
Good morning…
We have been praying through the cancer journey of Audrey DeShetler for the past fourteen and a half years. Now, with her at nineteen years old, we have arrived at her father’s powerful Facebook post from yesterday.
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Back home / healing from above by Ben DeShetler
So much has happened since I last posted and it’s hard to know where to start. In mid January, Audrey’s oncologist told us the dire news of her relapse. She said there would be no more cutting edge trials or anything that Audrey would be eligible for. Her lung deterioration and dependence on steroids prohibited that. She said that her pulmonary condition would continue to deteriorate and that her cancer was becoming more aggressive, primitive, and less targetable. When her circulating tumor DNA went from <1% to 25% in less than 3 months and the cancer activity became present in her lungs and in the lymph nodes of her chest and abdomen, we knew it was bad. She essentially said Audrey would have only weeks perhaps a couple months to live at best. That was 5 weeks ago.
Audrey requested chemo because she did not want to stop fighting, but she also said she wanted to return to Notre Dame. The doctor gave her a dose that was only considered to be palliative. Jennifer was beside herself in tears, but Audrey being the strong one said, “Mom, I’ll be OK. I have thousands of people praying for me.” So with that, Audrey, Jennifer and Scott made the drive up to South Bend (They couldn’t fly because of a plural effusion (hole) in Audrey’s lung, which could cause a lung collapse with the pressure change in the plane).
So, we agreed to let Audrey go to class for a couple of weeks and see her friends, perhaps for one last time. Notre Dame allowed Jennifer to live on campus in a grad school apartment to keep a close eye on her. Audrey did great at first, probably partially due to the high dose IV steroids that she had a week prior and the excitement of seeing her friends. As the days went on, however, we could see her deteriorating quickly. Her energy was dropping, her legs and fingers were dark purple, and she couldn’t even sit passively without ambient oxygen assistance. She no longer had an appetite and even lost 6lbs in a month. After two weeks, Audrey said it was enough and she couldn’t do it anymore, she was just too sick and had no energy. She could barely make it in and out of her bed without assistance at school. So three weeks ago from Sunday, Audrey decided to come home.
But Audrey’s story doesn’t end there.
We have been blessed with tremendous Christian friends that have prayed over us and essentially served as our spiritual guides for the past several months through this turmoil; even my old friend helping us partake in a paramount religious pilgrimage of healing, praying, and anointing. Consequently, two weeks ago, Audrey came to us and said she really needed to talk. She said with tears in her eyes, that after our evening prayers, Jesus came to her later in the night. She said she’s seen him before and she hugged him as a child, but this was the first time he came to her and he hugged her instead. She said that after that moment, she couldn’t describe it but she knew she would not die.
Since then, we have seen an alternative doctor (MD) that has given us some small supplemental recommendations, but more importantly we have been pursuing God intently. Audrey saw the oncologist last week and the doctor thought she would be discussing hospice arrangements for her, but she said Audrey, shockingly, looked too good for that. Miraculously, Audrey has been improving day by day for the past 2 weeks. Her oxygen saturation has gotten better, she coughs less, her color has returned to normal, her resting heart rate has lowered, her appetite is returning, and she can sit without ambient oxygen (Her resting oxygen has gone from 88 to 93). For the first time in months, she can walk from the car to a table inside a restaurant without her concentrator and finish a meal. We’ve even slightly lowered her steroid dose as well as other meds. She is still nowhere near normal function, but for over a year, we have only seen her health deteriorate. We’ve never seen improvements until now.
We believe God has healed her just as Audrey believes it. We do not question it. We know it has happened. She was trapped, fighting 2 terminal and progressive diseases. The only way out was divine healing. We are still are praying for the continued manifestations of this healing, but we can see her gradually getting better and we give thanks every day for it.
So I know this is an unusual post, but it is a testimony in faith. We know that Audrey has been blessed by God and we feel she still has big things to come in this life. Audrey says she will to go back to Notre Dame in the fall, and we have no doubt that she will make it.
There is so much more that I could discuss and share, but I would need a book to write it all. I want to thank all of you for your continued thoughts and prayers. Your prayers mean everything and have sustained us.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed”. – Isaiah 53:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. – Proverbs 3:5-8
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Now, there is a WOW. Sometimes the only way out is divine healing. We join this faithful family, praying for the continued manifestations of Audrey’s healing. We give God thanks every single day.
…Sue…