Praying for Sydney Kallus
Donation protected
Please pray for our goddaughter, Sydney Kallus. She is 11 years old and her parents, Mark & Jennifer, found out on Friday, October 24th that she has Burkitt's Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Sydney will be undergoing treatment at MD Anderson in Houston to tackle this disease.
Along with your prayers, if you have children, please ask them to keep Sydney in their prayers, too. Prayers are so powerful, especially those of children. Please share this prayer request with your friends and family and add Sydney’s name to the special intentions at your church. Let’s storm heaven with prayer for this precious child of God!
In addition to her parents, Sydney has two younger sisters and a baby brother who love her dearly. Sydney also has several brothers and sisters who are angels watching over her from heaven.
With all of the medical expenses piling up and the gas needed for trips to Houston, we wanted to set up this fund to help her parents. For all of those who have asked to do something in addition to prayer...this would be a great way to help.
When I talked to Sydney the night before her chemo began, I asked her what kinds of things I could mail to her in a care package. She listed some books that she wanted as well as some small toys. Then, she said, "Hey, maybe you could send me a check for one million dollars?" I told her that I would empty out some of my piggy banks and see what I could come up with. We both laughed about it. Then she said, "Seriously, for some reason, half of me thinks that you are actually going to send me a check."
Sydney, my sweet goddaughter, in addition to the one million prayers that I'm trying to round up for you, I'm going to give it my all to make your "over-the-top" wish come true. I've set the goal for $50,000...but, you know I'm really hoping for a million, little girl!
Sydney is in desperate need of fervent prayers for her healing! Much love and thanksgiving to all who are able to donate or pray for Sydney and her family!
Blessings,
Russell & Heather Kallus
(Sydney at a dress-up birthday party this summer)
(Sydney at the Jackson County Fair)
(Sydney with her dad)
(Sydney with her mom)
(Sydney with Patch Adams at MD Anderson)
(Sydney before her PET scan with a thumbs up!)
(Picture that her mom took of her "bump")
(Sydney waking up after a long day of procedures)
Along with your prayers, if you have children, please ask them to keep Sydney in their prayers, too. Prayers are so powerful, especially those of children. Please share this prayer request with your friends and family and add Sydney’s name to the special intentions at your church. Let’s storm heaven with prayer for this precious child of God!
In addition to her parents, Sydney has two younger sisters and a baby brother who love her dearly. Sydney also has several brothers and sisters who are angels watching over her from heaven.
With all of the medical expenses piling up and the gas needed for trips to Houston, we wanted to set up this fund to help her parents. For all of those who have asked to do something in addition to prayer...this would be a great way to help.
When I talked to Sydney the night before her chemo began, I asked her what kinds of things I could mail to her in a care package. She listed some books that she wanted as well as some small toys. Then, she said, "Hey, maybe you could send me a check for one million dollars?" I told her that I would empty out some of my piggy banks and see what I could come up with. We both laughed about it. Then she said, "Seriously, for some reason, half of me thinks that you are actually going to send me a check."
Sydney, my sweet goddaughter, in addition to the one million prayers that I'm trying to round up for you, I'm going to give it my all to make your "over-the-top" wish come true. I've set the goal for $50,000...but, you know I'm really hoping for a million, little girl!
Sydney is in desperate need of fervent prayers for her healing! Much love and thanksgiving to all who are able to donate or pray for Sydney and her family!
Blessings,
Russell & Heather Kallus
(Sydney at a dress-up birthday party this summer) (Sydney at the Jackson County Fair) (Sydney with her dad) (Sydney with her mom) (Sydney with Patch Adams at MD Anderson) (Sydney before her PET scan with a thumbs up!) (Picture that her mom took of her "bump") (Sydney waking up after a long day of procedures)
(Sydney after a very long day of testing)
10/31/14 – A few recent updates on Sydney from her mom:
I had a chance to catch up with Sydney’s mom, Jennifer, and this is what she shared with me:
“Sydney is VERY tired. She’s napped for 2 days in a row. We get to come home for the weekend and will come back on Tuesday to tackle a heavy round of chemo treatment. (PRAYER WARRIORS – LISTEN UP - THIS IS THE GOOD PART…) You would be amazed at how much the lump/mass on her neck has gone down! The steroids and chemo are helping with that, I believe."
"BUT, the PRAYERS must be doing something extra big, because I specifically remember the doctor saying it would take about 10 days for the lump to pretty much disappear. Well, it's been less than 3 days and it's pretty much gone! There were 2 other small ones that are gone, too. Mark took a picture yesterday, today, and will take another one when it's gone for good! Even the doctor said it was amazing! I say our God is amazing! And our friends and prayer warriors are amazing, too! Thank you all so much for praying and helping us through this first week. Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude!”
“Sydney is really enjoying reading all of the facebook posts and prayers. I think it's a lot for her to take in. I’m not sure if she really gets just HOW many people are praying for her. I’m not sure if WE even get it. It's very overwhelming and humbling. I finally got to really read through Sydney’s prayer support page and I'm so glad I did. Every time I come home, I get sad all over again. But, reading all the posts and prayers really cheered me up. GOD IS GOOD! Thank you all very much. We have some pretty amazing friends…”
“Thank you also for the night prayers! I had a restful night's sleep and I think Sydney did, too! She is one who really needs her sleep and hasn't gotten much in the past 2 weeks with all of the early morning trips to Houston for appointments and then the middle-of-the-night vitals checks this past week in the hospital. I know that once she is well rested, she will be up moving around and enjoying the outdoors in no time. For all of you participating in the ‘Night Owl Prayer Support,’ we appreciate you covering us in prayer through the night more than you realize."
“I just know this is why we have such peace right now. Peace…it is so necessary at a time like this! May God bless you for your unceasing prayers. Of course, the daytime prayers are needed and appreciated, too. It's just that the nights can sneak up on you and cause loneliness and despair and we haven't had much of that at all since you all started the 'round the clock praying. We thank God for each and every one of you!”
Please continue your fervent prayers for Sydney and her family as she battles her Stage 4 Burkitt’s Lymphoma. We pray for her miraculous healing! We pray for her strength through this difficult time. We know she can do it because she’s “Sydney Strong!”
(Sydney's MUCH smaller "bump!" God is good!)
(Sydney going home for the weekend. Look at that smile!)
(All smiles getting to go home for a few days for some much needed rest before a long chemo week ahead.)
Here's a blog post about Sydney called, "The Hole in Heaven's Floor."
All of the love, support, faith, hope, and prayers inspired a saying called, "Sydney Strong." I wrote a poem to explain a bit more about what it means to be Sydney Strong .
I had a wonderful little visit with Sydney at home before she heads to MD Anderson for a week full of chemo and more testing. What a joy it was to be able to walk to the mailbox with her and her sisters. I just love mail. And, BOY, does Sydney get mail! Whoa! When we got to the mailbox, she told me I had to promise two things: (1) That I would carry all the mail since she was on her scooter and (2) To watch out for spiders in the mailbox. Yes ma’am…will do!
We had the chance to share a few giggles during our time together and that was so wonderful to see her smile. She asked me to stay longer to enjoy some apple pie and ice cream with her. Well…..hmmm…..o-kaaaay….if you insist. hee hee! By the time our visit was up, Sydney was really pooped and headed to bed for a nap.
Please continue your amazing prayers for her and her family as they face the difficult week of chemo and more testing ahead. Thank you for sharing our prayer requests with your friends and family. It means so much. I am in awe of the prayer support and all of the places across the world in which the prayers are coming from! Much love to each of you for your kindness and thoughtfulness.
Please pray that the chemo works on the Burkitt's cancer cells and that Sydney has minimal side effects.
Prayer Warriors...you might want to sit down for this AMAZING news!! Praise God, Praise God - for He has done wondrous things for us! Please read this wonderful update from Sydney's mom and send up your prayers of thanksgiving to our Lord!
11/7/14: UPDATE FROM SYDNEY'S MOM:
"I am nodding off as I write this, but I just couldn't close my eyes tonight without writing a very special THANK YOU. Thank you to all of you who have been praying unceasingly for Sydney and for us. Thank you for all of the sacrifices you have made in order to make those prayers heard (offering up sleep, food, etc.). Above all, Thank you, God, for answering our prayers…"
"I am so happy to announce that the results of the bone marrow aspiration from this morning came back NEGATIVE! What does this mean? Well, from what I understand, they tested both sides of her bone marrow last week on Monday (Oct. 27). The test came back positive on one side (the left) and negative on the other (the right). On the side that tested positive, the number was 35%. So, they retested that same side this morning, only to find that the number was <1%, which is basically, negative. So, in 12 days, it went from 35% to <1%!"
"When the Dr. told us this, he was very hesitant. It was almost as if he didn't believe it himself. He told Mark that he wasn't sure which side they tested this morning - the one that had previously tested negative or the other one. After this conversation, Mark consulted the nurses, who checked her file and confirmed that the side that was positive (at 35%) last week was her left side. He double-checked twice to see that the bandage on her back was indeed on the left side."
"Last week, during our conversation with this same Dr., I remember discussing the bone marrow results with him and making a comment about how it would be nice to have a miracle that would just make it all disappear. He quickly dismissed that by saying that it has to be treated first. Well, guess what? It was treated with medicine, but God treated it, too, and GOD made it DISAPPEAR!"
"Not long after we found this out, Sydney's oncologist came in with a huge smile on her face. She was VERY excited about this news. She said that the meds are working and doing their job. She also agreed that this was fast. I still don't know what all this means, but I do know one thing. Our God is an awesome God!"
10/31/14 – A few recent updates on Sydney from her mom:
I had a chance to catch up with Sydney’s mom, Jennifer, and this is what she shared with me:
“Sydney is VERY tired. She’s napped for 2 days in a row. We get to come home for the weekend and will come back on Tuesday to tackle a heavy round of chemo treatment. (PRAYER WARRIORS – LISTEN UP - THIS IS THE GOOD PART…) You would be amazed at how much the lump/mass on her neck has gone down! The steroids and chemo are helping with that, I believe."
"BUT, the PRAYERS must be doing something extra big, because I specifically remember the doctor saying it would take about 10 days for the lump to pretty much disappear. Well, it's been less than 3 days and it's pretty much gone! There were 2 other small ones that are gone, too. Mark took a picture yesterday, today, and will take another one when it's gone for good! Even the doctor said it was amazing! I say our God is amazing! And our friends and prayer warriors are amazing, too! Thank you all so much for praying and helping us through this first week. Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude!”
“Sydney is really enjoying reading all of the facebook posts and prayers. I think it's a lot for her to take in. I’m not sure if she really gets just HOW many people are praying for her. I’m not sure if WE even get it. It's very overwhelming and humbling. I finally got to really read through Sydney’s prayer support page and I'm so glad I did. Every time I come home, I get sad all over again. But, reading all the posts and prayers really cheered me up. GOD IS GOOD! Thank you all very much. We have some pretty amazing friends…”
“Thank you also for the night prayers! I had a restful night's sleep and I think Sydney did, too! She is one who really needs her sleep and hasn't gotten much in the past 2 weeks with all of the early morning trips to Houston for appointments and then the middle-of-the-night vitals checks this past week in the hospital. I know that once she is well rested, she will be up moving around and enjoying the outdoors in no time. For all of you participating in the ‘Night Owl Prayer Support,’ we appreciate you covering us in prayer through the night more than you realize."
“I just know this is why we have such peace right now. Peace…it is so necessary at a time like this! May God bless you for your unceasing prayers. Of course, the daytime prayers are needed and appreciated, too. It's just that the nights can sneak up on you and cause loneliness and despair and we haven't had much of that at all since you all started the 'round the clock praying. We thank God for each and every one of you!”
Please continue your fervent prayers for Sydney and her family as she battles her Stage 4 Burkitt’s Lymphoma. We pray for her miraculous healing! We pray for her strength through this difficult time. We know she can do it because she’s “Sydney Strong!”
(Sydney's MUCH smaller "bump!" God is good!)(Sydney going home for the weekend. Look at that smile!)(All smiles getting to go home for a few days for some much needed rest before a long chemo week ahead.)Here's a blog post about Sydney called, "The Hole in Heaven's Floor."All of the love, support, faith, hope, and prayers inspired a saying called, "Sydney Strong." I wrote a poem to explain a bit more about what it means to be Sydney Strong .I had a wonderful little visit with Sydney at home before she heads to MD Anderson for a week full of chemo and more testing. What a joy it was to be able to walk to the mailbox with her and her sisters. I just love mail. And, BOY, does Sydney get mail! Whoa! When we got to the mailbox, she told me I had to promise two things: (1) That I would carry all the mail since she was on her scooter and (2) To watch out for spiders in the mailbox. Yes ma’am…will do! We had the chance to share a few giggles during our time together and that was so wonderful to see her smile. She asked me to stay longer to enjoy some apple pie and ice cream with her. Well…..hmmm…..o-kaaaay….if you insist. hee hee! By the time our visit was up, Sydney was really pooped and headed to bed for a nap.
Please continue your amazing prayers for her and her family as they face the difficult week of chemo and more testing ahead. Thank you for sharing our prayer requests with your friends and family. It means so much. I am in awe of the prayer support and all of the places across the world in which the prayers are coming from! Much love to each of you for your kindness and thoughtfulness.
Please pray that the chemo works on the Burkitt's cancer cells and that Sydney has minimal side effects.Prayer Warriors...you might want to sit down for this AMAZING news!! Praise God, Praise God - for He has done wondrous things for us! Please read this wonderful update from Sydney's mom and send up your prayers of thanksgiving to our Lord!
11/7/14: UPDATE FROM SYDNEY'S MOM:
"I am nodding off as I write this, but I just couldn't close my eyes tonight without writing a very special THANK YOU. Thank you to all of you who have been praying unceasingly for Sydney and for us. Thank you for all of the sacrifices you have made in order to make those prayers heard (offering up sleep, food, etc.). Above all, Thank you, God, for answering our prayers…"
"I am so happy to announce that the results of the bone marrow aspiration from this morning came back NEGATIVE! What does this mean? Well, from what I understand, they tested both sides of her bone marrow last week on Monday (Oct. 27). The test came back positive on one side (the left) and negative on the other (the right). On the side that tested positive, the number was 35%. So, they retested that same side this morning, only to find that the number was <1%, which is basically, negative. So, in 12 days, it went from 35% to <1%!"
"When the Dr. told us this, he was very hesitant. It was almost as if he didn't believe it himself. He told Mark that he wasn't sure which side they tested this morning - the one that had previously tested negative or the other one. After this conversation, Mark consulted the nurses, who checked her file and confirmed that the side that was positive (at 35%) last week was her left side. He double-checked twice to see that the bandage on her back was indeed on the left side."
"Last week, during our conversation with this same Dr., I remember discussing the bone marrow results with him and making a comment about how it would be nice to have a miracle that would just make it all disappear. He quickly dismissed that by saying that it has to be treated first. Well, guess what? It was treated with medicine, but God treated it, too, and GOD made it DISAPPEAR!"
"Not long after we found this out, Sydney's oncologist came in with a huge smile on her face. She was VERY excited about this news. She said that the meds are working and doing their job. She also agreed that this was fast. I still don't know what all this means, but I do know one thing. Our God is an awesome God!"
Organizer
Heather Spears Kallus
Organizer
Inez, TX