Normal — Murphy's Miracle

Normal.

I have this word floating around my mind daily. Is that normal? It is normal to have thoughts, yes, but is it normal to question what’s normal? Some of you were greatly affected by Covid, be it through work, relationships, family or more, and we all remember there seemed to be a wave of the phrase ‘the new-normal’ become popular in use post covid. Yet, when does ‘new-normal’ become simply ‘normal’? Here are some of the questions I have within my own internal monologue:

When will we see normal again?
What is our family normal?
Does God ever want normal?
Is Murphy’s progress normal?
Is a world where Murphy has cancer now simply our normal?

Without going down a long and dark road of answers and philosophical wonderings I keep landing on the conclusion that God has gifted us with today. What Nat and I know is today. What we can see is today. What we can count on is today. Murphy’s current life is normal, if he’s in a room with oncologists at the hospital, but his life is far from normal if he’s on the playground with a bunch of kids who have never seen a 4-year-old boy with no hair and a nasal gastric tube coming from their nose. Normal is contextual.

These past few weeks, Murphy has participated in many activities that society would deem normal for any four-year-old, and in this blog, I cannot wait to show you the pure joy that Murphy demonstrated with each of these outings. In doing these ‘normal’ activities Murphy brought many smiles to the people he met, and I promise your heart will leap as you see Murphy exercise every ounce of courage to do certain tasks. (There are also some videos which I hope you love watching!)

Term 3 of school for 2023 has begun. This means the winter school break has come and gone, but in this ‘break’ for some, it meant two and a half weeks of daily hospital visits for Murphy’s Radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is now complete! Thank you for journeying through nearly 11 months of treatment so far. We are now about to enter the final treatment option for Murphy. If Murphy were in remission, Immunotherapy would be described as the icing on the cake. Instead, the medical team are waiting, holding their breath, hoping that the Immunotherapy will kill the remaining tumours and we alongside them wait in faith as we believe for total healing.

Murphy in front of his COMPLETED radiotherapy chart

In a natural sense it’s a scary sight watching your doctors ‘hope’ for something, but we liver with a supernatural hope and faith that God is working and on Murphy’s case. I’m so encouraged by Romans 8 and how it describes true hope to be that of what we don’t know, and what we can’t see.

Please pray for the next 6 months of treatment for Murphy. Immunotherapy will be administered in 6 rounds. Each round will consist of a week in hospital, and then a recovery period of 28 days. You may be wondering what Immunotherapy is (so are we). From our limited and non-expert understanding, it is a treatment that teaches Murphy’s white blood cells what to look out for and destroy. This huge medical advancement in cancer treatment has made big progress in the outcome of long-term cancer survivors. The drugs work with the body’s own defence system (the white cells), and shows them that when there is a cancerous looking cell, to get rid of it. Praise God Murphy is alive in 2023, when medicine like this is available.

Murphy has had a series of mapping tests this week, ranging from a bi-lateral bone marrow biopsy, echocardiogram, heart function test, CT scan and a full suite of blood tests. Our oncologist will then be able to piece together in the coming weeks how Murphy is responding to all the treatment, and coupled with an MIBG mid-August, see how much cancer is left.

Last week in church our pastor taught on the power of the tongue. Words have power, they carry weight, and they also can be used to bring life or conversely, they could ruin relationships and destroy homes. Upon hearing this powerful message, Nat felt convicted to put words of life all around our home. Therefore, dozens of laminated Bible verses fill our home. These verses have begun stirring our faith even more because they are a constant reminder to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. And in a world of zero ‘normality’, the stable and consistent word of God brings a degree of normal to things like supernatural healing! The fact that God has raised the dead to life, and brought sight to the blind, means that for Murphy’s cancer, God can remove it with His spoken words.

Now for the fun part! In the past few weeks, see what Murphy has been up to.

One amazing outing was to Tree-Climb. These high ropes courses has been something Murphy has wanted to do for MONTHS! And he did it! But it wasn’t how we thought it would have gone. Originally, I was going to walk the junior course with him. When I went to counter to check-in, they advised me that I was not allowed on the course. Initially concerned at this prospect, they ensured Nat and I that there would be a guide with them to help. And it turned out to be the biggest blessing for the staff who worked that day. God works through the most unusual ways. For the first course that Murphy was guided through, the female instructor was brought to tears, so much so that she could no longer help for the second round because she could no longer compose her emotions.

Murphy loving the high ropes course!

Murphy flying down the zip line!

Murphy’s God-given courage, determination and will has and will continue to be a gift to many who he encounters. Thank you, Jesus, for gifting us the blessing that is Murphy. And the many blessings we have witnessed through this journey I hope to never consider as normal; they are divine and God-ordained.