Support for Andrew & Leila Wells
05/29/2005 16:08 Filed in: Miscellaneous
I first met Andrew and Leila Wells after a Springdale Church service in 1996. They were both students at the time at the University of Louisville. Kathy and I got to know them better over the years, and we now consider them lifelong friends. In the summer of 2004, Andrew and Leila moved to Columbia, South Carolina so that Leila could pursue a doctorate from the University of South Carolina. Their son, Mason, was born shortly before they left Louisville; he is now 11 months old. They settled into Lexington/Columbia area where Leila started her studies and Andrew found a job. Mason was happy and growing and they were looking for a church in the area.
Then, on March 8, 2005, Andrew was diagnosed with Acute Myelocytic Leukemia, a form of cancer that produces dangerously high white blood cell counts. When diagnosed, Andrew's count was over 200,000--twenty times that of a normal person. He was immediately placed in the hospital where he went through six weeks of induction chemotherapy to achieve a temporary remission, and has had another round since being released from the hospital. Currently he is waiting to have a bone marrow transplant which he hopes to receive sometime this summer at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
Andrew's physical health is the primary concern, and he needs our prayer as his doctors work to make him well. However, a second concern right now is the financial stability of the Wells family. Upon learning the further treatment Andrew would undergo, the company he was working for placed him on medical discharge in hopes that he would be eligible for state benefits. Unfortunately, he cannot apply for the particular benefits specified because at the moment there is no way he can actively hold down even part-time employment which would be required. He will not be released by his doctor to return to work until at least October.
Further, because his immune system is weakened from the chemotherapy, the Wells cannot keep Mason in daycare on the chance that he would bring home an illness. Therefore, Leila has had to postpone classes as well as work at the university. Although they have some support from family, they find themselves in grave financial jeopardy as they are not receiving enough income to meet their basic needs, let alone the mounting medical bills. Although they were in the process of looking for a church home, they had not yet found one when Andrew was diagnosed with the cancer.
Throughout the last few weeks, I have talked with Andrew a number of times, and I have often found him to be surprisingly upbeat. He recently wrote me saying, "God has been very good to us throughout this trial. He knew us as we were being formed in our mothers' wombs, and he knows us today--all our needs, hopes and desires. We are trusting Him on a completely new level these days. Now we see more clearly what it means for us to look only to the Lord for our needs. When the systems and strategies of men have been exhausted, God is just beginning to show us his provision and plan for our path to come. As we walk through this trial, we ask that you would pray for us, that God would show His favor."
On Sunday, June 5, Springdale Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky will take up an offering for Andrew. Let me encourage you to be a part of that offering. Please consider sending any amount that you can manage to
Springdale Church
4601 Springdale Road
Louisville, KY 40241
Designate on your check that it's to go to the offering for Andrew Wells. If you can't send a check right now, send it when you can and it will be forwarded to the Wells. If you would like to send something directly to them--financial help, Wal-Mart gift cards, or just a word of encouragement--you can contact them at the address below:
Andrew, Leila, and Mason Wells
226 Corley Woods Drive
Lexington, SC 29072
You can email Andrew at arwell012002@yahoo.com and Leila at leilawells@yahoo.com . As far as I know, little Mason doesn't have an email account yet!
Please be praying for the Wells family. And if you can offer any assistance now or in the days to come, please do so.