Our sweet friend Vinny from Brenner's has taken a turn for the worse. He fought rhabdomyosarcoma for a year and was cancer free for nine months. He relapsed last November in his lungs. They gave him months to live. They began a last ditch effort of high dose chemo. To the doctors amazement Vinny's lung tumors shrunk and became inactive. Last week he was in a lot pain and bleeding. Tests and surgery have revealed large tumors in his bladder. He is in extreme pain and suffering tremendously despite a heavy drug cocktail. Hospice has been called in and now there is nothing left to do but wait. The doctors predict it will be around two months until the cancer takes over his body.
Lord, I just do not understand this degree of suffering. It is all too much. This precious boy was born with a severe cleft lip and palate and pulmonary stenosis of his heart. After four years of surgeries the ENTs discovered a mass blocking his nasal passages. Vinny was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma and began the fight of his life. He beat it, only to relapse and fight again. Miraculously he beat that, too. Vinny always says, "I'm going to win me this cancer." and he does time and time again. His options have now run out. Lord, we pray that you heal Vinny quickly. We know it may not be in the way we all desire, but he has suffered enough. Lord we pray your mercy descends on this family. Give them all energy, peaceful sleep, pain relief, calm hearts, moments of laughter, spirits filled with HOPE, discernment in decisions, memories for a lifetime, and lots of sweet hugs. Lord, we lift up his big sister Desi and ask that you carry her close to your heart through all of this. No child should have to watch this happen to their little brother.
Lord, hold up his parents as they are too weak to stand. Sarah is a beacon of HOPE at Camp Brenner. Through all of their own trials she has continued to embrace every new oncology family she encounters. She takes each one under her wing to show them the ropes, encourage them, answer their questions, acknowledge their fears, make them smile, and infuse them with HOPE. She is a shining light on the floor to everyone she meets. In the midst of Vinny's treatment she also helped to start a nonprofit for Camp Brenner families to ease the lives of families going through cancer. Lord, we will never understand why all of this had to happen, but we know you will never leave us. Lord, come quickly!
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