15-year-old diagnosed with cancer gives to help others

15-year-old diagnosed with cancer gives to help others

(Jenni Wilson)


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CEDAR CITY — When the final bell rang, signaling the end of another school year, 15-year-old Cedar High School student Raquel Wilson looked forward to a fun-filled summer. A member of the cross country team and local Playmakers group, Raquel couldn’t wait to join friends in two of her favorite activities.

But as the first few weeks of summer went on, Raquel found she had less and less energy, often sleeping the day away.

Her parents, who are both involved in the medical world — Jenni in Natural Medicine and Mike an ER doctor — knew something was wrong.

Suspecting first an infection in her mouth due to a recent root canal, Jenni gave her some essential oils to help fight any infection and boost her immune system.

When Raquel’s symptoms didn’t improve, Jenni took her daughter in for some blood work and then an MRI. The results of the MRI revealed some devastating news: Raquel had a golf ball-sized tumor in her thalamus in the middle of her brain.

She was then taken to Primary Children’s Hospital, where two days later brain surgery was performed to remove most of the tumor. Upon inspecting the tumor, doctors found that it was a high-grade glioma tumor, which is a hard-to treat and very serious type of cancer.

When told the news of their daughter, the Wilsons were torn with how to best treat her. With conventional treatments (chemotherapy and radiation) having poor track records in treating Raquel’s type of cancer (10-15 percent survival rate past the first year), the Wilsons decided to take on a more natural approach for the first three months.

With the support of the doctors at PCH, the Wilsons have begun detoxifying their daughter and are giving Raquel a diet of whole foods to address strengthening her body and immune system.

“We are trying to keep our minds open and have faith that the Lord will tell us what to do,” Jenni said.

During her stay at PCH, Raquel has received support from numerous individuals who have fasted and prayed in her behalf. One family member even set up a donation account to help with medical bills, raising $1,000 on the first day.

“I was very touched when I heard a donation account was set up,” Jenni said. “We have been blessed in so many ways. We are gainfully employed and have wonderful health insurance; we feel we can manage the cost on our own.”

With funds already coming in, the Wilsons decided to find a foundation to help families who are financially exhausted with medical bills from cancer. After considering many charities, the family decided to have the funds go to help Millie's Princess Foundation, a charity that supports children with cancer.

In a statement on Raquel’s fundraising page, Jenni wrote, “Faith and prayers are so powerful, and we are relying on them and the power of God to heal Raquel and guide us through this treatment process. We love you all and appreciate everything. We see and appreciate the Lord's hand in her recovery, and we are celebrating all of her achievements. We are so incredibly grateful for all the prayers and fasting on Raquel's behalf. Thank you so much for all of your love and support.”

If you would like to make a donation* on behalf or Raquel, go to youcaring.com/medical- fundraiser/support-raquel-wilson/204293

*KSL.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does KSL.com assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.


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About the Author: Arianne Brown -------------------------------

Arianne Brown is a mother of six who loves running the beautiful trails around Utah. For more articles by Arianne, "like" her Face book page, follow her on Twitter @arimom5, or visit her blog, timetofititin.com. If you have a story to share, contact her at ariannebrown1@gmail.com

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