I don’t know why you get so worked up. God told me I’m going to be fine; cancer is not going to kill me.”Lexie York
CULLMAN – Meet Lexie York, a beautiful 14-year-old girl who is in the fight of her life. In October 2015 she was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood cancer. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of sarcoma, which is cancer of the soft tissue (like muscle), the connective tissue (such as tendon or cartilage) or bone. It usually begins in the muscles that are attached to bones that help the body move. While most children – and adults — would be scared to death after a cancer diagnosis, Lexie has shown no fear, especially after she prayed with her family and then handed her cancer over to God.
“When they first mentioned cancer, my heart literally ached,” said Amanda Kilgo, Lexie’s mother. “I was sick, and completely broken. Our doctor is a good Christian man. He prayed with us. Together we decided we were going to give it to God and that he was going to fight this battle with us. We believed he would give her every tool she needs to fight – and he has. God has shown himself and his power every day since!
“When Lexie was first diagnosed, we were told she had Stage 4 cancer. Her whole body was covered in cancer pretty much,” she added. “It was behind her left eye and had caused it to bulge out. It was in her spine, arms, legs etc. Her body was about 50 percent covered with cancer. Her bone marrow was about 80 percent cancer.”
On October 23, 2015 Lexie’s port was placed and she underwent her first day of chemotherapy. The next day was her 14th birthday and she celebrated it in the hospital with her family and friends while getting her chemo treatment.
Lexie spent many weeks at Children’s of Alabama receiving her chemotherapy treatments and her parents never left her side. As a result, they missed a lot of work, traveled many miles and have eaten multiple meals away from home. Medical and household bills, as well as many other financial issues, grew on a daily basis – with no additional income to cover them.
“After putting all our trust in God and once her chemo began, Lexie’s levels started getting better, our questions started being answered. There was a peace and hope that had consumed us,” Kilgo chuckled. “People came out of the woodwork; they supported us and showed their love for us. They prayed for us and prayers began to flood Heaven. Because of this, Lexie continues to get better and stronger every day!”
On January 24, 2016 Lexie received some great news; her bone marrow biopsy showed something that was nothing short of a miracle. Her bone marrow went from being 80 percent full of cancer to 100 percent cancer-free! Yep! Her bone marrow biopsy was negative!
“Our doctor is so sweet. When he told me it was negative, I asked him to write it down on a piece of paper. I told him, ‘half of my brain is gone; I need to see this in writing.’ He was happy to write it down for me and when I got home I put it on Facebook, and sent it to everybody,” she grinned.
In February Lexie was scheduled to have another PET scan; the results would challenge their faith tremendously. Kilgo fully expected to find that her daughter was cured. She was filled with thoughts of going back to work and Lexie going back to school with her friends. But things didn’t quite turn out that way.
“After her PET scan, the doctor came into the room with a look on his face. I thought to myself, I know that look and it isn’t good. My heart just sank. He told us that her cancer has spread, that they had found it in other places and it had gotten bigger and that things have gotten worse.
“At that point I shut down. My husband took over. I couldn’t hardly walk, or open the door. I was spaced out. I began crying uncontrollably. When we got out to the car and got in, I looked at Lexie and she was just staring at me like I was some sort of idiot. We figured she didn’t understand, but she did. She knew exactly what was going on and acted as if it were nothing. She was fine with it.”
“Mother, I have told you,” Lexie chimed in. “I don’t know why you get so worked up. God told me I’m going to be fine; cancer is not going to kill me. I’m not going to go until everyone else goes. God told me this. I am going to be fine.”
Faith of a child and complete trust in God. That is exactly what makes this incredible teenager tick. Her strength and courage are what her mother needed in order to understand that things will be fine. It wasn’t the end of her story… not by a long shot!
“A couple days later I got a call from the doctor. He and his staff had done extensive research since the PET scan and wanted to run the scan again. He said that he thought some of the medicine she was on had somehow interfered with the results.
“We went back that Friday and got a CT scan. It showed that her cancer had NOT grown,” she smiled. “Basically the first scan was a dud. The cancer hadn’t grown and it hadn’t shrunk. It was the same. All that crying and squalling was for nothing. It was a test of our faith. It was what I needed in order to see how much Lexie’s faith had grown.”
Lexie continues to heal. Today all of the cancer is gone except for three spots, one in her left pelvic area, one on her right hip and one on her spine. Her struggle is real but she has every reason to believe she will be fine.
“I don’t regret getting cancer,” Lexie said with a smile. “It made me closer to God. He wants me to be a warrior for him. I want to be a nurse when I grow up. I want to work with kids who have cancer. I want to do my training at Children’s Hospital (of Alabama). I also want to tell people what God has done for me.
“For people who are just finding out they have cancer, I would like to tell them that if God can create the whole universe in six days, then I’m pretty sure he can cure their cancer. Don’t be afraid. Trust God.”
With nerves of steel, Lexie continues to fight her cancer. Her trust in God and her heroic battle with the disease are truly something to see. Humble and content, she is an example for all of us who are experiencing hard times in life. Lexie and her family wish to encourage others who are struggling with cancer through their Facebook page, Team Lexie. It is a place to celebrate life and pray for each other. It is also a way to keep up with Lexie and how she’s coming along. If you aren’t already following her, go to facebook.com/Team-Lexie-907586139331144/ and let her know you’re rooting for her!
