Imagine being told that you can’t dance because it’s too strenuous, told that you cannot attend school because the risk of you collapsing is too high, having to sleep the afternoon away despite what goes on around you, getting fevers every other week, and being generally ostracized because you’re “sick.” It’s difficult to imagine going through that at any age, but try leukemia at twelve and it’s even harder. The youngest of four, Rhea has been diagnosed with leukemia for the last six months. Her father, Romao, works in a sugar factory, where he wasn’t making enough to sustain the family before her diagnosis. Now that she needs monthly check-ups and medication, her family is over $600 in debt to his company. Consider the burden she must carry knowing this.
When she was first diagnosed, her platelet count was at only fourteen. A typical count, I’m told, is in the hundreds. Over the last six months it has fluctuated, reaching as high as twenty-seven, though the last time I saw Rhea, her platelet count was at only twenty-four. 
During that visit Meg and I played cards with her and her sister. We wanted to treat her like a normal twelve-year-old and just hang out. This sickness has bound her to her home, church, and the doctor’s, and in many ways has decreased the odds of her having an abundance of friendships. We prayed for her before we left, speaking truth into her, and telling her that we believe the Lord will heal her in his timing because it is perfect.
Last week I saw Rhea again. She was not in her home, nor church, nor the doctor’s. In fact, she was in an auditorium of over 4000 people, worshiping God for ICM’s annual “Celebrate Jesus Chorale Competition.” She looked healthy and full of life. Her platelet count has risen to thirty. Meg and I spent some time talking with her, and praying over her again. I know God has great plans for this young woman, and I am so encouraged by her strength and progress. Praise God!
