Hope Beyond Reason by Dave Hess

Author:Dave Hess [DAVE, HESS]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780768495294
Publisher: Destiny Image, Inc.

The presence of the Lord seemed to envelop us in those moments. He put all things in perspective. All things, including cancer, became a shadow in the light of His presence.

Just before I commenced with the next seven-day round of chemotherapy, my younger brother and sister submitted blood tests to see if they could be bone marrow donors for my transplant. Both Daniel and Lori told me that they would do anything they could to save my life. Their eager willingness to undergo this very tedious procedure touched me. Words cannot express how deeply moved I was by their surrendered acts of love.

We had always been close, growing up together, despite the difference in ages—Lori being five years younger and Daniel coming along three years after her. Because of the age gaps, I was the undisputed “big brother.” Perhaps my earliest desire to become a pastor grew from my habit of keeping an eye on them. Protecting them. Instructing them. Even as an adult, I made weekly calls, checking to make sure they were all right. I felt a God-given responsibility to watch over them.

And now they were watching over me.

Lori married a wise and wonderful young man from our home church, who later became a lawyer. She became an accomplished harpist and a mother. They moved to a small farm where they were raising two fine sons, a precious daughter, and a set of golden retrievers.

Daniel married his childhood sweetheart. He is a gifted history teacher at a local high school. He is also a skilled piano player and worship leader, not to mention the wildest, craziest, most uninhibited funny man you would ever want to meet. His wife Beth knows how to handle him though. Together they had three daughters…and a lot of bathrooms.

The test results confirmed that Daniel’s bone marrow type was a near-perfect match with mine. Arrangements were made for Sheri and me to meet with a transplant specialist at a large regional hospital to discuss plans for the procedure. Because Sheri’s sister Robin was trained as a registered nurse, she and her husband Bob graciously agreed to accompany us to the consultation. We needed Robin’s medical wisdom to translate the medical phraseology into terms we could understand. Very simple terms.

Ushered into the office of a young physician, hurried introductions were followed by a recounting of the hospital’s impressive success rate with bone marrow transplants. Then he explained that the transplant unit does not automatically treat every patient who applies simply because they have a matching donor. Puzzled, we asked him about his review of our specific case. Could I receive a bone marrow transplant?

He responded, “Your leukemia is very aggressive. You apparently had the disease for a significant amount of time before your diagnosis and initial treatment.” Glancing at my medical record, he continued bluntly, “You are a high risk for the probability of a successful transplant. So, to answer your question—no, we do not believe you would be a good candidate for a bone marrow transplant.

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