Everyone has a story. Here is ours.

I guess our story started way before 2017, but for someone who has experienced trauma and a great life change, your story really starts there. So we will start there.

In early 2017, God changed our hearts to have another child. We had precious Jennings and Caroline and decided one more would be just enough chaos to fill our lives and keep us leaning on The Lord. We got pregnant quickly. Eight weeks later, our ultrasound tech told us we were having twins. We were utterly shocked and overwhelmed and stayed overwhelmed but hopeful through the rest of 2017 as we awaited Charlotte & Henry’s arrival.

When I (Lauren) was 36 weeks pregnant, due to give birth any day, I took our son Jennings who was 2.5 years old to the pediatrician because he had been recurrently ill. Recurrent fevers mostly but also seemed uncomfortable, in pain, and not himself overall. After almost leaving without a diagnosis, bloodwork was done. Our life as we knew it shattered and crumbled because in that pediatrician’s office Jennings was diagnosed with the most rare and agressive form of childhood leukemia- AML. The next day his oncologist told us he had a 50/50 chance of survival. He began an intense chemotherapy regimen and the twins were born two weeks later in the same hospital, a few floors up.

Jennings was classified as high risk due to his type of leukemia and underwent 4 rounds of incredibly toxic chemotherapy with horrible side effects and then a grueling bone marrow transplant. Our oldest daughter Caroline was his bone marrow donor. She was 4 years old. Our entire family relocated to Memphis, TN to get his treatment at St. Jude. The twins were 12 weeks old when we arrived. 7 months when we came home. Jennings fought hard and won and was in remission for 2.5 glorious years. We healed. We hoped. We tried to move on.

In November 2020, on the heels of our world adapting to a global pandemic, Jennings’ leukemia came roaring back 2 days before Thanksgiving. We were absolutely gutted by his relapse. It changed us in deep ways just like his diagnosis did. Our strong and resilient boy did it all again. Lots more chemo, another grueling bone marrow transplant. Another family relocation to Memphis for 7 months. A clinical trial with powerful, targeted t-cells in D.C. and prayer from all over the world. As of me writing this (January 2021) he is 10 months post bone marrow transplant #2 and currently in remission, thriving and just went back to school. We are abudantly thankful for how he is doing. We pray boldly each day with hope and belief that we will continue to see him grow and that our family can continue to heal from the last 4 years, for it has been incredibly grueling. But we have also seen God’s hand mightily at work in our lives and hearts and move forward in faith….one day at a time.

❤ LP