Hello Everyone,Today is Good Friday. As I write this to you Maria is having an MRI done at St. Jude’s in Memphis, Tennessee. This is where we have decided to take Maria for her treatment. Maria is there with her Dad right now and the boys and I are anxiously awaiting their arrival home this evening. We are not complete without them.
Ed and Maria will have to return to St. Jude’s on Easter Sunday to begin Maria’s six-week treatment. The boys and I will join them. Right now we are trying to figure out logistics.
We want to personally thank all of you for your prayers, gifts, thoughts and love. Ed and I are truly overwhelmed by the love and support we continue to receive on a daily basis. When we are at our lowest somehow someone or something comes along to lift us and we continue on. Before all of this, I don’t know if I would have believed there to be so many wonderful caring hearts in this world. Let me assure you that now I know there are and I hope this can be encouragement to all of you.
Somehow in all of this we have to find meaning. This can be very difficult for us. I often think of the prayer from St. Therese of Lisieux that I have turned to many times in the past:
Everything is a grace … Everything is the direct effect of our Father’s love, difficulties, contradictions, humiliations, all the soul’s miseries, her burdens, her needs, Everything, because through them she learns humility, realizes her weakness. Everything is a grace, because Everything is God’s gift. Whatever be the character of life or its unexpected events-to the heart that loves, all is well.
I hope that many of you can find comfort from this in your own lives.
Ed and I hope and pray for a miracle for our Maria. How much good she has left to do here. We knew she was so special from the day she was born. So bright. So loving. So wonderful. So thoughtful. We believe there are great things in store for her. The world should have the opportunity to know her and share in the gifts she has to offer.
I hope we can all be witnesses to the miracle of God’s eternal love for us. As a friend of mine just wrote me: "Maria will show us the awesome work that the Lord can do." I believe this. Thank you for your continued prayers. They will move mountains.
Love,
Ed and Megan
16 comments:
Dear Maria,
Here is my prayer for you:
Dear God,
Please bless Maria and keep her safe, healthy, and happy. And please help her get better.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
love, Rachael
In all your misery, you give us such comfort. Thanks for the beautiful message. We love you so much.
Don & Jen
Ed and Megan-
You do not know me, but I have heard about your daughter through various friends, the Avon Lake preschool PTA, and Ms. Jann's class at the Nature Center. My husband and I have a 4 y.o. daughter, and could not possibly imagine what you and your family are going through right now. Please know that we too are praying for Maria and the doctors who are treating her.
My brother in law, Dave Gibel, lives in California and is in the medical field. He has sent me 3 web site links that may be of some help to you:
CyberKnife (http://www.accuray.com/) that enables doctors to treat inoperable brain tumors by focusing radiation into the portion of the brain with the tumor, while sparing healthy tissue. Really elegant concept in that you move the radiation source around the head to ensure that (on the cellular level) you only induce low doses of radiation throughout healthy tissue that the radiation passes through, while the focal point of the radiation receives a cellularly-lethal dose to kill the cancer cells.
The other manufacturer is Elektra, which makes the competitive GammaKnife (http://www.elekta.com/)
Another good source of clinical trials is the NIH cancer website and hotline, http://www.cancer.gov/.
Our thoughts and prayers to you all.
Kirsten Gibel
Megan
You are blessed to be in such a wonderful parish. I know I have been a member for 12 years. I have been asking for the intercession of Mother Teresa of Calcutta for your little Maria. My son Jonathan is in 3rd grade at Saint Raphaels and my Ann Marie will be in the kindergarden in August. I have told my sister Becky about your Maria and my parents know also.
I will continue to pray.
Kathy Zehe McAvinue
Ed and Megan,
On this Easter Sunday I just wanted to let you know that we remember and are praying for your family. Today is the testimate of God's love for all of us. Good luck at ST. Judes. God's love is with you always.
John and Beth Phalen
dear cousin Ed and Megan
Hello, this is your 10 year-old cousin Emma, Bob and Judi Galasso's oldest child. Every time I pray i never forget to pray for ittle Maria and ask the Lord to help her. She WILL get better we don't even need to hope, she is gtting better maybe to slow for docters to see butshe is getting better.
Emma
Maria, Ed, Megan, Adian, Eddy and Blake,
My entire family and my friends join me in praying for you daily. May God continue to bring you peace and comfort throughout the next six weeks.
Love, Heidi
How beautiful, Megan that you can bring joy to others with all that you bear. Again, all our prayers are with you. Prayers to you as you travel to Tenn. All our friends are praying for all of you. love, Joe and Val Czerwien
McNamara Family,
Courage and Blessings to you. You are in prayers daily.
Ken, Vickie, Isabella, Alexandra & Dominic DeLuca
Our Dear friends in CHRIST,
We are praying non-stop for a miracle for Maria.
Our love and prayers
from your fellow parishioners,
Chris and LuAnn Broadbent
First of all, thanks for doing this. I'm sure it's easier for all of you, but it's good to be just a click away.
We're praying for all of you and waiting for updates. If you need anything, please don't hesitate--call, email, whatever. We're here, and we've been near where you are--just know you're not alone, and we're just a click away, too.
Love you all!
"mooshmouth"
I heard about Maria from my friend Wendy Pallotta-also my daughter heard about Maria in her Marian Girls group at St. Angela's parish in Fairview Park. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Maria and your family as she begins her treatments.
Maria:
I am just waiting for God to tell me what to do to help you and your family. Hold on and do not lose faith.
I learned today of Maria's condition, and my prayers and daily rosary will be in her name until she is safely in your arms again, or in His. May your prayers be answered.
Maddie and Charlie Zimmerman's grandmother.
i am and will continue to pray for a miracle.
Dear McNamara Family,
I would just like you to know that your family is in my thoughts and prayers everynight. Your daughter is so sweet and a great girl. I pray that a merical can be made and your daughter and everything will be okay. My love is yours,
god bless you
love always,
Kate Began
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