Letter to my son, Luke --on your 1st Birthday

You're a miracle and we celebrate your life today with love and thanksgiving. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LUKEY!

You have battled all odds and you're certainly my hero. At your birth, there were concerns about your spine and some doctors thought you had abnormalities due to a cyst they discovered. And then 6 months ago, they said you have a 75% chance of living, when you were diagnosed with a cancer that has odds of being dx 1:1 million children your age group. But you kept fighting. When you were diagnosed, your mummy and I wanted to take your cancer and pain away from you and wanted to trade places with you. But God amazed us with His grace and gave you strength and courage to fight, and fight you did!

You endured pain and suffering in your first year, that us adults may find it hard to take it in a whole life. And all with your sweet smile. I don't know whether I could have passed the year of trials and tribulations without your strength and courage. Whenever I wanted to cry and hide myself from everything, God showed me your strength and told me that He was in control. When daddy and mummy cried out to God, He gave us peace and reminded us that you're His own. You're so very special and everything about you is a testimony of God's faithfulness, love, healing, promise, and grace.

Your life has taught me lessons that may have taken me a lifetime to learn. Your journey has brought us contact with people, that only heaven could have made it possible. Although you have some short term and long-term scars from this battle, I know that our God is more than enough to live the life according to His purpose. Even though your journey continues, we look to the future with promise and much hope... God has brought you this far and deep, has a purpose for you. You certainly have positively impacted my life and I know the lives of many, and that's just the beginning. I treasure you and honor God for allowing this day, a year ago, a reality.

Love and God's Blessings,

Your everloving, Daddy

Special Note:

On behalf of Jen, Levi, and Luke, I thank all our family and friends who came alongside and lent a hand in Luke's journey and said yes to the higher calling. A special THANK YOU to Michael, my brother-in-law, Ellen and lil Emy Lou for teaching me the human version of love and sacrifice. There's no greater love than sacrificing your life so that someone else can live. This brings home what Jesus did for me. Thank to our church, pastor, and our the church family here in Ashburn and all over the states and the world -- we love you and thank God for you. Thank you to Belmont Greene community for being great neighbors.