His grandmother asks the people she calls “the saints and believers of this great city” to pray for Ray on his birthday again.
Yvonne Rhodes wrote to The American this time last year. She asked “the believers of the city to celebrate Ray’s birthday on September 23 by praying for him.”
Ray Lathon was diagnosed with a brain tumor on June 15 of last year when the boy was five. The family was told the condition was incurable, and Ray was given a prognosis of six months to a year of life remaining. He finished his medical treatment last August 17.
The grandmother’s letter about Ray was so detailed and eloquent it merited a front-page story. Naturally, every grandmother sees her grandchild as special in the eye of God, but Ray was seriously accomplished.
At age three, he recited the Lord’s Prayer during Easter Sunday service. He fed the homeless with his pastor. He helped his family cook, clean, garden and even repair cars. When Ray took deathly ill at age five and was hospitalized, he would ask his visitors to join hands and start a prayer circle.
“There was so much crying and such testimonies that came from this little boy’s belief in prayer,” his grandmother wrote.
That came to be just as true when Ray’s story was published in this newspaper. His grandmother called last week and came to The American to report that the family received prayers and letters from New Zealand, Japan, Jerusalem and all over the United States.
“Because of your prayers and prayers that came from so far away, and by the Grace of God, Ray has beaten the odds,” his grandmother wrote in a letter she had prepared.
There were other blessings along the way. Ray’s mother and siblings had an opportunity to fly round-trip to Orlando, Florida for a week at Disney World, sponsored by Make a Wish Foundation. The Cancer Society was a big help for necessities.
Then, in June of this year, at the far range of his prognosis to live, Ray had a setback. He lost his appetite and began to lose weight. Over the course of follow-up visits, the family was told there was swelling of the brain and the tumor seemed to have become aggressive. He was not expected to live long. Ray was discharged from the hospital to hospice care on July 5.
“Still weak, we took him home,” his grandmother wrote. “Pastor John and Elaine Mango from Universal King Ministry, Pastor Cassandra Harris from Hope House of Worship, Pastor Harry Walls from Christian Fellowship, Elder Marcus and Gloria Henderson of Mount Zion Church, and other elects were at the hospital or came to my home to pray for Ray.”
The family is following biblical practice, Ray’s grandmother pointed out, citing scripture from James 5:14-15: “The Word of God says, Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church: and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up.”
Ray did rise up. He came with his grandmother to the newspaper when she delivered her new letter. He was still weak, but very much his loving self.
Now his grandmother asks for saints and believers to pray for Ray again on his seventh birthday, Friday September 23
Then she invited anyone who has prayed for Ray to fellowship with Ray and the family on Saturday, September 24 at Penrose Park from 1-6 p.m. She added: “God bless each and every one of you!”
