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Monday, October 10, 2016

Cancer-Free For Two Years

If you have been following our blog for a while, you probably remember hearing Jill and Derick's devastating announcement when they found out just two weeks after their engagement that Derick's mom, Cathy Dillard Byrum, had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

When the couple's June 21st wedding rolled around, Cathy was unable to attend the rehearsal dinner. In the absence of his dad--who passed away in 2008--and mom, Derick's younger brother Dan spoke on behalf of the family, telling Derick how proud they were of him.

By God's grace, Cathy was miraculously able to make it to the wedding ceremony. She arrived in a wheel chair directly from the hospital, accompanied by husband Ronnie. Despite the chaos of pulling off an outdoor wedding reception for 1,000 guests, wedding planner Sierra Dominguez selflessly put much of her energy into ensuring that Cathy was able to stay close by her son's side throughout the celebration.

Derick's mom remained focused on God throughout her illness. Two-and-a-half years after the initial diagnosis, we rejoice with the Dillard family as they thank God for Cathy's health. The mother of two and grandmother of one has been cancer-free for two years!

In honor of the important milestone, Cathy pulled out the dress she wore to Jill and Derick's wedding, although the cancer survivor says it fits much better now that she has gained 25 pounds.

Photo courtesy dillardfamily.com

53 comments:

  1. That's the greatest news on this entire blog!!

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  2. Congratulations to Mrs. Cathy Dillard! May God bless her with many more years of life!

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    1. That's Great!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for letting us know that and thank you for mentioning Miss Cathy's second husband, Ron Byrum. He deserves a lot of credit too.

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  3. So very happy she is doing well!

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  4. Kathy looks great and Jill resembles her even though she is the daughter-in-law! What a happy picture!

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  5. Congrats Kathy. Glad you are feeling good!

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  6. So happy for you all. Gods blessings to you all.

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  7. Praise God! So happy for you and the family. What a blessing.

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  8. Very good news for her and family.
    I'm so thankful she has been able to visit her grandson. Unfortunately he is growing up so quickly for her to share the time most of us take for granted.

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  9. We rejoice with Cathy! Praise God that she is cancer-free. God is good!

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  10. What a beautiful woman!!! May God continue to bless Miss Cathy and the Dillard family. The deserve the full measure of God's grace.

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  11. Wonderful news! Thank you for sharing with us!

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  12. Kathy looks great and Jill resembles her even though she is the daughter-in-law! What a happy picture!

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  13. Praise God! Such good news!

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  14. So Happy to hear that Derrick's mom is doing great!!

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  15. Yes, Jill does look like her!

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  16. I am glad that Kathy is doing well and that she obviously has good doctors. It is interesting that many comments refer to "God's grace" in her recovery. There are many good but suffering souls in the world who never recover from devastating illness, even though there are no shortages of prayers for them. Somehow the idea that God picks winners and losers in this life goes against what I believe God to be. My dad was the most spiritual and humble human being I have ever known, yet his life was lost to cancer. That demonstrated to me that God is not in the winners and losers game here on earth. Just as we are beings with the gift of free choice, we are also at the mercy of time and chance.

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    1. Not chance, God's timing. He has a plan for each of our lives and if we believe and follow death on earth isn't final, it just means we are gong to live with Him in heaven.

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    2. You're right, but people using the phrase "God's grace" does not mean we feel God is picking "winners and losers." Actually, if you were talking winners and losers, the ones who go to heaven fastest are the winners, right?

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    3. If God has a plan for each of our lives, that pretty much negates the free choice theory.

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    4. I truly agree.

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    5. No, it doesn't negate free choice. We have the choice to follow God's plan or not. We just don't get to choose the consequences.

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    6. No I believe this is a plan but we can mess it up by bad choices.

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    7. Anon@2:35 Oct. 12
      Are the suffering people in Syria and Haiti part of God's plan? If so, He has a whole lot of explaining to do. They are at the mercy of circumstances that are beyond their control.

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  17. What wonderful news!!!!!

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  18. Wishing you many years of continued good health. God Bless You.
    Joan,Marion and Marilyn

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  19. What a blessing! So happy for you!

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  20. Congratulations Cathy on being cancer free for 2 years.

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  21. Praising the Lord for this report of Victory!

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  22. Wonderful,great,fantastic!😁All our prayers have been answered😇So happy for this family🤗

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  23. If the Duggars believe that the end of this world is "soon", why are they continuing to have so many children? I find it a morbid interest and I don't think the Almighty would want us to concentrate on that, but to live out and enjoy the life He gave us here on Earth.

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    1. You sound very confused and concerned about yourself. Life isn't all about oneself and enjoying all the things He gave us.It's about looking forward to life with Jesus when we leave this earth. It's about people and relationships. It's about Children. Have you not read what Jesus says about Children? Children are special! Children are a gift from God!

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    2. What does "soon" mean to you? Early Christians believed it was "soon" also. Does that mean we should all stop living life and just sit and wait?

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    3. Anon@7:21 Many fundamentalist families believe it is their calling to produce as many "soldiers for God's army" as they can. The theory is that they would populate the earth with more like-minded people as the world's end nears.

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    4. You can't out-populate another group of people and expect to create a better world that way. That's ridiculous. Instead of making more like-minded people, how about learning to get along with others?

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    5. Oh really? I have gone to fundamentalist churches my whole life and have never heard that. The Duggers never set out to have 19 children. They just believed that God would give them as many kids as He wanted them to have. There is nothing wrong with their belief as long as they take care of their children.

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  24. Good news. Thanks to education innovation and modern medicine.

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    1. Which were both created by God !!!

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    2. Like we said, thanks to God. He's the one who gave the doctors and scientists their brains to innovate and modernize medicine.

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    3. The thing is, as a humanist, I would be hypocritical if I thanked a god I do not believe in. I am happy that Cathy is well and thank human advancement and modern medicine for that.

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    4. Let's all give thanks to random atoms of unknown origin that came together billions of years ago to form the universe, the world, the sun, animals, people, our brains, etc., which ultimately led to cancer treatments for Cathy Dillard and others. Hip hip hooray!

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  25. Regardless of one's beliefs about God healing or modern medicine, it would have been polite, respectful and appreciative of Cathy to have thanked those dedicated medical personnel who designed, administered her treatment and have taken daily care of her while in the hospital. If she believes that God alone healed her, why then, did she check herself in to a hospital at all? Why didn't she stay home and pray for healing exclusively. I think both had a hand in her remission. BTW, I am so glad that she is well. I wouldn't want anyone to have gone through what she has. God Bless her with continued good health.

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    1. How do you know she didn't thank all those people you mentioned? And as to the reason she admitted herself to the hospital I'm thinking it is because as a Christian she would probably know Jesus has more than one way of healing. Doctors and medicine are one way. I know medical doctors who pray for guidance. These are not quacks but highly respected professionals and would want her to give God the glory!

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  26. If Derick can grow his hair long and wear a bun, how come Jill can't cut her hair??

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    1. I'll bet she could if she wanted to.

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  27. That is wonderful news. So happy for Cathy and her family. God's Peace.

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  28. I have never read a post from Cathy Byrum that thanked or gave any credit to those medical personnel for her recovery. Of course, the will of the Almighty comes in to play in our lives, but she has never mentioned those here on Earth that I have read. It would have been nice to have acknowledged them too.

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  29. I am very happy for Jinger and Jeremy. I pray God''s blessings upon your lives.

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  30. God is good, all the time! So happy to read this update on Cathy and happy to know she is able to be healthy and enjoy her grandson.

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