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Friday, March 29, 2024

Living Faith

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When Lutisha Wilson gave birth to her daughter on August 3, 2005, she crowned her little princess with the name Faith. Little did she know, her family would have to rely on their faith in God to get them through a very difficult battle.

At age 6, Faith Wilson was diagnosed with Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (PNET), a rare form of brain tumor occurring usually in children below the age of 10. Aggressive surgery to remove the tumor,Ā followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy is recommended in most cases of PNET. Still, the PNET survival rate is below 40 percent.

Lutisha said Faith was an active child prior to her diagnosis.

ā€œShe was in karate, was a cheerleader and loved to dance. She was always on the go,ā€ said Lutisha.

During Christmastime in 2010, Lutisha noticed her usually vibrant child was lethargic and listless. She contacted Faithā€™s physician, who advised her to monitor her for two weeks. On January 17, 2011, Lutisha brought Faith into the doctorā€™s office, where they noticed the little girl had shortness of breath. Faith was transported to Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital for an ultrasound.

ā€œThe doctor pulled me into the hallway and said, ā€˜Iā€™m not going to beat around the bush. Your daughter has cancer,ā€™ā€ said Lutisha. ā€œI couldnā€™t believe it.ā€

Further tests showed multiple tumors in Faithā€™s liver, lungs and pelvic area. After a month of reviews, it was confirmed Faith had PNET.

ā€œI was sad when they told me,ā€ said Faith, who added that her cancer is sometimes painful. ā€œA lot of times I wish I wasnā€™t going through what I am going through.ā€

The fifth grader received radiation, chemotherapy and is currently receiving experimental chemotherapy for her cancer. Every three months, Faith receives scans to see if her treatment is effective. Faith said she doesnā€™t like her treatments, because it makes her sick. When she is feeling well, Faith is able to attend school and in her free time enjoys horseback riding, going out to dinner and to the movies.

ā€œI like shopping too,ā€ Faith said excitedly.

This past April, Faith was in remission, but her condition unfortunately regressed. Her stomach was swollen, which led her Riley doctors to discover an aggressive tumor in her liver that recurred. Lutisha was given instructions to put Faith in hospice care.

ā€œI put her in hospice, and they gave her a few months. But God is in the blessing business. She began to get better so I took her out of there,ā€ Lutisha said. ā€œSheā€™s still here.ā€

On Aug. 3, Faith celebrated her 10th birthday.

ā€œItā€™s not easy to go through,ā€ Faith said. ā€œNot everybody can do this. But I get my strength from God.ā€ Faithā€™s current treatment is shrinking her tumors.

Naturally, Lutisha was perplexed as to how her otherwise healthy, active daughter acquired cancer, and such a rare form. There is no answer to give her that peace, so she says she relies on her strong faith in God to get her through this time.

ā€œItā€™s hard. You wish things like this on yourself, not your child. I just take it day-by-day. God gave me the will and the power to keep going every day,ā€ Lutisha said. ā€œI have an 18-year-old son too, so I have to keep going.ā€

Lutisha is not only drained emotionally, but also financially. She said she had a great job at Honda, but she had to decrease her hours to make Faithā€™s care a top priority. She eventually had to quit her job and now works part time driving a school bus.

A large portion of Faithā€™s medical bills are covered by insurance, but due to the inability to work a full-time job, Lutishaā€™s other bills have begun to pile up.

To help ease some of the burden, Lutishaā€™s pastor, Rev. James Johnson, senior pastor of Sunrise Missionary Baptist Church, authorized a special fundraising service in Faithā€™s honor. The service is Sept. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the church located at 1831 Bellfontaine St.

ā€œWe believe God is a healer, but as a faith-believing community, we need to put our resources together and help one another. This is to help them,ā€ said Johnson. ā€œThis is also a show of support. (Faith) has exemplified faith. She has stirred up the church. Some (members) worry and ponder what theyā€™re going to do about things. She continues to be upbeat going through all of these trials.ā€

Church member Anita Matthews has led the planning for the fundraiser and has also set up a GoFundMe account titled ā€œFaithā€™s Journeyā€ to help cover bills.

ā€œI believe in helping others, and I’m a health care professional. My husband is in remission so I’m personally affected by cancer,ā€ said Matthews. ā€œI just felt compelled to do all I could. Cancer is hard for an adult let alone a child like Faith.ā€

The Wilsons are overjoyed their church has stepped up to help in their time of need. Lutisha asks the public to continue to pray for Faithā€™s recovery.

To access Faith Wilsonā€™s GoFundMe page and donate, visit GoFundMe.com and search ā€œFaithā€™s Journey.ā€ For more information about the special fundraising service at Sunrise Missionary Baptist Church, call (317) 924-1727.

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