Nathan Durbin

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James‬ ‭1‬:‭2-4‬ NIV


My son Nathan Durbin is 19yrs old and was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on July 14, 2014.


We live in Worthington Ohio. I am a single mom and Nathan is the 2nd of my 4 children. He graduated from Tree of Life Christian School in 2013, He has a sister Emily, who is 21, brother Luke 17 yrs old who is entering into his Senior year at Worthington Kilbourne HS and sister Olivia who will be a Freshman at Worthington Kilbourne.


Nathan's passions in life are his family, friends, love for Christ, basketball and soccer. He is a huge OSU Buckeyes, Cleveland Browns. Cleveland Cavs, and Cleveland Indians fan. He has been on 4 mission trips to Haiti where he helped provide Haitian families with clean drinking water with an amazing organization called RAINCATCHERS. He attended Wittenburg University and was on the basketball team.


On July 10th, 2014, after only a few days of complaining of shin pain, I took him to the ER around 11:30pm. He was in so much pain he could hardly walk; thinking it was shin splints, we had been putting ice on them and taking ibuprofen. Riverside Methodist Hospital ER ran tests, took blood and informed Nathan and I he was anemic. They said for us to follow up with his Dr. next week, told us to continue to ice his shins and sent us home. 


On Friday, July 11,2014 the Riverside ER Doctor called Nathan to inform him his blood worked showed he could have Leukemia. The doctor instructed Nathan to go to OSU Medical Center ASAP for further tests. We did....at 1am Saturday morning he was admitted into  the James Cancer Center.  Bone marrow biopsy on Saturday, more tests and lots of meds...the diagnosis was told to us on Monday, July 12, 2014....Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)  Our life as we have known is forever changed....


Nothing can EVER prepare hearing you have cancer at any age...As a mom, I felt like I hit a brick wall...My healthy 19 year old son was now fighting the fight of his life and I couldn't take his pain away. My heart breaks to see him in the pain he is in. This is the beginning of a long journey for Nathan, his life changed in a second.


Please join me in prayer for Nathan as he begins his chemo treatments and the fight for his life. We serve a God who heals, we are believing and praying for complete healing to Nathan.


Thank you for your love, prayers and support to us during this time. I will be journaling updates daily to keep you all posted on how he is and all the blessing God is pouring out on him.


In Christ,


Jen (Nathan's Mom)