Late tonight, a message arrived that no parent ever wants to send — a message filled with fear, urgency, and hope held together by prayer. It came from Michelle Weaver of Alabaster, Alabama, asking that the word be spread for her daughter, Kaitlyn.
Kaitlyn is 17 years old, and tonight she is fighting for her life in an Atlanta hospital.
Michelle did not reach out lightly. She reached out because the situation is critical, because the hours ahead matter, and because she believes in the strength that comes when a community stands together. Her request was simple and heartfelt: prayers, encouragement, and support for her daughter as she faces one of the most dangerous nights of her life.
Kaitlyn is a junior at Thompson High School — a teenager who should be worrying about classes, friends, and the future. Instead, she has spent much of her young life battling Nutcracker syndrome, a rare and debilitating kidney condition that causes severe pain and circulation problems. For Kaitlyn, the condition has been especially cruel. Over time, it has stolen her mobility, leaving her unable to walk and reshaping every part of her daily life.
Tomorrow, Kaitlyn is scheduled to undergo surgery — a procedure her family has been preparing for with cautious hope. The surgery represents a chance at relief, a chance at healing, and possibly a step toward regaining some independence. But tonight, the focus has shifted from tomorrow to survival.
Michelle shared that Kaitlyn is suffering from bleeding into her abdomen, a complication that has placed her in the pediatric intensive care unit. Doctors are monitoring her closely, knowing how quickly conditions can change. The ICU is a place where time feels different — where minutes stretch long, and every sound carries weight.
For a mother, there are few experiences more terrifying than watching your child lie in a hospital bed while machines do the work her body struggles to do on its own. Michelle is there with Kaitlyn, holding on to faith while fear presses in. She cannot fight this battle for her daughter, but she refuses to leave her side.
I have written about Kaitlyn often over the years, and through those stories, I have come to know her spirit. She is strong in ways that don’t always show on the surface. She has endured pain, setbacks, and loss with a resilience that humbles those around her. But even the strongest hearts have moments when they need to be lifted.
Kaitlyn’s illness has taken much of what defines a normal teenage life. School days have been interrupted by hospital stays. Friendships have had to adapt to long absences and physical limitations. Losing the ability to walk has been especially devastating, forcing her to grieve a version of herself she never expected to lose.
And still, she fights.
Tonight, however, her fight is bigger than her own strength alone. She needs encouragement. She needs to know that people beyond hospital walls are thinking of her, praying for her, and believing in her recovery. She needs to feel surrounded by something greater than fear.
This is where community becomes powerful.
Words of encouragement matter. Prayers matter. Messages of hope can steady a heart when anxiety threatens to take over. Faith and connection often work alongside medicine, reaching places treatment alone cannot.
Michelle believes deeply in that truth. That belief is why she reached out, trusting that people would respond — that they would pause, remember Kaitlyn, and lift her up.
If we can come together tonight — to pray, to send messages of strength, to speak hope — we can help this precious young woman push through one of the hardest nights of her life. We can remind her that her story does not end in an ICU room, that she is more than her diagnosis, and that there is a future waiting beyond this moment.
Kaitlyn is not just a patient. She is a daughter who is deeply loved. She is a student with dreams still unfolding. She is a young woman whose courage deserves to be met with compassion and support.
No one can predict what the next hours will bring. But what is certain is this: Kaitlyn is fighting. Her mother is standing strong beside her. And now, a community has been invited to stand with them.
Tonight, let us lift Kaitlyn up in prayer and encouragement.
Let us remind her that she is seen.
That she is loved.
That she is not alone.
Because sometimes, the strength that carries someone through a crisis comes not only from within, but from knowing an entire community is holding them up.
Please keep Kaitlyn Weaver and her mother Michelle in your thoughts and prayers tonight. Together, with faith, kindness, and hope, we can help carry this brave young woman through the darkness and toward healing.
Carter’s Fight Against Stage 4 Neuroblastoma.284b
Seven-year-old Carter from Grand Prairie, Texas, has faced more in the past year than many endure in a lifetime. Once a healthy, happy boy with a love for soccer, school, and everyday childhood adventures, Carter’s world changed dramatically last fall. What began as a simple pain in his leg soon led to a terrifying discovery: a tumor on his spine.
Doctors delivered a diagnosis that no parent wants to hear: stage 4 neuroblastoma. This aggressive cancer had spread to his bone marrow, putting his life at immediate risk. Suddenly, soccer games, school projects, and bedtime stories were replaced with hospital visits, intravenous lines, and a complex treatment plan designed to fight a disease far beyond a child’s understanding.
What Carter and his family thought would be a short hospital stay turned into a prolonged battle. Instead of two days, they have spent 35 days in the ICU, a stretch filled with fear, uncertainty, and constant vigilance. Every moment in the hospital is measured, every small change monitored, and every improvement celebrated. The journey is physically demanding for Carter, emotionally draining for his family, and mentally exhausting for all who love him.
Amid the hardship, Carter has shown extraordinary resilience. Despite undergoing daily dialysis, enduring invasive procedures, and coping with the side effects of chemotherapy, he remains a fighter. His courage is evident in the smallest acts — enduring discomfort without complaint, participating in therapy sessions with determination, and finding moments to laugh and play despite the circumstances.
His mother reflects on the intensity of the experience with both honesty and gratitude: “We’ve had to go to the darkest places a parent should never have to go, but I’m grateful I get to leave with my child.” These words capture the paradoxical reality of having a child with a life-threatening illness — profound fear and heartache exist alongside deep appreciation for every moment of life.
Daily dialysis, a treatment Carter must undergo to support his kidney function, adds another layer of challenge. Twelve hours each day tether him to machines that sustain life but limit freedom. Yet through it all, Carter shows remarkable bravery. Each session is a small victory, a testament to his willingness to endure hardship in the pursuit of survival and recovery.
Neuroblastoma, particularly at stage 4, is one of the most aggressive childhood cancers. It can impact multiple organs, weaken the immune system, and make even routine treatments a formidable challenge. But Carter’s family has refused to surrender to despair. They navigate each hospital stay, coordinate care, and support him emotionally and physically, determined to give him the best possible chance.
Carter’s story is also a reminder of the emotional toll such a diagnosis takes on the entire family. Siblings, parents, and extended family must adapt to hospital routines, manage the uncertainty of prognosis, and hold onto hope in moments of fear. Every procedure, every test, and every therapy session is accompanied by prayers, tears, and the unwavering support of those who love him.
Yet within the hospital walls, moments of hope and resilience shine through. Carter’s determination to continue living a full life, even while tethered to dialysis machines and monitors, inspires everyone around him. Nurses, doctors, and therapists are witnesses to his courage, celebrating his smallest milestones and offering reassurance during the most difficult days.
Carter’s battle is ongoing. Each day brings new challenges — lab results, chemotherapy side effects, therapy sessions, and the physical strain of daily dialysis. But each day also brings moments of hope — improved vitals, the tiniest smile, a small step toward recovery. His parents, by his side every step of the way, ensure that he is never alone, that every challenge is met with love, advocacy, and determination.
The story of Carter reminds us that courage is not the absence of fear, but the persistence to move forward despite it. Even in the ICU, with machines monitoring every heartbeat and infusion, Carter demonstrates the extraordinary power of a child’s spirit. His fight is not only for survival but for the chance to experience life — to play, to laugh, and to grow beyond the walls of the hospital.
His mother’s gratitude resonates deeply. Though the path is fraught with uncertainty and pain, she treasures each moment with her son, each shared laugh, and each sign of progress. The 35 days in the ICU, while grueling, are also days in which she witnesses Carter’s strength, his resilience, and his unwavering desire to live.
Carter’s journey is far from over, and the road ahead will require continued medical care, resilience, and love. Yet in the midst of the darkness, his courage shines brightly. Daily dialysis, chemotherapy, and hospital visits are met with a bravery that inspires those around him. Every smile, every movement, and every small victory is a reminder of the power of hope and the strength of the human spirit.
For Carter, stage 4 neuroblastoma may define his days medically, but it cannot define his courage, his spirit, or the love that surrounds him. He is a fighter in the truest sense, a reminder that even in the most harrowing circumstances, resilience, hope, and family can light the way.
