Beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother, Uncle & Friend. Jeff worked on his testimony for about 6 months, wanting it to be just right. It was important to him, to communicate his heart, spirit and love for all his family and friends. He will be deeply missed. ❤️

JEFF’S STORY

My name is Jeff Parker and this is my story of faith and how my foundation in faith helped me survive two brain surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy. I will share moments along this journey. I knew that God had touched me and was speaking to me. I am 57 years old, husband to my wonderful wife, Carrie for 24 years. I’m a father to Maricella and Bianca and grandfather to Olivia. I also have my mom and two sisters to round out my family of faith. My health battle began in October 2020. I was under stress with work and my father was ill. My father had recently moved out from my mother and into an independent living home. My father was not very happy with his situation and he became difficult to support. During this time I was helping my mother and sisters as we dealt with my dad. I collapsed in October right after a meeting while at work in our work parking lot. I was taken to the Mayo Hospital emergency room but nothing was found to be wrong. They called my fainting an unexplainable spell and I was sent home. 

In  March of 2021, I started to have headaches and noticed that I was missing left turns and becoming disoriented. I would run into doors, walls, and tables. Carrie, took me to the Mayo emergency room on March 14, 2021. This time the CAT scan found the problem, it was discovered that I had a tumor the size of a racquetball behind my right ear and it was determined to be cancerous. This was shocking news to hear as I was not expecting any news like this. After hearing this news we both cried. Carrie was very confident that God was going to take care of us through this tough time. I prayed for our family to be led and comforted by God and knew he was leading us. It was here that another moment of faith was shown to me. Pastor Brian from the Mayo clergy team came into my room and asked if he could pray. He said he knew we had bad news given to us earlier but he was there to proclaim that God would take care of me and that I would be a testimony of God’s healing power and I was going to make it through this tough time. I was in good physical shape and young enough and I had the faith that God would get me through this tough time. Brian arrived at another perfect time to pray with me.  We then went out to visit our friend who was a four time cancer survivor to get words of wisdom and advice from her. Her mom Carolyn came out to see me and grabbing me by the head spoke confidently stating God was with me the whole time and that he was not going to let me go through this alone and whenever I felt alone just remember that God was carrying me and had me in his hands and was not going leave me. They were great words to hear at a tough time. It reminded me of what I already knew, as I look at other moments I realize that God had been planning this day for Carrie and me for many years. I could look at it all the way back to when I met Carrie and her girls that I could become part of their family and have them watch over and take care of me through this tough time. It was truly a blessing from years ago when I met Carrie, Maricella and Bianca, 20 some years ago, from the emergency room, to the surgeons, to my hospital team, the cancer team, everyone mentioned how strong I was and in good shape and were confident that I would make it through the surgery. The anesthesiologist hit me on the shoulder and said “You are strong and I’ve seen thousands of these surgeries you will be fine.” When I think about being strong, I think of the three years that Carrie and I went to Orange Theory to get a work out 3 to 5 times per week. This was the best shape I have been, in quite a bit of time and I felt very strong. Also during this time we would listen to Joel Osteen and his messages on the way to Orange Theory and the way back. I realized that the foundation of Joel and his stories was building even stronger on my faith to the point when I was in the hospital I didn’t have to learn how to pray or learn what I wanted to do. I was confident and I was praying and I knew that God was hearing me and surrounding me with his angels and his blessings. After speaking with the surgeon Dr. Zimmerman, I was very confident in his capabilities. He was a very nice man and confident that he would get the tumor out for me. It was here that I had a decision to make as I was sent into the MRI. Dr. Zimmerman said “Don’t move I need a good picture so I know how to get that tumor out.” Trust me, I did not move and I followed the doctors instructions. Since that day they called me a statue because I was so still. And I have since had seven or more MRIs but as I was being loaded into the MRI tube on that first day, I thought to myself here’s your decision to make, is this going to be life ending or is this going to be life changing. I chose at that moment life-changing, and it has been that for sure. My surgery was a success. It was 11 hours and I was back up into my hospital room at 6 o’clock that night. I had a good nursing staff and did well throughout the evening to the point I was discharged at 8:10 the next morning so I was home in my bed that afternoon, one day after having brain surgery. Absolutely amazing to me, so blessed to have God hold me in his hands and take care of myself and my family during this difficult 24 hours. I soon started to receive phone calls and text messages stating my friends’ love and prayers being sent our way and we could feel them. I was on a prayer chain in Italy from east to west coast, and Mexico. It was great and I could feel the love and support proving the faith I have, and other humans, that they have faith as well. Another moment was when my sisters and brother-in-laws invited Carrie and me up to Oregon to visit Mount Angel Monastery, where where I had the opportunity to be blessed by Abbot Jeremy. It was truly a special and emotional day for all of us. 

It was during this time that I noticed my balance was off we became concerned and contacted Mayo where they rushed me to the emergency room. Once again. Dr Zimmerman visited my room and notified me that I would need a second surgery due to radiation flareup which caused my brain to become inflamed which was causing the imbalance issues. A second surgery, an emergency surgery, was planned in two days.  Although the surgery was a success, in the fact that they created some room for the inflammation and did not see any cancer and I did wake up from a second brain surgery, I considered a success, but it was a very painful and not comfortable surgery to go through. It was during this surgery that I really realized I had a foundation of faith and I was leaning on it this whole time not fully aware. I was in the hospital two days following the second surgery. It was during this time I saw the beaches footprints in the sand poster on the wall in front of me. I realized that this footprints poem meant a lot to me. I realized that God was carrying me through this difficult stay in the hospital. Although I knew it was because every day, every hour I got better and healthier. It also was during the second surgery recovery that our daughters, Maricella and Bianca invited Carrie and me to their church, Christ Church of the Valley here in Peoria. It was great to go to church as a family, hold hands and pray, and give thanks to God that we could all be together during this time. Another moment during this period was the first song that was sang and it was titled ‘My Testimony’. Hearing the lyrics, “If I’m not dead you’re (God) not done” those words meant so much to myself, my wife, and my daughters that we had tears in our eyes as we sang, held hands, and gave God the praise he deserved for getting our family through this tough portion of our lives. I know God is not done working through me as I still receive moments of his blessings. One reason was when Carrie wanted to get us out of town for a few days and we went to San Diego to enjoy the beach and some good food. It was a lovely time. This was also a time that I was struggling with my decisions for treatments and why I was kept on this earth. I needed some signs I was doing the right thing, and it was provided in San Diego. We met two brothers and a wife who lost their brother and brother-in-law to glioblastoma exactly a year and a half ago. Same as mine and at the same time, the only difference was their brother decided he didn’t want any treatment and went for alternative medicine. The more we talked I realized they were very angry at their brother for not fighting more for them. He then said to me, “Thank you for your fight, you are helping us see that our brother could’ve made it with a little more faith and what you are doing for yourself and your family is a true blessing and thank you for keeping up the good fight.” I guess I found this shocking for the fact I didn’t know that not fighting, not doing the treatments, was an option. Because from day one, my faith stepped in and said no, you will be healed, you will make it through this, and you will be a testimony. And I believe that since day one. I am being carried by our Lord. Another moment occurred in the Salt Lake City airport. I was approached by two gentleman who asked me about my scars and if I happened to have had glioblastoma. I responded yes. They were wanting to talk to me because they had just been notified by their best friend that he had stage four glioblastoma and wanted my advice of how they could help. Once again I could speak from experience as I have done with the people in San Diego, and it helped to convince me of why I am still here and that is to help other people that are facing this difficult adventure. I am blessed to have Carrie in my life to take care of me as much as she has as well as a strong family support and friends. We continue to pray every day for continued healing and guidance.

One afternoon I was speaking with my mom and told her about seeing the beaches poster and footprint poem on the wall while staying in the hospital. I mentioned I didn’t know why I remembered something so vividly from when I was younger. She reminded me that I received the poem and poster as a confirmation gift upon graduating from eighth grade confirmation and I had it on my wall for years.  This was a very nice sign for me from 40+ years ago. Creating the basic foundation of faith has helped me get through cancer operations and treatment.