On 24 Dec 2019 baby Imogen Rea was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain cancer, Congenital Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade 4. She was 14 days old. She had just survived emergency life-saving surgery a few days earlier. Her parents Brad and Christie are now asking for prayer for little Imogen that she will respond to the Chemotherapy;

As I read the Bible to baby Imogen, she likes to reach out and hold on to it and listen and stare at me with intense eyes. I recently finished reading the Gospels to her – stories of Jesus walking from town to town, helping and healing people. Desperate sick people. People who didn’t have today’s medical treatments to help. I particularity resonate with the parents who brought their sick children to Jesus. I imagine their desperation. Had I lived then, I would have done anything to see Him place His hands on Imogen and watch Him heal her of cancer instantly.
I like how the Bible invites us to “pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1).
God cares.
Thank you for all of your birthday wishes for Imogen, and prayers for her healing.Please pray for baby Imogen’s full healing from brain cancer, congenital Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade 4.Love from Brad and Christie Rea – please share
(Photo from November ‘20)

TODAY’S UPDATE (4 Feb 2021)

The news from yesterday’s MRI is mixed. Most importantly, the tumour is stable. This means there has been no growth, and the chemo has been working. While we would have loved to see it shrink, this is good news.

However the scan revealed that Imogen has significant hydrocephalus (her ventricles are swollen with CSF), and has had a haematoma (a bleed) under the Rickhams Reservoir. As she is young and her fontanelle has not closed, she is mostly asymptomatic, other than a larger fontanelle and being quieter than usual. If it were not for the MRI it would have been too difficult to know that there was a major problem. Praise God the scan happened when it did before things got worse.

The plan is to put a Ventriculoatrial (VA) Shunt in tomorrow. Please pray for Imogen to have a stable and an uneventful night until the surgery, and that she heals and the plan works well.

If she deteriorates they can release pressure in the brain by draining CSF through the Rickhams Reservoir, but they have not felt that this has been necessary. We just have to watch her very carefully for any sign of change in her behaviour and presentation. Christie’s nerves are frayed and we are both exhausted.

She required oxygen overnight, but this was probably a consequence of having a general anesthetic earlier in the day.

This morning Christie was thanking God for keeping Imogen stable overnight, and she was reminded of this Bible verse:

Psalm 34:7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Please continue to pray for Imogen as she faces yet another day of neurosurgery. It’s a worrying time for us and we are so grateful that Imogen has an amazing team of specialists. We are trusting God to bring Imogen through this latest challenge.

Thank you for praying for Imogen, and her full healing from brain cancer, congenital Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) Grade 4.

Love from Brad and Christie Rea – please share