Four words serve as a reminder that miracles still happen. Kate has a donor.
Unexpected
Amanda Murray shared this update about her daughter Kate on her Facebook page. She gave me permission to share this with those who have fasted and prayed for Kate. Thank you.
On the first weekend of February, we had the privilege of going skiing as a family. We had anticipated it being the 5-year anniversary of Kate’s end-of-cancer-treatment. After 5 years of remission, the doctors were going to declare Kate cured. 
However, this past fall Kate was getting immunized to do mission work overseas with Youth With A Mission. Kate’s doctor found a high white blood cell count. The Stollery oncology team did a bone marrow biopsy the next business day. They found Kate’s white blood cells were 35% cancerous. She was days from turning 19years-old, so she was transferred into the adult-health-care system and given chemotherapy pills to take from home each day.
After three months of chemotherapy, Kate’s cancer was miraculously below 1% (the 18-month goal accomplished in three months). Kate is officially in remission again. Kate’s hematologist was completely amazed at her log reduction from 35%to less than 1%. She told us that she’d hoped for 10% or less at three months. Less than 1% is miraculous.
A Donor
She has a bone marrow transplant booked for the end of March. A non-related, 10-out-of-10 donor was found.
Allogeneic stem cell transplants are only done in Calgary, 320kms from our home. So Kate will be back and forth to Calgary for appointments in the coming weeks. Then on March 23rd, Kate will have surgery to have a central-line installed. The Calgary transplant team plans for Kate to be in Calgary 110 days. Then she will be able to continue her treatment another three months closer to home, in Edmonton.
Healing
We are praying for healing for Kate, protection on the highways as family members travel back and forth to stay with Kate, and for enduring relationships while we’re apart. Kate had been looking forward to world-wide travel and mission-work, so she could use your prayers as she redefines her shor
t-term purpose. After a year of Bible college, where she lived in residence and experienced young adult independence, it is difficult for her to rely on her parents and her many medical teams.
Having experienced two years of chemotherapy in her early teens, it is doubly scary for Kate to face her upcoming journey involving hair-loss, full body radiation, chemotherapy, social isolation, and a transplant.
Thanks for your love and support for Katelyn.
Please leave a comment for Amanda and Kate. Thank you.
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That is quite the journey this young lady has been through. I worked at The Cross Cancer Institute for over 22 years of my working career. Working there …taught me things that I could never learn in a book. I started there at 19 years old as a Dietary Technologist. Visiting my patients every day before & after meals…assisting them through the side effects from their treatment, by picking foods that could help them…gain some weight through adding calories or picking foods that would help them through their nausea. I have seen the good & bad…& have stifled many tears as I leave a room. So, I only know what a rigorous treatment schedule that Kate is up against in the near future. She sounds very strong & resilient, & I will pray for her & her family’s safe travel back & forth to Calgary…& wish & pray that her treatment goes well. Take care & Thank you for sharing your story & journey with us.