July 11, 2000

Dear Family,

How can these things be? Why would God bring Skylar this far
toward recovery and then allow the cancer to take over again?
Let me summarize the history of Skylar's illness:

Skylar was diagnosed a year ago April with Wilm's tumor, a form
of childhood cancer that appears on a kidney. Although his cancer
had already spread to lungs and liver, at that time the doctors
gave him a 70% chance of survival and began him on a course of
chemotherapy. The chemotherapy seemed at first to be working,
reducing the size of the massive tumor in his abdomen.

Later scans showed that the tumors were not shrinking as fast
as expected, and so Skylar was switched to a different chemo
program and his chance of survival was downgraded. Surgery
was repeatedly deferred. Finally in December Dr. Moss went in
and removed what was left of the main tumor. Unfortunately,
a small length of Skylar's colon was also involved and had to
be removed. Dr. Moss told us that this was not a serious thing
and that only a small percentage of subjects in this case had
complications. The better news was that they had examined Skylar's
liver while he was opened up, and were unable to find any sign
of the tumors previously detected there.

Then, a week into recovery from the surgery, Skylar began to have
unexplained fevers; diagnosis showed that his bowel was leaking
bacteria into his abdominal cavity. They had to perform surgery
again, opening him up and cleaning him out and giving him a
colostomy, an opening in his abdomen for feces to exit into a
bag. I was greatly grieved that God had brought about this
setback rather than granting success to the first surgery. Even
so, God's hand was evident; the "spill" from the colon had been
contained in a small area, confined to a relatively small place
in a "pocket" formed by Skylar's bowels - unusual enough that the
surgeon had remarked on it.

Gradually, Skylar healed from that surgery. He despised the
colostomy bag (as would anyone). About a month later they operated
again to reconnect his colon, reversing the colostomy. When he
had barely recovered from that surgery he was put through a series
of radiation treatments on his lungs. He survived those treatments
and was doing fairly well at the end of February when they admitted
him for a bone marrow transplant.

"We have to do the BMT right away, it is the only thing that will
save his life" -- so said Dr. Marina, Skylar's oncologist. I plead
with Suzanne not to allow it, but she was more swayed by the doctors.
And so Skylar went through the BMT and nearly died. Of five children
who had a BMT at that time, three are dead and only Skylar and Katie
made it through.

And so I must pause to give thanks and glory to God who brought Skye
through that valley of the shadow of death. There were many times
when the doctors told us to prepare for his death; yet God had mercy
on Skylar and on us, and since then I have had precious times with
Skylar, holding him and talking with him and singing to him and
praying with him. I have been reassured that he knows and is known
by the "One Whom to know is life eternal", Emmanuel, God with us.

One of Skylar's favorite songs is "Come, O Come, Emmanuel". Last
week after singing it for him, I asked (as is my custom) "Skylar,
Who is Emmanuel?" "Jesus" Skylar answered. "Do you know what
Emmanuel means?" I asked. "No" Skylar said. "Emmanuel means
God is with us, that Jesus is always with us and has promised never
to leave us."

The next evening as I was singing for Skylar at bedtime, he said
"Papa?" "What, Skylar?" I responded. Pointing to his side he said
"Emmanuel is always here in my heart."

I thank the Lord, my God since my own childhood, that I can trust my
precious child to His care and keeping. I do not know exactly what
He will do; He is the Judge of all the earth, and along with Abraham
I know that He will do right. I also have the confidence to ask Him
for what I want in the matter, and that is Skylar's healing and his
recovery. The pronouncements of doctors have already been and
may again be overruled by the Sovereign Lord, if He so wishes.

We have an urgent prayer request; Skylar is in the local hospital
suffering from pneumonia; please pray for his recovery so that he
might be able to go home soon so that we can minister to him.

I have asked Suzanne to allow me to minister to Skylar's needs at
this time. We are planning to try and provide him with more
nourishing fresh food -- right now most of his "nourishment" comes
out of a can, and it is mostly sugar. As a result, his attention
span is extremely short and he is very weak. I ask you to pray that
God grant us success in this. I believe that the foods that God
created for him, juice from fresh vegetables and fruit, can help
Skylar feel better and stronger.

"Be surety for Thy servant for good." - Psalm 119:122

Please ask that the Lord might by Skylar's surety - that He might
compensate for what Skylar is presently missing in his diet and give
us the chance to remedy that.

Thank you all for standing with us in prayers and encouragement.

-Dann (for Pam and Chris as well)