We are thankful for the miraculous life of Grace born at 32 weeks. She continues to grow healthy and strong despite having received chemo in utero and being born 8 weeks early. We are continually encouraged as Brian and Wren live out their faith openly and honestly as they wrestle with the obstacles they face.
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| Grace turned 1 on August 28th |
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| Braden (4), notice Eli (2) escaping in the background |
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| Wren and Grace (1) |
9505 Lost Trails Drive
Waco, TX 76712
Thank you for your continued prayers.
Dear Friends and Family,
Since our last
update, we have experienced some of the greatest highs and now lowest lows of
this journey since Wren's initial diagnosis a year ago. As many of you
know, many of our friends from our community here in Waco threw a wonderful party last Friday,
July 20th in Wren's honor to celebrate the remarkable fact that she has
survived cancer for one year. Wren has fought valiantly, with incredible
strength, fortitude and good humor, and it was a wonderful occasion to
celebrate her life and her triumph with friends and family. All of Wren's
siblings, two brothers and two sisters, were able to be there, as well as her
parents, aunts and uncles, lifelong friends and other loved ones. We are
so grateful to our incredibly loving and supportive community of brothers and
sisters in Christ who showered us with love and joy on this memorable
evening. The party gave us the opportunity to look forward to a
much-needed time of celebration and happiness while coming to terms with news
that was far less positive than we hoped it would be.
Scans last week
revealed fluid on Wren's lungs and that her cancer has spread, resulting in a
tumor close to her lungs that is restricting blood flow to her heart. Her
doctors recommended starting radiation right away to shrink the tumor and were
able to drain a liter of fluid from one of her lungs. Draining the fluid
brought immediate relief, as she was having great difficulty breathing and
catching her breath and she is now receiving supplemental oxygen to make
breathing easier for her. We have discussed options that are available to
us at this point and we are exploring the possibility of a clinical trial at MD
Anderson. Wren is receptive to this and continues to show the strength of
spirit that has brought her so far on this journey to this point. As you
can imagine, this news is not what we hoped for and we are still processing
what we have learned. As we continue to make decisions and move ahead, we
will continue to provide updates. We are so grateful for the prayers and love
that enable us to wake up each day and face the challenges at hand. No
words can adequately describe how grateful we are for the boundless generosity
of friends, family, and strangers that allows our physical and emotional needs
to be met at this most trying time. We have been blessed by the support
and aid of an incredible woman named Luz who cares for our children, ministers
to Wren, and manages our household with the ongoing help of our family members
and friends who take turns coming to stay with us and have for months on
end.
One thing I
mentioned at Wren's celebration on Friday is that one of Wren's and my goals in
pursuing ministry together was to live our faith beyond the walls of the
sanctuary and classrooms of a church. This journey has been challenging
beyond words, but we recognize that we are called to live in a way that
reflects Christ's love, even with the obstacles we now face. Thank you
for continuing to love and support us, especially when we are weary and
discouraged. Please continue to pray for Wren's healing, for our family,
for our ability to face the challenges that lay ahead of us.
In Christ,
Brian
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