Sadness and some hope

We received this church email on Wednesday afternoon:

It is with deep sadness that we join Matt, Lisa, Eli and the extended De Kam and Blankespoor families in announcing the death of 3-year old Micah Gene De Kam. Without any previously disconcerting warning signs, Micah turned critically ill on Tuesday morning. Micah is with the Lord Jesus today as he succumbed to a malignant brain tumor. We entrust Matt, Lisa, Eli and all their families to the gracious care of our sovereign, Savior God: “Lord, Listen to the prayers of these families that put their trust in you. In their sorrow at the death of Micah, may they find hope and strength in your infinite mercy. Grant them the peace that passes all understanding and that is anchored in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen!”

We are mourning with the entire family. We are thankful for the knowledge that Micah was welcomed into the arms of Jesus, but still are sad for the loss of such a young, sweet boy. 

The bit of hope comes from my cousin Stephanie's appointment with the chief of Neurology at the hospital she is at in San Francisco.They have scheduled surgery for next week on September 12. From my aunt and uncle: 

 We met with the surgeon today and he provided more hope concerning the type of tumor in her head than what we were expecting. It is a large tumor and he stated that it has been there for some time indicating that most of it is a slow growing type (good news). Due to its size it is impossible to remove the entire growth but he will remove what he can. The Dr. stated that he performs about one of this type of surgery a week, while other neurologists may only see one of these cases in 10 years. He is concerned about a small area that has a different "shade" indicating that his area may be a more aggressive type. The exact path of post surgery treatment will be determined once the tumor has been identified. We know that God is in control and that he is listening to the many prayers being made on Stephanie's behalf.Thank you all for your prayers and concerns.

Thank you all for your continued prayers.