Sharing from Uncle Leander
A LOOK BACK TO THE PAST 10 YEARS WITH CASSIDY
The doorbell rang, and my wife, Connie,
answered the door. In came Carmen with a little 4 year old girl. Carmen had
come to do Bible study with a group of ladies, and brought Cassidy with her.
This was how I met Cassidy in 2004 at our home in Scarborough.
As the ladies were diligently studying
God’s Word, I was left in charge of entertaining Cassidy. What could we do?? It
was in the summer. So, we played in the little back yard pool. It was a lot of
fun. She played the surfer, with me as the surf board! Cassidy is such a
trusting and calm child that she had no hesitation playing with a strange old
man, me.
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| Uncle Leander & 4-year old CaCa |
2 years later, Carmen, Aaron, Cassidy and
us went to watch the “Passion Play” at the Queensway Cathedral just before
Easter. The whole gospel of Jesus was beautifully played out in front of 2000
people. Before the end of the show, they asked if anyone would like to accept
Jesus. Sure enough, a lot of people raised their hands. Much to our surprise,
Cassidy did too.
Carmen was trying to have Cassidy lower her
hand then, but I told Carmen that it is the grace of God that Cassidy was
called. We had confirmed later with Cassidy that she truly understood the good
news of Jesus, and she believed. That was on April 15, 2006. This was how Cassidy
came to know Christ. And praise God for that, and for all of us. As Jesus said
in Matthew 18:3, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little
children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
A year later. We got a call from Carmen
that their doctor had sent Cassidy to Sick Kids’ emergency. So we went with
them. It was in April 2007, just a few days before Cassidy’s 7th
birthday.
Cassidy was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, an
uncommon type of bone cancer. It was painful just to watch what Cassidy and her
family went through for the rest of 2007, let alone how they must had felt.
She went through chemotherapy, rotation
plasty (amputation with the ankle re-attached as the knee), spent a lot of time
in ICU, and eventually had the whole leg amputated.
Along with that, Andy put in an elaborate
regime of herbal remedies, to help strengthen Cassidy to battle against this
vicious cancer.
Despite all that, never did Cassidy once
complained about what she was going through. Neither did I recalled she cried
at all. She is such a courageous soul. It is the grace of God, that as a child
of God, Cassidy was prepared by the Holy Spirit, who indwelt in her, giving her
hope, strength and courage through all those ordeals. Then Cassidy recovered
fully.
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| Uncle Leander & CaCa in 2007 |
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| Cass at Bloorview Kids' Rehab for 6 months |
The following few years were times for rehab,
adjustment, and time to excel in swimming for Cassidy.
Last April, we heard in Sydney, Australia the
news from Carmen that this cancer had come back to Cassidy in her lung and
chest. In May, the surgery removed those cancer cells, and Cassidy recovered so
quickly that she was in summer camp enjoying water sports in July already.
But before we know it, more bad news came.
This cancer had spread again, this time to her spine and mouth. When we came back July 13, 2014 to
Toronto, the treatment was already declared palliative. What a shocking news
for all of us. I wouldn’t be able to even imagine how this sudden unfolding of
events and prognosis had hit Cassidy, Andy, Carmen and Aaron. Everyone’s prayer
and thoughts went out to them.
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| Cass with Auntie Connie & Uncle Leander |
Right before we left Toronto for Sydney, on
August 12, 2014, Aaron, Cassidy and I had a good conversation. We re-visited
Cassidy’s conversion in 2006. Cassidy remembered it vividly. We talked about
God’s creation, salvation by Jesus, and His imminent return to take us home to
Heaven. We talked about how God created everything to be good, and will restore
everything to be good again, including all of us who believes, when He returns.
We talked about what Jesus promised us in Revelation 21:4 that,” He will wipe
every tear from their(our) eyes. There will be no more death, no more mourning
or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” We also prayed
together, re-affirming our faith, thanking God’s grace, and the hope He has
given us in Jesus Christ.
We parted with Cassidy with everyone being
sure that we will all meet again. And praise God for that most of all. For we all
know for sure that we will live, because He lives, as in John 14:19b. Praise
Him!!
From Uncle Leander,
With love in Christ.
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