This is Taylor. She's a middle schooler who loves to talk to her friends, shop at the mall, all that jazz. Taylor has osteosarcoma, or bone cancer. Not in all her bones, just a specific area of her left arm. It pretty much sucks. Because just when they removed part of a bone a year ago, replacing it with a cadaver bone to hold the place until further surgery could be performed, a couple months ago Taylor came out of remission. That's right, the cancer was back. Now she's back on chemo. That beautiful hair is about to be gone...again.
Meet Hollyn. She's eight years old. She has a big family...three sisters and a brother. She's the middle child. She loves the third grade and the Cheetah Girls. But right now, she is spending a restless night in the hospital...again. She had chemo today at 4:00 p.m. and has to be woken up every hour and a half to have things checked. She loves to wear hats, which is good because she just lost the hair that had grown back. Hollyn has a rare form of childhood cancer known as Wilm's Tumor, which grows on the kidneys. She has relapsed twice now, most recently in October right before her family went to the Lighthouse Family Retreat.
That's where I met both girls. Their stories are real and they touched my heart. I just wanted to write this post so that you would pray for both of them. Please pray hard. What they are going through isn't easy. Hollyn's situation, especially, is particularly difficult. If you'd like to read more of what is happening with them, you can click on their sites to the left in my blog listing. They are called "Hollyn's Site" and "Taylor's Site." I know both of these families would really appreciate your prayers.
As I sit up with insomnia tonight, I can't help but feel grateful for my health---allergies and all. Hollyn's mom put it best at the end of her blog today:
"Remember to tell your loved ones how much you love them, and hold each moment with them close to your heart. Nothing in this world is perfect, but life can be so wonderful anyway, even in this world of pediatric cancer."
The current St. Jude's commercial says, "Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life." I'm so thankful for each of you. Hug and kiss those you love today, and mean it.
Praise the Lord! Havilla Children's Home is getting a new dormitory building that will be multi-story and have the ability to accommodate MORE orphaned and vulnerable children! God is so good! Please keep Joseph and Salome in your prayers as they work with builders while still caring for their own daughters (Gloria and Christophany), in addition to their 46 adopted children!!! I know they'd appreciate it! God is work in Kenya!
Here is Joseph and Salome, with daughters Christophany (left, age 3) and Gloria (right, age 5). How about that UpStreet shirt Salome is wearing?! 
