My Heart is Heavy

I received this heartbreaking post today. This is about a friend of mine and my husband's. He is an awesome man and about 38 ish. Please read on and learn about him and his family. I just ask for prayer for this man and his family. If you feel you can give, then by all means go for it.

Dear Friends and Family of Erik, Kerrie & Isabelle Bartel; As most of you have already heard by now, Erik Bartel has been diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer that unfortunately has progressed to stage 4 already. On February 5th, Erik had his entire stomach removed, most of his small intestine and a section of his large intestine that was touching his stomach. The doctor’s are treating his cancer very aggressively and Erik is planned to begin chemotherapy in a few weeks. The doctors have been completely upfront and honest with Erik & Kerrie with regards to the outcome. Erik is such a strong and positive person and is boycotting cancer as well as death! We are all praying for a miracle and hope that Erik can prove the doctor’s wrong…. However, the doctor’s have told Erik & Kerrie that even with the surgery and the planned 6 months of chemotherapy, Erik’s treatment is palliative and the most they can offer him is 18 months to live. It is a tragedy for us all, and hard to express the pain and sense of helplessness that we all feel for them. I am writing this letter because something you may not know is that about 10 months ago, Erik & Kerrie decided to bring their daughter, Isabelle, to Disney World for her 5th Birthday. Unfortunately, with everything that is happening right now, the dream of taking Belle to Disney World so she can have dinner with the other Princesses’ at the Castle has become unaffordable. We are searching desperately for a way to make this dream of theirs a reality! Many people are looking for a way to help Erik, Kerrie & Isabelle. I know times are tough right now, but if we all contribute even a small amount of money, we may actually be able to send them to Disney World after all. If this is something that your family can do, I promise that every penny, no matter how much is collected will go toward paying for this trip and/or helping the Bartel Family through this extremely rough patch in life! Donations can be sent to:Kelly Beach21 W. Wayne St.Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 Thank you very much for your time as well as all the positive prayer! Sincerely,Kim, Kathy & Kelly