Cancer is a strange cell.
You can go along for years in remission
and then one day it pops its head up again.
Pray for the day there will be a permanent cure.

Prayer is a marvelous thing - trust me. When Mark was dying, people around the country started prayer circles on his behalf. Amazing things happened.

Those amazing things included the liver transplant that saved his life. They included support from places and people we didn't know - which kept our spirits and our hopes out of the basement. It could be considered miracles happening. I, personally, don't know.

I do know that the people around us made some major efforts to reach out and help. Emails, phone calls, an incredible collection of inspirational CDs from the sister of a friend. We were surrounded by love and support.

Recently, I was introduced (via the Internet) to Rachel Hunnicutt-Knight, a young lady - younger than my own children - who is battling cancer for the third time in her short life. Diagnosed with ALL at 14, she has done everything (as has her family) to have a reasonably normal life - school, work, marriage, family - while undergoing treatment.

After years of remission, the Big C came back recently. Not only came back, but settled in her bone marrow. The best, and only hope, is a transplant. Luckily Rachel has insurance through her job.

Unluckily, the co-pay for that transplant is $80,000! Seriously! 80K! as a co-pay! But that isn't carved in stone - it could be much higher.

If that weren't insulting enough, the co-pay (that could be any amount - starting at $80,000) - must be raised before the insurance company will consider paying for the bone marrow transplant. This $80K involves Rachel and/or her family paying all of the expenses for the donor - of which they have found (last I heard) 2 perfect matches.

Okay, that isn't the final insult, much as I wish it were.

Rachel is currently going through chemo - again - apparently another requirement before the transplant will be considered. No offense - okay, yes I'm offended - but at what point is the insurance company going to stop punishing this amazing young lady by insisting on chemotherapy, when they could be putting their money where it belongs?! - A possible cure!?

So, yes, pray for this family. Put all of your mental energy behind ensuring that the right things happen. But every day, there is a need for support and friendship and, for everyone who can to share. Visit Got-Marrow.org. I'm not asking that you give financially - but it would be tremendous if you could. Give of your heart. Encourage and support Rachel - who has been through this so many times, and still hasn't given up.

According to the US Population Clock, there are 310,069,018 (and counting) people in the United States. If everyone gave $0.01 - that's right a penny for everyone in the United States - we could raise enough to cover the co-pay. And maybe just enough to keep Rachel and her family financially safe.

Unlike the recently publicized scam artist who claimed to have cancer and personally went running around the Internet to get money from people - Rachel didn't start this campaign or ask for this help. A friend of the family - Rob Jones, my hero - saw the need and created a way for all of us to help.

So, what are you waiting for!?