Hello friends. For the next week we will be posting a series of tributes written in honor Luke. If you'd like to write or suggest a tribute, please let me know. This one was written by Jay Granger, Luke's older brother.
I can't believe my brother is in heaven! I didn't expect it 2 end so quickly! Luke I loved u since the day u were born! u r a great little brother! We had so many great times such as Young Life camp, work crew, summer staff, watching netflix, throwing frisbee, throwing the baseball, Kicking the soccer ball, playing Toy Story 2, jamming, going 2 hilton head, running 5k, going 2 connecticut, going down the Zip Line, watching Star Wars etc. Thanks 4 teaching me how 2 play ukulele! I appreciate it! These last 2 years hasn't been easy but it made me stronger! I can't believe it went by so fast! I should've held on longer! Rest in Peace! Love ya!
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Hello friends. For the next week we will be posting a series of tributes written in honor Luke. If you'd like to write or suggest a tribute, please let me know. This first one was written by Sam Granger, Luke's oldest brother.
I don't know if anyone truly lives their lives to the fullest, but that's what comes to mind when I think about Luke's life. When he wanted to master a skill or acquire knowledge of a particular subject, he was capable of putting his mind to it and did not cease until he had mastered what he wanted to master. Over the years, I watched him master magic, Rubik's cubes, tricks with a yo-yo that I didn't even know were possible, and innumerable other working knowledge/skills in various areas of expertise. He was a straight-A student, with a particular affinity for math, and loved to challenge himself, academically and in general. He had a unique strategic skill which allowed him to beat just about anyone in any game. I watched him became a musical prodigy, dabbing in a wide array of instruments, including piano, guitar, flute, saxophone, ukulele, and others that I probably didn't know about. His ambitious drive was especially evident in his skill at piano...he always tried the most challenging, elaborate, and intricate pieces, a staple being "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin. He gave 100% in all that he did, and constantly blew people away with his abilities. His brilliance in a number of areas was accompanied by a sociable, charismatic, endearing personality. He was the ultimate extrovert and social butterfly, able to walk up to a complete stranger and become their best friend within minutes. He was also the biggest smart-ass in the world, able to outsmart me with disheartening ease. He reveled in toilet humor, and he is the reason I cannot hear the word "duty" without snickering. We had completely opposing personalities, so sometimes we clashed, but I always had a deep admiration for his skill at navigating social environments, and with his endearing personality, he was able to form several fruitful relationships with various people over the years. I guess the point I'm trying to get across is: if you have observed all that Luke did in his life, all that he mastered, all of the lives he touched, and all of the people who have a special place for him in their hearts and memories, you know that his life was not a life wasted. To Luke: I cannot believe it has come to this, bro. Life will never be the same without you. I am relieved that you are out of pain, however, and I am grateful that I was able to know you and be a significant part of your life, and honored that I was able to call you my brother. Godspeed, bro! Love, Sam Hello friends.
A bunch of great people showed up yesterday to play some games and help Luke celebrate his 17th birthday. In the midst of heartbreak, it meant a lot to our whole family. Luke's words: "Mom, dad, there's something I want to tell you." "What's that buddy?" "These last two birthdays have been the best...16 & 17." Our prayer remains the same. We can't stop, WON'T stop praying for God to heal our boy. (James 5:14-16) God bless, James & Lu (for Sam, Jay, & Luke) Hello friends.
We are home! As week 3 at TimberWolf Lake unfolded, it became evident that Luke needed to take a step back. His body is tired, so he is needing increasing amounts of rest each day. Luke let us know he had accomplished his goals and dreams, and that it was time to head home. His crew has five more days (a discipleship camp), and will finish their session on Sunday. Luke's Work Crew experience was amazing and fulfilling. We are grateful for his housekeeping team (see photo), and for his boss Evan Penn, who embraced him so well during the month. Luke's contribution looked different from his fellow Work Crew mates, and that's the beauty of being in the body of Christ. Everyone does their part, and God is glorified. We are so proud of Luke, because he chose to spend this time serving and connecting with new friends, in order to help kids hear about Jesus. All of Luke's Work Crew friends wore their yellow R818 shirts to honor Luke on his last day. He was very touched and thankful. Thank you also to everyone who sent packages and cards...it honestly made a huge difference for Luke. Your words and prayers emboldened Luke and our family. Luke's first request (of course) upon arriving home was for visitors! Please let me know if you'd like to stop by and see us this week. Luke would love to see you. Our prayer remains the same. We can't stop, WON'T stop praying for God to heal our boy. WILL. NOT. STOP. PRAYING. (James 5:14-16) God bless, James & Lu, (for Sam, Jay, & Luke) Hello friends.
Luke has completed his 2nd week of Work Crew at TimberWolf Lake. It has been challenging for sure, because Luke's body is just so tired, but we have seen God's merciful hand in many ways. A few highlights: 1) After feeling terrible (stomach pain, nausea, etc.) the first week, Luke suddenly started feeling much better. It's been remarkable. We are grateful to God for providing this relief. For all six days Luke was able to work and connect with his crew, and in his words it made for an "amazing" week. 2) During each week at Young Life camp, members of the Work Crew go and visit cabins to meet campers and share about God's work in their lives. During week 1 Luke really wanted to participate, but just felt too lousy. During week 2 he was able to do it. He visited two different cabins. The first was a "Capernaum" group, with special needs kids, and Luke loved it. Then he spent some time with a group of guys from Chicago, and was able to share his story. The leader of the cabin said it was very powerful...he didn't think it was possible for his guys to be so quiet. :) 3) Another tradition at Young Life camp is the "cardboard testimonies." The Work Crew kids are asked to describe the impact God has had in their lives in two short phrases, and then they write those descriptions on the front and back of a piece of cardboard and reveal them in front of the entire camp. Luke was determined to participate. He was the last Work Crew person to walk (yes, he walked!) onto the stage. The front of his cardboard (see photos!) said "broken on earth," and when he turned it over it said, "made whole in heaven." Through our tears, Laura and I were so tremendously proud of Luke. His perspective and trust in Jesus made a huge impact on the entire camp. 4) At the end of the week, the entire staff team (see photo) gathered in the club room to encourage and pray for Luke. This was a complete surprise to him, and he was incredibly touched and humbled. Everyone wore a yellow "R818" shirt (for Romans 8:18), and they cheered for Luke and then prayed for him as well. We are so grateful that, in the midst of terrible, Luke is not alone. 5) Once again, this past week at TimberWolf Lake a bunch of kids (60+) put their faith in Jesus for the first time. Luke got to be part of that. What a privilege. Now it's on to week 3, with almost 500 Middle School kids arriving at camp this afternoon. We will continue to take things one day at a time. Luke is determined to make a contribution, to help kids find their hope in Jesus. Please keep praying...it's making a difference. Our prayer remains the same. We can't stop, WON'T stop praying for God to heal our boy. (James 5:14-16) God bless, James & Lu, (for Sam, Jay, & Luke) Hello friends.
Luke has completed his first week on Work Crew at TimberWolf Lake. There were lots of positives. Luke loves it here. He loves being able to serve. Most of all, he loves meeting new people and hanging out with his team. The entire camp team has embraced him, and everyone has been quick to pray and offer encouragement. In addition, over 70 High School kids put their faith in Jesus Christ during the week, and Luke got to be a part of that. That was the best part. Not surprisingly, there were also lots of challenges. Luke's health is in slow decline. He has struggled with dizziness, nausea, stomach pain, and overall fatigue. He has missed a lot of work, and at times he wondered if he would be better off simply going back home. We are impressed with his courage and his resolve. Even though his contribution looks different from other Work Crew kids, he is determined to make that contribution nonetheless. On the plus side, Luke has felt a LOT better the past few days, and we've been thankful to see him starting to find a better daily rhythm. Yesterday, when Luke was feeling very discouraged, he received three pieces of mail, all with the same message. These friends urged Luke to "cherish each day" on Work Crew, and reminded Luke that he was an "inspiration and a light" to so many. Luke was visibly transformed by the kind and encouraging words found in these letters. Please keep sending notes to Luke, and please keep praying for Luke and for our family. It means a lot. Our prayer remains the same. We can't stop, WON'T stop praying for God to heal our boy. (James 5:14-16) God bless, James & Lu (for Sam, Jay, & Luke) Luke wrote the following blog post, to update everyone and say "thank you" for all the support.
Hello everybody! You always hear people with cancer talk about how it is a battle. I can see how people would feel that way, but I’ve never felt that way. I have always felt like the doctors were fighting the cancer, and I was just along for the ride. This made me feel alone and helpless. In spite of this, ever since I was diagnosed, I have never felt truly alone. I have had a crazy amount of people supporting me, including doctors, child-life specialists, therapists, and most importantly, friends and family. The staff at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is more amazing than we could ever have hoped for. My doctors, Dr. Weicht and Dr. Kurt, work hard and are very kind, the nurses are sweet and patient, and the child-life specialists (Spencer, Rhys, Audra, Cassie, Bridget, and Ashley to name a few) are always there when I need them most. My prosthetists, Shaun and Joe, are funny and sensitive to my needs. My physical therapist, Jeanne King, is the best. She taught me how to use my leg and has never given up on me. These aren’t just people I interact with professionally, they have become some of my closest friends. Even more, I can’t say thank you enough to my friends and family. When I was first diagnosed, my grandparents gave up working abroad in Budapest to come and live with us for four months. That was amazing. I have been sent too many kind notes, gifts, and gift cards to count, and for that I am eternally grateful. I have had tons of visitors and loved every single one. I’ve never met a visitor I didn’t like. There were classmates that came all the way to Grand Rapids to visit me in the hospital when my leg was amputated. There were new friends who came to meet me when they heard about my situation, and have since become some of the best friends I have ever had. Some people have visited many times, and that has lifted my spirits every time. My parents and brothers have been by my side every step of the way. Ever since I was diagnosed I have been sick and felt sick, and I am still sick now, but every single time someone reaches out or comes to visit it makes a difference. My situation is not ideal, but I know that because of Jesus if I do not survive I get to go to heaven, so that’s pretty ideal. We are leaving today for TimberWolf Lake. I have always dreamed of being on Work Crew at TimberWolf Lake, and for the next three weeks I will be part of the laundry and housekeeping crew. Thank you for your prayers. Please keep sending cards and coming to visit, either at TimberWolf Lake or when I get home. That's the biggest thing. Please know how thankful I am for everything people have done for me! Your friend, Luke Granger. Hello friends.
The tradition on the 1oth floor (Pediatric Oncology) at DeVos Children's Hospital is that whenever a child completes their chemotherapy treatments, the entire staff holds a big "no mo chemo" celebration in their honor. The Doctors and nurses and other professionals line up by the exit doors of the clinic with huge signs and banners and applaud the courage and perseverance they've observed over the previous weeks, months, or years. Luke has enjoyed watching a bunch of these ceremonies happen for other kids, and always dreamed of the day when he would finally be finished with his own chemo treatments so he could celebrate with his caregivers. Once Luke found out he would no longer be receiving chemo (his current treatment is a different kind of therapy), he immediately requested a "no mo chemo" ceremony of his own. It was bittersweet, because in Luke's case the chemo treatments have not eradicated the cancer from his body, but it was a really meaningful (see photos!) milestone for Luke. Luke was treated with chemotherapy for 20 consecutive months, which is about 10% of his entire life. Crazy. Overall, he feels much better without it. He no longer feels dizzy and foggy all the time, and his nausea and the other stomach discomfort is mostly gone. His hair is growing back. His blood counts are strong. We are thankful for these blessings. At the same time, we know it is likely that, without the chemo, the cancer in Luke's body will progress. He has already begun to experience a nagging cough and some difficulty catching his breath because of the tumor in his lung. His Doctors are hopeful that his new treatment will stabilize the disease, but we have no way of knowing. The expectation is that eventually the cancer will grow, but so far that hasn't happened, and we continued to pray that God will reach down and scrub Luke's body completely clean of this awful disease. Zero cancer. That's the goal. Thank you all for your continued prayers. We are so thankful. A few updates: 1) We are 20 days away from Luke's Work Crew assignment at at TimberWolf Lake. Please pray for Luke's overall health to remain strong enough for him to participate. He really wants to fulfill his dream of serving on Work Crew at a Young Life camp. He's been assigned to the laundry and housekeeping crew :) 2) Over the past few weeks Luke has had a steady stream of visitors to our home. That makes a huge difference. It's amazing how much brighter things are for Luke when he gets to hang out with others...he's always been energized by people. 3) We continue to receive a steady stream of encouraging cards, emails, and texts. Because we continue to make trips to Grand Rapids once or twice each week, the Speedway, Amazon, Chick Fil A, and Jersey Giant gift cards continue to be a huge blessing. While our circumstances continue to be heartbreaking and exhausting, we are so grateful for every single day we get to spend with Luke. He's the best. Our prayer remains the same. We can't stop, WON'T stop praying for God to heal our boy. (James 5:14-16) God bless, James & Lu (for Sam, Jay, & Luke) |
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