Phil and Ester McGee

We have been blessed with amazing parents! Unfortunately, 2019 has been a hard year for them. We have actually rewritten this several times because it is hard to put into words. So here we are, sharing the rawness of our story..unfiltered! 

About 7 years ago, our daddy was diagnosed with colon cancer and had to have his colon removed. This was a difficult lifestyle change for our daddy, but he continued to count his blessings. 

Shortly after this, our mama was in the hospital having heart surgery, followed by additional surgeries and several stokes and  has never completely recovered. Over time, she started to show signs of dementia. Our dad took care of her every step of the way. He grew tired and restless, as our mom had several set backs in and out of the hospital, only to discover fluid in her lungs. After an unsuccessful surgery to remove it, we were referred to a specialist. We continued to pray for healing for our mom. 

In April of this year, our mama was diagnosed with small cell (non-smoker) lung cancer. It is a rare cancer that our mom met certain criteria on ( female, Japanese decent.) This really hit our family hard! On May 22, 2019, mama started her chemo medicine.  She was not ready to give up. We were not ready to give up either!

2 months later, she suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed on her left side. At this time, daddy had lost so much weight, and he was tired. We pulled together because we knew that daddy could no longer care for mama on his own; she needed 24 hour care. So we had to pack them up, move everything into storage and move them in with one of us to give mama the care she needed. A few weeks ago, one of us really felt that daddy needed a checkup to make sure we were taking care of him. All of the stress and changes had taken a toll on daddy. After several tests, a few days ago the doctors informed us that daddy’s cancer is back. The cancer has spread to his liver, lungs and bones.

As much as cancer sucks, and yes, cancer sucks, we know The Lord has a plan. We continue to be hopeful that their bodies will be restored. 

A lot of you have asked how you can help during this time, and we want you to know that we have appreciated it. Up until now, we have been managing. We need help now. This go fund me has been set up to help with current cancer treatments, medical and living expenses, next steps, and future treatments. The doctor bills and living expenses have been piling up, and the most recent news makes it almost too much to process right now. 

We appreciate all of you taking the time to read our story. During this whole time, we have not lost faith. We know that we all serve a God bigger than any of this. We are asking all of you to continue to pray for our parents and our family; as we navigate this season of life. We know that Faith can move mountains!

With Love and Appreciation,

Angel, Maria, Renee and Phil (JR)