APRIL 2026. The cancer is back and has metastasized to Sarai's lungs.

It is the same tumor cell that began in her tibia and is now aggressively creating nodules in both of her lungs. Rai is starting chemo again tomorrow, 4/28. She will spend the entirety of every third week inpatient with heavy doses of two chemotherapy drugs, followed by two weeks of rest for the next 6 weeks, and then will have another scan to see how well therapy is working. If it is, then the discussion about surgically removing the new tumors will begin.

After her original tumor resection and recovery, Sarai was in helpful alternative treatments, but this cancer can gain momentum quickly, and on 2/29, we found out she's in for the fight for her life now. All, and I mean alllll options were thoroughly discussed and carefully considered while she had more testing these last couple of weeks, and we are confident that God led Sarai and her teams to this strong plan. Sarai has been blessed by a few good months while rehabilitating her leg, just enjoying her horses and some travel, seeing friends, and celebrated her 15th birthday just last month.

Real talk about support that is needed...

Prayers prayers prayers and encouraging words, cards/letters, calls & texts... for her, the team, and her family.

Eph. 6:18 "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

Money talk: the financial burden from her first rounds of chemo last year and surgery, plus treatments and scans this year have left a balance of 14K for her family to get caught up on even before adding to that the treatment plan and surgery that should occur over the next 5months at a minimum. We are working at getting numbers together for exact monthly costs for co-pays, deductibles, prescriptions, special dietary needs, and added costs of being inpatient for a week at a time. I know that lightening this burden lightens up the pressures for her parents and that really helps her directly. If you are called to give in this way, please do, and you're welcome to contact me (Rebecca) with any questions about ways to encourage the family or get in contact to do so also.

ORIGINAL POST FROM THE START OF TREATMENT SUMMER 2025:

On July 8th, 2025 Sarai Vang, 14yrs old, was informed that she might be fighting a long and difficult fight for her life. After scans, labs, & biopsies, it was confirmed that Rai has a large, infiltrating osteosarcoma in her right tibia. On Tuesday, July 29th, Sarai began her fight against this aggressive malignant tumor. Her treatment plan is 10 weeks of inpatient chemo, followed by tumor resection and limb reconstruction, and then many months of chemo lasting a total of at least 10 months to a year. As Sarai and her family begin this year long process, they ask for your support, prayers, positive thoughts, and encouraging messages. They invite you to follow their story here, as updates will be given about once a week.

The reality of this disease is that it tries to take everything from those affected- health, peace, hope, resources... We do not accept that and are preparing to fight with Sarai through prayer and showing up for her and her family in whatever ways necessary.

The Vang family are a family of five. Sarai, 14, is the 2nd daughter of Kong and Nichole. She is to be starting High School this year. Nakai, 17, is Sarai's older sister, a H.S. student; and Zulai, the youngest, is just starting elementary school. Kong works full-time to provide for their family and Nichole is the home-maker and home-schooling mom.

The cost of treatments, scans, surgery, supplies, and therapies will be 40K-100K for the year, depending on many factors. Kong will be taking necessary days off work to look after his family's other needs and be with Sarai on certain days. The upcoming surgery will be in Southern CA and require them to travel and stay 1-3 weeks in the LA area, and have in home-health care for many months.

More details will unfold as this story is told; but for now, please, please do pray, send encouraging words (or advice if you have experience in a fight like this); and I ask you to consider if you are able and willing to donate financially to lighten the burden this family has to pay for all that is to come.