Pray for Stephanie

This is my friend, Stephanie.

(This photo was taken in February of 2008.  2008 is otherwise known as "The Hardest Year of My Life" or, the year my husband was in Afghanistan.  Stephanie was part of a Mom's group at Ft. Benning where we lived, and we would meet up for coffee, breakfast, company and conversation about once a week at a Panera Bread.  Those women, including Stephanie, are what helped me the most to make it through the difficult days of that deployment.)

She is sweet and kind.

She is friendly and warm.

She is a loving, doting mother of two young girls: 4 years old Sara(the baby in the picture is Sara and she is now a big girl!) and 19 month old June.

She is encouraging and supportive.

She is smart and funny.

She is a wonderful person, who I am blessed to know.

And right now, this very minute, she is fighting for her life in a hospital in Atlanta.

She was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia last week right before Thanksgiving.  She was admitted to the hospital to begin treatments, but her health status has rapidly declined in the last 48 hours.  This morning my Facebook was lit up with messages urging everyone to pray fervently for her, for her family, for her sweet daughters.

For her life.

This, I believe is truly what social networking is FOR.  To bring people together in a time of crisis.  But it is also the kind of thing that will just stop you in your tracks, feeling hopeless and speechless.  I tried to keep it together while getting children ready for school, not wanting to alarm any of them but my heart was truly breaking.

My oldest stayed home from school today, he woke up with a giant swollen eye lid and there were no appointments until the afternoon.  We drove Bug to school, but had to sit in the parking lot for a bit as I was simply overcome with tears for my dear friend.  My heart was just hurting so badly, most especially for her darling baby girls who need their Mama with them.  I told them we could go in to the school in a minute.

My oldest boy, my dear son looked at me and said "Mom, I think we should pray. Right now.  I think that is what you need to do."

I think he stayed home because Someone knew I would need him with me today.

We sat in our car and offered up a short, tear-filled prayer.

Afterwards Edo said "Don't worry Mom. It will be ok."  But it wasn't said with the pure optimism of a child.  He understands full well that my friend may die.  It was said with the pure hope that no matter what happens, she will be ok.  Whether or not she will be here on earth with her family, friends and loved ones when she is healed remains to be seen.  But he knows, in his heart, a greater truth.  One that brings comfort and peace even in the midst of hardships such as this.

This is my beautiful friend, Stephanie.  That is her youngest daughter, June.

Here is the last blog post she wrote on November 17th shortly before being diagnosed: God's My Strength

Please, in whatever way you can, say a prayer for this wonderful lady and for her entire family.  She is 26 years old.  She has two beautiful girls, and a loving husband Michael who is in the Air Force.  She is a strong woman, but at this time it will take a literal miracle for her to pull through.

Please pray.  I know she would do it for any one of us, friend or stranger. Because that is the kind of person Stephanie is, and one of many reasons I am proud to know her.