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‘Part of God’s Plan’: How Two Families From Adjacent Towns Are Fighting Childhood Cancer with Faith

The Crawford family. (Photo credit: Chad Estes of Starry Night Media)
The Crawford family. (Photo credit: Chad Estes of Starry Night Media)
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By Stephanie Parker
Editor

May 12, 2017

For most parents, hearing that their child had cancer would provoke anger toward the Lord. But the Crawford and King families view their children’s respective illnesses as part of God’s plan.

READ: ‘God Had a Miracle’: Michael Bublé’s Wife Breaks Silence on Son’s Cancer Battle

In 2016, Ryan Crawford was diagnosed with a rare form of pediatric brain cancer at the age of 4. Speaking to Faithwire, Ryan’s mother, Jessica Crawford, said that her family has leaned into their faith at every turn — even when her son was forced to undergo three brain surgeries in less than 6 months.

Photo Credit: Chad Estes of Starry Night Media

Photo credit: Crawford family 

The King family, who live one town over from the Crawfords, are experiencing the same grief. Annie King, the mother of Lily, a 4-year-old with a rare form of bone and blood cancer known as Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, told Faithwire that her daughter’s diagnosis was devastating.

“It just hits you in the gut,” she said. But after weeks of crying, she explained,”I found a really good support system in my church and family. But really it’s been God. He’s provided so much more.”

Lily was diagnosed in 2015 and will finish chemotherapy in 10 months.

Both the King and the Crawford families were honorees this year at the sixth annual “Boise’s Got Faith” race. The Christian non-profit told local news station KTVB-TV that almost 1,000 people participated in the event on May 7. The organization raised $53,000, and 100 percent of the proceeds went to Ryan and Lily.

Photo credit: Chad Estes of Starry Night Media

Photo credit: Chad Estes of Starry Night Media

“Our goal in putting on this event is to bring Ryan and Lily — and so many others like them — hope, light and laughter, encouraging them to remember the joy of being a kid again,” race director Ryan Stearns told KTVB.

To help both families, click here.

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Other Must-Read Stories:

– ‘Best Birthday Yet’: Thousands of Strangers Make This Little Girl Forget About Cancer for a Day

– ‘She Made Sure Those Babies Would Live’: Mom With Cancer Sacrifices to Save Twins

– 12-Year-Old ‘Moonlight’ Star to Spend Wealth on Cancer Research

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