EJ's Army Cancer Fight

On December 4, 2020 my eldest son Elisha Jacob Wenth (EJ) 15 yrs old, was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in the right distal femur. This was shocking news to all of us and the last 10 days or so have been a whirlwind.

EJ had been experiencing about 6-8 weeks of intermittent knee pain after a small harmless bike incident in September, the pain was progressively worse at night but initial evaluation didn't present any alarm . Finally after a youth camp trip things didn't seem like they were progressing in the right direction and thankfully EJ was persistent in letting us know how bad his pain was getting. The orthopedic doctor whom my wife Kristi (Elisha's stepmom) works with was able to get an MRI ordered for us and immediately called us with the results, there was mass/tumor that needed to be seen by a specialist ASAP.  He set us up with an orthopedic bone tumor specialist the next day, and within 24 hours of the MRI report we had a biopsy scheduled for 2 days later. After the biopsy Dr. Mollabashy knew within an hour based on preliminary pathology reports that we were dealing with bone cancer.

Here we are, life changed in an instant and we are heartbroken for Elisha and all that he is going through, wishing we could take this away from him. In all the devastation and heartbreak though, we have hope, hope in something bigger than us. We immediately reached out to family and friends and stood on what we know is bigger than Cancer. We know that Jesus is real and He covers all things. 

The current plan is 29 weeks chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumor, this a long road ahead for the entire family. He has an amazing support system of 4 parents and a loving immediate family. We are praying for limited to no side effects of chemotherapy, and strength and grace for each other as we walk this out with him.

In all this, it can be hard to ask for help but this is a lot for any family, especially one with 3 kids and another on the way. We are so thankful for the understanding jobs we have and family and friends that have already reached out to help us with kids, food etc. We have the ability to support Elisha in so many ways emotionally, spiritually and even physically. The reality though is that we will need extra resources, food/meals to help us be intentional with all the kids, money to help with medical bills, moving costs in February 2021 and a team of people praying and interceding on our behalf. Deductibles and out of pocket costs will restart in 3 weeks, and chemotherapy started this last week. The plan right now is that EJ will have surgery at week 11 of the 29 week plan, to remove the tumor in his right femur. Then weeks of more chemotherapy and physical therapy. At the end of the day, the reality is we will need help. We want to provide the best care for our child and limit our stress as much as possible so we can be strong for EJ in this process. 

If you can help in any way we will be beyond thankful. You never imagine being in this position as a parent, but as we all know "it takes a village" to raise them up strong and healthy. In this case we need an Army, "Elisha's Army" to help us along the way.  We are grateful to all of you who have reached out and sent up prayers and much more. We know that HE IS FAITHFUL, and HE WILL PROVIDE. 

"I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you" Isaiah 46:4

With love, 

Michael and Kristi Wenth