Franklin Graham Visits Make-A-Wish Recipient Days Before He Passes Away
Evangelical preacher the Rev. Franklin Graham recently visited a Make-A-Wish recipient days before the 18-year-old passed away, saying he "looks forward" to meeting the teen in heaven.
Graham, who is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, shared his inspirational experience in a February 1 Facebook post, writing that he was fortunately able to visit Make-A-Wish recipient Jaxson Breazeale at his home in Oregon late last week, shortly before the teen passed away on Monday.
"Life is so short. I just met Jaxson Breazeale through Make-A-Wish America on Friday, and he passed away this morning. He was 18 years old," Graham wrote on Monday.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"I know that the hearts of his family and friends are heavy, but at the same time they are rejoicing that he is in the presence of Almighty God and his suffering is over. I told Jaxson when I met him that I might not see him again on this earth, but I would look forward to seeing him again someday in heaven," Graham continued, adding that he believes "Jaxson was ready" to meet God.
"Join me in praying for Jaxson's family," the evangelical preacher and missionary wrote.
On January 29, the day of the Make-A-Wish visit, Graham explained in a Facebook post that Jaxson had originally requested to meet his father, famed Southern Baptist minister Billy Graham.
Graham writes that his father, age 97, is too old to travel, and therefore the younger Graham chose to visit Jaxson in his place.
"It's not every day that you get to be a part of making a wish come true – but for me today was one of those days! This morning I had the privilege of meeting Jaxson Breazeale and his family," Graham wrote in the January 29 Facebook post.
Graham goes on to describe Jaxson as "living a vibrant life for Christ" despite his sickness, adding that the teenager "describes himself as 'an Evangelist and Christ Follower.'"
"Jaxson reminds me of something my father said several years ago," the president of Samaritan's Purse writes, adding: "'Suffering is part of the human condition, and it comes to us all. The key is how we react to it, either turning away from God in anger and bitterness or growing closer to him in trust and confidence.'"
The Breazeale family of Rogue River, Oregon, shared Jaxson's harrowing fight with Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma on their GoFundMe page, detailing how quickly Jaxson, an avid member of his local church youth group, succumbed to the childhood bone disease.
Although Jaxson's family attempted to fight the cancer with multiple rounds of chemotherapy every week, tumors in the boy's body began to spread, and he was forced to combat the nausea and fatigue he felt on a daily basis.
According to his GoFundMe page, when Jaxson was not undergoing chemotherapy treatment, he enjoyed talking to his family, playing video games, and studying to receive his GRE certificate.
The nonprofit Make-A-Wish foundation seeks to grant "wishes" to children who suffer life-threatening medical diagnoses.
Along with participating in the Make-A-Wish program, the Graham family has long been involved in numerous charity operations, both in the U.S. and abroad. As the president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse, Franklin Graham has provided international aid to the poor and sick in over 100 countries.
