Most folks spend the day after Christmas relaxing with friends and family, grazing on leftovers and debating whether or not to start taking down the tree. The Owen family spent theirs elsewhere – not on the gorgeous beach you see in the adorable family pictures below, but in the emergency room in a state of shock.
To go from that setting to one of sugar sands and emerald waters in a span of six months is a gift that can only be fully appreciated by a family who survived the sudden storm of a cancer diagnosis. Thankfully, Waves of Grace was there to scoop them up and send them away for a week to catch their breath, to remember what it’s like to just be.
Diagnosed in December 2015 with a very rare, aggressive form of cancer, Ferris Owen and her husband Robby were catapulted into the fight of their lives with absolutely zero warning. As a nurse practitioner and pastor respectively, Ferris and Robby were no strangers to crisis. This time, however, they were on the receiving end of comfort and care. They had to put life on hold and allow their support system to step in, covering everything from daily routines for their three small children to raising funds to fill insurance gaps looming down the road.
In the midst of the whirlwind, someone nominated them for a Waves of Grace trip. They jumped at the opportunity to get away and rest, and enjoy a slice of normal. Then, three days before they headed to the Emerald Coast, the phone rang.
Ferris was in remission.
Remission!
All the love and smiles and laughter we captured that week in their family pictures was pure joy that could not be contained! Throughout the battle, Ferris and Robby never let go of their faith and they believe the timing of their trip was not a coincidence.
“To have been just been told by our doctors that Ferris was in remission just three days prior to this photo shoot couldn’t have been more perfect of timing – God’s providential timing for us to celebrate,” Robby said. “This photo shoot is a memorial for us for the days and years ahead, to be able to look back and remember the goodness and faithfulness of our God.”
“We definitely don’t want to only be defined by this illness alone, although it has been our life for the past six months,” Ferris continued. “We are moving forward with hope, peace, and excitement for what the future holds.”
Leave A Comment