It's Cancer; but the Lord has an answer

By Victoria Rosa-Garcia

Founder of Pure Love + Health Ministries

"It's Cancer." I got a phone call this year that everyone typically dreads to receive. My best friend and father was diagnosed with cancer in his liver. Since 2021, our family has been hit with trial after trial. I will list a few:

In August 2021, we lost my primo-hermano Kevin to COVID-19.

A few months later, his mother was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma on her face and went through surgery to get it removed.

Then, my other aunt passed away after years of decline.

In December of 2021, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery to have it removed.

My eldest brother was hospitalized many times for various conditions.

We had some time to breathe, but I underwent surgery to remove Stage 4 endometriosis in December 2023.

And in January 2024, they found a peculiar spot on my father's liver. After months of scans, tests, and various doctor's appointments, it was determined to be cancer and needed to be removed by surgery.

Based on the scans, it seemed the cancer didn't spread, but we wouldn't know for sure until the surgeon went in. "If I open you up and see that the cancer has spread, we will not proceed and close you back up," the surgeon explained as my father was prepped in his surgical gown and bed, just ready to be wheeled in at Advent Health Orlando last month.

We have been praying to the Lord for an answer, and we finally received a sure path to care for my 78-year-old father. Initially there were so many concerns, as the oncologists were not giving us direct approaches to care for months. I was confident that the Lord had finally given us an answer when we were referred to Advent Health Orlando. This hospital system had a robotics surgeon specializing in liver transplants available to care for my dad.

What do you do when things are unknown & out of your control?

You lean into your faith in the Lord. And that's what we did.

My dad approached this situation with lots of faith, which kept me extremely grounded during the anticipated wait for a plan of care. He said, "In my prayer time, I told the Lord, if He wants to take me, He can take me, I'm good and I'm ready." It was difficult to hear this at first, but my father's secure relationship with the Lord kept my mind at ease. Also, after losing Kevin so suddenly and unexpectedly, I decided to cherish every second I still had with my father. This mindset put things into perspective. If I can survive losing Kev at a moment's notice, having my father for any other day is a gift. Every additional day I continued to have him with us gave me more hope.

I took him and my mother to Anna Maria Island the week after his biopsy appointment. We enjoyed ourselves immensely for the first few days, and then received news that three of my mother's cousins tragically lost their lives in a wrong-way car accident on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut. The blessing was that I was with my mom, and we were away at a beautiful beach for a nice distraction while we grieved.

Life hits so hard. How do people survive it without the Lord?

On June 28th, my father went in for surgery at Advent Health Orlando, and the cancer was successfully removed. His recovery was a harsh one as 1/3 of his liver was extracted, but we are grateful that the cancer did not spread, and they were able to get everything out.

I'm grateful. My dad has been able to heal slowly but surely. My job offered ample time off, allowing me to care for both my parents during this critical time. I'm still blessed in the middle of the mess.

I share this testimony as an encouragement to anyone going through the storms of life, tests, and trials. While life tries to smack, slap, and drag us through the muddiest waters, the Lord says in His word that He will bring us from glory to glory. In this imperfect life, we will experience hard times, but we have a beautiful Savior that gets us through it all. Whether we experience loss, sickness, and sadness; He is forever with us, for us, and He is coming back soon. Let nothing shake you, my brothers and sisters. With God on our side, who can be against us? Press on forward.

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9