just posted this picture of the two of them on Facebook when they were both seven years old. (Sarah would have been about two months past her bone marrow transplant.)
It was so much fun to see a picture of Sarah that I’d never seen before. She and Victoria have always been into dressing up and doing dramas and skits and plays so this is a picture of them “hard at work.”
she just announced that after graduating in June, she will be attending UNC-C (which happens to be Steve’s alma mater) to study pre-med and nursing. When she is finished with that, she wants to go on to become a doctor and eventually use her training in medical missions.
Can you believe the little girl in this picture is headed off to be a doctor? Where do the years go? (I’ve heard it said that for mothers, the days pass slowly and the years pass quickly—how true that is.)
I’ve mentioned Tricia Lawrenson a few times on this blog. (Tricia’s husband, Nathan, is the music pastor at a church about fifteen minutes away from us.) Tricia has been in desperate need of lungs for a second transplant and was in ICU at Duke headed downhill very quickly. On Tuesday, lungs became available and she went into a 10-hour surgery Tuesday night. Fourteen hours after the surgery, she was off the vent, up and walking.
Our family and church have prayed often for this couple; so happy to report good news!
Here is a fun story about our own Nathan.
One of my readers, Linda Johnson, sent me this note:
Just had to share with you. We were in Lakeland Saturday, and went to Chick-Fil-A. I noticed this young man and thought I think I know him. Then I remembered where I had seen that face on your page. I ask if his name was Nathan and he said yes, and if his sister’s name was Sarah he smiled real big and said ” you must follow the blog” I said I sure do everyday and then I congratulated him on the baby. It was neat seeing him in person.
What a funny coincidence! And another coincidence is that one of the few other “family sightings” by blog readers also happened in a Chick-Fil-A near Greensboro, NC when a reader spotted Sarah. And if I recall correctly, someone else said they saw Steve earlier this year at a gas station somewhere in North Carolina.
Definitely a small world . . .
Lovely picture 🙂 How time fliesI just noticed that for the first time you haven’t posted on the day Sarah was diagnosed so a belated congrats with being a 11 years.old survivor Sarah !
Trine,
Thanks so much for the reminder! You can really tell we’ve beyond our cancer journey when we forget to remember the 11th anniversary! We’ll celebrate and be thankful today instead. 🙂
That was what i thought too. What a blessing that we can be thankful and celebrate today 🙂 And by the way it is hard to believe that Sarah soonish will be 18 years old 🙂 What a miracle 🙂
Becky: I love good news days. I pray that Tricia continues to improve.
Mel,
I love good news too, and Tricia’s is some of the best I’ve heard in a long time. Thanks so much for your prayers!
I’ m glad for an update on Victoria. It seems like I have “known” her for years.
Margie,
That made me smile. 🙂
what a great picture of nate and tricia. I read the blog this morning, but I didn’t see any picture.
I imagine that Sarah was perhaps an inspiration for Victoria’s desire to become a doctor.
Mrs. Pam,
He mostly posts his pictures on FB and Twitter. And yes, I think it’s wonderful to think that Sarah may be part of Victoria’s inspiration to be a doctor.
It is surely a small world. I went to the ophthalmologist on Tuesday. As his assistant was getting my history, we talked about the strong family history of glaucoma that my family has. Because of it, my aunt who lives in Springfield, MO has had to go to KC for surgery on her eyes twice. I mentioned it to the assistant and she immediately told me the doctor’s name. Turns out her son-in-law is an optometrist in KC.
Phyllis,
Wow. That IS amazing! I bet you both got a kick out that! 🙂