Faith, Harvest, and Healing
7/4/20262 min read
A week ago, I shared that our sixth maize harvest was the most successful harvest Seeds of Hope has ever supported. It was such exciting news, and I couldn't wait to tell you about it.
But there was something I wasn't ready to share yet.
While Patrick was leading the harvest and finishing his teaching practicum, he was also getting very sick.
At first, he thought it was just a swollen throat. It started back in April during his exams. He tried local medicine, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. Instead, the swelling spread. Later, he became very weak. He had fevers, headaches, night sweats, and even thought he had malaria because mosquitoes had gotten through the holes in his family's mosquito nets.
Even while he felt awful, Patrick kept working. He helped lead the harvest, taught his students, and cared about the farmers we serve. Looking back now, I honestly don't know how he did it.
When he finally had more tests done, the doctors found enlarged lymph nodes in his neck and chest. They were worried enough that they scheduled surgery to remove one of the lymph nodes so they could test it.
I'll be honest - I didn't know whether I should tell anyone.
Patrick is my friend. He's been part of Seeds of Hope from the beginning, and he's the reason Fields to Future has grown into what it is today. I kept hoping the biopsy would show something simple that could be treated easily. I didn't want to worry our donors until we knew for sure.
Then the biopsy results came back.
Patrick has high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
I was shocked.
The doctors explained that Patrick needed something called Immunohistochemistry, or IHC, to find out exactly what type of lymphoma he has. They also needed more scans to learn how far it had spread before they could safely start chemotherapy. Every test seemed to bring another bill, another appointment, and another hurdle.
My family has been helping Patrick with many of those medical expenses because we wanted him to be able to get the care he needed as quickly as possible. It felt like the right thing to do for someone who has given so much of himself to others.
I also want you to know something important.
Fields to Future is continuing.
Seeds of Hope is continuing.
Patrick would want me to tell you that.
Even while he has been going through surgeries, doctor visits, and tests, he's still working in the fields and finishing his teaching practicum. That's just who he is. He cares about other people, even when he's facing something incredibly hard himself.
I really believe Patrick is going to get through this.
I know treatment won't be easy, and I know there will be hard days ahead. But I've also seen how determined he is. He's the same person who helped make our biggest harvest ever happen while he didn't even know how sick he really was.
Please keep Patrick in your prayers.
I'll keep you updated on how he's doing because I know so many of you have followed his journey with Seeds of Hope and Fields to Future over the years.
Thank you for believing in this mission. Thank you for believing in Patrick. And thank you for believing that hope can grow - even in the hardest seasons.
With gratitude,
Charlie
