A prayer request for little Apple Jax

While Charlotte was going though transplant at Duke Children’s, we met 2 other families going through Neuroblastoma treatment. Jacob and Jax were ahead of us in treatment. I’ve written about Jacob before and you may remember. His mother initially spoke to us about Proton Radiation and The Vaccine trial at sloan Kettering. They were the first family we met going through this and we became quite friendly. We had asked for your prayers for Jacob before. Once he finished treatment  his scans to begin the vaccine trial revealed additional metastasis in a new location as well as some stubborn areas that had returned. He reentered treatment, this time through Sloan’s protocol, where he received more chemo and radiation and their own antibody therapy. He is responding to this treatment and his scans are improving. Prayers are working along with this new medicine, targeting the stubborn cancer.

Jax is the second family we met while in patient in Duke’s Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. Jax was beginning Immunotherapy then. He was 2 when we met them. We saw them again in the spring at a Duke Out patient event as he just finished front line therapy. They returned back to their home. Back to work and life. Jax began daycare and turned 3 in September. We just learned Jax also needs our prayers big time. Jax relapsed and after several rounds of clear scans, now the cancer returned and has spread to his liver. This will limit treatment and the fear will be irreparable damage. His dad said they need a true miracle.

I’m struggling with this news. My heart is breaking as I imagine what they are going through. I’m finding the words are not coming. They saw their child through the frontline treatment only to have it quietly creep back up to try to snatch him away again. But this time, their worst fear isn’t getting the news that their child has a life threatening cancer. Instead, the news is that their child has cancer and they don’t know what to do about it this time. I understand the parents are searching every option and they as asking for prayers at this time. Prayers as loud and as big as they can muster. I do not know if there are options. I do not know if it is only a single site relapse and maybe a liver transplant would be an option? I don’t know exactly what they are up against but I told the dad Neil and the mom Caroline that I would ask Charlotte’s village to lift Jax up as they stare this in the face again. Their faith is strong and they will need to lean into it now. Thank you for holding this family as they face and decide what can be done.

As for us, to say Brian and I feel our steady ground shake and shift every time we learn something like this is an understatement. God, we know nothing is guaranteed. But God I am so so afraid. I keep asking for your guidance here as you lead Brian and I along this pathway toward healing our Charlotte. And we are asking for your mercy and grace for the Apple family as they do whatever they can to bring their little “Apple Jax” though this. And thanks to you, Charlotte’s amazing village, out there reading this message right now. You have been called on many times to pray and we really appreciate your thoughts and prayers for them at this time.

A picture to go with your prayers