Exciting Stuff

Friends,

We enter a very exciting week as we count down to only two more chemo treatments!! Wednesday of this week is the next to the last one. I was looking back on some past entries and it seems like only yesterday we were in the hospital with an initial diagnosis of cancer. I am grateful beyond words at how God has carried us through the last 11 months and how He will continue to do so as we wait to see how Ansley's scans look every 12 weeks.

We are very excited about the upcoming event in Charleston known as Ansley's Attempt!
It will take place Saturday, December 3rd at Blackbaud Stadium at 9 AM. If you haven't a clue what I am talking about, please go to our website at www.thejourneyhouse.org and find out all about what God has laid on our family's heart.

Many people have asked how they can help with Ansley's Attempt. What we need more than anything is for people to come and hold a board for the mosaic. In order to get the World Record, we need 1,404 people holding up the boards. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE COME TO ANSLEY'S ATTEMPT!!!

Also, a dear friend of ours is a Thirty-One Gifts Consultant. She has graciously offered to give all of her commission to The Journey House from now until the end of November! Please look through this wonderful catalog and use the following link for The Journey House to get credit.

http://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/catalog.aspx?eventId=E1193271&from=DIRECTLINK

We want to get this home away from home going as soon as possible for families that are in Charleston for treatment of a sick child. Please help us raise the money! Also, we are now up and running for donations on our website. www.thejourneyhouse.org

May God use The Journey House for His glory!

Today is a good day around our house. Ansley is tired but not in pain so we will gladly take it!! We had the pleasure of talking briefly this morning on Channel 4. Please visit www.thejourneyhouse.org to find out more about what God is doing in Charleston. It is amazing how He takes something as painful as disease of a child and can bring good out of it.

No chemo this week. After next week's chemo, she will have 1 more treatment! We are thankful that we don't have to live in fear of what next year will bring. She will have PET scans every 12 weeks starting in December. At that point, we will see if the chemo has killed off all the cancer cells in her body. Psalm 112:7
says, "He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD."

May God be glorified through whatever He chooses to bring into our lives.

Ansley's Attempt

It is amazing to see God work in the middle of hard, life changing, and emotionally draining times. But, I do believe that God can make good from anything He chooses to bring into our lives. Remembering that God desires for us to comfort just as He has comforted brings me to an exciting announcement.....

Our family will be on Lowcountry Live on ABC Monday morning around 10:30. We will be talking about Ansley's Attempt, which is an upcoming event on Sat. Dec 3rd at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston. I will send more info out later on the event. In short, Ansley is attempting the world record for the largest picture mosaic ever created. The reason behind this event is a dream of ours known as The Journey House. Ansley's Attempt is the "launch" event for The Journey House. The Journey House is a dream to see a home downtown that cares for and meets the needs of families with kids that have life changing diseases. We want to offer the hope of Christ, relieve the burdens of these families with meals, lodging and child care for siblings, and counseling, and also encourage these families during a really tough season of life.
We need the support of so many friends to make Ansley's attempt happen on the 3rd of December. If anyone is interested in helping, please e-mail me. There are lots of ways we can use your gifts!! We need coloring done, too. So, if you have children, they can serve before the event as well. Please bring your friends and family out on the 3rd of December.
More info will follow. But, please be in prayer for the Monday news broadcast. We want people to hear that our desire is to comfort hurting families just like God has comforted us for the past 10 months. We want to use our story to let other families know they are not alone.

Tomorrow will be the final day of oral chemo for this cycle. The weekend has been hard because Ansley hasn't felt well. It has also been good because we have done NOTHING!!!!
It's such a season of mixed emotions.....sad to have her feel yucky, glad she wants to cuddle with me all day long; sad that she has so many questions about death, dying, and cancer but glad she comes to me and Matt to have them answered; sad she has had to go through so much in the last year, glad there are only 2 more chemo treatments; sad to see people die of this awful disease but glad they are out of the pain and agony that it brings along with it; fearful of what next year will look like but ready to move on to next year.

I guess it's like any season of life that is uncertain-it brings with it a mix of emotions.
The rash continues to stay gone which is a wonderful thing. Looks like we won't go back to MUSC until Nov.2!!! The Lord willing, that is.

Today was a long but good day at MUSC. Ansley's rash came back and we have been concerned about what might be going on. But today it began going away and we were able to move forward with chemo. She had real pain and fear with her port access and deaccess today. She shed lots of tears and Matt and I felt so incredibly helpless. But, the good news is there are only 2 treatments left! I can't believe we will be finishing a year pretty soon. Oh, what a year it has been. We are overwhelmed with the love you have shown us the last 10 months. It is never repayable what you all have done for our family. Whether we know you intimately or have never met you, thank you more than you know for loving, praying and encouraging our family.

We will begin a new phase of life starting in December as we begin PET scans every 12 weeks to see if the cancer is actually gone. I will admit I have fear over the waiting game of scans every 12 weeks for a year. I want to live remembering the verse in Jeremiah that says, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you." I am asking God to anchor our hearts to His truth and to help us in our weakness.

We press on this week with oral chemo for 5 days after IV chemo today. Please pray specifically for
**Ansley's left leg. She is having pain and soreness and we aren't exactly sure what is going on.
**Ansley's rash to heal and not to EVER come back
**Patience
**Matt as he is traveling for work to Chicago

God's grace in abundance to you all,
Amy, for the McEvoy Crew

Good but Hard

Ansley has been feeling really well the past couple of days. Her energy seems high, her attitude seems pretty normal for a 5-year old, and she has been in a sweet, tender mood. I am so thankful for these last few days.

We have had some hard conversations around our house. Precious Harper Drolet, who was the first cancer patient we met in clinic, died on Friday. Her mom, Amy, actually consoled me on the first day in the out patient clinic. She shared with me that things would get easier and that life does get back to normal. She hugged me as I cried. Her dear daughter, Harper, fought so hard against this awful disease. Her family is an inspiration to anyone who understands how hard this journey can be. After we told the kids that she had died, it has brought up some fear issues, of course. Ansley said to Kendall the other night, "Kendall, if I die, will you keep my toys so you can remember me?" Whoa. What do you say to that? Then, Ansley says to me, "Mommy, why did Harper have to die?" I said, "It was just her time." Ansley said, "But it shouldn't have been her time."

I agree. It doesn't seem like at 11 years old it should be her time to die. Such hard questions. I want to be honest with the kids and celebrate these beautiful children who are now out of all pain, are cancer free and are in their true Home.
Yes, we who are left without their presence here on Earth are sad, but Heaven is rejoicing.

Harper, thank you for how you lived your life...Faithfully, courageously, passionately, unselfishly, and boldly. Drolet Family, thank you for how you have shown us how to live well in the midst of tragedy.

Chemo for Ansley is on Wednesday, the 12th. This will begin the countdown to November 28th!!! Praise God!