Prayers needed for Desiree Rogers
By KAREN KENNEDY When you meet 3-year-old Desiree Rogers, you can’t help but immediately notice what a sweet, personable and extremely bright child she is. Yet Desiree is also one very sick little girl, and right now she and her family need all the prayers and support they can get to help them through this very difficult time. Last Feb. 8, doctors discovered Desiree had an inoperable brain tumor, highly malignant and the worst type of brain tumor there is. She underwent both radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and for a short period of time her tumor was gone. However, it quickly grew back – this time with an appendage. Hospice has been called in, and they are providing 24-hour support to Desiree and her family as needed. At one point, Desiree was on the bone marrow transplant list but has been removed from the list because medical professionals said there was no point. She’s currently taking medicine to help shrink the tumor. It won’t get rid of it, but it provides her some relief. When Desiree was diagnosed, her mom Nicki was attending nursing school to earn her R.N. from Jefferson County College. Nicki was able to complete her degree, and Desiree even walked across the stage to pin her mother. However, with Desiree being so sick, Nicki has not yet been able to begin her career in nursing. Nicki hopes to one day use her medical knowledge to do missionary work in Haiti – the third poorest country in the world and one she has visited as a missionary in the past. But, for now, Desiree – Nicki’s only child – is her one and only priority. Nicki and Desiree spend part of their time at their home in Louisville and the other part of the time here in Meade County with Nicki’s parents, George David and Pat Rogers, who reside in Vine Grove. The three of them together, along with other family members, care for Desiree and make her life as happy and comfortable as possible. Despite her illness, Desiree, who will turn 4 on Dec. 11, is just like any other little girl her age. She absolutely loves Ariel from the Disney movie “The Little Mermaid.” She enjoys painting and coloring. She likes John Deere tractors. She adores animals and her pony Sabrina who lives at her grandparents’ place, although she is now too sick to ride her. Her favorite color is purple, and her favorite food is spaghetti. It was like a dream come true for Desiree last month when the Make a Wish Foundation sent Desiree, Nicki, Nicki’s sister Michelle, and cousins Whitney and Lexi to Disney World. While in Florida, they enjoyed The Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Gator Land, and Sea World. Desiree got to meet all the Disney characters and princesses, which of course included her beloved Ariel. “People have been very good to us. Everyone has been very supportive” said Desiree’s mother Nicki. “Desiree meets people and she touches them. We’ve received donations of toys and food. People we don’t even know have sent money. There’s a prayer list across the seas for Desiree. It’s all left up to God now.” Through all of this, the family’s faith in God has remained very strong. Said Nicki, “Sometimes I think the good die young because God wants them up there with Him.” Even little Desiree knows a lot about God and the power of prayer. She likes to go to church and she will often initiate prayers on her own. She is concerned about other people with medical problems, and she likes to help others. This is a young girl wise beyond her years. She’s also a little girl who very much needs everyone’s prayers. Friends of the family have set up a fund for Desiree Rogers at First Federal Savings Bank in Brandenburg for anyone who wishes to make a donation. “Sometimes you go through life thinking people just don’t care,” said Nicki. “But let something happen and you find out how people really do care.”
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Photo courtesy of the Rogers family