ministered to us in the days preceding our daughter's surgery, that there wasn't anything they could do to "keep me away," and she said, "yes, but that is because you have faith."

She explained that his parents didn't know Jesus and his disease, being terminal had them all ripped up inside.  She said he had nurses at home to deal with him because they could barely stand to watch their once vibrant 7 yr old son slipping away from them, too afraid of the process that was stealing him away.

I remember this one night when an entire team of paramedics and nurses wheeled him from the elevator to the 5th floor isolation unit, complete with gloves, masks and a warning system, having nurses tell everyone to stay in their rooms until they were told they could come out. This process was very common and happened with our own daughter at least twice, although we had transported her ourselves.  Very frightening times.

It didn't dawn on me what was happening until I saw his almost lifeless body being wheeled past our room, where I began to say a prayer for him and his parents who didn't seem to be anywhere around.  As tears came down my face in silence, realizing they were no where to be seen, I began to pray for them in a very deep way.

The nurses attending to him doing their jobs, so excellently, one of them with tears in her eyes; you could just see how much they loved this little boy.  I assumed it was because they thought "this was it," and well, I'm no doctor, but it did not look good. I could feel the emotion through the glass!

The amazing thing?  4-5 days later, that little boy went home!  The pink had returned to his cheeks, and even with the cap to hide his baldness, he was smiling and teasing the nurses.  I was STUNNED!   I would walk the halls with my daughter, and one time, we looked in the window and saw him playing games with the nurses and he always had such a beautiful little smile on his face, seemingly oblivious to what was happening to him.  Once we stopped and waved through the window to him and his smile lit up the room. Those nurses on the 5th floor?  Their love for this little boy just kept bringing him back from the brink of death over and over again.

As he was leaving, I asked what it was that made him look so much better.  Our nurse said they hadn't really done anything but show him love and give him a transfusion of some sort, but she also confided that he shouldn't have made it.  Personally, I believe it was the love of the nurses that brought him back.  (Sometimes God just has other plans)?  Those nurses had literally "loved him back to life."  Sadly, his parents were never around to see it!

You see, I think God was trying to give that sweet precious little boys parents a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th chance to BELIEVE IN JESUS!  You see, sometimes when God see's a change in our hearts,  He rewards it.   He may have snatched that child out of the clutches of Satan who is the ruler of this world, of course only if it had been His will,  "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." (2 Corinthians 4:3).  When we do believe, all kinds of wonderful things can happen!  My daughter was given at one point a 30/70 chance of survival?  But we got lucky and I praise God for every day she is with us!

I wasn't there when that little boy passed away, but he didn't last much longer.  According to what I heard from the grapevine, he passed away peacefully, which I was very grateful for.  I don't think I will ever forget his smile.  I have always wondered what happened to his parents.  I hope they had another child and realized the great gift that life is, and that eternal life is the best life that God can offer us, all He requires is our faith in Him and His son Jesus.  If they did?  I know their son is smiling down on them right now!

Please don't let this life and it's travails, sufferings, hurt, etc., cause you to turn your back on the Father?   "Cast all of your cares upon Him, for He cares for you!" (1 Peter 5:7).

This post is dedicated to all of the children who have gone home to be with God and to those that are still fighting with the bent of a Lion who will beat their illness, but especially to those, like my wonderful, magnificent daughter, who have fought against their horrible illnesses and won!  I also would like to dedicate this post to all of the Dr.'s and Nurses all over this country who give themselves tirelessly in their efforts to save the lives of the smallest and most vulnerable among us.  

Here is my daughter with her hero's!  Dr. James Feusner who put together her "Kitchen Sink" protocols as I liked to refer to them and her Clinician, Dr. Barbara Beach. This post is especially dedicated to them both, as well as to Dr. Patricia Bishop who did my daughter's surgeries.  You are all Hero's as are all of the nurses and staff in the Hematology/Oncology Clinic as well as the 5th floor Oncology Wing at Children's Hospital in Oakland, California.  Keep up the good work gang!  And thank you all once again, for saving our little "Kitty."