Celebrating 5 Years of Miracles..

Dearest Maddie,
How could it be 5 years since you were diagnosed with a rare pediatric cancer that rocked our world! By God's grace, you are our miracle! You are a healthy, spirited, spunky, brilliant, lovely, and loving 5 ½ year old! 

My heart was shattered five years ago when I learned of your devastating diagnosis. That said, I praise and thank God for the miracles He has performed in your life and for the gifts He continues to bestow upon you.

Lots has happened since that fateful night five years ago! God surrounded you with His Angels and Saints, He brought you the finest medical experts who were kind, and compassionate. Thanks to God’s grace and mercy, YOU are healthy! God blessed you with good test results and follow up visits to Hopkins revealing that you are healthy. Every family member, friend, colleague, and neighbor stormed heaven with prayers, pleading and bargaining with God to heal you! Each visit to Hopkins brought anxiety, God blessed each visit and answered every single prayer offered for you.

Maddie, you are a natural leader, even at 5 ½ years old! Everyone knows there is something very special about you. Do you know what they see? They see God's grace working in you! How do we witness God's grace in you? The light shining brightly in you is God’s love and God’s light. The Gospel of Matthew 5: 4-5 tells us: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Your light burns brightly reflecting God’s love, Maddie!

God has a Mission and plan that only you can accomplish, Maddie. The world will try to fill your heart and head with wrong ideas, that it's not important to pray, or to go to Church, or to be a good person. The devil lies and tries to convince good people that it's ok to be lazy and stop going to Church. It's NOT ok! You are very blessed, you are the living example of God's miraculous power and presence in our world.

Just a little review….you were 7 ½ months old when you were diagnosed with a rare pediatric cancer, Wilms Tumor, you’re 5 ½ years old now and are in Kindergarten. You and your big sister, Josie, are precious children who love playing with your American Girl dolls! You play field hockey and just scored a winning goal! Maddie, you are a spirited, sweet, adorable, gorgeous, and brilliant little girl. Your delicate feminine ways are outdone by your spunk and determination, which undoubtedly served you well 5 years ago when you were fighting for your life!

Always know that you are smart, beautiful, lovely, loving, kind, gentle, expressive, creative, and so much more! With God's help, you can do anything you put your mind to! Never doubt God spared your life, for HIS purpose. He has a special plan just for you, one only you can achieve, one that will ask you to tap into the many, many gifts and talents with which you’ve been blessed.

Miss Maddie, your gregarious, charming, delightful innocence is inspiring! Thank you for your grace and beauty and for choosing, even at a tender age, to be a Light Brightly Shining in our world! You, as an infant in arms, transformed families and communities. Because of you, many people found God and turned to Him to plead for you.
Nothing, not the moon nor the sun, can contain the depth and breadth of my love for you!

Thank you, Jesus for blessing our family with the miraculous healing you granted Maddie! We lift up all children and grownups who are sick, suffering, and lonely and implore God to intercede for ALL!

I love you with all of my heart, precious Madeline!

Grandma