Helping Brandon White - Spring 2009

Brandon White, Youth Pastor at Heartland Community Church, and his family are in need of help from their family and friends.  His spirit and faith are good, but he is in need in other ways.

After an 11 year remission, cancer returned to Brandon’s right leg last April.  The first week of July, ’08, his leg had to be amputated at the hip.  He then underwent a 18 week protocol of chemotherapy at KU Med in hopes of eradicating any future cancer.

Unfortunately, during Christmas week, two new large tumors were found.  Brandon spent the month of January at KU Med, including an unsuccessful major operation to remove the tumors.  This operation has left him considerably less ambulatory than before and he can no longer navigate the stairs at their tri-level home.  They have listed their home for sale and, with their 3 year old son, Erwin, have moved in with Jody’s parents, Paul and Kitsy Gray.

Since coming home from KU Med the end of January, Brandon has been taken back to their Emergency Room four times:  three times by ambulance and once by life flight.  He is taking chemo and starting radiation, but the tumors are growing, rupturing, and causing considerable bleeding and swelling. 

In addition to your fervent prayers, I’m personally asking you to consider helping them financially by a monthly gift for the rest of this year (or a one time gift).  We’re praying and believing that he will be able to go back to work later this year.

The reasons they need financial help are:  huge medical expenses not covered by insurance; other travel, food, medication and expenses related to being at the med center frequently; Jody having used up her sick days where she teaches school—thus having to take unpaid leave to be with Brandon at the Med Center; our church no longer being able to provide a salary for Brandon.  The church has paid him each month ($2,500) since last July.  We hired two temporary part time people to do his ministry with the belief that Brandon would have been back to work the end of December. The current economy has affected the giving at our church to the tune of a 30%monthly decrease.  We have depleted our reserve funds and are having to make cuts in other areas as well as no longer being able to compensate Brandon.

If you can help this dear family, please don’t do it at the expense of your tithes to your own church.  However if you could provide a tax-deductible donation to the “Brandon White Cancer Fund” and consider doing so for the rest of this year, you will be a great blessing to them!

In addition, if you would please pray for:  God’s supernatural healing of Brandon; their house to sell; strength and endurance for Jody, Brandon, Erwin and all their family; continued grace and encouragement from their church family.

Thanks so much for your consideration…we really appreciate it!

Paul Gray 

Please mail donations to “Brandon White Cancer Fund” %

Heartland Community Church, 619 Vermont St. Lawrence, Ks 66044

You can read Brandon’s latest update now at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brandonwhite

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