Our 16-year-old son, Zachary, was blessed with athletic abilities. He has been an all-star athlete since he was very young.
In the month of November 2001, Zachary had been practicing basketball on the days before and after Thanksgiving. On the following Monday morning he awoke with a swollen arm. We anointed him with oil and prayed for him.
Shortly after he was taken to the doctor, and medical tests revealed the presence of a germ-cell tumor in his chest behind the sternum. On December 3, 2001, the tumor was removed, and surgery was followed by four five-day rounds of chemotherapy that ended in February 2002.
We were informed of all the possible side effects of the medicines Zachary was given–nausea, hair loss, lung function loss, hearing loss, appetite and energy loss. But God was gracious and merciful.
Zachary had no nausea. There were spots of hair loss, so we shaved his head for uniform regrowth.
Hearing tests showed normal hearing at all levels before, during and after completion of his treatments. And pulmonary lung function tests run after the treatments showed 100 percent lung function.
Before his illness, Zachary had been chosen for a starting position on his varsity basketball team but was unable to play in the 2001-2002 season. His doctors said sports were out of the question for the rest of the year, but Zachary was there for the opening day of baseball season–starting on second base.
Watching him run from home plate to first base on the first hit of the game, I remembered our walking the hospital halls pushing a pole with intravenous fluids attached to it. Glory to God for His healing power that was so evident in our son’s life!
The Lord reminded me that my prayer had been “to glorify His name in all the earth.” Since Zachary’s illness, we have been able to witness to a lot of people.
We’ve talked to his classmates about their need for a Savior. In June Zachary went on a 17-day missions trip to Estonia and gave his testimony. Also, we shared our story at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. An unsaved friend of ours read an article on Zachary, written by a local sportswriter, and called to tell us that God so convicted him that he gave his heart to the Lord.
Many miracles have happened to us in the last year. God has been so faithful. He’s shown Himself strong on our behalf.
