More of August Memories on Throwback Thursday

Continuing on with my August memories, I am reminded of August, 1987, when we were in Seattle for my brother's bone marrow transplant. That was a month of watching and waiting to see how he was responding to my bone marrow. Today I was thinking about their son, Chase, who was probably 6 or 7 months old when my brother was first diagnosed with his cancer in 1985. He was two years old at the time of the transplant. Chase is one of the many miracles over the years for my brother and his wife who had been married eight years and didn't think they would be having any children. 

But it was surprise, surprise!! when they discovered that Susan was expecting. The real blessing in this miracle is that had not God blessed them with this boy at that time, the cancer treatments would have almost assuredly foiled any possibility off that happening afterward because of all the radiation he had undergone. God's timing is so awesome, don't you think?

When times are difficult, the presence of a child brings joy and comfort and I believe it was true in this circumstance. 

It must be terrifying to think about what the future holds for your child when you are going through such a life-threatening situation, yet the love and yearning for that child would bring hope and encouragement in the will to not only survive, but to grasp hold of and live life! 

My brother not only survived, but he learned lots of valuable things in the process and has lived his life to the fullest ever since. I think he would tell you that the experience changed him for the better. Whatever ambitions may have driven him before went out the window and were replaced with the deeper knowledge and thankfulness of the blessing of life and the people he loved. What was strong before, was even stronger after!