HARO is Team Raptor and is raising funds for the cancer patients at Texas Children’s Hospital in honor of one of our own.

Our collective goal is $1000. 00 Please support our team by making a gift to Texas Children’s Hospital.

Your gift helps Texas Children’s give every child the opportunity for a healthier future. Thank you for your support.

Here is a note from the family.

We are shattered. Joel passed from this life at 1:18 pm yesterday afternoon (1 November 2017). Natalie and I switched off overnight to stay with him and we both had some tender, precious moments with him. He opened his eyes for both of us, he squeezed my hand and mouthed that he loved me after I told him that I loved him. We were able to have time with him out of the ICU with our family and him off of the vent before he passed peacefully. Nathaniel handled everything really, really, well. I am so proud of him. Seth didn't want to be in the room, but asked if Joel was coming home. Natalie told him that he went to Heaven to be with Jesus and he has asked some questions, but seems to be ok.
The cancer never did get better, all the chemo (a clinical trial drug) did was provide some pain relief, for which we were grateful. He still had blasts in his blood. His body was so swollen and puffy, he was getting more fluid on his lungs. His poor little body was so tired and we had done, medically, everything that we could. He suffered so much and endured such pain, but rarely complained or cried out and had such a good attitude.
It has been a few hours past two weeks since I heard his little voice for the last time. He had suffered so much the last two and a half months. It has been surreal for Natalie and I to be at home together with no immediate plans to have to stay at the hospital. Last night was the first Natalie and I had slept at home in 2.5 months and the first time, in more months than I can recall, slept in the same bed.
We will have a private service with our family in the next couple of days. We will be having a public service later where we hope our friends from both outside and inside of TCH will be able to attend. We will let ya'll know more later, but we just don't have the capability to plan that right now.
We know ya'll care about us and would like to visit, etc., but please don't drop by without checking with us first. Right now we need some time together at home.
Please do not send flowers. If you want to do something to remember Joel, donate to Big Love Cancer Care (9th floor oncology), His Grace Foundation (8th floor BMT) or the Ronald McDonald House (where we slept when Joel was in ICU). However, what would honor him the most is to take your family, your church small group, your kid's little league team, a group of folks from work, etc. to the hospital and serve those families on 8 & 9. Serve them a meal, deliver snack bags, do something to show them that someone cares. Very few have the support that we have had.
We miss him, so very much, but are glad that his suffering on this earth is over.
"The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all."
-Psalms 34:17-19 NASB
2Sa 12:23 "...I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Lord Jesus, come quickly.