A couple of months ago, we announced that one of our staff members was diagnosed with breast cancer. Many of you do not know Sarah Napier so I wanted to give you a little glimpse of who she is and how she has effected us here at DayBreak. I pray that as you read, God will burden your heart to pray without ceasing for her as she continues to fight the cancer in her body.
About a year and a half ago, Sarah began volunteering for DayBreak. A few months later, she asked me to have dessert with her. Little did I know that she was planning to tell me that she was quiting her 2nd grade teaching position and was looking to go into full time ministry. She understood that it was going to mean stepping out in faith especially in the arena of finances. She asked me if there were any positions open and if she could be considered for one. In the months to follow, we brought her on as the after school coordinator to serve children in 1st through 8th grade.

What a blessing she has become to DayBreak and I personally. Sarah has both a gentle sweet spirit and firm conviction. She has the ability to both control a group of kids and love them tenderly like a mother would love her own children. Her sensitivity to the children and parents opened up doors for hurting parents to begin to share their struggles and seek support from us. Before she came, we were lucky if we saw a parent once a year. Now we have a parent on staff, a few volunteering regularly, and a parent support group for moms to have an opportunity to share, cry, laugh and learn how to be godly mothers. I attribute all of that to how God used Sarah to minister to our parents.

On January 11th, 2005, Sarah called me very disturbed. She was experiencing severe pain in her breast. The possibility that it could actually be cancer was so far from my thoughts but in the weeks to follow, it was confirmed. I was there with her when she had her first and second surgery. I was with her when she offered her body to God to do what He desired. I have watched her over the last few months as she has been slowly poisoned by the chemotherapy. What a necessary evil! She is fighting the battle of her life and she is doing it with all the strength the God provides.

This whole process has been a learning opportunity for the kids that she serves in Lincoln Heights. Before this happened, many of them were spending on average $10 a week for snacks like chips, candy, and soda. Because of the high costs of medical care, we decided to begin to raise money to offset the costs that were coming out of Sarah's pocket. The children created the goal of $250 and we began to pass the basket around each time we met. Many of them were going to their friends and neighbors asking them if they were willing to contribute. Currently, we are selling candy in order to raise money to contribute. Until this point, our kids never saw a need to view their money as something to bless people with. Now, even though they have little, they give in abundance. We have currently raised $350! Our kids have also had the opportunity to see someone trust God with their very life. To have a real life example of someone who is possibly facing death, but is still full of hope is powerful.

We look forward to seeing how this is going to increase their faith in God that He will provide, protect and sustain them as well.

On May 4th, 2005, Sarah's PET scan showed that the cancer in her liver was stable. However, she will continue to receive chemotherapy through July and then will start several weeks of radiation. This course of treatment will hopefully minimize the chances of it reoccurring.

This journey has not been easy for anyone involved, but we are sure that God is in control so our hope is in Him!

Currently, it is October 2007 and here is a quick overview since May 4th, 2005. In March of 2006, Sarah had a relapse of her cancer in the lymph nodes behind her chest wall. She went back on chemo from March 2006 until July 2006. A PET scan in August of 2006 showed that the places in her liver were stable as well as the rest of the cancer. In December of 2006 a small lesion was found in the right parietal lobe of the brain. In a month's time, the tumor more than doubled in size. Sarah underwent the Gamma Knife Procedure (Brain Surgery without a knife) at the University of Kentucky in Januray of 2007. The surgery was successful and the tumor did shrink, but never fully went away. In September of 2007, Sarah had some complications and had a scan that showed a large amount of swelling in the brain and the lesion had increased in size. She then had brain surgery in November to remove the tumor. A scan in January 2008 showed that the tumor had returned. She went to New York's Sloan Kettering for a second opinion. She then went back home to undergo Whole Brain Radiation. Currently, she is on chemo and will be scanned again shortly. We continue to have hope and trust in our Lord!