Prayer Request

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Comment by barry greenfield on October 20, 2010 at 2:15pm

This is an email from my friend whose wife has been fighting Leukemia. This is a praise report yet much need for continued prayer.. In HIS Name. Barry Shari Greenfield

For those few friends and family who have not heard, Shirley had a brand new miracle occur today. In September, my wife’s bone marrow biopsy showed 95% cancer in her marrow. After 3 intense chemo sessions and almost dying 3 times in the last month, we just got the results of last Friday’s biopsy. The leukemia now only comprises 0.5% of her bone marrow. That is five-tenths of one percent, not half. The doctor said she is almost in total remission. If you speak to an oncologist or oncology nurse, they will tell you this is totally unheard of with someone with leukemia in blast crisis. Several nurses today said it is an absolute miracle. With blast crisis, she is supposed to get worse quickly and die, not better. She is now strong enough to go through a bone marrow transplant which is dangerous itself, but she will be cured. When she was diagnosed, we did not have any insurance that would cover her getting the $600,000 bone marrow transplant, but a doctor referred us to a place where I was able to secure it with pre-existing medical conditions. Shirley was approved this week. I will have to come up with several thousand dollars, and our premiums are high, but the insurance will pay most of the $600,000, and the other is chump change comparatively. God has His healing hands involved in all of this. Doctors and nurses dealing with leukemia patients do not want to hear blast crisis, and Shirley has been in blast crisis since March. Google it. It is a quick death sentence normally.

Shirley’s oncologist, Dr. James Young, really knows what he is doing and is highly-respected. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and then magna cum laude from Duke University Medical. He said Shirley is the toughest patient he has ever had. Two weeks ago he called me into his office and told me to prepare for the worst, that she may not live through the day.

And Shirley? She is like a kid in a candy store wondering how God will use her to inspire others and lead them towards Him. Two weeks ago, she was too weak to raise her head off her pillow, and the week before almost bled to death internally. Tomorrow, she starts working out on our Bowflex again and will start back slowly doing Pilades to get ready for the bone marrow transplant which takes place over a period of months. Her sister Jan (Guy) and brother Dave (Ebert) have both volunteered as donors, and Jan should statistically be the best match.

Our God is an awesome God! And my wife is the one woman who could have earned a Green Beret if that was allowed. What is cool is that she does not believe women should be allowed to earn one anyway. She thinks some things should just be for men (like her sons).

The war is not over, but some great battles have been won and her road ahead is a rough one. Shirley said that leukemia with blast crisis is Goliath, and she is David with a rock in her hand called Jesus and with all her prayer warriors lifting her up, she will kick Goliath’s butt to the curb totally.

Shirley has survived alcoholism and prescription drug addiction for 29 years, gang rape, acquaintance rape, horse wrecks, car wrecks, cliff falls, broken pelvis, many surgeries, many karate matches, and being married to me for 29 years. As many have told me: If any person in this world can beat leukemia, it is Shirley Bendell, AND SHE WILL (with your continued prayers).

God’s blessings on you,

Don Bendell

Buy Don’s newest western STRONGHEART now In bookstores everywhere.

Visit www.donbendell.com

Comment by Maryann Brodeur on June 28, 2010 at 5:53pm

Ok Lisa, Will do.