GOD’S GRACE

Editor’s Note: My first experience with the Kaikala family came when I first moved here to the area. Because I moved ahead of my family, I decided to visit local churches in the area to find a good fit. Midway through worship Ala gave me a bottle of cold water as I was nervously sitting in a new church and a new community without my family. His warm smile and gift made me feel at home. Soon after that he was one of the people who came to help move us in. I learned firsthand of what a quality family they were. So when they were brought before the church and told the congregation about what was happening with the daughter it broke my heart.

The Kaikala’s first started to notice there was a problem “around six months,” they recalled. “We started noticing that her right eye had a weird sort of “glassy” look… like if she turned the right way that you might be able to see through it. But we just thought it was us, that it wasn’t something to be concerned about…she had never had any injuries etc. We had never known anyone to have eye problems as an infant. She was always super quiet and hardly ever cried, but she played like any normal six to eight-month-old baby would.”

It was when others started to notice the problem, that they began to take greater notice, “When she was about eight months old, we went to a family member’s funeral,” recalls Rebecca, mother of Jesslyn Grace, “my sister kept trying to play with Jesslyn Grace but much to her frustration, Jesslyn wouldn’t pay her any attention. My sister kept saying, ‘Why won’t she look at me?!’”

“We thought she was just tired maybe…. but then while at church the next day, a fellow church member also noticed her “glass” eye and commented on it. He said that she would really “weird out” her optometrist on her first visit,” continued Rebecca.

“At this point,” remembers Ala and Rebecca, “we became curious and decided to have her eyes checked at our local optometrist. So I called our local optometrist the next day, Monday, but was advised that their only opening was for the following day.”

On Tuesday the 19th of March, in Atlanta, she was seen for the first time. It was then that they first heard of the word “Retinoblastoma.” When they heard about the diagnoses they wanted to know all the facts, “Where was the cancer at and what was the initial diagnosis and prognosis.”

“We were told that Jesslyn Grace had massive tumors behind each eye. We were told that 100% of her vision was blocked by the tumors in her right eye and that 90% of her vision was blocked in her left eye. At most, she could only see out of her peripheral in her left,” says Rebecca, “She was completely unresponsive to light.”

Once the doctors made the diagnosis they “immediately they began scheduling her an appointment with a specialist in Shreveport LA, about an hour’s drive away,” Rebecca recalled. “Due to the severity of her diagnosis, they managed to squeeze her in for an appointment the very next day.”

“So on Wednesday, March 20th, we made our way to the specialist in Shreveport LA., hoping for a better diagnosis … for some form of hope or a kind of treatment plan.”

What they received wasn’t the news they hoped for. Unfortunately, they just confirmed the original diagnosis… “A severe case of “Retinoblastoma” which would require chemo and very possibly, the removal of one or both eyes,” explained the Blahlahz family.

“At first we were devastated (with the prognosis). We had been caught off guard... never expecting to hear THAT kind of news. We broke. To be honest...the first night we just responded in the natural... Our minds led us down some of the worst paths with the worst possible outcomes. (Her eyes being removed and her being blind) We cried... ALOT. We looked back at the past eight months trying to recognize anything out of the ordinary, a sign that something was wrong. We had taken it for granted that she could see...but instead she had adapted to her lack of vision and was just following sounds.” said Rebecca.

“But then we turned to God. We called our pastors and those that we KNEW could be strong for us spiritually and would lock arms in this battle with us.“

“We didn’t share our battle with people who would only add negative fuel to the fire. We kept the circle close at first and when we did let people know, we never CLAIMED the diagnosis. We just told people that she was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma and was receiving chemo as she was awaiting her healing. We never let anyone speak that curse over her...it was not HER DISEASE,” declared Rebecca.

Even though they believed in the healing, it was a testimony to be lived out though. After they were sent to Louisiana they found out they were also were unequipped to treat Jesslyn Grace and were referred to another specialist out of Houston.

This is part one of a multi-part article on the story of a faith, miracles, family, and a baby girl’s battle with cancer.