There are rare and wonderful species of joy that flourish only in the rainy atmosphere of suffering.
John Piper
This year, he doubled his digits, and he doubled his diagnoses too.
With his own eyes, he witnessed the celebration of the Super Bowl in Atlanta.
With his own words, he told his story to the Vice President of the United States in Washington.
With his own body, he’s gone swimming and running and laughed and played.
And with that same body, he’s wept and known fear and exhaustion and pain.
He’s had 1 surgery, 2 full body scans and biopsies, and 3 ultrasounds in the pursuit of this, the second cancer. Which means that he’s been under anesthesia close to 10 times this year.
He’s had 1 round of treatment, 2 documented instances of spread/relapse, and what feel like limitless amounts of blood drawn from his body.
He walked back into the world of seizures – for the first time in 7 years – and had to face down the fear of a potential brain cancer relapse.
He’s had MRIs, CTs, and X-Rays to spare.
And if I counted off the days out of the last 365 that he spent in the hospital, they number about 60. …that’s more than once a week.
Those are the days alone. But if I counted the actual appointments, the number would close to triple.
It’s been one of the most extraordinary years of his short life, and so it’s perfectly fitting and perfectly amazing that your response to his year and life was equally extraordinary.
Dear ones, in your celebration of Chase, you raised almost $5,000* in a single day!
You are incredible.
And I love that – because of your many, sacrificial, encouraging, ‘happy birthday’ gifts to the Rizzo Foundation on behalf of Chase – more help will walk the halls of the hospital, more tears will be dried, more smiles will be felt, and more end-of-their-rope parents will be granted more rope and easier breathing in the worst seasons of life.
This is all you, dear ones, and we are so proud of and thankful for your extraordinary response to our extraordinary Chase.
Thank you for faithfully, joyfully, compassionately walking this journey with us…
Moment by moment.
**If you haven’t had a chance to give yet, you’re not too late! Simply click HERE to donate now!**
*As of 8:20AM (CST), we are at $4,950!