In the high-stakes world of pediatric oncology, “Scan Day” is usually a day of cold, hard facts. It is a day where numbers, measurements, and black-and-white reports dictate the future of a child’s life. But for Will Roberts and his parents, Jason and Brittney, January 8th became something much more complex. It became a day of “holy confusion,” a day where the eyes saw one thing, the reports said another, and a mother’s heart chose to sing despite the contradictions.
The Song of the Heart: The 12/5 vs. 1/8 PET Scans
The day began with a moment of pure, unadulterated joy. When the oncologist opened the images from Will’s latest PET scan, comparing them to the previous results from December 5th, the visual evidence was startling.
For a “Cancer Mom” who has spent months staring at scans, learning the geography of tumors and the glow of active disease, the 1/8 images were a revelation. Brittney described it perfectly: “My heart sang with joy due to the appearance.” In that room, looking at the screen, there was a visible shift. The images suggested a retreat, a clearing, or a stabilization that defied the aggressive nature of Will’s bone cancer.
This is the “Visual Miracle.” It is the moment where the prayer for healing takes on a digital form. Even before the formal report was typed out, the appearance of the scans offered a reprieve—a moment of light in a very long tunnel.
The Conflict of Data: The CT Report Shadow
However, the journey of faith is rarely a straight line. As Will moved from the PET scan to the MRI, a second piece of data arrived: the CT report. Unlike the visual joy of the PET scan, the CT report carried a heavier tone. It compared the current state to a scan from December 1st and used the words every parent dreads: “Active progression.”
On the surface, this felt like a setback. But as Jason and Brittney dove deeper, the timeline revealed a crucial detail that changes everything.
Will did not start his current treatment—the Cabo chemo pill—until December 9th. The CT report that showed “progression” was measuring changes against a scan from December 1st. This means there was a nine-day gap where Will’s aggressive tumor was completely untreated before the first dose of the chemo pill ever entered his system.
The “progression” the CT scan caught likely happened before the medicine had a chance to work. The PET scan, however, shows the world after the chemo pill started its mission. This distinction is vital. It is the difference between a failing treatment and a treatment that is finally, mercifully, winning the tug-of-war.
The “Positive Confusion” of an Oncologist
Perhaps the most telling moment of the day wasn’t a piece of paper, but the look on a doctor’s face.
Brittney noted that when their oncologist walked back into the room, she looked “a little confused.” In many medical scenarios, a confused doctor is a cause for alarm. But in Will’s case, this confusion feels different. It is the look of a scientist seeing something that doesn’t quite fit the grim expectations. It is the look of someone seeing life where there was supposed to be decay.
The family is now waiting for a formal amendment to the report—a specific side-by-side comparison of 12/5 and 1/8. They aren’t just looking for data; they are looking for the medical confirmation of what their eyes have already told them: Something is changing. Something is working.
The MD Anderson Connection: Strengthening the Front Lines
The battle for Will’s health isn’t just happening in Alabama; it’s being fought in the minds of the best medical experts in the world. Late on the night of the 8th, the family received a boost of confidence when their oncologist from MD Anderson—one of the premier cancer centers on the globe—called them personally.
He had seen the updates on “My Chart” and wanted to discuss the plan. Today, all the high-resolution images are being submitted to him for a secondary, expert review. This is a critical step. Having a world-class specialist weigh in on the “positive confusion” ensures that Will’s next steps are guided by the sharpest minds in medicine.
The Theology of the Amendment
Brittney’s request for an “amendment to the report” is a powerful metaphor for their entire journey. In the natural world, the “report” on Will has been dire. The “report” says bone cancer is aggressive. The “report” says the progression is active.
But the Roberts family is asking for an amendment. They are asking God to rewrite the report. They are asking the doctors to look again. They are standing on the belief that the first word is not the final word.
Standing in the Gap: What Happens Tomorrow?
As we wait for clarification from the medical teams, the #WillStrong community is called to a specific kind of prayer. We aren’t just praying for “health”—we are praying for Clarity and Confirmation.
- Pray for the MD Anderson Review: Pray that the specialists see exactly what Brittney saw—signs of healing that the initial reports might have missed.
- Pray for the Local Team: Pray for the oncologist in Alabama as she seeks the amendment, that her “positive confusion” turns into a definitive declaration of progress.
- Pray for Will’s Spirit: Amidst the talk of scans, pills, and reports, there is a 14-year-old boy. Pray that he feels the “song of joy” his mother felt, and that his body continues to respond to the treatment.
Conclusion: Trusting the Eyes of Faith
Brittney’s update ends with a sense of peace that can only come from a deep-rooted faith. Despite the conflicting reports, she felt “better tonight.” She isn’t ignoring the CT report; she is simply placing the PET scan and the MD Anderson call on a higher pedestal.
She is teaching us all a lesson: When the reports are confusing, trust the Joy. Trust the visual evidence of improvement. Trust the fact that the chemo pill was a late arrival to the fight and is now making up for lost time.
Tomorrow will bring clarification. Tomorrow will bring a plan of action. But tonight, we stand with Will, Jason, and Brittney in that “song of joy.” We see the images. We see the difference. And we know that the One who created Will is the One who has the final say over the report.
#WillStrong #GodIsBigger #PETScanMiracle #NeverEverGiveUp #CancerWarrior #FaithInTheConfusion #MDAndersonStrong
