The Lebano Family: Living with GBM

Eighteen years ago Jon and I signed papers to walk down a path and open the door to the home where we raised our babies and grew many things while keeping Jesus at the center of our home, family, marriage and hearts.

On the afternoon of April 28th, 2023, the kids and I (and our two pups) walked along another path as we sat beside Jon praying a divine mercy chaplet, reading Psalm 23 and praying the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, as Jon drew his last breaths.

The veil was lifted and Jesus came to walk him home.

While our hearts are shattered into a million pieces we cannot help but see the beauty of God’s design for our lives in so many details of today and this entire journey of brain cancer. So many hearts converted and brought to prayer because of Jon’s clever and courageous fight and his trust in God. He is my hero. I am sure he is a hero to many. He is loved by all who knew him.

So many prayers answered, so many small miracles and so many questions in this mystery of life. Jon now gets to see the true glory of His life as he enters the throne room.

It is not lost on the kids and me that day is St Gianna Molla’s feast day, and the day we stepped into the home 18 years ago where we built our beautiful life and the day Jon was called home to eternity after spending so many hours in prayer asking for her and her holy Husband, Pietro Molla, to intercede for us.

One of the most touching lines in the Pietro prayer we prayed daily speaks volumes to how Jon lived this difficult journey: “His steadfast and unconditional acceptance of Your Holy Will even it is difficult to accept.”

Jon knew God wills all of us to come home to Him and be holy and whole and happy with Him for eternity.

At 3:00 am, Jon called out to me in his weak and raspy voice: “Heather Lebano, I love you.”

I love you too Jon Lebano and I always will.

I hope you are having cake.

“Love and sacrifice are closely linked, like the sun and the light. We cannot love without suffering and we cannot suffer without love.”—St Gianna Molla