Prayers Needed for Wildman Family
 

As many of our diesel customers may know, Tony Wildman's daughter, Morgan, was diagnosed with brain cancer in March 2009 at age 8. In her words:

I was having headaches everyday, and wanting to sleep a lot. My Mom knew something was wrong, but she didn't know what. So after our first family vacation together, we went to get my eyes checked and the Dr. found something there. I had an MRI that same day and they found the tumor in my head.

My tumor is a Stage II Ependymoma which is a malignant brain tumor. Dr. Donahue at Cooks did my surgery. He did his best to remove all of it. It took a long time. I know God guided his hands.

I also had to have radiation treatments. I donated my long hair to Locks of Love so that they can make a wig for someone who is going to loose all of their hair.

Unfortunately, after two years, it returned. She was on medication to reduce it, but it failed. She had surgery last week, and the pathology reports show that the cancer has returned. As per Donna Wildman:

Dr. Murray, the oncologist, called with the pathology test results. The test showed it to be a recurrent ependymoma, the stains matched the previous tumor. So that means the mass IS cancerous, just like before. We meet with the Dr. Murray on Friday to go over what happens next.

Morgan is still improving. She has the issue with the paralysis that we are praying will go away, as her swelling comes down. It is causing her to take more breaks, because she can not close her eye completely, either by blinking or when sleeping. She also has to eat from one side of her mouth and take little bites. She is currently taking a 6 day round of steroids to hopefully help with that. She is one tough little cookie.

She enjoys waking up and sitting in the swing on the back porch before it gets too hot. She ate her breakfast out there this morning.

We know this may look like God didn't answer the prayers we were wanting, but we just have to continue to have faith and hope and be patient. We are clinging to Isaiah 40:23-31. We know we serve an everlasting God, and He asks us to wait.

Thank you again for your continual support and outpouring prayers for Morgan and our family. It has been a roller coaster!

Dad & Mom

Please keep the Wildmans in your prayers. I cannot imagine what they must be going through.

Thoughts and prayers sent.......take care

From Morgan's journal 7-22-11

Hello all,

Donna and I met with Dr. Murray, the oncologist, today. He said that the tumor markers match the previous tumor exactly, so this is a recurrent aggressive ependymoma.

He told us that he would like to do another series of radiation therapy. He also said that there really isn't any data to support it one way or the other, simply because the data doesn't exist. The type of tumor that Morgan has, makes up less than 8% of pediatric tumors world wide, so there just isn't any type of background for us to go on.

We are praying about whether or not to do the therapy, we don't want to hurt Morgan anymore than she already has been, especially if there isn't good data to support exposing her to even more dangerous radiation. It also doesn't look good for her to do radiation this close to her last radiation exposure. We did the maximum dosage in 2009.

We will meet with the radiation-oncologist sometime in the next couple of weeks and see what she has to say and recommend and what risks are involved.

Of course the overall prognosis isn't what we want to hear, and that is that her tumor will return again and again until it takes her life. Again, there isn't much data to provide us that is long term. Dr. Murray said that Dr. Donahue felt like he removed the tumor entirely, which is the best thing for an ependymoma. We are so thankful for all the doctors and staff at Cook's. They have done a wonderful job.

This all said, the final say is ALWAYS left to God. The best news is that we KNOW it says in Rom 8:28 that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose.

We also know is Ps118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD that to put confidence in man. In John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God......

That is what we are going to try to do, BELIEVE in God and his promises and enjoy each day! Thank you again for your support and prayers of encouragement!

Tony & Donna

Prayers sent. I will keep this little child in my prayers from this day forward.

I am so, so sorry for little Morgan and the terrible hand life has dealt her. And, my heart goes out to her parents who suffer at her side. I can't imagine what they are going through. Sometimes, life is NOT fair. And, we are not given the knowledge to understand why this should be.

My thoughts are with Morgan and her family.

- Jack