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closeI believe in prayer. I also believe in hope.
And I know of one local family that needs both right now.
While some people have a hard time believing in God, I have a hard time understanding how you could not believe in God.
I believe God is merciful and that He not only listens to prayers, He answers them as well.
So today, I am asking you to pray for Olivia Culpepper.
I have never met Olivia, but several weeks ago I spoke with her mom, concerning an article I wrote about having a child with cancer. Since then, I have kept up with Miss Olivia through her Caring Bridge Web site.
Reading her mom’s daily posts is not for the weak of heart.
Olivia is sick, as sick as you can possibly be.
Right now, she is in Texas at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, fighting for her life.
A 5-year-old child should be spending her summer in a pool, not lying in a hospital bed.
The worst thing is that Olivia is not a singular case. Pediatric cancer is considered rare — if you consider about 14,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed each year “rare.” According to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation, for children from 1-19 years old, cancer is the fourth-leading cause of death overall and the leading cause of disease-related death.
But the good news is that we are making progress. The Pediatric Cancer Foundation estimates there is now an 80 percent survival rate, up from 50 percent in the 1970s and 10 percent in 1950s. That is just one of the reasons that I respect Jeff and Misty McAfee. When their daughter was stricken, they started a foundation named for her and got to work to help raise money for pediatric cancer research.
Since its formation four years ago, the Joanna McAfee Childhood Cancer Foundation has spent about $200,000 in pursuit of its mission to raise awareness of childhood cancers, donate to research and support children and their families that have been stricken with cancer.
Children like Olivia.
Right now, Olivia is in a battle, and she needs to armed with the most powerful weapon there is — the prayers of the faithful. She needs you to drop to your knees and lift her up to the great physician. You can read about her journey on her Caring Bridge site. You can add notes of comfort there or better yet, you can send her some mail at the hospital: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 300206, Houston, TX 77230-0206.)
Then, after you get finished praying and writing a note to Olivia, write one more thing. A check. Send your contribution to the Joanna McAfee Foundation, so that we — the Middle Georgia Family — can help ensure that what took Joanna from us and what Olivia and others like her are enduring will stop happening to our kids.
Donations to the Joanna McAfee Childhood Cancer Foundation are tax deductible and can be mailed to P.O. Box 9537, Warner Robins, GA 31095-9537.
:Contact Alline Kent at allinekent@cox.net or at 396-2467.
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