This guest post comes from Jason Gaston, the student pastor at the Summit. It is a tragic story, but a powerful response:
Noah Spivey is a 17-year-old student in the Summit’s student ministry. Four years ago, Noah was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer found on the bone and soft tissue. Since then, he has been undergoing intense chemotherapy and radiation treatments, first here at Duke Hospital, but more recently, at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. Unsurprisingly, it has been a grueling time for Noah and his family.
The most recent update on Noah is not good. He got his scans back earlier this week, and I spoke with his mom the next day. His tumors have spread to his brain, his liver, his lungs, his neck, his shoulders, pelvis, legs. Essentially, if you can name it, there are probably tumors there. The doctor at MD Anderson informed the family that they would no longer pursue any medical treatment. His advice to the family was to try and enjoy the brief time that they have left together.
If I’m absolutely honest with myself, this news devastates me. We knew from the beginning that there was a high probability that Noah’s diagnosis would end like this. But praying in faith, we continued to ask God to do something beyond what we could imagine. I was asking God for healing. So was Noah. So was Noah’s family. Now, as the final days loom, the family is heartbroken.
But I have been so encouraged at how the Spiveys have responded to this tragic news. Even amidst the pain, they continue to point to the glorious hope they all have in Christ. We’ve seen them open up to the church, allowing themselves to be loved and supported in a time of deep trial. And we’ve seen Noah endure a life-altering diagnosis with amazing trust in his Savior.
Thank you for praying for and with Noah over the past four years. He has battled cancer with great courage and an inspiring hope, which can only come from Christ. To sum it up in Noah’s words, “Cancer sucks, but Christ is better.”
