The time is 12:53am and I am restless. I am usually up at this time, it’s my working hours for writing, working on HCP projects, etc. But tonight, I can’t think about anything or anyone but a little boy named Hollis Doherty. A little boy who, just today, instead of singing and dancing with me in church like he used to, was laying down at the back of the room on the classroom couch. “Are you having a hard time today baby?” I asked. He looked up at me with swollen eyes and just quietly nodded his head.
This is why I can’t sleep.
I met Hollis a few years ago at my church. At first, I knew Hollis’ old brother Rhett who is the same age as my son Samuel (9). My husband and I would teach his Sunday School class. Then Rhett and Samuel graduated to the next class up and little Hollis came to our class.
Hollis is almost the spitting image of his older brother Rhett, only Hollis has blonde hair instead of red and no freckles. Still, though they resemble in features, Hollis has his own style. He comes to church each week not just well dressed, but sporting some sort of cool hat or accesory to match.
I always called Rhett my singing buddy because of his love for music, and Hollis was just the same. When we taught him he would sing, to the top of lungs sometimes, during praise and worship–especially if I was giving him tickets to be used for the “prize shelf” after class.
Hollis likes to play with the other children, but his mind is also more active in studious things. He loves to sit and read books, work puzzles with my husband Mr. Josh and do crafts with my daughters Aven and MaCaedyn, who often came in our class to help. He has a creative, smart brain. Unfortunately… at this moment, he also has a very afflicted brain.
Hollis was diagnosed in March 2016 with a DIPG brain tumor. When we got the news, we were sickened, like everyone else who heard it. My husband follows a sports writer named Brandon Huffman on Twitter and FB and had learned that he had a precious and beautiful six year old daughter named Avery Huffman who had been diagnosed with the same kind of brain cancer the previous year.
What makes DIPG so horrifying is because it is cancer and because it attaches to the brain stem, it is inoperable and up to this point, each case has been 100% fatal. Even though we did not know Brandon Huffman personally, we prayed, as a family for little Avery daily, asking for the Lord to bring her healing; a miracle like we had never seen. When we learned of her passing this past February 16, 2016, we were stricken by it and could only imagine the devastation her family and close friends felt.
We did not know her firsthand, only through social media and keeping up with her blog, twitter site, and those of her father’s. But we are parents who cherish our children just as the Huffman family does. Our hearts broke with them and we have prayed for them daily and will continue to uplift them daily to the Lord for His help throug this terrible loss.
In March, our family ran into Rhett and Hollis at the Science Center. We played with them, got some photos together and said we would see them at church. The very next week we learned that Hollis had been diagnosed with the same DIPG brain tumor little Avery had. She was six when she was diagnosed, Hollis is seven.
So now we are back to praying for healing for a little precious child with the same condition. This time, it a child that we know and love.
My thoughts throughout each day are constantly with his mom, Shawnee, dad, Shane, brother, Rhett, and the rest of his family. I cannot imagine the horror they are living in, and yet.. they exude the strength of the Lord and peace that passes all understanding.
When we prayed for Avery, we kept asking the Lord for her to be the 1% that would beat this fatal cancer. That we would see a miracle unlike any other. We did not receive our prayer to be answered in the way that we wanted it. For the Lord had other plans to allow her to leave this earth and enter into His Kingdom with Him. But just because that prayer wasn’t answered for mercy to be upon her life, doesn’t mean that the Lord can’t or won’t answer us for Hollis. It doesn’t mean that His power is slipping or that He is not able… He is more than able to do this.
When doctors say, “It is 100% fatal.” I say, “Jesus is 100% able.” When doctors say “There is no way.” I say, “There is Yahweh”.
So now, instead of asking for that miracle. I am thanking Him for it. I am thanking Him that He has spoken healing for Hollis and that we will see a miracle, the WORLD will see a miracle like we have never seen before. Why not? God’s not dead! Jesus is not dead! His power is just as strong now as it was in the days of old. He is still on His throne and He has not changed!
God’s Holy Word says in Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” This verse does not say, ‘by His stripes some things are healed’ and it doesn’t say ‘by His stripes we may be healed’ or ‘by His stripes we have the hope for healing.’ It says, “we ARE healed”!
Jesus didn’t bare those stripes for the easy things. He took the most brutal of lashings ever recorded to a living man and endured it so that we ARE healed of ALL things. Not the things the doctors can explain or take credit for, but things just like this. Just like a DIPG brain tumor that has, up to this point, been 100% fatal.
My husband Josh and I am claiming for Hollis to be the 1% and so are our children. They are all believing that Hollis is going to be the 1% that will be healed from this dreaded diesease. I’m tired of Satan trampling over our children, who DIPG brain tumors attack (about 250 per year) and having 100% victory!!! it’s time that track recorded is shatterd by the power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! According to the scriptures, we have authority over Satan, he is under our feet. And Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Again, Jesus doesn’t say, ‘believe that you will receive’ or ‘believe that you might receive’. He says “believe that you HAVE received”! This is my prayer for Hollis. Mercy Lord Jesus. Speak it and it will be done. You spoke and there was light. You spoke and the waters parted and dry land appeared. You spoke and the deaf could hear, the blind could see and the dead were raised! Speak oh God that Hollis is healed in the Name of Jesus!
No more victory for Satan, he is under our feet, defeated by Your supernatural power!
And so now, I will rest. But never, ever will I grow tired of praying and thanking God for this petition; that the precious and beautiful life of Hollis Doherty is healed, on the earth for all the world to see, a miracle like no other. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Angelique La Fon-Cox 