Urgent - Prayers to JPII Needed

A friend of mine forwarded a prayer request that is pretty serious. It's for a friend of a friend of a friend but still...it's one of those that you take to heart. It is a woman named Stacey who went to Franciscan University and has been battling brain cancer and receiving chemo and radiation for about a year now. She has two young children and just found out that she is 18 weeks pregnant. She became pregnant during chemo and radiation and therefore the baby has been exposed to these chemicals from conception. Here is the rest of the story from her friend.

She has opted to take a 10 week break from her treatment to allow the baby to reach 28 weeks gestation, when they will deliver the baby via C-section. She has been informed by her baby-related doctors that the chemo is very strong and particularly attacks DNA growth in cells and therefore the baby. They are quite certain that there will be neurological damage to the baby, although the ultrasounds have thus far showed relatively normal growth.

Additionally, her cancer-related doctors have told her that they do not want her to stop her treatment of cancer (even for 10 wks!) because her cancer is so aggressive. They said that if they allowed her to carry the baby to 40 weeks gestation, she would probably not live to deliver the baby. So, Stacey is choosing to give her child a chance and risk her own life. I still cannot believe the situation that this family has been put in, even as I type this.

They are asking everyone to pray to Pope John Paul II. Here is her request.

He is in the process of being named a saint and needs a second miracle to "qualify" for sainthood. We have decided to storm heaven with prayers to our former Pope, specifically asking him to stop the growth of Stacey's cancer while she stops her treatment. Many of you may also be calling to mind the story of St. Gianna Molla, whom JPII canonized in the 1994, whose story is very similar to Stacey's.

What a terribly sad story. In the midst of my whining and complaining over the terrible cough I have that is keeping me (and my sweet husband) from getting any sleep (not that you get much at 7 months pregnant anyway) here is a woman with real trouble. I need to stop my whining and start offering up my lack of sleep and other cough related troubles for her and her baby.