Hello Friends and Family - This is EH with a very urgent and sincere request for prayers. My friend and one-time college roommate is battling brain cancer and has been receiving chemo and radiation for nearly one year. Stacey is a mother to two young children and a wife to Joey, they live in Atlanta. She just found out that she is 18 weeks pregnant. She became pregnant during her chemo and radiation and therefore, the baby has been exposed to these chemicals from day one. She has opted to take a 10 week break from her treatment to allow the baby to reach 28 weeks gestation, when they will deliver the baby via C-section. She has been informed by her baby-related doctors that the chemo is very strong and particularly attacks DNA growth in cells and therefore the baby. They are quite certain that there will be neurologic damage to the baby, although the ultrasounds have thus far showed relatively normal growth. Additionally, her cancer-related doctors have told her that they do not want her to stop her treatment of cancer (even for 10 wks!) because her cancer is so aggressive. They said that if they allowed her to carry the baby to 40 weeks gestation, she would probably not live to deliver the baby. So, Stacey is choosing to give her child a chance and risk her own life. I still cannot believe the situation that this family has been put in, even as I type this.
As a member of Stacey's network of support and prayers, I am asking that you specifically say a prayer to Pope John Paul II. He is in the process of being named a saint and needs a second miracle to "qualify" for sainthood. We have decided to storm heaven with prayers to our former Pope, specifically asking him to stop the growth of Stacey's cancer while she stops her treatment. Many of you may also be calling to mind the story of St. Gianna Molla, whom JPII canonized in the 1994, whose story is very similar to Stacey's.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Add this to your prayer list
I read this prayer intention from Crossed the Tiber's post; it came from a physician friend of his. Note that the request specifically suggests that we put this situation in Pope John Paul II's lap in heaven. (Anecdotal evidence indicates that JP2 is taking unborn life issues as his special responsibility...) It couldn't be more timely, coming as the day of Christmas approaches.
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4 comments:
Sending up prayers for Stacey, Joey and the children and asking JPII's intercession.
Maureen
I join Maureen in invoking the intercession of John Paul II for this valiant mother and her family. harv
Prayers, and more prayers. Also, may you please suggest to Mom that she play lots of Haydn, Schubert, Bach, etc. some of which is believed to help with Mom's anxiety, and stimulate baby's mental development.
Through the intercession of John Paul II, may God make His glory manifest in the lives of Stacey, Joey, and their child.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and will be forever,
Amen!
May the Christ Child gift the family with a Christmas miracle.
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