My name is Breanne. I do not attend your church but am reaching out to any church I can get a hold of to send out prayers for a very special little boy. His name is Christopher Hartley. Just before Thanksgiving last year, Christopher was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on his brain stem. He was only two and a half. Since then, Christopher has turned three but has spent at least five out of the six months in Children's hospital. He has undergone numerous rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. He lost his ability to walk, sit on his own, and use his left hand. I recently found out that Christopher weighs only 26 pounds and is having to be placed on a feeding tube in order to regain weight. Christopher's father, Allen, quit his job to become Christopher's primary caregiver. His mother, Judy, continues to work to help pay for the bills the family is incurring from this ordeal.

On June 30th, Christopher will receive an MRI to determine what the effects of radiation were on his tumor. Given his recent side effects, it is very possible the tumor has not shrunk at all. No family deserves the pain and suffering that this family is going through. I reach out to your congregation to please send up a prayer for this family and hope that the tumor is shrinking. Pray that this family's suffering will be over soon.

Thank you so much,

Breanne Desmarais

If anyone would like to know more about him, you may visit his caringbridge journal at this address: www.caringbridge.com/visit/christopherhartley