The Brenton family needs your prayers, because we need two miracles.
Angi has been a little ill – digestive difficulties – since January and it got bad enough that she went to the doctor early last week. They did some blood tests and a CT scan Friday, 2/15. The preliminary diagnosis we got the next day from the scan is pancreatic cancer – a golfball-sized tumor near the bottom of the pancreas, and unfortunately, signs that it has spread to the liver.
The prognosis for this type of cancer is never good, and life expectancy if caught early is usually about nine to twelve months – less if other organs are affected.
She will see an oncologist in Asheville Thursday, one who specializes in this type of cancer, and we’ll know more then.
This has been a shock for all of us, and we have been informing family members and friends. It has been especially difficult for our 16-year-old daughter Laura, who has been battling depression for some months. The day Angi’s scan was taken, we were admitting Laura to the local hospital’s ER for a comprehensive evaluation. We agreed (including Laura) with the evaluating team that she needed to be placed temporarily at a hospital which specializes in treating depression, and one of us was with her at the ER 24 hours a day until a bed opened up Monday evening 2/18, just 3-1/2 hours away. We have taken her there, and she’ll be in that program to help restart her life about 5-7 days.
I preached Sunday morning and longed to explain to our church family at Sylva why I was so earnestly seeking their prayers, but I couldn’t until we had been able to tell extended family – our moms, kids, sisters and Angi’s cousins – and a few working colleagues. Each one of our church family respected that, and prayed in faith that God knew what was best for us and would provide.
That’s what we’re asking from all of you: prayers of faith. Be as specific as you want to be in your prayers, but we really need two miracles. I’ve only asked for a miracle once before – my dad’s recovery from a heart episode and coma at age 66, 20 years ago. God didn’t answer as my family and I had hoped or asked at that time, but we still believe in His limitless power and desire for what is best for us.
Thank you in advance for your grace in doing this. We may not be able to respond to every kind word you send while we try to cluster our far-flung family in prayer and hope. But please know how much we appreciate your prayers, love and well-wishes.
Blog In My Own Eye 
God bless your family as He holds you all close together. I will be praying for your Angi, and Laura. My son was in a similar cirumstance 3 yrs ago, now 18. Your entire family will be lifted up in my prayers. Peace & sweet, sweet grace.
Dear Keith,
You don’t know me yet but I have been reading things you have written for some time and know how hard it is to stand up for your convictions–I love and appreciate you. Anyone who desires to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. I am praying for you and your wife and daughter. God bless and keep you through it all!
YBIC,
Roger
Keith I have been asked by my doctor to go in for a CT scan of my abdomen due to pain I have been experiencing since January and my son suffers from severe OCD. He has been battling depression lately so this post is hitting me hard. In this post you are leading the way for me by faith–I have been scared to go have the CT scan. I think I will go now and do it. Thank you for being so open–God bless you. Roger
I encourage you to do so, Roger. It is better to know than to not know. This particular kind of cancer is almost never detected early enough to treat effectively. So it’s better to know EARLY.
Keith,
Please give Angi a hug from me. I had no idea pancreatic cancer had that kind of prognosis. I’m so sorry. Praying for God’s healing touch for each person in your family. Thank you for sharing. We love you all!
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Keith, you and your family will be in my prayers day and night. I know exactly the experience you had with your Dad as I too prayed in earnest for the life of my mother 25 years ago as she battled breast cancer. I did not understand why my prayers weren’t answered to my satisfaction and came to the realization about a year or so later. Eight months after my mother’s death I was married and 11 months after that my husband was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. From the lessons I learned through my mother’s illness, both with prayer and with medical care I was determined to do everything in my power and to appeal to the Lord’s power through as many people as I could. I researched treatments, got my husband to a teaching medical center when the local doctors didn’t seem to be on the right track (we lived in another city in NC at that time) and learned as much as I could to know all of the questions that needed to be asked. I knew that God would give me the strength I needed and He certainly did. Though my husband experienced several complications over a two year period, his cancer was eventually considered cured. Fast forward to March 2012, my husband moved to Sylva to join me at my new job. He had no symptoms of anything wrong but a routine physical in June led to a diagnosis of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma in his colon. Chemo started in July and any side effect or complication that could happen seemed to occur thereafter finally resulting in a pulmonary embolism, full cardiac arrest and then a brain hemorrhage- those occurred while he was IN Duke Univ. Hospital for diagnostic testing for complications. (Teaching medical center again!) The day of the embolism and hemorrhage, the surgeons and neurologists told me that my husband wouldn’t live through the night but I began to talk to the Lord to let Him know that I was placing my husband completely in His hands and I had faith that He would take good care of him. I prayed for the strength to endure what would come and for grace. I also began making calls to our former minister and church family, friends and extended family to get as many people praying as I possibly could. Our former minister drove to Duke along with several members of our church family and they prayed with me at my husband’s bedside laying our hands on him to bring God’s energy to his body through those prayers. In the next 36 hours my husband not only survived the hemorrhage but he also survived surgery for which I had been given a 50% chance of his death then his condition stabilized to the extent that the doctors were coming by his room in amazement. After several more touch-and-go kind of experiences through which he flew like an ace, he was taken off of sedation and found to have no movement on his left side and to have a “blown” right pupil. That was in November. Today he is at home and he prepared the main course for our supper tonight for the first time in months. He is undergoing speech therapy and physical therapy and his vision is still affected but he is improving every single day. The journey to this point in his recovery has been nothing less than a horrible nightmare for me as I was in a new home in a new job and a new town, spent a month in a hospital away from home without any family to support me and trying to juggle a lot going on in addition to my husband’s ordeal. The ONLY way I made it through was by the grace and strength that God granted me. I know so much of where you are and would like to be of support to you, truly. I’m just down the road and your wonderful wife will know exactly where to find me. In the meantime, I’ve put out the word to my friends and family that daily prayers are needed for your family.
Praying for you.
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I love you … even having never met you in person… I can tell we would be great friends if we lived in the same place. And I will be praying for those miracles.
I’m praying God grants you the miracles you’re/we’re asking for by completely healing Angi and Laura. I also pray he gives you (and them) great peace, power, and hope, and that you sense his loving presence with you like never before. I’ve been encouraged by God through you many times on your blog and twitter, and I pray God gives you great encouragement now and always. Please know you are dearly loved and lifted up before God.
Your in my prayers as well kb, may God bless your family.
Jeff, thank you, brother.
You have been on my mind and in my prayers all night. I will continue to keep you all in my prayers.
Abba Father, Kieth and his family need you right now. Jesus promised to send the Comforter. Keep that promise now and send comfort in the midst of pain, depression and sickness. God, we cry out with you that this is wrong. We beg you to step in and show your power.
I’ve been praying for your daughter for a while. You know I have a daughter the same age who has had her own struggles. I added your wife this morning to my prayers, and I’ll be taking your two ladies to God’s throne every day until we have His answer. God bless.
If there’s anything else you need, let me know. Whatever I can do.
Keith, I am so sorry. I am praying and will continue to pray for your wife, Angi, and daughter, Laura, as well as you.
Grace and Peace,
Rex
Keith, I’m so sorry to hear about the ways that satan is attacking your family. One thing we both know and agree on is that God is in TOTAL CONTROL and is going to take care of you no matter what. He tells us that He will be out strength. I am praying that God will give you an extra measure of HIS strength right now. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You will see God up close and personal like never before!!! The journey is painful but so exciting to watch God work. Look for His fingerprints everywhere, and that will keep you going. REMEMBER that nothing is impossible for HIM!! You can count on the Stripling family to pray for all of you in the days ahead!! We love you!!
Dear Mr. Brenton, I have just read your post above and am writing to say I am so sorry for all these illnesses that have been brought upon your family. I will keep you all in my prayers. May our Father be with you all.
Dear Keith, Angie, Laura, and Matt,
We are in prayer asking for those two miracles in Jesus’ name! We send love, hugs,
And prayers that the great almighty will deliver
Just what we ask! We love you and your family so much! If I can help in any way with Laura, please let me know.
Confidently in prayer,
Vickie and Dwane Tankersley
I’ll be praying.
Keith – may God’s power and Spirit lift you and your family up and I know He will carry you through.
Keith,
Thanks for sharing your story so we can pray for you and your family. It will be a privilege.
I’ve lost some people very close to me from cancer, but also have some good friends who’ve received 100% remission. I’ve seen God do some amazing things.
From Texas, Praying for God’s mercy and healing.
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. … From everlasting to everlasting, You are God. … So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. … Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days! … Let Your work appear to Your servants Keith and Angi, and Your glory to their child Laura.. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon them, and establish the work of their hands … yes, establish the work of their hands.” (A prayer of David, Psalm 90, for the Brenton family.
Thank you — all of you — for your kind words, encouragements and especially your prayers.
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Keith, We do not know each other, but I have travelled half of your path with a daughter of my own which began much like your journey is now with your daughter. Ours is now 22 and an amazing , whole, woman. There is hope. Please feel free, if you’d like, to contact me through my blog if you’d like to hear the steps we took.
I’m sorry for pain and the fear you must feel. The Lord is walking with you.
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It is March 26, and I have just now seen your post. I am in prayer now for Angie and Laura — praying for those two miracles. I wish God’s peace for you and all your family. From a devoted follower of New Wineskins…Don Cole