By Wayne Johnson ('62)

"You have cancer,” the doctor said. "Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)." The 12-year-old girl to whom these words were spoken could not have possibly known the impact this statement would have on her for years, for the rest of her life.

How tightly did dad grip mom’s hand as they heard those words? How long would they hold their daughter close? How could they explain this to their younger daughter? What questions could they possibly ask which would help?

St. Jude’s Hospital for Children in Memphis was the setting for this scene and would become a place of frequent visits and long stays for the Lee family.

Margaret Lee, at 12 years of age, was on the brink of what was to be those wonderful teenage years, enjoying her horse, school activities and friends. “I was out so much,” she recalls, looking back at those preteen years. “I missed enjoying those changes in life – physically, socially…you know the boy things and the girl talks and getting together,” she explains.

“Years later, I realized even more fully what I missed due to the cancer. But you make peace with that and anticipate what God has ahead next,” says Margaret.

Margaret has completed her junior year at Union. She is a petite brunette with an easy smile. In the conversation it is obvious she has told this story frequently. And yet the gravity of the retelling clearly reveals that in her mind the events and struggles are fresh as yesterday.

“Cancer is something you live with,” she says. “You just have to go through whatever it takes…the whole family goes through it and ours was wonderful.”

Initially, young Margaret had two and a half years of chemo-treatments, but within months of completing those – she had to return for more – ‘it’ was back.

“That was one of the hardest times…,” Margaret reflects. “Thinking you’re through and then having to begin all over again.”

Margaret says that when she was a patient at St. Jude’s, you really become family with those working with you at the hospital. “You see other kids…some not as sick, others who do not recover…you get to know them, families get to know each other. The staff is wonderful. And we met many families, nurses and doctors who were Christians.”

In addition to her mom and dad, Margaret had other cheerleaders during that time. A major support was, and is, Catherine, her younger sister. Catherine is also a junior at Union and has been accepted to Union’s nursing program.

While Margaret tells a story, Catherine frequently adds her perspective. They laugh together, finish each other’s sentences, and amend details with “you remember” and “that was when…”

“We went through this together,” Catherine adds. "Our parents were honest with us. We arranged our lives around stays at and trips to the hospital. Some stays were for weeks at a time. It has to be a family balancing effort."

She refers to II Corinthians 1: 3-4. The two agree it was obvious God had placed them at the hospital in this circumstance so that they could minister to other families.

God placed another person in the path of the Lee family during those days. They knew that was the case when they met Wendy Raburn who was a part of the team assisting with Margaret’s care. She, too, was a Christian. And, she became a friend as well as caregiver to the family.

Wendy remembers those days clearly.

“It was during that time and through my experiences with the Lee family that I decided that this fit with my idea of what I could do for the rest of my life. I could make a difference,” says Wendy.

“There was something about the courage of these kids. It was contagious. So, I went back to school on Union’s Germantown campus to finish my preparation for a nursing career. Now I can do more.”

Thus Wendy began a new chapter in her life.

But there has been a reversal in the care giving between these families. Wendy now has cancer. She has been struggling with chemotherapy and experimental treatments to defeat the disease. In spite of this, she continues her work at St. Jude’s. She laughed as she recounted her wig experience.

“When I first lost my hair after treatments, I was very vain,” Wendy remembers. “I bought a nice wig and went to work with the children at the hospital as usual. After a few days it occurred to me that those children and I were fighting the same disease and circumstances. I saw them lose their hair. And, off came my nice wig!”

She still remembers how much fun the children seemed to have the first day she entered their rooms with her new bald look. “It gave me a greater opportunity to relate to them and they to me,” Wendy explains.

She has found that life is full of turnabouts. “Now, the Lee family shows up at my home with groceries or a big meal. Sometimes they stay for a visit. At other times, they simply deposit their gift, give me a hug and leave. They understand.”

Margaret is in her third year at Union and is planning a career in missions as a specialist in family ministry and counseling. She faces some physical challenges due to damage caused by her treatments, but she speaks with confidence.

She laughs near the close of a conversation, remembering her first weeks as a student at Union.

“When I came to Union, I realized that for the first time in my life I was among complete strangers. At home, church and school everyone knew of my illness. Here (at Union), for the first time in my life I was not ‘the little girl who had cancer.’ I didn’t tell anyone for a long time,” she admits.

Due to a high fatigue factor when entering Union, Margaret could not carry a full class load. She wanted to live in student housing to avoid a daily drive to and from Memphis. As she puts it, “They (Union) worked everything out for me and I have loved it here.”

And, Wendy...Wendy completed her nursing degree in December 2001. She continues to work at St. Jude’s with the children and recently received the prestigious, Watt RN Professional Nursing Award for Outstanding Service in Psycho-Social Nursing. She continues enjoy working to make a difference in her patients’ lives, even while they make a difference in her own.