Monday, June 8, 2009

The World Needs Metisha

Metisha’s bone treatment on Friday went much better this month. She was very tired Saturday and her bones ached but she did not throw up so we are praising God for an easier treatment! The goal of this medicine is to keep the cancer from spreading anymore in her bones and we continue to pray the radiation was affective in killing the cancer on C2 vertebrate in her neck. She will have another treatment in a month.

Metisha has been playing phone tag with people from MD Anderson and has talked to Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) in Tulsa. Right now Metisha’s gut is telling her to go to MD Anderson so we are continuing to pray that God will open up doors quickly for her there and that she can get down there for a second opinion in the next week. She should hear from MD Anderson today. Metisha’s current oncology staff continues to be supportive her going to MD Anderson for a second opinion and said they would adjust her treatment plan if that is the recommendation. We are so thankful her current healthcare team is supporting her through this process!

Metisha wholly believes that she can be cancer free again and we stand firmly beside her in that belief. The mind, heart and will play a huge role in the battle against cancer. Metisha is praying and willing her cancer to be gone from her body and cast into hell. We’ve watched Metisha take the last few weeks to get her mind, heart and spirit back in the full fighting mode and she is very ready to fight. So we are standing with her and praying for her cancer to go to hell! Please pray specifically that the cancer will be removed from her C2 vertebrate, from her liver, from the muscle structure in her abdomen and that all the cancer cells floating around her body will be gone.

I know Metisha’s story has reached a lot of people who have never met her and you may wonder what makes her so special that so many people are hurting with her and fighting with her. You need to know that Metisha is one of those rare people who make a difference in the lives of others. My big sister has taught me so much and has been one of the biggest influences in my life. From little on she’s shown me that it’s ok to just relax and have fun and be outside the lines (a good lesson for a type A). She helped me to be less rigid and judgmental and be more open and accepting. As a big sister she stood up for me and threatened boys who broke my heart! She has always been my support and my best friend.

But I am just one of many who have been impacted by Metisha. Metisha is a 5th grade school teacher at an inner city school in Fort Worth and she is doing exactly what God designed her to be. Not only does she make math and science fun and easy to learn by making up fun stories and songs for learning tools but every year she takes a class full of kids who would typically be overlooked by our society and helps them believe they can be or do anything. Last week was the end of the school year for Metisha and she had two former students come by to visit. They were both graduating high school seniors and both came back to tell their 5th grade teacher that she had made a difference in their lives. Seven years later in huge school system, they came back because Metisha, just being Metisha, impacted their lives so much that they wanted her to know they graduated and asked her to be at their graduation. The first student brought his autograph book from the 5th grade and asked Metisha if she remembered what she had wrote to him. He said, “You wrote to me to follow my dreams and I could do anything. I want you to know that I’m graduating Saturday and I want to go on to school to be an RN.” The second student had an assignment to write an essay about someone who had made a difference his life. His essay was about his 5th grade teacher and he brought it for her to read. He wanted her to know that she had made a difference and he was graduating a high school. One of the students told Metisha he knew she had been sick and said she had to keep fighting because she is such a good teacher and the kids need her. High school graduation is a huge accomplishment for these kids and every year Ms. Welsh makes a class full of kids believe they can accomplish that and much more.

Dad and I were talking about Metisha and these students and Dad made a profound statement. He said Metisha had two people in one week tell her that she had made a difference in their lives and he asked how many people can honestly say that someone has ever said to them, “you have made a difference in my life”. Metisha makes a difference. That is just one reason why we are all fighting with her because this world still needs her, because she is still making a difference.

1 comment:

Lori said...

Thanks for the update Regan, and you are right, the world needs Tisha. She is one of those people who never wants to be a burden on anybody, and in doing that, she is such a comfort and encouragement to all those who know her. We ALL need her!! Love you all!