Staff Writer
An Upson woman battling cancer had her prayers answered Wednesday when a local church gave her a way to contact her son who's fighting with the 48th Infantry Combat Team in Iraq.
Audrey Wisham is undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer while her son, medic Matthew Sanders, is in Iraq.
She doesn't get to talk to him much because phone calls aren't easy things to come by during a war. The most frequent and easy way to communicate is through e-mails.
"I was told about the National Guard giving computers to family members, but I was too late to sign up," she said.
When New Hope Baptist Pastor Claude Turner heard of Wisham's need, he knew he wanted to help.
"Helping meet the community's needs is what New Hope is all about," Turner said. "Some churches have church programs, but we have community programs."
"When I learned of Mrs. Wisham's situation I just had to help her," he said.
"It's hard enough not being able to see or talk to her son due to the war, but to have to battle cancer at the same time is an extra load that we want lightened," Turner said.
Turner had a deacon of his church, Robert Haney, update the church's Intel Pentium 2 desktop computer so they could give it to Wisham.
"I'm just happy to be able to help out in anyway that I can," said Haney.
Wisham calls the computer a blessing.
"I think it's so great that other churches can help people out like this," she said. "It really speaks highly of our community that we can all come together and help one another."
Wisham was diagnosed with breast cancer in November, 2004. She underwent surgery to remove her left breast in December at Upson Regional Medical Center.
"The cancer was found thanks to a mammogram," Wisham said.
"I hope everyone gets yearly mammograms," Wisham said. "If I had waited another year, it might have been too late," she said.
She undergoes three and one-half-hours of chemo treatment every Wednesday.
"I have been lucky so far in not having too many nauseous days," she said. "I'm mostly just very tired."
Wisham has lost her hair and proudly sports the look of a wig or no wig. Doctors have told her that she will probably lose her nails due to the medicine.
Treatment is going very well according to Wisham. Doctors have told her that right now there is an 85 percent chance that the cancer will not return.
She doesn't worry about that, but she does worry about her son overseas.
"I worry, of course, but I find peace in knowing he's in God's hands," said Wisham.
Wisham feels a little more easy about things since Matthew is a medic as opposed to a soldier on the front line.
"Even with that comfort, I still worry and know that it is hard for him to see that violence. To see his buddies in danger must be awful," Wisham said.
"I pray for Matthew and all our soldiers every night," she said. "He and his wife are expecting another child. They will send him home when it is time for the baby to come."
Matthew and his wife, Candi, are expecting their third child. They currently have a 2-year-old-son, Jason, and a 4-month-old daughter, Gabby Ann.
"I look forward to seeing him when he comes home," she said. " I miss him every day."
She hopes to get Internet service this week so she can start e-mailing him.
Now when Wisham comes home from her weekly chemo treatments, she can sit down at her computer and email her son, telling him that she's going to be just fine.
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