Elder Spencer Blanchard is undergoing chemotherapy treatments for metastatic neuroblastoma stage 4 cancer while he is serving as a service missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from his home in the Oregon Salem Mission.
Although some days he cannot leave the house, or even use the stairs without becoming fatigued, he does whatever he can.
“I wanted to serve a mission because I wanted to share the Light of Christ with others,” he said. “I wanted to be able to touch other people’s lives and help in a way that I couldn’t in the position I was in before. I want to make people smile. I want to show them why I love the gospel so much.”
Six years ago, Janalyn Blanchard took her son to the doctor to check an enlarged lymph node on his neck.
The pediatrician called back right after the Blanchards had received word their oldest son had received his mission call.
“So 30 minutes after I was so excited about his oldest brother’s mission call, they used the ‘cancer’ word,” Janalyn Blanchard said.
Soon, then-12-year-old Spencer received a diagnosis of neuroblastoma. Metastatic and stage 4 meant it was in other parts of his body as well.
Read more about Spencer’s story at the Church News.
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