Showing posts with label Donna Downey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donna Downey. Show all posts

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Courage

january courage fixedI don’t talk a lot about things going on within my family very much other than when I do things with them.  But today, I want to talk about my cousin, Gary.  He has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer that has gone pretty much to the rest of his body,  including his brain.  He isn’t even a smoker.  The doctors gave him a very slim chance of beating this.  He and his wife have more hope and courage than anyone could in a situation like this.

Shortly after the diagnosis, they traveled to Minnesota to go to the Mayo Clinic and get a second opinion and to get more information about the type of cancer he has.  This week, they Mayo Clinic sent the cancer “markers” to his doctor here and things didn’t look good.  Any treatment they would be able to give would only prolong his life and because of other medical issues, the side affects might actually kill him before the cancer did.

On a happier note, his wife recently fought a very hard battle with breast cancer and last week they preformed tests that told her she is six months cancer free!  That is truly great news in the midst of all of the problems.

So, this is a prelude to give you information about why I painted this and to ask you to please keep him and his family in your prayers.  A benefit for Gary has been planned for this Saturday with dinner, dancing and a silent auction and raffle.  My painting is part of the silent auction.  I’m also working on another canvas as a gift to Gary and Sue, his wife.

Gary has been pursuing some alternative treatment.  He traveled to a small town near here to an Eastern medicine practitioner.  I’m not sure what he does but they felt very good about what he did.  He has also been going to another Eastern medicine practitioner locally that uses pressure points and massage in the belief that the body can heal itself.  They will also be travelling to Malaysia to see a Shaolin monk.   He will be using herbs and his chi to heal Gary. 

As his wife said, Western medicine has already stamped Gary’s foot with an expiration date and so they are trying alternatives that have worked for other people.  As my brother said when the doctors gave him little chance of beating this, “They don’t know our family.”  We are fighters and I know that if anyone can do it, Gary can.

So I ask for your prayers in helping Gary get through this.  God has a plan; we don’t know what it is but we do know that we have to do everything we can before He proceeds with His plan.

Thanks so much!

Blessings,

Christine

Oh, I painted this as part of Donna Downey’s Canvas Create class.