Mom is Now at Peace

This morning, Mom passed away at home, surrounded by her family.  We will dearly miss Mom, but are thankful that she will no longer experience pain and is now in glory.

The funeral visitation will be held at Vineland Free Reformed Church, 3685 King Street, Vineland, Ontario on Wednesday, November 11, 2015 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 - 9:00 p.m..  The funeral service will take place on Thursday, November 12, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at Vineland Free Reformed Church.  If you wish to attend at the cemetery, we will be meeting at the church between 9:00 - 9:15 a.m. and then will drive to the Vineland Cemetery.  

We would like to thank everyone for all the kindness that has been shown to Mom and Dad and all of us during the course of Mom's battle with leukemia.   Even though Mom lost her fight against this disease, she is victorious, in the sense that she is now with her precious Saviour, never to experience pain and suffering again.

God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though its waters roar and be troubled,

Though the mountains shake with its swelling. 

Psalm 46:1-3

Mom's Health is Declining

Mom has taken a turn for the worse.  She is experiencing more difficultly breathing, so we have had to increase her medication dramatically.  We are thankful that she is very coherent during the times that she is awake.

At this time, we'd like to ask that anyone who is interested in visiting Mom, please call first to see if Mom is able to have company.

Thank you all for your prayers, kind words, meals and offers to help in a variety of ways.  It means so much to us!


The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry entered His ears.

2 Samuel 22:6-7

Our Time With Mom

Today will be three weeks since we brought Mom home from the hospital.  We found out that the nurses and personal support workers had been told that Mom likely only had 1 1/2 to 2 weeks to live from the time she left the hospital.  We are so thankful to be given this precious time with Mom and are cherishing every moment.

Mom is getting weaker and more pale every day.  She has had some episodes where she experiences shortness of breath, to the point where she begins to panic.  Thankfully, we are able to administer medication to alleviate this feeling.  She continues to remain pain-free and is very alert during the time that she is awake, allowing us to have such meaningful conversations with her.  It has been a blessing that the children, grandchildren, family and friends are able to visit at anytime.  The grandchildren, especially, have brought a lot of joy to Mom and Dad.

So many of you have sent Mom encouraging e-mail messages, cards and flowers, left telephone messages, made quilts, shawls, picture frames, etc..  All of these have been passed on to her.  She is too weak to respond to your specific messages, but she wanted us to assure you that your kind thoughts and actions have meant so much to her.

We are thankful that we were able to bring Mom home and that the transition has gone so smoothly.  The nursing care and personal support workers have been so caring and helpful.  Our church community and friends have continued to uphold us all in prayer and the offers for meals, babysitting, etc. have been overwhelming.

Please continue to pray for the following:

miraculous healing;

that Mom remains pain-free and at peace with the plans that God has for her;

that Dad is able to care for Mom while feeling God's everlasting arms carrying him through this difficult time;

that we all continue to experience peace and rely on our heavenly Father for strength.

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born,

    And a time to die;

A time to plant,

    And a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill,

    And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

    And a time to build up;

A time to weep,

    And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

    And a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones,

    And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

    And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain,

    And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

    And a time to throw away;

A time to tear,

    And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

    And a time to speak;

A time to love,

    And a time to hate;

A time of war,

    And a time of peace.

Eccl. 3:1-8

Precious Time

Mom has now been at home for eleven days.  We are thankful that the transition from hospital care to home care has gone very smoothly.

In some ways, Mom is doing better than she was in the hospital.  She no longer has fevers, the pneumonia seems to be under control, she is very alert and she seems stronger (even though she is unable to leave her bed).  She loves being in the comfort of her own home, with Dad by her side and a constant stream of family members and friends visiting.  The peace that Mom has is beyond our comprehension.  

In the past few days, it was necessary to increase Mom's pain medication.  She is unable to eat very much and throws up most mornings.  She had one bad episode where she was in a lot of distress, but providentially, the nurse came at that moment and gave medication to Mom to calm her.

Though Mom is doing so well at home, it's hard not to experience so many emotions:  hope, when she's doing well; discouragement, when she's not; joy and laughter, as we talk about every day things (especially the grandchildren); sadness, when we discuss her passing; comfort, when we speak of heaven.  We all continue to pray for a miracle, but humanly speaking, we know that the leukemia is getting stronger every day and our time with Mom is limited.  At times, it seems impossible that Mom will not recover from this disease when we are able to have such precious moments together right now.  We are cherishing every minute of the time together that God gives us.

Last Sunday, all of the grandchildren came and sang to Mom while Aaron played his guitar.  This was a very special time for all of us.

Please pray for the following:

miraculous healing;
that the pain medication keeps Mom comfortable;
that Mom continues to experience peace; and
that Dad, all of the children and grandchildren, Mom's father and sisters are able to find their strength in our loving heavenly Father.


Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Mom is Now Home

We are thankful to let you all know that, with a coordinated effort by Juravinski staff, CCAC and family members, we were able to arrange for Mom to come home today.  The smile on Mom's face as she lay in her hospital bed at home brightened everyone's day.

Mom is very weak, not really able to move much and spends a lot of time sleeping.  Her pain and shortness of breath are being well managed by her medications.  We are grateful that Mom will be receiving nursing care throughout the night and will have a personal support worker with her for eight hours during the day.  The remainder of the day, she will be cared for by family members.

We have been told that Mom's leukemia is progressing and that she likely only has a few weeks to live, maybe less.

Thank you all for your encouraging words, cards, babysitting, offers to help in a variety of ways and especially, for your prayers.  What a privilege it is to belong to a community of believers who uphold us all in prayer!

Please pray for the following:

that this time at home may be a blessed one;
that Mom's pain continues to be well managed;
strength for Mom, Dad, Grandpa Schoeman, Mom's sisters, in-laws, children and grandchildren; and
that when times are tough, we continue to remember to bring everything to God in prayer and to find our strength and comfort in Him.


Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12

Mom Cannot Receive Any Further Treatment for her Leukemia

Mom's medical team has advised us that they are unable to give Mom any further treatment for her leukemia due to her weakened state.  The leukemia cells are multiplying every day and her treatment is now focused on end of life care.  The primary concern is pain management.  Mom's oxygen and pain medication have been increased, and will continue to be as needed.  The effects of the pneumonia are being managed by the pain medication.

The doctors cannot predict how much time Mom will have left on this earth.  It partially depends on if the pneumonia gets worse and how aggressive the leukemia is.  Mom has repeatedly told us of her longing for heaven.  She has fought the battle against leukemia courageously, always finding her strength in God.  Her body is simply too weak to respond to any kind of treatment.  She is sleeping more and more, but when she is awake, she very aware of what is going on and able to testify of the peace that God has given her.

We are very thankful that Mom is receiving such compassionate care at Juravinski Hospital.  The staff always take the time to answer all of our questions, tell us of their love for Mom and Dad, and sit with Dad late at night to comfort him.   

Please keep our family in your prayers during this difficult time.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

Mom Continues to Weaken

Mom is very weak now and is unable to get out of bed. Even small movements require a tremendous amount of effort. On a positive note, she is quite comfortable, is eating a little at every meal, her oxygen levels remain the same and her blood pressure and blood counts are relatively stable.

We found out on Saturday that there are blast (leukemia) cells showing up in her blood work.  When she was admitted two weeks ago, there were none.  They started appearing about four days ago.  We have no idea how bad the leukemia is, as the only way to tell is to do a bone marrow test, but Mom is too sick to even consider doing one.  The priority now is to deal with the pneumonia. 

Today a doctor switched Mom's medications to substitute a new antifungal drug.  As far as we know, the doctors have tried every antibiotic and antifungal drug that they can to fight the pneumonia and so far, nothing has been effective.

The past two weeks have been extremely hard for Mom and Dad and the entire family.  It seems unbelievable that just two and half weeks ago, Mom and Dad were camping, going on hikes, biking, etc..  We are so thankful that they were able to have that special time together before Mom became sick.

Mom continues to testify of her love for God and her trust that He is in control and His plan is good.

Please pray for the following:
blessing on the treatment; 
miraculous healing;
physical, emotional and spiritual strength for Mom and Dad and the entire family; and
if it is not God's will that Mom's health is restored, that we may all be given a special measure of God's grace to accept that.


Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.

Psalm 57:1


Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-31