The journey of a “Cancer Warrior” is often measured in clinical terms: white blood cell counts, creatinine levels, dosage milligrams, and hours spent under the hum of a chemotherapy machine. But for fourteen-year-old Will Roberts and his family, the most significant measurement of health isn’t found on a lab report. It is found in the air of a living room, the sound of a brother’s laughter, and the unparalleled peace of sleeping in one’s own bed.
After a grueling stretch of uncertainty, the Roberts family has shared the news that everyone has been waiting for: Will is home. While the battle is far from over, this transition from the sterile walls of the hospital to the warmth of home is a spiritual and emotional victory that words can barely capture.
The Storm Before the Calm
The road to this homecoming was paved with anxiety. This morning started with a familiar shadow of dread that many oncology families know all too well. Will was battling persistent nausea—a symptom that can be both physically draining and emotionally discouraging. More concerning to his medical team were his elevated creatinine levels, a vital indicator of how well the kidneys are functioning.
When a child is fighting bone cancer, every organ becomes a precious sanctuary that must be guarded. The kidneys, in particular, bear the heavy burden of processing the intense medications required to fight the disease. Seeing those levels rise creates a tension that keeps everyone on edge. It is a reminder of how delicate the balance is between treating the cancer and protecting the body.
The morning was spent in constant consultation. Will’s oncology team and his kidney specialists worked in tandem, weighing the risks of staying in the hospital versus the immense psychological benefits of being at home. In the end, grace prevailed. The decision was made: with a strict protocol and a watchful eye, Will could go home.
The Medicine of “Normalcy”
There is a specific type of healing that no medicine can replicate. It is the “medicine of normal.”
In the hospital, Will is a patient. He is monitored by machines, poked by needles, and woken up for vitals in the middle of the night. But at home, Will gets to be just Will. He is a son, a brother, and a teenager.
Currently, Will is surrounded by the people who love him most fiercely. The reports from the house are heartwarming: he is laughing and playing with Charlie. To an outsider, a child playing might seem like a small thing. To a parent who has watched their child struggle to stand or endure debilitating pain, that laughter is a symphony. It is a sign that his spirit is being nourished. These moments of “normal” are the fuel that keeps a warrior going for the next round of the fight.
Walking the Tightrope: A Journey of Caution
While we celebrate this homecoming, we do so with “sober joy.” Will’s return home is not a sign that the danger has passed, but rather a shift in the battlefield. The journey continues with extreme caution.
The family is under strict medical orders. Will’s fluid intake is being managed with mathematical precision. Every second is a moment of monitoring. The instructions are clear and daunting: if the nausea turns into vomiting, the reprieve ends, and it is a straight drive back to the emergency room.
This puts an incredible weight on his parents, Brittney and Jason. They are now the nurses, the monitors, and the first responders. Yet, through their updates, you don’t hear a spirit of complaint. Instead, you hear a profound sense of trust. They are monitoring his body, but they are trusting God with his life. They are hoping against hope that his kidneys will stabilize and heal completely without further intervention.
The Power of the “Whispered Prayer”
Brittney’s update began with a beautiful acknowledgment: “Thank you for every prayer whispered for Will today—we truly felt them.”
There is something profound about the “whispered prayer.” It’s the prayer said over a steering wheel on the way to work, the prayer offered in a quiet moment of a lunch break, or the prayer breathed right before falling asleep. These are the prayers that have formed a hedge around Will Roberts.
To the #WillStrong community, your intercession is not in vain. The family has explicitly stated that they felt the power of the community lifting them up. In the darkest hours of the morning, when the lab results looked grim, it was the collective faith of strangers and friends alike that provided the strength to push through to the afternoon’s victory.
Step by Step, Breath by Breath
In the world of pediatric cancer, you cannot afford to look too far into the future. The future is a mountain too steep to contemplate all at once. Instead, the Roberts family teaches us the theology of the “Step by Step.”
They are taking it one breath at a time. They are finding joy in the current hour because the current hour is a gift. This perspective is a challenge to all of us. If a family facing the giants of bone cancer and kidney failure can find a reason to thank God for a single afternoon of laughter at home, what is our excuse for discontent?
A Call to Continued Intercession
As Will rests in the comfort of his home tonight, let us not let our guard down. The “strict orders” mean the family is still in a high-stakes environment.
Our continued prayers are focused on three specific areas:
- Kidney Restoration: We pray that Will’s creatinine levels drop significantly and that his kidneys function perfectly, processing all fluids and medications with ease.
- Strength for the Caregivers: We pray for Brittney and Jason, that God would give them supernatural energy and “eyes to see” exactly what Will needs as they monitor him.
- Sustained Joy: We pray that the laughter heard in their home today would be a permanent resident, drowning out the fear of the “what ifs.”
Closing Thoughts: God is Bigger
The hashtag used by the family, #GodIsBigger, is not just a slogan. It is a declaration of reality. He is bigger than the creatinine levels. He is bigger than the oncology reports. He is bigger than the hospital walls.
Tonight, there is a 14-year-old boy in Alabama who is sleeping in his own bed because a team of doctors, a courageous family, and a global community of prayer-warriors believed in the possibility of a better day.
Will, keep laughing. Charlie, keep playing. Brittney and Jason, keep trusting. We are all standing with you, one step, one breath, and one prayer at a time.
