Miracles at Christmas

The last few days we’ve been reflecting on the big and the small miracles we’ve seen this year, and there have been many.  This year has been a massive battle, but we’ve been so aware of heavens’ armies coming in and fighting the battle for Eloise and us.

Throughout much of this year we have asked people to pray specifically about different issues and so often it feels that as soon as we ask people to pray for a specific thing, the tide turns.  We go from things getting worse in a particular area, to Eloise improving in that area.  It’s often not dramatic (sometimes it is though), but it has felt pretty consistent – after asking people to pray for something specific, Eloise starts to ‘win in that particular area’. 

Here are a few:

• This week alone, we’ve seen Eloise really improve in many areas – walking, eating, talking, very few/no noticeable tremors and her overall energy has dramatically improved.  She’s like a different child.  And she’s even having strength to show determination and be toddler like, frequently saying ‘No!  I do it!’.  We’ve had the privilege of seeing family we’ve not seen for ages and for Eloise being strong enough to see them.

• The big miracle of Eloise having a gross total resection (GTR).  This is still unfathomable.  Inoperable tumour to getting a GTR (and first being told they thought they had left some in!). 

• A miracle that Eloise doesn’t appear to have regular partial focal seizures.  This was not a given.

• The miracle that Eloise got access to proton beam therapy even though she was under 2 at the time (and in theory the NHS don’t do it for under-3s). 

• The miracle that Eloise got access to her maintenance chemotherapy – being the first in the UK to receive this chemotherapy of intrathecal topotecan.

• The miracle that despite the dreadful odds (both dreadful location of her tumour in her brain + the awful diagnosis of it being an ETMR) , that Eloise is with us this Christmas and that at her last scan she was shown to be NED.  And fundamentally it’s a miracle that Eloise is how she is – able to walk, talk, socialise and this week, even smile and joke a bit more.  Even Anna asked this week ‘Wow mummy, how does Eloise think when she had a massive tumour in the middle of her brain?’

• But as we know, the biggest miracle at Christmas is Emmanuel, God with us.  And for us, nothing has been further from the truth this year.  Despite the turmoil, pain and even at points not even knowing if Eloise would make it through the next few hours of that day/night – we can say that God has been with us.

To be truthful, the above is also hard to write because so much of the year has been a yo-yo (I’m virtually nervous to write this in case Eloise swings back before I post the blog).  Eloise has done dramatically better this week, but we know all-too-well, that things can change in an instant – literally. 

So we’d be really grateful if you could pray for the next few days.  After the year we’ve had, we would love to be together for Christmas Day.  Pray Eloise (and we, as we are most likely to bring it into the house!) avoid infection, Covid and any hospital stays. 

Please also pray for those that we know who have lost their children to ETMR’s this year – pray for them as they face Christmas without their beloved children.

Thank you for all the love, support, cards, gift and food this year, we are more grateful than you will ever know. We are especially grateful for all those who have stood with us in prayer and faith – please do continue to pray for a big miracle to be done in Eloise’s life – for her to be cancer free and live life in all its fullness!