Support for the Vincent Family
Donation protected
Cari was initially diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer at the age of 33 in October 2011 when her youngest son was 3 months old and her two older boys were 4 and 5. She underwent treatment of various kinds for the following 5 years at which time she was found to have no evidence of disease. Shortly thereafter in November of 2016, Cari’s cancer metastasized to her lung linings and lymph nodes and was sadly stage 4. The past years have been filled with overcoming fears, pursuing joy, finding great doctors, finding new treatments to fight cancer, enrolling in clinical trials and traveling to MD Anderson, TX. Fighting for JOY and fighting cancer went hand in hand. They found JOY to win most days.
September of 2018 brought news of the fact that the cancer had spread to multiple places in her body, including the lining of her spine and brain. Only 1-4% of all cancers spread to the lining of the spinal cord and brain, so it became aware that treatment would be hard and with probably minimal benefit. Treatment options became limited and life expectancy, regardless of the invasive threats, was also limited.
Please consider supporting the Vincent family through this fund as they have had unexpected expenses related to Cari’s care, and as they continue to make as many memories as a family as possible while she is still here with them.
Cari’s words from Mother’s Day 2017:
Mother's Day is bittersweet. So sweet. So hard. I want to be here to raise my precious boys and have many, many more days with them. So please pray for me this Mother's Day. That I will love my children well, show them Jesus, and continue to find such joy in each moment.
My children have had to grow up in their thinking of death, the brevity of life, and eternal perspective. They think about things that most kids don't. They have real fears that most children don't. Last night they all expressed how they wish my cancer would just go away and I would live for a long time! They said they don't want me to die! They know the earthly sting of death. They fear it. And yet in the midst of these hard thoughts we have such precious conversations. We discussed God's big picture and how we can't see it clearly this side of heaven. How he is so good. And how we hate cancer. And death. And fear.
I reminded them how I deal with each day when I feel frightened. I think about two days: TODAY and the LAST DAY! Today, I am a mom, a wife, a sister, an OT, a friend... I know today. The LAST day I will be instantly glorified in Heaven. No pain. No sorrow. No fear. I know the TODAY & the LAST DAY. So, when I think about all those moments in between today and the last day it can be terribly scary! Fight to get out of that middle land that we know nothing about. It's dark. It's scary. I choose to focus on what I DO know! Today & the Last Day.
Then in a sweet response...Jack and John started singing a song from our car CD player: "like the song MOM! Don't be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, make your requests known to God!" YES!
Ben said, "Mom, what if because of your cancer I decide to do research! And what if my research saves millions of people?! Wouldn't that be amazing!" YES!
I am frequently reminded of how cancer has given me a gift. It has taught me that life is but a fleeting breath. I have joy. I am happy. And this Mother's Day I am SO thankful to be a MOM. To raise my boys and to love them well. To laugh. To show them how to change a tire on their bikes, put on deodorant, and hold the door for others. I am teaching them that kindness is valuable because we don't know the pain someone is dealing with in their lives. I am teaching to happily serve. I am teaching them that it's ok to be sad. That is ok to love fiercely even when you know you might face loss. I am teaching them that even though we face scary things, like cancer, we do not have to live in fear! And this Mother's Day I am thankful that I am their mother! TODAY I am present. TODAY I am their mother!
September of 2018 brought news of the fact that the cancer had spread to multiple places in her body, including the lining of her spine and brain. Only 1-4% of all cancers spread to the lining of the spinal cord and brain, so it became aware that treatment would be hard and with probably minimal benefit. Treatment options became limited and life expectancy, regardless of the invasive threats, was also limited.
Please consider supporting the Vincent family through this fund as they have had unexpected expenses related to Cari’s care, and as they continue to make as many memories as a family as possible while she is still here with them.
Cari’s words from Mother’s Day 2017:
Mother's Day is bittersweet. So sweet. So hard. I want to be here to raise my precious boys and have many, many more days with them. So please pray for me this Mother's Day. That I will love my children well, show them Jesus, and continue to find such joy in each moment.
My children have had to grow up in their thinking of death, the brevity of life, and eternal perspective. They think about things that most kids don't. They have real fears that most children don't. Last night they all expressed how they wish my cancer would just go away and I would live for a long time! They said they don't want me to die! They know the earthly sting of death. They fear it. And yet in the midst of these hard thoughts we have such precious conversations. We discussed God's big picture and how we can't see it clearly this side of heaven. How he is so good. And how we hate cancer. And death. And fear.
I reminded them how I deal with each day when I feel frightened. I think about two days: TODAY and the LAST DAY! Today, I am a mom, a wife, a sister, an OT, a friend... I know today. The LAST day I will be instantly glorified in Heaven. No pain. No sorrow. No fear. I know the TODAY & the LAST DAY. So, when I think about all those moments in between today and the last day it can be terribly scary! Fight to get out of that middle land that we know nothing about. It's dark. It's scary. I choose to focus on what I DO know! Today & the Last Day.
Then in a sweet response...Jack and John started singing a song from our car CD player: "like the song MOM! Don't be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, make your requests known to God!" YES!
Ben said, "Mom, what if because of your cancer I decide to do research! And what if my research saves millions of people?! Wouldn't that be amazing!" YES!
I am frequently reminded of how cancer has given me a gift. It has taught me that life is but a fleeting breath. I have joy. I am happy. And this Mother's Day I am SO thankful to be a MOM. To raise my boys and to love them well. To laugh. To show them how to change a tire on their bikes, put on deodorant, and hold the door for others. I am teaching them that kindness is valuable because we don't know the pain someone is dealing with in their lives. I am teaching to happily serve. I am teaching them that it's ok to be sad. That is ok to love fiercely even when you know you might face loss. I am teaching them that even though we face scary things, like cancer, we do not have to live in fear! And this Mother's Day I am thankful that I am their mother! TODAY I am present. TODAY I am their mother!
Organizer and beneficiary
Suzanne Kilani McCauley
Organizer
Peoria, AZ
Josh Vincent
Beneficiary