She trusted God with her unplanned pregnancy and cancer diagnosis and has been cancer-free for 10 years.
Ten years ago, Kendall and her loved ones grappled with devastating news. Not only was she going deaf, but she also had thyroid cancer and needed to receive immediate life-saving treatment.
There was a lot on the line as Kendall processed the news of her cancer diagnosis. She was a wife to a loving husband, Kevin, and a mom to a 2-year-old boy. Kendall didn’t want to leave her beautiful family behind.
To prevent the cancer from getting worse, Kendall had to undergo a thyroidectomy, which would remove the cancerous lump in her throat and her entire thyroid gland.
But unbeknownst to her, Kendall was unexpectedly pregnant with a baby girl while her body was fighting cancer.
In God’s hands
Kendall with her son.
Kendall found out she was pregnant the night before her surgery, which took her by surprise. She was worried about the surgery affecting her baby. She wrestled with all the uncertainties in her life as she thought about her cancer and how it might impact her pregnancy.
A positive pregnancy test should have brought joy and excitement. But at that moment, Kendall found herself questioning if her unplanned pregnancy was part of God’s plan. She had experienced a traumatic miscarriage months prior and had prayed for another child, but she didn’t plan on getting pregnant while fighting cancer.
Despite her fears, Kendall leaned into her faith, trusting that God would protect her life and her baby’s life.
“Kevin and I were both raised in homes where life is valuable and life inside the womb is no less important than life outside of the womb. So we felt immediately that we were supposed to have this baby. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that there was absolutely fear there, and God, what are you doing? How are you growing my faith in this season? It was a time for us to lean into Him,” Kendall says.
What was supposed to be a one-done procedure to remove the cancerous lump from her thyroid led to more distressing news. The cancer had already spread to the rest of her body, which meant she needed to get radiation as soon as possible.
Kendall shared her pro-life testimony with Christine Yeargin, host of the Speak Out podcast.
With Kendall being pregnant, the radiation would kill her baby. It would save her life but at the cost of the life of her unborn child.
“At that point, we had the choice of, do we abort our baby and focus on my health or do we put it in God’s hands?” Kendall explains.
Newsmax interviews Kendall regarding her unplanned pregnancy and cancer diagnosis.
Kendall and her husband were faced with a dilemma, but they chose to have faith instead. They deferred life-saving cancer treatment to save the life of their unborn child.
“There wasn’t even a question. God gave us this baby for such a time as this. He knit her together in my womb. He knew her before she was formed, and she was beautifully and wonderfully made,” Kendall says.
From test to testimony
Kendall with her son.
Going through her pregnancy gave Kendall the strength and motivation she needed to navigate her cancer diagnosis. Even in the womb, her daughter, Presley, helped her overcome and endure through a challenging season.
“I was focused on Presley and making sure she was safe living in my womb. That was her home for nine months. I wanted it to be a good home for her, and so I was really focused on that,” Kendall explains.
Kendall and her husband, Kevin.
Kendall’s relationship with her husband flourished as they confronted one unplanned circumstance with another. Their faith also grew as they focused on prayer and dove deep into studying the Bible.
Not only did Kendall have God by her side, but she also had the loving support of her family, friends and church community.
“There are people out there who don’t have that support, and I don’t know what that would have looked like in my life had I had people telling me that it was just a clump of cells, that this baby wouldn’t feel pain, that it was a mistake, that it wouldn’t be a big deal, that it wouldn’t affect my life if I had aborted her. Those are all lies coming from the enemy, so I am so thankful that I had people in my life who were just really supportive and loving on me during that time,” Kendall says.
Several months after giving birth, Kendall underwent radiation treatment for 72 hours and has been cancer-free since then. Her daughter, Presley, is now a thriving 9-year-old girl.
“God has this incredible way of taking tests and turning them into testimonies,” Kendall says. “I think so often we are given things in our life that seem really heavy and really yucky, and why did God give this to me. But it’s what you do with it and how you use it to further His kingdom that really matters.”
Even with a following of over 320,000 on Instagram, Kendall does not shy away from her pro-life beliefs and wants to “shout her story from the rooftop.” She wants to bless others with her testimony and encourage people to choose life.
“If you’re in a phase where you’re pregnant, if you can hear the heartbeat, go in and hear that heartbeat. If you can feel the movement, put your hand on your stomach and let God just speak to you through those moments. I’m telling you, He has an incredible plan for your life, and it doesn’t involve killing one of His children,” Kendall says.
Kendall’s encouragement to those facing an unplanned pregnancy:
“God knit that baby together in her womb. That baby is fearfully and wonderfully made. He created her for such a time as this. Your life is going to be forever changed. Whether you abort that baby or you keep it, your life is going to be forever changed. I will say to people who are contemplating abortion, which seems really easy. It seems like a really easy fix when you’re in the throes of it. Well, how am I going to finish college while I have a baby? How am I going to battle cancer while I’m pregnant? But God will take you through it. He will walk beside you.”
Written by Loren Ward.
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