Prayers for Laura Burkhauser

[Kit Novotny]

Hi beloved staff and other church friends,

I am writing with a heavy heart to ask you to join me in praying for our beloved friend and former Emerging Leader Laura Burkhauser, who has recently been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, and began her first chemotherapy treatment Christmas Eve (or the day before). 

Laura is welcoming sharing this news with the broader church, and we're including it in the Carillon this week. Laura writes, "I would feel beyond lucky to know that I have a community like FCCB praying for me."

In addition to your fiercest healing prayers, I know Laura welcomes texts and cards: 738 Long Bridge Street, Unit 609, San Francisco, CA, 94158. 

In typical Laura fashion, she made a direct, thoughtful and darkly funny google doc that shares out the general plan of her treatment and, importantly, how to help (it's designed for friends and family, so please don't share it beyond this group for now): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ti9ciJPJFSu8dFeNLWOWw2XBmCqoqANugLNasNA0QtU, in which Laura writes:

"I have osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer that usually targets children. Right now the cancer has not spread to other parts of my body. I will need about 8 months of treatment (details below) including six cycles of chemotherapy, a partial femur replacement, and a knee replacement. If I respond well to chemo there is a good chance that I can be totally cancer free by the end of 2018."

We're thinking about ways the church might organize a collective effort to help - maybe joining forces to give her a massage gift certificate? -- but the more ways of supporting her the better...

In God's deep love,

Kit

--

I generally check e-mail messages Sunday-Thursday. For urgent messages, please call or text (508-498-1037).

Rev. Kit Novotny
Young Adult Minister, First Church Berkeley