fromShannon

Childhood disease doesn’t just happen to the child. It happens to the entire family. And it shatters everything you thought was solid ground.

5 years ago, fall meant Volleyball games, sleepovers, late night laughs with her best friends and dreaming about a new season.

Jasy lived to play vb. She wasn’t just a fan, it was a part of her identity. Just ask anyone that knows her. Volleyball was her passion, her joy, her rhythm- and her circle of friends were like sisters. The kind of bond you don’t see often. During all of this, she missed them so deeply it physically hurt.

She should have been out there with them, digging balls, dripping in sweat, talking about boys and team tryouts. But instead, she was in a hospital room. Separated from everything she thought she loved, fighting for her life.

For a year, it felt like we had been in a race against time. Her disease was so aggressive that every moment, every decision, every delay felt like a battle we were desperate to win.

There were things her doctors told us… truths about her prognosis, her odds and how quickly that disease could turn- truths that haunt us every moment of every day- things that no parent should have to hear.

It was brutal.

It was terrifying.

We lived in hospitals.

We lived in a big city far from home that felt so foreign.

We lived in a constant state of fear of what might happen. We faced impossible choices, watched our child endure unthinkable pain and had to carry on as if the world hadn’t just crumbled beneath our feet.

Then there’s the emotional toll… the trauma that clings to every part of your being, the ache of helplessness, the way your heart breaks a little more every day. But then there’s the part most people don’t see… the financial devastation. The marital strain. The loss of jobs. The loss of stability. The loss of normalcy.

We lived apart more than we lived together. We missed birthdays, school events and the quiet, sacred moments of just being under one roof. We held our other children as they sobbed for their sister, missing her so much their bodies couldn’t take it and we tried to be strong for them, even when we had nothing left.

So would we wish that journey on any soul??The answer is Yes- we would. As crazy as it sounds, we would do it all over again! You see it is because in the terrifying moments, every delay, every lonely Covid hospital stay- WE HAD THE WARMTH OF CHRIST!!!! He loved on us, prepared us, stayed with us, provided for us, guided us, and He CARRIED US!! Our faith grew to impossible depths and we felt love that only comes from above. We learned how to worship because of our journey. We learned how to love because of our journey. We learned how to forgive because of our journey. We learned how to trust because of our journey. We grew because of our journey. Jasy found what she really loved because of her journey.

So if you’re reading this and your child is healthy… please, I beg you… count your blessings twice. If your summer is filled with snacks, sunscreen, dirty cleats, and noisy living rooms… you are living someone else’s dream.

I pray for the parents enduring what we endured and I pray even harder for those children waiting on their miracle, for healing, for time, for the miracle of getting their life back. I pray that in your journey, in your scary times, that the warmth of Christ will meet you where you are and open your eyes to see what we saw and felt. Heavenly peace and blessings on top of blessings sent straight to you from your Father. Sunshine in the rain, an ark in the flood and a rainbow after the storm.

This is what JJVT is truly about.