Pray for Zac

There is a place where my heart and mind go to everyday, that place is with my nephew Zac and his wife Christy.  You see, Zac is battling Stage 4 Esophageal Cancer and his wife Christy is his advocate in everything that happens within the medical world.  They deal with all of this while living 825 miles from their hometown, their family and friends.

Zac ans Christy right before diagnosis May 2013

Cancer does not discriminate against race, religion, economic status or age.  Zac is only 34 years old.  Zac is a military man and he was raised to be tough by my tough but caring teddy bear of a brother.  He has a mother that is loving and kind to everyone she comes in contact with and she loves her children with fierceness and loyalty.  He has 2 daughters that need his love and presence in their lives for many, many years to come.  He has a wife that would trade places with him if it would make him better.  This is just my side of the family.

Homecoming from Iraq

Christy has a Facebook group where she bears her heart and soul with updates about Zac’s prognosis, treatments and photos for family and friends.  We all wait for updates about what is going on in their daily lives and Christy shares these updates with a brutal honesty that most people could not openly do.  In her own way she is journaling this struggle for the whole world to see.  As she had written in many posts “If one person reads this and it helps them- my mission is accomplished”. 

Because of her Facebook group I have seen my family and friends from all over the US come together in prayer.  I don’t mean just a few people, I mean hundreds of people and those hundreds of people share the need for prayer with hundreds of other people.  I think it has prompted us to find time to pray on those days when we just don’t do it.  It has brought the importance of prayer to the forefront in my life and it has enriched my relationship with God.

Day at the beach after appointments at MD Anderson

You know when we get a cough or cold and we mope around like it is the end of the world, it’s not.  I let my MS get me down some days but MS itself is not going to kill me.  I will be alright but Zac is battling for his life.  

We got to visit with Zac and Christy while they were home at Christmas.  The visit was only for about 30 minutes but I would not trade that 30 minutes for a million dollars.  I was able to hug them again and it was grand.

My plea is to those who read this lift Zac, Christy, the girls, my brother and sister-in-law and Zac’s sisters up in prayer as often as we can each day.  I pray for God to guide the doctors and nurses who treat Zac, I pray for a clinical trial that fits Zac’s case, I pray for grace and mercy for Zac and Christy.

I love you both so much.  Aunt Cindi