Justin Ball

Dear Family and Friends,


We have decided to inform and continually update Justin's status using this website. As you would assume sending/receiving so many text messages can be overwhelming and exhausting. Michelle is extremely exhausted as she has been by her husbands side the whole time lifting him up along with taking care of their 3 beautiful daughters. So, hopefully this website will help keep all their friends, family and loved ones informed. You can message and send love using this website where they can read and reply as they please. They thank every one of you who have called and sent  such loving text messages. They ask that you continue uplifting Justin and his family in your prayers. He needs prayer warriors' surrounding him through this difficult and devastating time.


As some may know Justin was diagnosed with leukemia on Sunday night.  After multiple nose bleeds and unexplainable bruises for the past few weeks. Anyone that knows Justin, knows how hard headed and stubborn he can be and kept blaming his symptoms on Dalhart allergies. Friday morning Justin developed a nose bleed that lasted all day, of course he doesn't think anything of it. Saturday he went to work as usual and ended up with another nose bleed; so he decided it was time to head to the clinic that evening. By 9 p.m. they finally got the bleeding stopped and then went home. Sunday he was on babysitting duty while Michelle visited a friend in the hospital, where friends were asking how Justin was doing. Michelle decides to mention her concern of his unexplainable bruises. After everyone expressed their concern of  his bruises and nose bleeds, she immediately called his brother Jerod. At that point Jerod starts to get worried and texts our Uncle Craig a medical doctor.  Without hesitation he told him "You get him to the hospital RIGHT NOW!" So, Jerod and our dad raced Justin to the hospital where our uncle had his blood ordered and the results within an hour. His blood counts were extremely low, 5% of the normal person. The nurses and doctors couldn't believe he was walking around and functioning like nothing was wrong. Our Uncle and grandfather said had he not gone to the hospital he would of died within days. Thank goodness for extremely worried friends and family.


After hearing the incredibly devastating results our dad and his loving wife raced him to Amarillo and once again our uncle had him admitted and room ready for his arrival the second he got there. That night he received a blood transfusion and synthetic platelets. The following day they did a bone marrow procedure to diagnose which type of leukemia he has but would take 48 hours to get the results. Justin kept his spirits up and tried making light of the situation by making jokes, watching poker and playing games. Luckily the results came early!! Justin's doctor called Uncle Craig the moment the results came in and he then called Justin.


Justin has the most curable and rare leukemia, only 0.2% out of 100,000 people get this AND its most common in Hispanic women! 3-4 years ago it was the worst cancer to get but they have figured out how to cure it now! Its called APL which is a subtype of AML (which was the one we were praying for out of the 4) Crazy to think we were hoping for a certain type of cancer. APL has a 95% cure rate and only a 5% of it ever coming back! Those are the best odds of any leukemia there is. Thank the good Lord!! Ohh and he will not have to do chemo! He will be on steroids, arsenic and Vitamin A in very high doses for the next 30-45 days! After that he will have to come back for treatment every other month for 5 days. And hopefully after that year he will be out of the woods!!! It's not 100% but it has the best odds out of any other leukemia. We would like to thank y'all for the love and support and lifting Justin and his family in your prayers. It's going to be a long road ahead but he is a fighter!!!


Justin is allowed no visitors at this time until further notice. Also, please no flowers as he is not allowed them :( Our family is asking for prayers only!! Please NO DONATIONS!!!


The next few days are the most crucial for Justin so please continue to lift him and his family up in your prayers, especially his wife Michelle. Lord, we ask that you wrap your arms around Michelle and their girls and cover them with Your love and peace. Please give Michelle the strength to trust in You and help her to see with eyes of faith during this difficult time. Grant her serenity and peace every day and days to come. In the midst of hurt, uncertainty, anger and confusion wrap her close in Your everlasting steadfast love. Amen! We love you Michelle! You have an army of prayer warriors surrounding Justin every minute!! As Justin would put it "Ain't no leukemia going to take me down!"


"The steadfast of mind you will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for God the Lord we have an everlasting Rock." Isaiah 26: 3-4


"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1


"LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress." Isaiah 33:2


But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefor I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10


 


Love,


The Ball Family