One of Kristen’s friends here, hoping to update you on where she is in her battle against cancer. Kristen is so brave and courageous, but she and Matt are scared and overwhelmed right now. Her cancer is spreading rapidly, plus there are new complications almost every day. As I write this, Kristin is alone inside a COVID room at Renown Medical Center in Reno. She has a blood clot in her artery leading to her kidney and a kidney infection. She has been experiencing severe and unrelenting stabbing pain in the area of her left kidney for the last few weeks, and until the last two days has been unable to get any answers about what was causing it. She has COVID that has led to pneumonia. Her cancer has multiplied so much that she has more than 30 spots on her liver alone. 

Kristen has been unable to continue her chemotherapy treatments because of COVID. She had two treatments, but they came to a halt when she tested positive. She has made many changes to her diet, attempting to boost her immune system to fight off the cancer itself. She and Matt met with a doctor whose practices entail adding a regimen of drugs to her chemo that works alongside it and attacks the stem cells of the cancer to hopefully rid the body of not just the cancer cells, but the stem cells as well. Matt has spent countless hours supporting Kristen through research and coaching. It has come to a place now where her body is not cooperating and she has been forced to quit chemo and the supplementary drugs and focus on the pain, infections, blood clot, and pneumonia. 

I know if you are reading this it is because you love Kristen, Matt, Jordan, and Kaisley. Please continue to pray for them and their doctors. Our church body is loving them the best we can by caring for the needs of the home and kids, but it never seems like enough. We acknowledge God’s sovereign control over every development that unfolds, every cell in her body. We seek Him earnestly and humbly, asking Him to accomplish His perfect will and to help us understand and accept it. We desperately desire many more years with Kristen on this earth, but we also know that might not be God’s will for her. We pray for wisdom and peace in Matt’s heart and a clear connection to the doctors even though he has been forced from her hospital room. 

We know how hard this is on everyone involved, and we know many of you will naturally want to reach out to Matt and offer support. We ask that you do that by posting comments here on CaringBridge or through mail. We thank you for your love for this family and your continued prayers. 

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God 

who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” 

Deuteronomy 31:6