March 14, 2024, our daughter and I moved to Seattle for seven weeks. She was officially starting a clinical trial — one that gave us hope. We felt strongly that God was guiding us to this exact place.
The road to getting into the trial wasn’t easy. It requires T-cells to be collected and manufactured into CAR-T cells. That process can go smoothly, or it can be very trying. For us, unfortunately, it was trying. After two failed attempts, a month devoted to prayer, and a new collection of T-cells, we finally found success.
As I write this, they are manufacturing her next batch. While they haven’t struggled to create strong cells since those first two failed attempts, it still brings me to my knees, asking God to help create the best fighter cells possible for our daughter. Without those cells, there is no trial, no treatment — and in a moment, your world could be turned upside down. Many families face that exact hardship throughout the year.
Moving to Seattle, the hardest part for her in that moment was leaving her family, friends, and school. Seven weeks felt like forever for an eleven-year-old. For me, half of my family was at home. My husband and I would switch as needed, and that was hard. But the unknown — the unknown was the hardest part, because behind the move, the trial, and all the logistics was the reality we had been facing since the very beginning.
From the day of her diagnosis, we were told there was no known cure and only a handful of treatment options. I knew we would only make it through with our full faith and trust in Jesus. There is no greater healer.
In many ways, He left me no other option but to depend on Him for every decision. He was allowing me to break — and it was hard.
But now, two years later, I can see how He has taken that breaking and built my faith and trust in Him far beyond what I ever imagined.
Do I still struggle? Yes. Fear and anxiety are powerful tools of the enemy. But our daughter is truly a walking, living, breathing testimony.
Trials are lived best in the moment — the hour, the day. When I try to figure out the future, that’s where my battle begins again.
We are thankful beyond words for the incredible doctors, nurses, and staff at Seattle Children’s Hospital who have taken care of our daughter. We are deeply grateful for God’s guidance, grace, and mercy in every step.
Our daughter is proof that even in the hardest trials, God is still writing miracles. Every infusion is a reminder that He is still writing her story. Infusion #42 is complete, and today will be filled with a birthday party, laughter, and time with her friends — the kind of moments we never take for granted. God has carried us through every step, and today we celebrate both His goodness and the gift of another beautiful day.
God is good.