Special Prayer Petition for a Girl with Cancer

I would like you all to pray for a girl I know. She is 21 and has tongue cancer. She's already had one surgery to remove the cancer from her tongue, and was supposed to have surgery again yesterday. Here is the e-mail we got yesterday from this girl's mom.

This update is so difficult to write. Emily did not have surgery today. The cancer is more aggressive than anyone thought. In 2 weeks time it went from a stage1 to a stage 3 cancer. It has hit at least 1 lymph node in her neck. Her cancer has spread to cover the whole side of her tongue. Surgery is no longer an option because of how advanced the cancer has become in an amazingly short time.
So we are starting our journey and fight today. They will be starting the radiation calibration on Monday and on Tuesday radiation therapy begins. Radiation will be every day (mon-fri). They will also start chemotherapy on tuesday. Chemo is once a week. This will be a 7 week course, with 8 weeks of recovery. She should feel ok the frst 3 weeks but then it will go down hill pretty quickly after that. I will be staying with Emily in Illinois for the duration of the treatment. My parents and husband will be keeping the rest of the family in I-----. Mom R---- will come down from F--- at the 8 week recovery point and help take care of Emily in I----. That is when she will get to come home!

Here is the Good Friday miracle. Today at 1:00pm we entered a dentist office unannounced with a prescription to have all her 3 crowns on her teeth removed. They needed to be taken out because they were stainless steel and they would make the light from the radiation scatter. They needed to be replaced before the CaT scan 7:00AM Monday, so that the calculations would be correct. The dentist office was so compassionate that they cancelled all the appointments for the afternoon and they scheduled her procedure for 3:00pm; the hour our Lord died. We think that was God's way of showing us He has a plan. We can never thank Dr. S---- and the dentist office enough for their kindness in our hour of need. There was room at the inn for our family today.

Emily wants everyone to know that she is a fighter. Her appearance will change but her spirit will stay strong. She wants everyone to stay strong for her. Her biggest fear is her family and friends being upset. That is just like Emily to worry about us.

Emily is very hopeful. Her faith in God is amazing. She stated, "I trusted Jesus completely from the beginning and I still trust Him now. He has a plan for me and for all of us."

What more can I say. J---- stated,"Jesus has given Emily the greatest gift of all. The opportunity to suffer with Jesus on the holiest three days of the year. Her reward will be beyond our comprehension. God has a plan for her that is bigger than her or any of us and we just need to have faith in Him."

I am just humbled by all of this and as always amazed at the strength of my husband and children.

~ Emily's Mom

Please pray for Emily's miraculous recovery in her time of trial! She's also had surgeries in the past for spinal correction, so she's been through a lot in her life time.
Here are two prayers for those with cancer; a prayer to Saint Jude Thaddeus (Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes or things despaired of), and a prayer to Saint Peregrine (Patron Saint of Cancer victims).

Prayer to Saint Jude For Those Affected by Cancer
Dearest protector, St. Jude, our companion, you are the bearer of abiding hope. I place Emily in your care as she bears the cross of cancer. We trust that you walk with her and give her courage when she is afraid, strength when she grows weary, hope when it seems all is lost. Most faithful patron, never leave her side. May your friendship remind her always of the love God offers to each of His faithful children, and the healing He provides to all those who believe in His saving power. Amen.

Prayer to Saint Peregrine For Those with Cancer
Dear Apostle of Emilia and member of the Order of Mary, you spread the Good News by your word and by your life witnessed to its truth. In union with Jesus crucified, you endured excruciating sufferings so patiently as to be healed miraculously of cancer in the leg. If it is agreeable to God, obtain relief and cure for Emily and keep us all from the dread cancer of sin. Amen.