A Trip To Lourdes, France

“For nothing will be impossible with God.” – Luke 1:37

So here's the short version :) - I am raising funds for my sister, my mom and me to visit Lourdes, France this April. If you haven't heard of Lourdes, it's the most famous healing shrine in the world. There have been 67 miracles and around 7,000 inexplicable cures recognized by the Catholic Church ever since the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in February 1858. Jess started chemo therapy today, March 25, or what she calls her "healing days" and a few days ago received approval from her oncologist that she can go on this trip! If you'd like to read more about Jessica's journey and why Lourdes, keep reading!

The long version, if you're interested :) - The story started when I was three.

Jess and I were instant best friends. We had matching “big sister” and “little sister” sweatshirts, we played dress up, shared bedrooms, and danced to "Rocky Top Tennesee". Life was good, easy and fun.

Then, Jess was diagnosed with Crohn's around the age of six. If you’re unaware of what that is, it’s an inflammatory bowel disease that can cause chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. It's hard to believe that she was only six when her life turned upside down. What followed was a mix of a blur and some of the most impactful moments in my family’s lives.

The years after she was diagnosed, consisted of doctor’s appointments, colonoscopies, diets, nutritional plans, research, faith, prayers, love, tears, pain, hospital overnight stays, pillow pets, and every emotion you could feel.

What’s funny about all of those things I listed above, is that there was something positive that came out of each one of those memories or moments. That is what my sister does so well. Jess has this superpower where she can take the worst thing and make it not so bad.

A prime example of this would be my sister’s multiple doctor’s appointments in Indianapolis. My mom and sister would drive to Indy and make an adventure out of it. They of course would go to the doctor’s appointment, but afterward, they’d find a bookstore or consignment shop to explore. When my mom and Jess would come home, Jess wouldn’t be in tears with how unlucky she was, no, she’d be smiling showing me, Jonny and my dad what she found. I remember sometimes even being jealous! Yes, you read that right! Somehow the sister that had Crohn's made the sister without Crohn's jealous of how much fun she would have going to doctor's appointments. A couple of times they'd let me join and it was the best. It sounds ridiculous that something so miserable could be so fun, but that's what my sister and my mom have done so well throughout the years.

Fast forward to January 2024, I am skipping a lot but I want to get to my point!

As many of you know, Jess was diagnosed with colon cancer at the beginning of the year.

Her life, yet again, turned upside down when she received the news that she’d have to have her entire colon removed. While the doctors were removing the colon, they also removed the surrounding lymph nodes. After three weeks Jess received additional news that there was cancer in these lymph nodes and she’d need to undergo chemo. But the bad news wasn’t over. Jess had a PET scan done and was told that she has cancer that has spread to lymph nodes throughout her body and they found two small spots in her liver. Right now, the plan for her chemo is every two weeks for around a year.

Stage 4 Colon Cancer. How? Why? Seriously God? All of the questions that have been going through the minds of our family and surrounding loved ones these past few weeks.

But here’s what’s funny. Jess still hasn’t given up hope. In fact, I’d argue that Jess is more invincible than ever!!! When my sister was in the hospital, my mom, dad, Andrew and Jess made the most of every moment. They talked, laughed, cried and were there for one another the entire time. They'd send daily updates to Jonny and me that consisted of smiling faces and lots of love. Since then, Jess has been nothing but optimistic about what her future holds and if Jess hasn’t given up hope then we (her team! And support system!) can’t either! Jess is a constant reminder to all of us that every day is a gift and even when you're faced with the biggest challenges, you have to make the most of EVERY moment. And that's exactly what we want to do.

So why Lourdes, France? When I was 11, my Nana (my mom’s mom) passed away. After she passed I found a card in a prayer book that she'd had given me right before she passed. The card was on a page that had two significant things. One was the prayer that was on the page. The prayer was the reading that was said in mass that morning. The second significant thing was a photo and that photo was of the Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Lourdes. Ever since then, I've had a calling to Lourdes. I've had two people pray over me telling me I'd need to go to Lourdes and I've always been so intrigued with it. Growing up I always knew that someday I'd need to go there, but I never knew why.

After my sister received the news about the cancer spreading to her liver I knew what we had to do, we had to go to Lourdes!!! After years of talking about it, I mean literally 15 years, this was the moment I’d been waiting for. What’s funny about it, is I’ve talked so much about Lourdes in my life that my mom made a joke to Jess about it before I even had the idea for us to go!

Do I believe a miracle can happen? There’s no reason not to believe. But if no miracle happens, the trip will still be worth every second. When you’re given life-altering news, why not go to France to visit the most famous healing shrine? Why not become a Disney princess? Why not move to Atlanta? Why not meet your soulmate on a plane? Why not go to Lourdes, France for a miracle?

Jess, if you’ve taught me one thing, it’s that you have to make every day the best day no matter what you've been given.

That’s my story and if you would like to help Jess, my mom and me go on this trip it would be amazing. If you’d like to help her in other ways contact me and I can help you do just that. Please continue to also pray for Jess, her future is bright and we need your prayers to help with that!