Last night was one of the greatest moments that I have had
since my leukemia battle began back in 2011.
My mom did some fundraising for Lynchburg’s 2015 Relay for Life and the event
coordinator asked my mom about my cancer story and then they asked us to be the
Survivor and Caregiver Luminaria Speakers.
They also told us that they are having a pediatric oncologist from UVA
speaking. As I submitted a brief bio, including
the name of my oncologist to the coordinator, she immediately responded saying
that Dr. Mike Douvas who is my oncologist is the Medical Luminaria Speaker. Dr. Douvas is licensed as both a pediatric
and adult hematologist and oncologist while primarily treating young adults and
older children with leukemia, lymphoma, and bone and nerve and tissue
cancers. Neither Dr. Douvas, my mom and
I, nor the Relay for Life people knew the connection when the event was being
planned. This was without a doubt a God thing
because there are numerous oncologists from UVA that could have volunteered for
this and here we ended up being the three speakers!
It was such an honor to share the stage with my
oncologist who has been fighting for me for years and for us to give speeches of
hope to at least 1,500+ people in attendance is an amazing testament to God’s
glory and power. Many in attendance are
going through cancer right now, are survivors, have lost loved ones, and then not
to mention all the caregivers. Mom and I
viewed our speeches as an opportunity to give hope to those who are being
affected by cancer and to glorify the Lord.
What made this event so special is not just that we were the key speakers
but that after our speeches many people with cancer and survivors came up to
Dr. Douvas, my mom, and I to thank us for giving them hope through our
speeches! Even today, we were out and
about at Walmart and the checker said, “Hey!
Weren’t you the ones on stage last night? Your story and speeches were so powerful…
thank you. I’m going to go tell my boss
who orchestrated us representing Walmart, that I rang you guys up today!” We are also receiving comments and thanks on
social media.
What I am wanting to convey here is that neither my mom
nor I would ever have asked for cancer to enter our lives, but you know
what? God had to use cancer to make me a
better minister while strengthening me spiritually and emotionally and giving
me a greater focus and determination to expand the Kingdom. As a thirty one year old male who has
physically suffered more than most, my cancer journey and testimony commands
respect from people of all ages, including unbelievers. Years ago, I vowed to the Lord that if he
spared my life that I would not waste this extreme miracle of surviving
multiple leukemia (ALL and AML), the bone marrow transplant, and the advice of
three doctors telling me to go home and die and sign the hospice paperwork on
the way out the door, which of course I refused to sign because the Lord had
not told me it was my time to come home.
Therefore, Psalm 145:6 has become one of my life verses and it states, “They
(men) shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds (in my life), and I will
declare your greatness.”
My 2015 Relay for Life Speech:
Here is a copy of my original speech that was about five
minutes long. Dr. Douvas spoke before me
and basically covered my entire medical life story and I could have just tore
up my speech as I winged most of it while filling in some of the gaps. Thankfully, the Lord has gifted me with not
being afraid to speak in front of crowds and the Holy Spirit directed my
speech. But the third section, I was
able to cover word for word to a roaring applause.
It is a great honor and blessing to be here tonight! Yes, I was originally diagnosed in August
2011 with AML Leukemia and Dr. Mike Douvas was and is still my oncologist. After immediately going into remission, my
mom and I relocated to have a fresh start in Boise Idaho and within one year
the cancer came back with a fury! It
started attacking my central nervous system and was starting to cause partial
paralysis on my left side. I had to have
chemotherapy inserted directly into my brain to stop the onslaught. Most of us here know how terrible cancer is
and that unfortunately the treatments that we currently have that are
lifesaving, are sometimes almost as devastating to the body as the cancer
itself, and on top of that there is the emotional impact that suffering has on
a person. After I went back into
remission, I was being prepped for a bone marrow transplant in Utah, for Idaho
does not have any transplant centers.
Mom and I thought that everything was going along quite well as I was
receiving preventative chemo treatments to keep the Leukemia from coming back
until my scheduled transplant. Then on
Valentine’s Day 2013, we thought that we were going in for one final
appointment before the transplant regiment would begin. The doctor and coordinator came in and said,
“We are sorry, but the Leukemia has come back and there is nothing that we can
do!” Basically, they were telling me to
come home and die! But we had a presence
within both of us to not give up, I refused to sign the hospice paperwork and
left.
Between Valentine’s Day and April 1 2013, my body was
literally dying, I could not feed myself or get out of bed. I was unable to lay flat because of the
extreme pain that I was the going through as the cancer was killing me. Through some divine interventions on the last
day of March, I was made aware of another hospital in the region that did
transplants. On April 1 2013, mom and I
decided to try this other hospital that we had just found out about. So we called 911 and in Utah you can request
which hospital you are taken to, of course within reason, and we requested to
go to University of Utah. After I was
stabilized with blood and platelets in the ER, an oncologist came down from the
Huntsman Cancer Center, which you might actually see a commercial or two on
television for they are running a large media campaign right now, and the
oncologist said that he is up for a challenge and accepted me into their
oncology and transplant department. They
immediately did radiation treatment on me and I went back into remission. The previous hospital said that no reputable
doctor would do radiation on me, and this is the first treatment that I
received at Huntsman Cancer Center. I
would end up spending about four continuous months in the hospital and did
receive a bone marrow transplant on July 10, 2013. Again, it seemed like everything was going
great and I celebrated my 30th birthday on October 16, 2013 with church friends
and family in Utah which was a miracle in itself. I had a routine bone marrow biopsy scheduled
for the next day. This time it appeared
that the transplant had failed for the results of that biopsy showed 77%
leukemic infiltration in my blood and Huntsman Cancer Center was not optimistic
about my future.
In faith, my mom and I packed up, contacted Dr. Douvas at
UVA, who said that he would try a treatment but no guarantees, and we moved
back to VA and stayed with some church friends until we got situated. Dr. Douvas tried a unique blending of
different chemo drugs which worked! I
was officially declared as being in remission and that the transplant was
successful in February of last year, 2014.
Since that time, I have had no relapses.
You probably have noticed that I have a cane here and that is due to
breaking my ankle, which happened because of a weakening of the bones from all
of the chemo and radiation that I have received and I still have some other
lingering effects. But what I am wanting
to convey through all of this is that miracles can and do happen. Sadly, not everyone is healed and I sure wish
they were and we may never know this side of eternity why some are healed and
others not. Also, most doctors are
skilled and gifted like Dr. Douvas, but they are not God and until God says it
is your time, keep fighting, keep pressing on, and don’t give up!
The Prayer that I Delivered to Close the Ceremony and Recommence the Walking:
Almighty God, our creator, sustainer, and healer, whose
power has no bounds or limits. We ask
that you bless us and be with all of us here, especially those who have cancer,
have had cancer, the loved ones who give such great care, and the friends and
families of those who have lost the battle.
May we all live our lives with an attitude of gratitude and not
entitlement while utilizing the precious time that we do have on this earth to
love, serve, comfort, and encourage others while making a lasting impact of
good. We thank you for events like this
that raise awareness and funds for research that turns into applicable
treatments that will one day eliminate cancer.
Therefore, we humbly petition you for wisdom and guidance to all the
doctors and scientists that are diligently searching for a cure, thanksgiving
for all of us who have survived, healing and courage for those who are battling
cancer right now, support for the families, friends, and caregivers of those
who have cancer, comfort and peace for those who are near the end of their
lives, and remembrance for all those who have had their lives cut short because
of this terrible disease.
And God in Heaven, we thank you for all of the
fundraisers, volunteers, coordinators, the American Cancer Society, those who
are walking, and everyone else who has made this event possible. Encourage us all to know and realize that our
steps and actions right now will make a difference and that you will honor our
efforts while strengthening our resolve to end the plague of cancer. We ask all of this in the name of your son,
Jesus. Amen.
Closing Thoughts:
If you have read this far, I commend you. Wherever you are in your life and walk with
the Lord, I urge you to press on in serving Him! You may serve in secular employment, fulltime
ministry, part-time ministry, missionary, student, a homemaker, and so forth. It does not matter what vocation you have,
you can and need to make an impact for the Kingdom within the sphere of
influence that the Lord has given you!
For I hope you, like I, desire to one day hear, “Well done good and
faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21).
