Hello – and blessings.

We hope you had a wonderful holiday. Shelby is doing well. We received the news that she is still positive for Parvo right before Christmas. Her port will remain. Dr. Lew wants to be certain that she will not need more IVIG treatments before we have it removed. Obviously Shelby was sad, but Peter and I went to give blood a few days later and Shelby was watching attentively, as always. She thinks it is really cool that “red stuff is in your body and they can take it out.” I reminded her that she did not want that big needle in her arm and that is why Dr. Lew was keeping the port in. After eyeing my arm she agreed in less than a split second, “Yes, you are right mommy. The port is much better.”

Shelby had an amazing Christmas. We made more sweets than we could muster, although we gave it one heck of a try. She left cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for Comet – exclusively. She is beating all of her siblings at Wii Sports despite how sore she is from boxing.

Shelby goes in for a sedation, VCR, and IVIG on the 8^th of January. I will give her the last of her oral chemo meds on the 19^th of January. The plan is to “see how her body will respond to the Parvo off treatment and then proceed from there.” If Shelby’s bone marrow responds well to the Parvo, meaning it begins to fight the virus on its own, Shelby will have her port removed in a couple of months. If the virus wins, she will receive approximately 4 more rounds of IVIG. One a month and then once again we will see where we stand. I just want her to be healthy and have all this behind us. PLEASE pray God puts his hand upon her body and heals her from the Parvo and keeps her free of Cancer forever. She can die of heart disease at 85, but not cancer! Never again cancer – that is just how I feel about it dog gone it – I never want cancer in her body ever again as long as she is alive on this earth.

I also have another special request from all of you wonderful prayer warriors. My sweet neighbor has a niece that was born with a defective heart. She will be undergoing another open heart surgery on the 20^th of January. Her name is Courtney. Her parents are torn between two treatment options. Neither of them are without consequences to their precious daughter. Please pray that they experience a peace about the one they have chosen and that Courtney will undergo the surgery and her recovery in such a way that it will be obvious to all that God held her in His awesome magnificent arms all the while His child so desperately needed His special care.

May God bless you and your family in this New Year. I pray He extends His favor upon mine as well.

In Christ,

The Howerton’s

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