Prayers for Jude

My 4 1/2 year old nephew, Jude, has a tumor in his head. Jude is the son of my youngest sister, Sarah and her husband, Clint. They also have Addie who is 3. Jude fell down some basement stairs on December 18 and seemed fine so after checking him over, Sarah decided he didn't need to be taken in or anything. A week and a half later he got a swelling over his left eyelid. She took him to the doctor who opted to watch it. It wasn't bruised or anything. A few days later the swelling moved over to the side of his face, so she took him back and the doctor ordered some blood work which turned out fine, so she continued to watch it. Meanwhile, Sarah was really nervous and was searching the internet. She felt in her heart it was something really bad and kept asking me about cancer. I kept reassuring her that it was not cancer as did her pediatrician. So, she found this thing that was a rare complication of a skull fracture that I had never heard of and she printed it off and took it to the pediatrician. The doctor had never heard of it either but decided it was worth ruling out so she ordered a skull xray. Sarah took Jude to Children's Mercy South last Wednesday for the xray (same day as the visit to the doc) and the radiologist who looked at the xray said immediately that they needed a CT scan. So, they got the CT and the radiologist called her doctor and then he told Sarah (with her pediatrician on the phone) that Jude had a tumor in his head around his left eye, extending to his left temporal lobe of his brain, and around his left cheek bone. Sarah immediately called me and the radiologist spoke to me. Meanwhile we were having an awful snowstorm here in KC. The radiologist offered to drive she and Jude home! But, Craig was home that day and so our kids went to Amy's and we went and got Sarah and Jude. It took us 2 hrs to get home due to the storm. By the time we got home, the hospital was calling wanting Jude admitted to the downtown location.

He spent 2 days there getting tests which showed that his brain is not involved (praised God!), his eye is not involved (praise God!) and that the tumor appears to be coming from the bone around his eye. They think it is probably a rhabdomyosarcoma which is malignant but we are waiting on the results of the biopsy they took on Friday. He will most likely undergo surgery and/or chemo and/or radiation.

Right now he feels fine and is playing and silly like any other 4 year old little boy. My kids have been spending tons of time with him, like usual. My kids and Sarah's kids are pretty much inseparable all the time, but Jake's schooling has been pushed aside a bit right now. I know that we can get schooling done later and that time with Jude when he is feeling well is primary importance. Soon, he may have an upset tummy or feel tired and not like playing. And, then Jake can lay around and read to him and viola! school being done FOR Jude!!

This is very hard on our family as anyone could imagine. My sister is so strong. My brother in law is being the Daddy rock. He went back to work yesterday and when I talked to him he was like "That is what the Dad does. He has to. I'm not going to let my family go into poverty and we MUST keep our health insurance." He is right, but it must be SO hard for him to walk out of his house every day! Sarah and Clint are brokenhearted. Amy and I are brokenhearted. Mom and Dad are brokenhearted. I don't know that I've ever seen my Dad so brokenhearted. I've seen him sad and crushed but you can just tell he wants to TAKE this FOR Jude. Yesterday my Dad went and bought all of the adults and my 8 1/2 year old niece rings to wear that say, "Everything is possible when you have faith." We are all wearing them faithfully. And we are praying faithfully.

If anyone is reading this, please pray for Jude. Here is his caring bridge site. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/judemartinez