A pastor and his wife are putting their faith in Jesus after both being diagnosed with deadly cancers.
This is not their first experience with cancer. Back in 2012, just two weeks after getting engaged, Cory Schibler, pastor at Beacon Baptist Church in Bryan, Texas, was diagnosed with follicular non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
"It's a slow-growing cancer that we found only by divine intervention," said Schibler. "The day we got engaged, we had a car accident, and in the course of receiving treatment in the emergency room, the doctors found what they thought was cancer."
His treatment plan at the time was watchful waiting. In other words, doctors didn't want to start anything until the cancer really started attacking his body.
In December 2020, he began to have difficulty swallowing. Doctors ran some tests and discovered that the cancer, which had been localized to his abdomen, had spread to his throat.
"My doctor did not expect this, and after a series of other tests, it was found that my cancer had gone through a Rictor transformation," said Cory. "My cancer was now Diffuse Large B Cell lymphoma, a much more aggressive but much more treatable cancer."
In 2021, Cory underwent six months of cancer, and by June of that year, he was declared cancer-free.
Unfortunately, this year, Cory and his wife, Crystal, began experiencing a series of new health issues. This includes a large mass in Cory's neck, which had him concerned that his cancer had returned.
"On Saturday, November 11, 2023, my wife and I received the news from our scans that we had yesterday, with the news that we dreaded we would hear," said Cory. "I have multiple lymph nodes in my throat and upper abdomen that are consistent with recurrence of my cancer. Obviously, not great news, but it is at least confined to a small area. However, my wife's scan showed that she also has cancer, which has metastasized to multiple areas in her body, including her lungs and abdomen."
Despite this terrifying news, Cory and his wife, Crystal, remain positive.
"We have faith that God is good, but we would be lying if we said that we understood what He was up to with what we are now going through."
To help the family deal with the uphill battle ahead of them, they have created a GoFundMe page.
"We are starting this fund because we are still trying to pay off bills from my first round of chemo, plus all of the diagnostic tests that have led up to us finding the results which we received. We appreciate any help you are able to provide, and we greatly covet your prayers."
The Schiblers have two children, 10-year-old Rylie and 4-year-old Judah. The goal is to raise $50,000.