My sister would like to thank you for your prayers. Latoya’s celebration of life was this past Monday 1/9/12, many of you have asked about where to send cards and your condolences please direct all questions, comments and inquiries to www.LatoyaLives.org
Re-Post In Memory of LaToya
Many of you have written and asked about the status of LaToya’s health, sadly she passed away yesterday. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I hope this past post will continue to inspire others. 12/9/11
There are times in life when something or someone impacts you so deeply if causes you to stop listen to life and reevaluate. My sister Erica has a dear friend who is only 29 years old and is currently in hospice care, she is dying of cancer. When I think about just those facts, it makes me sad It seems unfair and I want to ask God why!!! She is young and newly married, her life is right in front of her. Why God? Why God Why!!!
Greetings all,I pray that this email finds you well. Just wanted to send you an update on my condition, as I know a lot of you have been asking…Well, after over a year of battling this cancer with surgery, radiation, immuno and chemotherapies, the doctors have decided to discontinue their efforts and put me in hospice care. Unfortunately, the tumors continue to grow and spread and are just not responding to treatment. I can see the effects on my body, as I am having a loss of balance and hand-eye coordination. It is very difficult to walk and climb stairs. My abdomen and pelvis are bloated and my legs and feet are swollen. I can’t keep food down and my back hurts so bad that I am on morphine round-the-clock.However, in all of this, though my outward man is perishing, my inward man is being renewed daily. I truly see how the Lord had been able to use my life and situation for His glory. When the apostle Paul was getting ready to die, he looked back over his life and found pride in three things: that he fought a good fight, that he ran his race, and that he kept the faith. As I look back, I do not consider my academic accomplishments, my professional strides, or even my social networks. I am simply happy that Christ has been formed in me and that the Lord got glory out of my life.I love you all and thank you for standing in the gap for me. Whatever the Lord decides to do, just know that He is good, faithful, and sovereign. Whether it is tonight or in fifty more years, I can’t wait to shed this earthly tent and go to be with Him. For life is not about seeking longevity, but rather about seeking death. I have born my cross the best I knew how and I am confident that He is pleased with me.Once again, I love you all. And I’ll be praying for you, same as you have been praying for me.
Warmest regards,
LaToya“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later.” -Romans 8:18
This is a great story!! It truly touched my heart!’ I have a close friend who is going through this very thing but it just started. His wife only gives out minimal info. This put a whole bunch of things on my mind. We are praying God’s will be done for Latoya & her hubby. Also praying for Erica.
Wow! This is so powerful. It makes me think about how we complain about every little thing in our life that we aren’t happy with instead of just being thankful. Peace and happiness come from within. I’m definitely praying for Latoya and her family. To God be the Glory. Thanks for sharing.
I am praying for your friend and her family. My heart gose out to her because she is a child of the king . The bible says sickness is not unto death. I know God can not lie. So I am praying for her to recover now in Jesus name.
Praying for LaToya and her family! I admire her faith, strength and courage.
she has such a beautiful spirit and she moved me to tears with her conviction and courage. It is well with you in Jesus’ name LaToya!
Thank you so much for sharing this story. It was truly an inspiration to read that even through her sickness she is still encouraged and faithful. My prayers and thoughts are with Latoya, her family, and friends. I pray that God give her and her family strength during this time.
I know that there are no words to even convey what I am feeling right now. I just know that I hate that you are experiencing this. I really wish that I could do something, I feel so helpless. I’m so very sorry. I just feel that I have to work harder to be a better person, a more appreciative and grateful person. I always ask my nieces and nephews what legacy will you leave/want to leave. It’s hard not to be consumed by what’s in the world around you but as I read this, I just felt like wow, she exudes such calm and grace and humility. I have to do better. I’m sorry that I had to meet you this way. Please tell me how I can be of any help or comfort. I really mean it because life is about the what people do as a team.My most sincere and heartfelt sentiments to you and your loved ones. Nicole Hyman blackonyx93@yahoo.com
This has to be one of the most amazing things I’ve read!! I admire her strength as well as her love for christ. I will forever be touched by this post Rachel and please thank her for allowing you to share that email, bought a tear to my eye. It reminds me how we get so caught up in unimportant issues. Grateful
Latoya,
I am continuing to pray for you and your family. Please keep the faith, stay encouraged, and hold on to your strength and devotion in God. Thank you for being an example of what it means to truly have faith.
I am praying for this courageous young lady and for your sister as well. It is rare that you find a prayer partner who connects so well with you and inspires you to increase in your walk with God. For her to be such an inspiration for others during such a difficult time is a true testiment to God’s grace and mercy an strength through the Holy Spirit.
I am close to tears as i write this and know that this young lady is indeed ready to meet Jesus in peace.
God bless you Latoya and Erica.
I couldn’t get through the whole story without shedding tears of joy. God knows what’s best for us and I’m sure she has impacted people that she came across. To God be the Glory. Be strong and encouraged for you shall see her again. Love you Erica and Rachael.
Wow, what a beautiful testimony and a reflective reminder of just how important it is not only to verbally profess a belief in Christ, but to live it, out loud, even in your last and darkest earthly hour. Reading LaToya’s letter, I am convicted of the lack of zeal and authenticity I have held in my walk with Christ. Thank you Rachel and Erika for sharing such a private moment with all of us. You have reminded us all that we must walk, live, worship and die…in spirit and in truth.
Thanks Erica for this post. For those of you that don’t know LaToya words just can’t explain just how wonderful a person she is. Even through this struggle with cancer, her strength and faith continued to grow. She was amazing and will continue to inspire me for the rest of my life. My prayers go up to her family. I thank God for her and am grateful she is happy and “home” with our Father. She will be missed!
I was deeply touched by Latoya’s words. As some of the other comments have indicated and even in Latoya’s post, it is not about who we are to the world, what we have or what we have accomplished, it’s all about Christ and what we do for him. This story has deeply touched me and it reminds me of what is truly important in life. My prayers go out to cousin Erica and the family of Latoya. I am sad for her family in that they will no longer be with Latoya here on earth, but I am so happy that Latoya’s heart was in the right place and she was prepared for eternity. Rest in peace Latoya!
Praise God!!!!! What an inspiring story!!!! Be strong!!! If you are born again… you will see her again. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for posting this. I had lost touch with her after residency and was wondering what had happened. She was such an inspiration and rock solid Christian in school. She was beautiful person inside and out. Thoughts and prayers for her family and her husband. I reposted your link to fb and twitter.
I was a classmates of LaToya’s at Herndon High School in VA. She was a very good friend, during and after, and she will be truly missed. We are ALL just starting to find out about this and we are ALL broken up. We are praying very hard for the family. Could someone please let me know if there are funeral arrangements or an address where we can send flowers or cards? This would be GREATLY appreciated!
Please friend Erica Lindsay on facebook for arrangement info, the details are a private matter. Thank you for commenting.
As LaToya’s classmate over the 4 years in med school, I am blessed that I had the chance to meet and speak with one of God’s greatest servants. She led by example. I remember when she volunteered to take me to get groceries our first year of med school. She didnt even know my last name, where I was from or nothing about me , but she knew I needed groceries and she had transportation. Thank you LaToya for being the divine strength that we all need and must manifest. Scholl 2007!!!
Latoya was such a great friend to me during school. Even though I was far from my faith during school Latoya always saw the faith in my heart. I will always remember sitting next to her during class on the front row discussing faith before class and discussing medicine during class. She was a great friend who shined a very bright light onto the everyone she met. This world has lost a true warrior of faith and those who had to opportunity to meet her were blessed by God himself. Latoya go and live eternity in the presence of God for I know he has prepared only the best for you. You will be missed forever.
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I am so sorry to hear of Latoya’s passing. I knew her growing up as an always happy, goal driven person. Her words spoke to my heart and moved my soul.
My prayers go out to her family.