​She’s home.

Thanks for the prayers! The blood cultures remained clear, the fever passed, and we finally got to bring our girl home on Thursday night. 
We are so very grateful for those who remained vigilant in prayer for our girl. 

Just like last month, EvanMarie is still dealing with some annoying bone pain and relentless itchiness post therapy. For a 3 year-old, those are hard things to endure.

Thankfully, we also learned something from last month: it gets better! I remember each day away from the hospital brought a little more relief, a little more energy, and a little more of our EvanMarie back. We trust that will happen again.

Good news: We are winning! She is home. There is no detectable cancer. We have so much to be grateful for. 

But to be honest cancer treatment is starting to feel like the end of a very long road trip, we can almost see home, but every mile feels longer. 

We’re still rolling. But ‘almost there’ is a funny place to be. 

Thank you for continuing to pray for us and our sweet girl.

Glory to God in all things.

We thought we were bringing EvanMarie home today after finishing round two of immunotherapy, but sometime in the middle of the night she spiked a high fever.

Thankfully, she’s feeling just fine, but fever protocols require blood cultures in order to rule out any infection, and unfortunately that means we’ll be staying at the hospital at least another night (maybe 2) while we wait.

Needless to say, we’re pretty bummed. We were already packed and very ready to be home together.

So, Team EvanMarie, we’re asking you to keep those prayers coming just a little longer. Please pray that the fever disappears, the cultures stay clear, and our brave little girl can get back home where she belongs.

And maybe say a little prayer for the rest of us too. We’re tired.

Still grateful. Still trusting.

Glory to God in all things.

Team EvanMarie, we need you again.

Tomorrow morning, we head back to the hospital for cycle two of immunotherapy.

We are coming up on one year since EvanMarie’s diagnosis. And what a year it’s been. We’ve cried harder than we ever thought possible. We’ve prayed more fervently and we’ve never been carried more by Grace.

And so here we are.

Still a family. Still struggling. Still hopeful. Still trusting.

And so incredibly grateful to God that there is no more detectable cancer in our little girl’s body.

But the war is far from over.

Truth be told, Cana and I are a little scared tonight. The first round of immunotherapy was downright awful on EvanMarie. This medicine is a gift, (and we thank God for it) but it is a beast. Tomorrow we ask our brave little girl to walk back into that hospital and do it again.

So once again, we’re asking you to double down on the prayers.

Pray that this round is easier. Pray for protection from the terrible nerve pain. Pray that this medicine does exactly what it is supposed to do, make sure this cancer never comes back.

And here’s the part that overwhelms me tonight…

Some of you have been praying for our little girl every single day for almost a year.

A year.

You’ve put her name on prayer lists. Taken her name to Mass. Lit candles. Asked saints for their intercession. Whispered her name before bed. Had your children pray for her. And sometimes, when Cana and I couldn’t find the words ourselves, you prayed them for us.

How do you thank someone for that?

We don’t quite know.

So we’ll just say it again, thank you.

Please don’t stop now.

We’re tired. We’re grateful. We’re a little afraid.

Jesus we trust in you!

Glory to God in all things.