Like everyone else in America, I have lost family and friends to the thief known as cancer. Cancer knows no race, nor station in life. It attacks the young and the old, the rich and the poor. This past year I dealt with the struggle of watching one of my friends battle cancer. Back in March 2012, Trey Erwin was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. 15 year old Trey was given about 6 months to live. Trey’s story inspired all of Memphis and even spread across the country. His story began to inspire people all over the country when his message went viral on Twitter through the hashtag #PrayForTrey. Trey’s story captivated so many people that “Erwin” was trending on Twitter as one of the most commonly tweeted phrases. This post is dedicated to Trey and the Erwin family, and is giving an inside look at his battle with an adult cancer.
Trey’s battle with cancer began in March. Although he had a roller coaster of journey, my focus here is on his last few days. Trey’s goal was to make it to his 16th birthday, July 31st. On July 4th, Trey’s condition began to take a turn for the worse. The next day as I, along with Trey’s family, pastors, and other close friends stood in Trey’s extra large room at St. Jude, we constantly watched his heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen level. We all knew by his levels that his kidneys were failing, as was his liver. Everyone in the room knew God had brought us all together for a special reason. We were surrounded by the people we needed. With all of us in the room, we were singing songs such as White Flag, Lay Me Down, and 10,000 Reasons. The entire room had their hands lifted in worship. Julianne, Trey’s girlfriend, asked if we all wound sing 10,000 Reasons. Trey passed away during this song. In fact, he passed away as these lyrics came from our mouths: “And on that day when my strength is failing/The end draws near and my time has come/Still my soul will sing Your praise unending/10,000 years and then forever more.” It still gives me chills to think about. That is truly God at work. At Trey’s funeral, we sang Lay Me Down and 10,000 Reasons. Trey’s funeral was a true celebration of his life. God is still using Trey. Even through he is no longer here with us on earth, his faith and story live on.
“I’m not inspiring anybody. I’m being used by God, and I’m wanting all the glory to go to him and none to me.” -Trey Erwin
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