Lauren is married to Pastor Steve and Amy Harman's youngest son, Andrew, and along with their daughter, Lily, live in Kansas City, Missouri, where they are missionaries with the International House of Prayer. Lauren began noticing rashes, itching and burning about three years ago. "You know, who thinks about a rash?" Pastor Steve said. "You just think maybe something irritated you, you have an allergy, and maybe you ignore it and move on."
But Lauren's doctor became concerned and continued to study and do tests. Lauren was diagnosed with cancer -- cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. This is a very rare form of lymphoma. For Lauren, it manifests itself in rashes and welts and what Amy calls "hives on steroids." Lauren suffers from itching, burning and pain. Because of the discomfort, she also suffers from insomnia. Sometimes she doesn't fall asleep until early in the morning.
"Sometimes Lily will call us at 9 in the morning," Pastor Steve said. "I'll say, 'What are you doing, Lily?' and she's say, 'I'm in bed here with Mommy.'"
Lauren, the daughter of Pastor Jeff and Kim O'Guin -- Jeff is pastor of Mount Zion Church in Beavercreek -- is on two main medications: chemotherapy and a gene-targeted therapy which guides the chemotherapy to where it is needed. These therapies provided relief for Lauren in just a couple weeks' time. Unfortunately, the gene-targeted therapy has not yet been approved by the FDA and is not covered. Lauren and Andy pay about $5,000 out of pocket monthly for that and some other needed medical expenses.
St. Paul Lutheran Church, Willowdell, will hold its annual Pancake-Sausage Brunch from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, March 4, as a benefit for Lauren. Whole-hog sausage, pancakes, scrambled eggs, juice, coffee, tea and water will be on the menu. This is a free-will offering, and the final amount will be given to Lauren and Andrew for medical expenses.
Pastor Steve and Amy, as well as Lauren and Andy, are amazed at the miracles that have taken place -- and their own spiritual growth -- during Lauren's "walk through fire."
We are 110 percent sure I will be healed," Lauren said by phone from Kansas City recently. "God promised me this even before I had my final diagnosis. He said, 'This will be a testimony to my power.'"
Lauren had been doing missionary work in Brazil in 2008, when she became very ill. "Research shows that something often occurs to make the cancer cells come out of dormancy," Amy said. "Maybe that kicked it off."
Andy, Lauren and Lily left for the International House of Prayer in March, looking at a two-year commitment -- one year of training and one year of serving. They have now been approached to stay on staff to train others who come there. This may possibly become a 10-year commitment. But as prayer missionaries, Andy and Lauren also have to raise their own support.
"God has always, always met our needs," Lauren said. Lauren was on the healing team, "but the Lord told me to back away from that for a while." Andy is still a prayer leader, working with new interns who come, but he also does tech work, running, updating and maintaining the website and working with sound and video.
After Lauren was diagnosed, her mother, Kim, a nurse, began researching Laruen's disease and found the Burzynski Clinic in Houston, Texas, which was doing work and producing results. That's how they found out about the gene-targeted therapy. The Harman’s also wanted to attend Gov. Rick Perry's Prayer Conference. But they needed $1,000 to make the trip to Houston. They began to pray, saying if Lauren was to go to this clinic, God would have to provide.
"They had prayed only to God, not told anyone else about their need," Amy said. "Then $1,000 extra came in addition to the regular amount of money they raised. God answered their prayers, confirming they should go to Houston.
A mentor of Andy's said they could stay with his family members in Houston. Lauren said she and Andy had not had a lot of time to spend together, and couldn't they stay in a hotel? Andy said they just couldn't afford it. About 10 hours into their car ride to Houston, Andy's friend called and said his family members were having problems, and it would be better for Andy, Lauren and Lily not to stay with them. Then he said he would, at his own expense, put them up in the Hyatt Regency, within walking distance of the prayer conference and near the clinic. He also paid for a parking pass and for all their meals. "This was another answer to prayer," Pastor Steve said. "Lauren and Andy were able to attend part of the conference and to come and go as they needed to, depending on how she was feeling."
Another miracle occurred on Lily's fourth birthday in August 2011, while they were still in Houston. Kim and Jeff had gone down to help out, since Kim, as a nurse, could ask questions as needed, but Steve and Amy were unable to go. Amy called the hotel to find a florist. She explained that her granddaughter was turning 4, that Lily's mother was undergoing cancer treatment, and that Lily's grandparents would just like to do something for Lily's birthday. She was given a number and called the florist, saying she would like to send Lily a balloon bouquet, with a little bear holding it, and maybe some jelly beans. She explained the situation again. The florist called back to ask if it was OK if they sent a cake along at no expense to Amy and Steve, and could they send a little birthday gift? They had a big gift area since they were so near the hospital. "well, OK," Amy said.
That evening, they Skyped to wish Lily a "Happy Birthday." "What were you thinking?" Andy immediately asked them. "How do you think we're going to get that thing back in the car to go home?"
"Andrew, what are you talking about?" Amy asked.
"That bear is as big as she is," Andy said, and moved to show Lily with a huge bear, her arms barely reaching around it. It also played music and lit up. "Andrew, I promise you, the bear I asked for was only 12 inches high," Amy said. Lily also received a basket of books and puzzles and other toys. Her birthday cake was covered in fresh strawberries.
"God touched these people," Pastor Steve said. "God's hand is in this. It may look out of control, but God is there."
Still another sign of God's hand was the day Andy decided he needed to get Lily out of the hotel while Lauren was having a treatment. They got in the car, and Andy said, "God you have to show me where to go." following God's directions, Andy ended up in a sort of satellite International House of Prayer, where he met the Houston prayer warriors. They told him they had been praying for someone to come to them from Kansas City. "It was an answer to prayer for both of them," Pastor Steve said.
Despite everything Lauren is going through, she still comes across as bubbly and filled with love for the Lord. After some setbacks, she is now on a full-strength dose of her medication. "Now we're playing the waiting game," she said. "I've been on the medications almost two weeks, and the last time, it took about two weeks to see results. The medication can cause clots, but we're praying for that not to happen." Lauren keeps active to keep the clots at bay. She and the family are on "The Maker's Diet," an organic diet that has helped Lauren keep her weight up and, according to Lily, "helped Daddy lose some weight."
Lauren said her insomnia has lessened the last few days, for which she is thankful. Her challenges are still pain, itching and fatigue. "My skin gets super irritated with the heat on, because it just dries it out," she said.
Lauren said, "The Lord said, 'You're not going to die,' and that's just the anchor I've held onto."
The family website for Lauren, Andy and Lily is www.theharmanfam.com. For those who may not be able to attend the March 4 brunch but who would like to donate, you can send a check made out to LWMCC and send it to PO Box 72, Versailles, Ohio(Harman Benefit in memo) or a site is set up through PayPal at www.stpaulwillowdell.com or send money in care of Jonathan Schutz, Tom Trittschuh or Joan Trittschuh at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 9464 Foote Road, Yorkshire, OH 45388.
St. Paul, Willowdell, is handicap accessible. The meal will be held in the church basement.
For more information, contact Pastor Laura Shreffler at 419-336-7111 or 419-336-5123.
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