Brendan Japp Brendan M Japp

Brendan was diagnosed April 13th, 2017 with stage 4 lung cancer – specifically adenocarcinoma in both lungs, brain, heart, liver, and various bones throughout his body. He is 31 years old, married to Jennifer for 8 years and has four amazing children – Griffin 5, Edie 3, Maddox 2, and William “Huck” 6 months. They live in Knoxville, TN. 

Brendan started feeling definitely “off” in mid-Feb. He sought treatment initially for a virus being the likely culprit. Based on his x-ray showing significant lung involvement and fluid on his heart he was sent to a pulmonologist who initially pursued a diagnosis of histoplasmosis, a fungus you can catch from birds and bats. He recalled cleaning up after a bat colony in his house eaves in January so this was ~logical. With his condition steadily worsening despite meds, he was admitted to the hospital on 4/11 where they did a bronchoscopy to get lung tissues. They also told him he had the worst looking CT scan of the lungs they had seen the entire year thus far. After ruling out tuberculosis and histoplasmosis, they informed him on 4/13 of the cancer diagnosis. The next day the cardiologist informed him that there was so much fluid around his heart that he was in more danger of dying from a heart attack than succumbing to cancer. Thus he had a procedure on Saturday which drained nearly two liters of fluid from his heart. After three days in the ICU and two days in a regular room, they sent him home this past Thursday (4/20). As you might imagine, the family was thrilled to see him home, although he is very tired at present.   

 Please be praying for:

-          His lung function to stabilize and improve.  He came home on supplemental oxygen and cannot presently exert himself very much at all without getting short of breath and low on oxygen saturation
-          Effectiveness of the treatment against the advanced cancer – medically speaking this is incurable, but in keeping with Matt 19:26“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”
-          Side effects to the treatment to be few, if any, and manageable
-          Daily joy, faith, and confidence for Brendan, Jennifer, and the family, even in the midst of an unexpected and very sharp ‘turn in the road’. Since the diagnosis, Brendan has consistently been the person in the room comforting and encouraging others, including the doctor who brought him the news. Among many others, a favorite passage of Brendan’s for this time is Philippians 1:18-26, describing the Apostle Paul’s heavenly-minded focus even as he persevered through much adversity in this life to fulfill his calling. Accordingly, while hoping, praying, trusting, and working toward an outcome of being here for many years and decades to come as a husband and father, Brendan’s desire is to walk this out, wherever it leads, with his hope, peace, and joy found in Christ above all else.