Help Cherish a Passionate Teacher in Need

Cheryl Donakey (holding our first grandchild, Elliott!) is an Art Teacher, Elementary Education Teacher, and Special Education Teacher as well. She also worked on the staff of churches I was serving as pastor and built amazing children’s ministries.

While we were living in Missouri and I was finishing my Master of Divinity to become an Ordained Minister, Cheryl became aware that she was drinking an excessive amount of water when a friend visited and called it to our attention. We discovered she had a tumor pressing against her Pituitary Gland. We contacted a minister friend who was working with cancer patients along with Dr. Bernie S. Siegel, M.D. (Teacher at Yale University and Author of Love, Medicine & Miracles). Dr. Siegel worked with exceptional cancer patients and had tremendous success. Our friend Dr. Gene Rooney gave us meditation and prayer tapes and helped Cheryl create a meditation to use for her healing – visualizing her body washing and cleansing the tumor away. Her chosen Scripture was Matthew 17:20: 'Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, …Nothing will be impossible for you.' When the surgeon came in after the surgery, he apologized. There was no tumor – only a dry yellow mustard-type substance that disintegrated when he touched it!

That was in 1989. Cheryl is an amazing teacher with a passion and love for kids! Once again, our challenge to have faith is being tested. The annual mammogram she had during COVID-19 got lost, and when our puppy Pogo accidentally hit her breast, she had tremendous pain and scheduled a mammogram. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is now undergoing treatment which will include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. The doctors are very positive that treatment will be effective. Recovery will be at least a year. Cheryl will be unable to work during this time. The special education students often require physically demanding assistance when they are having difficulty staying calm, and it is more than Cheryl would be able to do safely. Exposure to germs is also an issue during treatment. As her husband, Joe has served 2 churches over the last few years, both very hard-hit by COVID. Many elderly members could no longer risk attending worship, many relocated to be closer to family, and COVID also took the life of many older members. Joe did 12 funerals in one six-month period. That church closed, but we are now serving another church that was hard hit by COVID and is struggling to keep the doors open. Our insurance is dependent on the church remaining open, which is looking very uncertain. Joe has taken over a 50% pay cut over the last few years as the churches have declined in size and financial resources.

Donations to Cheryl during this period will help ensure that we can retain our insurance, cover medical costs, and pay our bills until Cheryl is able to return to work. We have faith that once again God will provide - including healing from this cancer.