In May 1994 , Malcolm MacPhail heard the devastating news : “ I was given a two-year sentence because of the type of leukemia I had ,” he said , his blue eyes transfixed , his acceptance of what he had to deal with unquestionable . “ My wife almost passed out . At the time , our kids were 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 years old !” he continued . “ I grabbed my wife and told her , ‘ let ’ s pray .’” He prayed that the doctors be blessed with wisdom to be able to help him . Malcolm , a pastor at the New Hope Community Church in Gilroy , said with conviction , “ They said I had two years , but God has the last word ,” his strong faith shining through . “ The drive home was quiet . We went to the beach to get a break and we sat in silence for three hours .” Surrendering was not an option – he was getting ready for a good fight . As Malcolm talked about that day , his ability to have hope despite the news that there was nothing else Stanford could do , was gripping . How did he do that ? “ I love my wife and my kids so much , I was not ready to leave them . Besides , I had more to do !” As he spoke of his love , you sense the intensity of his emotion and know that with a love so strong , he was not about to acquiesce .
Malcolm ’ s Family ( l-r ) Jessica & Jeff MacPhail ( son ), Ryan MacPhail ( son ), Malcolm , his wife , Kathy , Alison & Danny MacPhail , ( son ), Jordan Smith ( Alexis ’ boyfriend ) and Alexis MacPhail ( daughter ).
Photos provided by the Malcolm MacPhail Family
In May 1994 , Malcolm MacPhail heard the devastating news : “ I was given a two-year sentence because of the type of leukemia I had ,” he said , his blue eyes transfixed , his acceptance of what he had to deal with unquestionable . “ My wife almost passed out . At the time , our kids were 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 years old !” he continued . “ I grabbed my wife and told her , ‘ let ’ s pray .’” He prayed that the doctors be blessed with wisdom to be able to help him . Malcolm , a pastor at the New Hope Community Church in Gilroy , said with conviction , “ They said I had two years , but God has the last word ,” his strong faith shining through . “ The drive home was quiet . We went to the beach to get a break and we sat in silence for three hours .” Surrendering was not an option – he was getting ready for a good fight . As Malcolm talked about that day , his ability to have hope despite the news that there was nothing else Stanford could do , was gripping . How did he do that ? “ I love my wife and my kids so much , I was not ready to leave them . Besides , I had more to do !” As he spoke of his love , you sense the intensity of his emotion and know that with a love so strong , he was not about to acquiesce .
“ What about the kids , they were too little to understand …” I asked . “ I wanted my kids to see me living as if I am going to heal ” – it was the only option Malcolm accepted . “ I am just going to live with cancer , not die with it .” This man before me has to be one of the strongest , most balanced individuals that walked this earth !
The journey was not easy . He went through intense chemo . He had a flu everyday . He was in pain . He lost his hair but gained a lot of weight . The list is too traumatic to list . It was hard to hear of Malcolm ’ s plight . “ My strong faith , the love I had for my family , the love of my family , the support of people in this community and my positive attitude kept me going . Work helped give me something to live for . I decided – so long as I still have breath , I will be a blessing .” The man who , at 22 years old , “ felt God ’ s calling ,” was practicing what he has preached for years – to be strong , to have faith , to let love reign .
For many years Malcolm searched for options that will support his will to live . He recalls the day he heard about Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center . They acknowledged Stanford ’ s finding and told him that if he could live another six months , they would work with him . How was he really doing by that time ? “ I did not want my family to live in fear , but in my private moments , I asked God , ‘ are you going to come through for me ?’” One could only imagine the burden he was carrying .
Six months later , he and his family moved to Seattle to work with the research institute . There he almost died twice . He spoke of having to live in a bubble , of the time he had to live in isolation . He could not hug his kids for a year . As if that was not enough , he contracted a cold . In his situation , a cold was life-threatening . He went into a coma when treated because his donor was allergic to penicillin and that little detail was missed somehow . His challenges catapulted into an ominous torrent of challenges , which included a fatal fungal disease . Fifty-six pills a day kept Malcolm going . Not five or six , fifty-six ! “ I made it that far because God had a plan for me . So I prayed every day
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