Danny was diagnosed with Cancer around September the 20th. He has a large tumor in his chest around the size of a softball. He was sent from Clinton County Hospital to Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington Ky. After multiple tests it was determined that he had a very rare type of cancer called Sarcoma. Central Baptist referred him to Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston. Dad (Fred), Dennis, his wife Tayra and daughter Shelly all drove him up there. Once they arrived the treatment team decided it would be best to try to shrink the tumor with Chemotherapy by 25% before attempting to remove it. They put Danny through 4 days of constant Chemotherapy. After this was completed they sent him back home. They arrived home on October the 12th and have to go back to Boston in three weeks.

12/04/2007 The news concerning Danny is very grave. He is in the ICU at UK on a ventilator. He has been there since last Monday (11/26/2007). He was to return to Boston for a third round of treatments on Wednesday (11/28/2007). but could not go. He began coughing up blood on Sunday and went to the hospital in Albany. They sent him by ambulance to UK Medical Center on Monday---they wanted to fly him but the weather was too bad with the wind and rain. His tumor had begun to shrink and in the process pulled away from some blood vessel causing seepage. The Doctors have done 3 or 4 angiograms to try and locate the vessel seeping, but by the time they get him stable after an episode, the internal bleeding has stopped and they can't see where it is coming from. It is very frustrating for the family. The Doctors want to try massive radiation treatments to try to cauterize the leak and to shrink the tumor further, but so far have not been able to do so. He was alert part of the time over the weekend before he went on the ventilator and was able to speak with most of the family. We have had several scares over the weekend. especially Sunday and Monday. Part of us had to come home yesterday, but expect to be called back at any time. There have been several instances of God's Divine Hand interceding on Danny's behalf. We all pray for the biggest miracle of all, Danny's life to be spared. We all love Danny and selfishly want to keep him here with us, but are praying for God's will to be done. We know God has a plan for Danny, we just don't know what it is. Please keep him and the family in your prayers as he struggles for life. His wife and mother especially are in extreme anguish right now. I just got off the phone and they are going to take Danny to radiology at 11:00 to try and get the mapping done and his first radiation treatment. We pray that it goes smoothly. Yesterday it did not. We are going back to Lexington this afternoon. Will keep you updated as I can. I have not worked much lately and been away from my computer.

12/05/2007 Praise the Lord!!! Danny was able to have his first radiation treatment yesterday and all went well. He is still on the ventilator and will be for about 20 more days. God willing, the plan is to give him 14 treatments, one each day except for weekends. He will remain on the ventilator the entire time. The doctors will work with him each day to try to allow him to breathe a little on his own so his muscles will stay able to take back over breathing for himself after the treatments are finished. The doctors at UK have ruled out surgery for him because of the complexity of the tumor and the problems it has created, however Boston has not!!! Hopefully, Danny can endure this radiation process and be able to go back to Boston for surgery. God has already touched Danny with His Divine Hand of Grace many times. Miracles happen every day, we just have to open our eyes and see them for what they truly are---God's gifts to us of His enduring love and merciful grace.

12/06/2007 Danny was able to get through 2 more radiation treatments in the last two days. He is still on a ventilator and very swollen. We are all traveling back and forth to Lexington to try and be with him as much as we can. He is still on a ventilator and VERY sedated. The doctors won’t know if the treatments are working to cauterize the seepage and shrink the tumor for a couple of days yet.

12/10/2007 We spent the weekend in Lexington and some amazing things happened. We know without a doubt that the Lord is working with Danny. He is still on the ventilator taking daily radiation treatments. He is still very heavily sedated but at times seems to know that the family is with him. Saturday morning when Dad (Fred) and Mom (Betty) went in to see him, he opened his eyes briefly to let them know he knew they were there. He moved his mouth as if to say I love you. He moved his foot when Ronnie was in to see him. And he tried to squeeze Moms hand. He had several coughing episodes Saturday and Sunday but with no blood!!!! It appears that the radiation is taking care of the bleeding problem, at least from our perspective. The doctors plan to do a CT scan this week to see what is going on internally. It was a weekend for rejoicing in the miracles that God has already performed for Danny and we continue to pray that the bleeding stops and the tumor shrivels away to nothing! ! ! !

12/20/2007 Since my last update on the 10th we have had many ups and downs. He had several smooth days. They were able to take the double tube out of his throat and put a single smaller tube in. Things were going seemingly well. Then the bleeding returned with a vengeance. They had to put the larger double tube back and started talking surgery. Yesterday Danny had laser surgery done to try and stop the bleeding. The blood is coming from the tumor itself. (sure is a vicious thing). God is still in the miracle business!!!!! The doctor took care of the bleeding areas and tried to make other irritated looking places bleed and could not!! The radiation treatments are working!! The tumor has begun to shrink and shrivel!!! Thank you Jesus!!!!!! This is the best news that we have had in quite a while. Danny looked much better after the surgery. He seemed to be more at rest and peaceful. He had a good night last night, the first in several days. Danny has 2 more radiation treatments left, Friday and Monday(Christmas Eve). They have begun to start to wean him from the ventilator. Right now Danny is breathing 20% on his own. We do not know how long this will take. It is up to Danny's strength and God's Will for him. We pray that it goes smoothly and that Danny is off the ventilator this weekend. What a wonderful Christmas gift that would be!!!

12/29/2007 We have not been home much since our last update. This is being typed in an apartment in Lexington that has very generously been donated to the family as long as we need it. God always provides! Danny has had some rough days lately. The doctors are having a hard time getting Danny weaned from the ventilator. He is breathing 50% on his own but doesn't seem to be able to get past that. The doctor is going to put in a trache either Sunday or Monday. Hopefully this will allow Danny to be more comfortable with the tubes out of his throat, and possibly to communicate with the family. We pray that his lung function improves and that soon he can be off of the ventilator. We all thank each of you for the many prayers that we know are being lifted up to God on the behalf of Danny and the Family. God answers prayers, even though it is not always the answer we asked for, it is the answer we need. We put our trust completely in Him that knows best. We have seen many miracles come to pass already and we continue to pray for the biggest one of all, Danny to be healed.

01/11/2008 Sorry it's been so long since the last update. The past two weeks has been a real roller coaster ride. We have gone from the doctors telling us that Danny would never come off the vent and we would have to make a decision to either cut off the machine or leave him on it indefinitely to Danny making a turn for the better through self will and divine intervention. They told us Tuesday he was ready to come off, but they would rather refer him to a rehab center on the vent encase they wanted to do more rehab before taking him off. He is now at Kindred Hospital in Louisville Ky. The last two days has been a little rocky. Danny's heart rate is around 130 and his BP is very low. They are managing his BP with medication and hoping that will help the heart rate. Once again, we all thank each of you for the many prayers.

01/15/2008 The Lord is so good to his children!!! Danny had a very good weekend. We all visited with him and he was very alert and trying to communicate. We do not read lips very well and he still cannot hold a pen to write, but is trying every day. The brothers all watched the UK ball game with him on Saturday afternoon. Danny loves UK ball. He was tired afterward. but enjoyed the game. Freddie brought a magnetic letter board and Danny is able to point to letters to spell out words. We rejoice with every improvement. no matter how small. Each day is a true gift from God and we appreciate them so much!!! God is a Merciful God. He knows we love Danny and want to keep him with us as long as we possibly can. Thank you all for your prayers. He has truly intervened on Danny's behalf, because He could have taken him many times. God says that "where two or more are gathered in My Name'' He will hear our prayers, and that has been evident to us.

01/23/2008 We were all together again this past weekend in Louisville. Danny had a rough weekend. His heart rate was very high and the doctors were having a hard time getting it regulated. He would wake up in a lot of pain and they would give him more morphine and then he would sleep again. On Tuesday, he was given a unit of blood and that seemed to bring his heart rate back down. We just have to take it one day at a time. Kindred Hospital was built attached to a very old Catholic church. It is beautiful inside!! When you open the doors, it is like going back in time. We have had many uplifting prayer sessions in there. When we are gathered together in holding hands in prayer. we can feel the Spirit of the Lord among us. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that God is in control. He said that He will not put on us more than we can bear, even though sometimes it seems that we can't take any more. We do not know what His plan is, but we have to trust that He knows what is best for each of us.

02/11/2008 The last three weeks have been very rough for Danny. He has been fighting pneumonia for a couple of weeks and now also has a bowel infection. He has had some good days and some bad days. He seems to be getting weaker every time we see him. He has lost about 50 Ibs. since all this started after Thanksgiving. The doctor is having a hard time getting the right dosage and type of medicine to control Danny's pain. Because of all the complications that Danny is Having, it has been difficult to progress further with the weaning process to get him off the ventilator. We pray every day for God to give Danny the strength to get through this horrible ordeal and to ease his pain and suffering---to have peace and rest. This weekend he had very little of either one. Our faith that God knows what is best for Danny and each of us is what gets us through each day. Please continue to keep Danny and the family in your prayers.

02/18/2008 Danny's condition has gotten much worse. His wife "Tayra" is going to talk to the doctor tomorrow about taking him off the ventilator. it seems as if he just has no fight left in him. I will update again on his condition SOON! Thanks again for your cards and prayers.

02/20/2008 Danny is getting weaker by the day. The doctors plan to take him off the ventilator at the end of the week. The doctors feel that Danny will not breathe very long. if at all, on his own. As much as this saddens us, it also gives us comfort that his pain will be over soon. We will post the arrangements as soon as we know them. All of you that have so graciously prayed for Danny and the family are deeply encouraged to attend the visitation and funeral. This would lift up our entire family, especially mom and dad (Fred and Betty), to see all those who have been praying for their beloved son Danny.

02 /22 /2008 Praise God from Whom all Blessings flow! Our prayers have been answered. We prayed for a healing for Danny---whether it be an earthly healing or a Heavenly healing. Danny is free of his pain and suffering at last. His cancer ridden body and the agonizing pain that it has caused him no longer has a hold on him. Danny Lynn Thrasher passed from this life today at Kindred Hospital in Louisville, Ky. His long battle is over and now he sings with the angels in Heaven! We will miss our brother, son, husband, father. grandfather and friend but we draw comfort that he is at peace and out of pain and that one glad day we will get to "Stroll Over Heaven" with him. The way Danny handled his struggle with this aggressive, vicious disease has been an inspiration to many. Danny rededicated his life to Christ when he was at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington last September. Bro. Grant from Highway Nazarene Church in Albany came up to be with Danny and the family and had prayer with us just as he has done so many, many times since then. He has been a pillar of strength for us every step of the way. We all felt the Mighty Power of God in the room that day. The Holy Spirit wrapped His arms of Comfort around us giving us strength. Since then, Danny's mental and spiritual outlook never waivered. Even as his body continued to fail and drain him of his physical strength, his spiritual strength, compassion and concern for his family remained strong. He wanted to be sure his family, especially his mother, got enough rest and did not worry about him too much. We (Danny's brother's and sister) have also drawn strength from watching our parents go on this journey with Danny. We all have children of our own and know what it means to be a parent, but seeing Mom and Dad (Fred and Betty) disregard their own physical pain and emotional anguish to be right by Danny's side every step of the way, has shown us what we should each strive for. To be parents that love without prejudice or question, to show our children love that never waivers, through the good and the bad till we take our last breath. This is the true love of a parent . God has Blessed the Thrasher family so very much through this horrible journey we traveled along with Danny. Jeff told Danny, when he was first diagnosed with cancer last September, that just like Christ described the Church as 'one body', so were we. His cancer was our cancer, his pain was our pain, and we would all be there to help him get through it. This journey has brought a close family closer and strengthened our Faith and Trust in God. We have drawn our strength in the knowledge that God is in control and that He knows what is best for each of us. For us to say thank you to all of you for the many, many prayers, cards of encouragement, emails of well wishes and calls of concern, love and support seems so small. We will never know all of you that interceded to God on Danny's behalf in prayer or how far the prayer chains reached. But, dear friends, know this---we are humbled by the outpouring of love and support for Danny and our family. We are grateful for each of you and your prayers. You helped give us strength along this journey. The next part of this journey will be laying Danny's earthly body to rest. We will post the arrangements as soon as they are made.

02/23/2008 The Arrangements for Danny have been made and are as follows:

Visitation; Sunday 24th 4pm, Monday 25th 4pm

Funeral; Tuesday 26th l pm

Norris and New Funeral Home 600 North Main St, Burkesville KY.

Reminder: Burkesville is on Central Time.

02/27/2008 Our prayers now, dear friends, are for you. We pray that God will Bless each of you along this journey we call Life. Keep your faith strong and no matter what Life throws at you--with God's help--you will get through it. One day when Danny was able to hold a marker and write, he wrote this for Freddie- "God brings wisdom and understanding". We do not understand why Danny had to endure this battle in his life, but I think he did toward the end, and one day, God will give us the wisdom to understand too. We are humbled that so many of you have made the journey with Danny too. You have helped to make it a little easier for us. Thank you and may God Bless each of you!

The Thrasher Family

Please Keep the family in your prayers.

Thanks Jeff & Tammy Thrasher