Further chemotherapy options have been ruled out as they can only be started at a minimum of 100 days post-transplant. Georgia would not be able to survive the toxicity of these extremely aggressive medications. Doctors have concluded that, humanly speaking, there are no treatment options—proven or experimental—for her current condition.

In December 2010, Georgia Goodwin, infant daughter of MTW Missionaries to England Sam and Elizabeth Goodwin, was diagnosed with leukemia. Georgia was born just a year ago, on June 25,2010.

Sam, a computer software developer prior to attending seminary at Columbia International University, and his wife, Elizabeth, an MK who grew up in Germany with church-planting parents and was a CIU undergrad, met in Columbia and were married in 2004. They have two other children, Katie (who will be 5 in July) and Sophie (3 ½). They began serving with the PCA Mission to the World Committee in 2008 where they partner with various Reformed churches and groups planting and revitalizing churches.

Earlier this month, Georgia underwent a bone marrow transplant at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. This Tuesday, results from a blood test revealed that her diseased bone marrow with its several abnormalities was resistant to the pre-transplant chemo. Consequently, her transplanted bone marrow had no place to establish itself and thus engraftment did not happen. Additionally, her leukemia is now advancing rapidly.

Further chemotherapy options have been ruled out as they can only be started at a minimum of 100 days post-transplant. Georgia would not be able to survive the toxicity of these extremely aggressive medications. Doctors have concluded that, humanly speaking, there are no treatment options—proven or experimental—for her current condition.

On Thursday, June 30, Georgia will be released from her current doctors’ care in Charleston upon which she will return home with her family to Columbia, South Carolina.

An additional event is also scheduled for tomorrow as it relates to Georgia and her family: given the critical nature of her situation, Christians around the country are uniting for a day of prayer and fasting, asking the Lord to supernaturally intervene in Georgia’s life. This includes the staff of Mission to the World and some of the Goodwin’s’ supporting churches. Readers of The Aquila Report are encouraged to participate as well. (If you have access to social media, we suggest you post or tweet this story for your friends.)

To learn more about Georgia, her family, and her journey through leukemia, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/georgiasimigoodwin The family may be reached care of Mission to the World (www.mtw.org)

Ben Phillips is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and serves as the Associate Pastor of the Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church in the Northeast Atlanta suburbs. Chestnut Mountain is one of the Goodwin’s supporting churches.