Cassie. Hello, this is Cassie. I want to ask for your help with prayer for my friend Sally's niece (Palmer). 08/03/06

Palmer is her first name and she lives in Tennessee. She went to the doctor last Monday  for a soccer sports check up before school starts. The doctor ran some blood tests and found the beginning stages of Leukemia. They were going to start the chemotherapy the next Monday, but before they did they ran some more tests and found out the condition is much more serious than they thought. She is going to have to move to a hospital a few hours away from her home and live there for 9 months during her chemotherapy treatments. Palmer is 16 years old and was going to be a junior this year. Now she will not be able to go to school until she is better. So far her spirits are high and she is very optimistic. Please pray for her. She can use all the prayers she can get! We would also appreciate it if you could ask more people to pray. Thank you so much and God Bless you.

Update on Palmer. 08/07/06 She has been admitted to the hospital and was told she will reside there for a year undergoing treatment. She is in very high spirits saying, "She is going to beat this!"

Cassie Update on Palmer (09/20/06): Here's an update on Palmer. Thank you Hank! Love, Cassie Hi friends…
Thank you for your continued prayers over the past several weeks. A bit of good news about my niece, which we are happy to have …
Palmer responded well to the second round of chemotherapy.  She went from having 25% Leukemia cells to 8%.  She starts a very intense third round of chemotherapy today, so please pray that she will continue to improve.  She remains in good spirits and continues to handle this very tough situation with grace—truly amazing.
Much love to all,
Sally

Cassie Update on Palmer (12/14/06): Hi Cassie. Unfortunately, Palmer has not been doing well. She is having some serious complications after the bone marrow transplant. Please pray for her, my brother, my sister-in-law and the other three kids. This is a really tough time.

 Much love, peace and Merry Christmas…
 Sally

Cassie: Update on Palmer (01/01/07). See comments above on Palmer.

I spoke with Sally today and asked how Palmer was doing and she said not good at all. The Leukemia is gone, but she now has severe liver damage from all the chemo treatments. She is still at Saint Jude's and is sedated most of the time. Please keep Palmer in your prayers. The situation seems to have worsened. Hank Cassie. Update on Palmer. (01/24/07)  I spoke with Sally today and she told me that Palmer has made a HUGE improvement!!! On Dec. 30, 2006, the doctors all thought that she would not make it into the New Year. She had tons of fluid in her lungs and had not opened her eyes for four weeks! Her dad wanted to bring in a Priest to Baptize her but her mother is against God. She did not believe this would be good. As the Priest was baptizing her, Palmer opened her eyes for the first time in those four weeks. And two days later all of the fluid in her lungs was gone!   GOD WORKS MIRACLES!  Palmer is not all the way out of this, but is much better than she has been! Sally says ALL of the cancer is gone!  Love you, Hank! God Bless you!  Love, Cassie Cassie. Update on Palmer. (03/31/07) Cassie ... Oh my goodness I cannot believe it! Hi Cassie, It is hard for me to write this but Palmer passed away this week.  Sally is on her way to Tennessee to attend the funeral, which will be tomorrow.  Sally and I would like to thank you for all your prayers, encouraging words and hope over the past eight months.  It has meant the world to us.  It is comforting to know that Palmer was truly loved and is now at peace with God. Sincerely,  John   Cassie: At least John is right, we know she is relaxing with God! Now I think the prayers should go out to her family and friends.  Love, Cassie  GPS' Palmer Griffin Loses Fight With Leukemia posted March 27, 2007. Students and faculty at Girls Preparatory School are mourning the death on Tuesday of Palmer Griffin, a junior soccer player who had been fighting leukemia. Palmer had been receiving treatment at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis since August 2006. Sugar Wheeler, GPS Upper School guidance counselor, said, "Her class has kept Palmer in their thoughts, prayers and actions, giving tremendous support to her family members and through fundraising for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. We are grieving over the loss of this fine girl who excelled as a class leader and in her academic and athletic pursuits." The student body was informed of Palmer’s death by Headmaster Randy Tucker on Tuesday evening. He told students they "can be comforted by the reality that Palmer is finally able to rest. She fought the battle well and gained much strength from your thoughts, cards, visits and prayers." At an early morning assembly on Wednesday, Mrs. Jane Henegar led the students and faculty in prayer, and the school guidance staff and faculty offered support and counseling to the students. "GPS will continue to support the Griffin family as they deal with the loss of their precious and valued daughter," Ms. Wheeler said. Palmer is the daughter of Chattanooga attorney John Mark Griffin and Susan Griffin, and granddaughter of Chattanooga surgeon Woody Banks. Chattanoogan.com sports writer Stan Crawley wrote this column last September: "Because she can't ... we will! That is the theme this fall for the GPS soccer team because one of their own, Palmer Griffin, is not able to be with them. Griffin showed up for her preseason physical displaying no signs of illness. It was diagnosed on July 28 from that exam that her platelets were very low. More tests were then taken and Griffin was diagnosed with leukemia, a rare type that required one year of treatment - not in Chattanooga - but in Memphis at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. When Griffin left Chattanooga en route to Memphis, the entire Baylor soccer team greeted her with signs and cheers on Signal Mountain Road. She was then given the same sendoff on the ramp leading to Veteran's Bridge by her teammates and coaches. "Everybody was crying, it was so emotional,'' GPS coach Will Kessler said. "It hit us at that moment that she was not coming back any time soon.'' GPS players are wearing either one or two yellow shoelaces as a tribute to Griffin. Her best friend, Josie Rix, is wearing Griffin's No. 13 jersey. Displayed in the GPS locker-room is the sign: "Because she can't.'' We're trying not to overdo it, but we want the girls to remember when they are the most tired that Palmer would love to be here,'' Kessler said. At the end of every practice, it has been traditional for the Bruisers to huddle for a final cheer. This year, that cheer is "We will!" Consequently, the 2006 theme in honor of Griffin is "Because she can't, we will!'' "It has been great to see an outpouring of care from the soccer community for Palmer,'' Kessler said. "Before we played Ooltewah, their captains came to me and asked if we could all join together to pray for Palmer. "The entire soccer community is behind Palmer. It has been amazing.'' Kessler reports that Griffin has "good days and bad days.'' She is out of the hospital and in the hotel section of St. Jude. "She is so positive and so upbeat,'' Kessler said. "She keeps saying that we'll take care of this and that she will be back. "The amazing thing about Palmer is her resilience. She has been quite impressive.''