Monday, March 16, 2009

With this upload I will give a short introduction to a wonderful story that is still unfolding and which has taught me so much in so many different ways.

The young son of a very dear friend was recently diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma.
This young man is the picture of health, a fulltime National Serviceman with about a year or so to go before his ORD. No signs that anything was wrong.

At this point, I'll only give the basics and will embark on the fine details when everyone and everything is ready.

When we all hear the big C (cancer) word, chaos takes reign in our minds. I was as devastated as the family as I have a young son born exactly 2 years earlier so its all very close to the heart. I tried to be calm, rational and positive but I cried after I got off the phone and started reading up anything and everything I could get my hands on with regards to the topic Lymphoma. In the midst of all this, we prayed. We prayed when he had the biopsy done, prayed during the CT scan, bone marrow extraction..........just prayed, and our prayers were answered in that this is a very treatable, curable form of cancer. However, nothing is to be taken for granted because as my friend, the mother of this boy remarked "God is a giver". Inasmuch as He gives, He can also take away. Those words will ring forever in my ears. She is a pillar of strength. Unwavering in her faith and confidence in God. Reassuring and comforting others whilst we should be the ones reassuring her. I am connected to this mother and child thru' her sister-in-law, who is the sister of her husband. She and I are childhood friends. I am moved by their tenacity, love, trust in God and their overall cohesiveness as a family unit. In this short space of time since the diagnosis and the ongoing treatment, they continue to share their love and friendship, carrying on with their lives, not wanting their little bump in the road to affect anyone's life and urging and reassuring everyone that life goes on.

I had a chance meeting with this young man today. The absolute picture of normalcy, cheerful, witty and a little chubbilicious, which to me is an excellent sign that he's eating well and not adversely affected by his chemotherapy. If I didn't know better I'd say there's absolutely nothing out of the ordinary where this young man is concerned. A small little cloud hovering over me almost immediately drifted away. Really and truly there is a God!

2 comments:

Abby Mac said...

No shadow of doubt there, about the existence of God.

Not only He exists, but He also is loving and caring and gives us stregth in times like these.

I experienced leukemia, also a blood cancer. I arrived at the hospital in such a poor state of health that doctors told mu husband that only a miracle could keep me alive.

So, you see Belinda, I'm a walking miracle.

Three years have passed since 18th December 2005, when I received the news of total remission. I've been well.

So how could I ever doubt His existance if I felt His hands around me during the six months of closure in the Cancer Hospital? I felt it then, and I still feel it now.

I hope that these words are of confort to the young boy, and give him strenght to endure chemo and radio, being sure that with faith he will be able to feel God's hands too.

A big hus to him and to you too, my dear fiend fo this wonderful work.

Abigail Macedo
Portugal

Belinda Lee said...

Thank you dear Abigail! This is wonderful news.