Hudson Inglehart's Cancer Treatment
Donation protected
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you”
-Jeremiah 1:5
Where is the most appropriate place to begin telling the story of a life changing event? I won’t begin to presume to know the answer to that question but as I sat in front of my computer God’s powerful words to Jeremiah kept resonating in my head and I believe to fully understand the impact of Hudson Inglehart’s diagnosis and the years of treatment that lay ahead for this brave 8 year old, you have to first understand the years that John and Stephanie prayed for him before they ever knew his name.
Hudson’s story starts decades ago in a small town in Kansas where a boy meets a girl and as their like turned to love and love turned to marriage and domestication they found themselves longing to fill the rooms of their south Olathe house with the laughter of little Ingleharts. This, as they would come to discover, was not as easy as they anticipated though. Months of anticipation turned to times of frustration and yet through all of the doctors’ visits and disappointments they continued to pray for the child that they knew would come. Then, one day in the summer of ’09 a lengthy red headed boy made his way into the world, Hudson Dean Inglehart. Joy, love and a lot of sleepless nights followed and as the seasons melted away Hudson felt the love of his family everyday as he learned to walk, run, draw, swim and eventually play Minecraft. Their family of three quickly grew to a family of five and Hudson stepped into the role of patient older brother.
There is a famous saying about life with kids “The days are long but the seasons are fast” and such was life in the Inglehart household. Love and laughter were intermittently broken up with “Parker don’t touch that and Hudson for goodness sake get down from there” but life moved fast until a phone call Hudson’s doctor on a random Monday afternoon brought it to a screeching halt.
Hudson had some lymph nodes on the back of his neck that had been inflamed and were painful and though they seemed to respond to a round of antibiotics they returned a couple months later and the doctor thought best to have them biopsied. The call that Stephanie took was to tell them that the biopsy had come back positive for cancer and they need to bring him in immediately.
Over the next week and through a myriad of tests and procedures, the diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia was confirmed and a treatment plan was defined. Through all of this, Hudson has been incredibly courageous and has shone John and Stephanie a strength so awe-inspiring.
John, Stephanie, Hudson, Parker and Lilah are doing everything they can to adapt to this new “normal”. It is impossible to predict exactly what the treatment plan will look like over the coming years, but they know that the treatment will take at least 3-1/2 years and will include overnight hospital stays away from their two smaller children, clinic visits, tests and lab draws, waiting for answers and many sleepless nights worrying about their child.
Please pray for the Inglehart’s. Pray first and foremost for a complete healing of Hudson and a total elimination of all cancer cells. Pray for his strength and courage to continue fighting with all of his might, though the road may be long and he may grow weary. Pray for the Lords hands to hold Hudson up and to comfort him in times of need. Pray for his family too, as they will need His guidance throughout this immense journey. “And whatever you ask in Prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22
-Jeremiah 1:5
Where is the most appropriate place to begin telling the story of a life changing event? I won’t begin to presume to know the answer to that question but as I sat in front of my computer God’s powerful words to Jeremiah kept resonating in my head and I believe to fully understand the impact of Hudson Inglehart’s diagnosis and the years of treatment that lay ahead for this brave 8 year old, you have to first understand the years that John and Stephanie prayed for him before they ever knew his name.
Hudson’s story starts decades ago in a small town in Kansas where a boy meets a girl and as their like turned to love and love turned to marriage and domestication they found themselves longing to fill the rooms of their south Olathe house with the laughter of little Ingleharts. This, as they would come to discover, was not as easy as they anticipated though. Months of anticipation turned to times of frustration and yet through all of the doctors’ visits and disappointments they continued to pray for the child that they knew would come. Then, one day in the summer of ’09 a lengthy red headed boy made his way into the world, Hudson Dean Inglehart. Joy, love and a lot of sleepless nights followed and as the seasons melted away Hudson felt the love of his family everyday as he learned to walk, run, draw, swim and eventually play Minecraft. Their family of three quickly grew to a family of five and Hudson stepped into the role of patient older brother.
There is a famous saying about life with kids “The days are long but the seasons are fast” and such was life in the Inglehart household. Love and laughter were intermittently broken up with “Parker don’t touch that and Hudson for goodness sake get down from there” but life moved fast until a phone call Hudson’s doctor on a random Monday afternoon brought it to a screeching halt.
Hudson had some lymph nodes on the back of his neck that had been inflamed and were painful and though they seemed to respond to a round of antibiotics they returned a couple months later and the doctor thought best to have them biopsied. The call that Stephanie took was to tell them that the biopsy had come back positive for cancer and they need to bring him in immediately.
Over the next week and through a myriad of tests and procedures, the diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia was confirmed and a treatment plan was defined. Through all of this, Hudson has been incredibly courageous and has shone John and Stephanie a strength so awe-inspiring.
John, Stephanie, Hudson, Parker and Lilah are doing everything they can to adapt to this new “normal”. It is impossible to predict exactly what the treatment plan will look like over the coming years, but they know that the treatment will take at least 3-1/2 years and will include overnight hospital stays away from their two smaller children, clinic visits, tests and lab draws, waiting for answers and many sleepless nights worrying about their child.
Please pray for the Inglehart’s. Pray first and foremost for a complete healing of Hudson and a total elimination of all cancer cells. Pray for his strength and courage to continue fighting with all of his might, though the road may be long and he may grow weary. Pray for the Lords hands to hold Hudson up and to comfort him in times of need. Pray for his family too, as they will need His guidance throughout this immense journey. “And whatever you ask in Prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22
Organizer and beneficiary
RusselandBrandy Merrell
Organizer
Olathe, KS
Stephanie Inglehart
Beneficiary
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