A father’s faith: How heartbreak gave way to hope

On May 12, 2021, my family and I hit the lowest point in our lives. As a father, I never imagined I would experience anything like this. Our daughter, Sasha, who was 15 at the time, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a brain tumor. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Worse than hearing those words, “Your daughter has cancer,” was having to tell my wife, Fabienne. She had to ask twice before I could find the words to tell her what the doctor said. You know the sound glass makes when it shatters? That is what Fabienne said it felt like — on her insides. 

I am a criminal investigator and federal agent who also volunteers as a youth minister and leads a support group for first responders and military personnel at my church here in New Mexico. After getting the news from Sasha’s doctor, John 16:33 came to mind: "In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world." That verse gave me hope. I knew and reminded Sasha and my family that the road ahead was going to be difficult, but we were going to go through it together. I told Sasha, “It’s OK to be scared, but we're not going to stay scared. God did not give us a spirit of fear but a spirit of strength.”

I prayed and asked God to give us the strength to get through this and to surround us with the right people. Sasha was referred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she was surrounded by a team of professionals who are working toward ensuring that one day every child with cancer survives. The treatment plan Sasha needed to combat her cancer was developed by the hospital. She was exactly where she needed to be. 

May 12, 2026, marked the fifth year since Sasha's diagnosis. So much has happened since. She's been healed and graduated from high school with high honors. Before her diagnosis, Sasha wanted to be a teacher. She’s now in college studying early childhood development to become a primary school teacher, hoping one day to teach children at St. Jude. Sasha believes that she has found her purpose in life. 

I’d donated every now and then to St. Jude, but I never thought that I would be on the receiving end. I am grateful.