NXT “WORDS ON A PAPER vs. THE WILL TO LIVE”: The Moment the Roberts Family Refused to Let Fear Win 📄🕊️
The walk from a pediatric oncology office to the hospital parking deck is a journey many parents describe as a “hollowed-out” experience. It is a transitional space where the clinical reality of a medical report meets the fragile emotional world of a family. For Brittney and Jason Roberts, that walk happened just days ago at Children’s of Alabama, and it was perhaps the heaviest one they have ever faced.
They had gone in seeking progress. They had gone in hoping that the latest chemo pill—a treatment they had prayed over with fervor—would be the miracle they needed to stop the spread of Will’s bone cancer. But as they sat in the consultation room, the oncologist delivered the news that felt like a physical blow: The treatment didn’t appear to be working. The scans showed new spots. The PET scan on previous areas remained frustratingly unclear.
As Brittney pushed Will’s wheelchair toward the car, she wasn’t just moving her 14-year-old son; she was carrying the weight of a shattered expectation. But what happened in that parking deck, and the conversation that followed during the drive home to Ralph, Alabama, has become a masterclass in faith, perspective, and the sheer power of the human spirit.
The Parking Deck Manifest: A Question of Perspective
Brittney Roberts has never believed in shielding Will from the truth. Since his diagnosis, they have walked this fire as a team. As they approached the car, Will—always the perceptive warrior—asked the question directly: “Did it spread?”
Brittney told him the truth. She told him about the new spots and the lack of clarity on the old ones. A heavy silence descended as they pulled out of the hospital grounds. Fear was knocking, looking for a way to settle into the car and drive home with them. But Brittney chose to lock the door.
She looked at her son and asked: “Do you know what is different right now than what it was this morning?”
Will looked at her, confused by the question in the wake of such devastating news. She asked again: “What is the only thing that’s different this afternoon than when you woke up today?”
When he couldn’t answer, she gave him the truth that medicine cannot quantify: “Nothing,” she told him. “You feel exactly the same right now as you did this morning. All we received were words on a piece of paper—and those words do not change the life we woke up to today. They don’t change how your body feels. They don’t change the joy waiting for us at home. They don’t get to steal our peace.”
Choosing Praise Over Panic
It is easy to have faith when the scans are clear. It is easy to be positive when the treatment is working. But the Roberts family demonstrated a “battle-tested” faith that only emerges in the dark. Instead of a drive home filled with tears and frantic “what-ifs,” they transformed their vehicle into a sanctuary.
- The Power of Praise: They turned up the music and sang praise songs at the top of their lungs all the way home. They chose to fill their ears with the promises of God rather than the statistics of a medical report.
- Reclaiming Joy: Brittney told Will that the “Devil” was not winning this day. They were going home to a big steak dinner that Jason (his “Daddy”) was already cooking. They decided that a piece of paper from a printer would not dictate the atmosphere of their dinner table.
- Speaking Life: Brittney prayed out loud while driving, telling Will that her prayer had not changed. She refused to pray a “safe” prayer of management; she continued to thank God for the total healing of every single cancer cell.
The Refusal to Surrender: Why Brittney Didn’t Cry
Perhaps the most shocking part of Brittney’s testimony was her revelation that she didn’t lose sleep and she didn’t cry that night. In a world that expects a mother to be destroyed by such news, her resilience was a radical act of defiance.
She explained that her peace wasn’t rooted in denial, but in a profound realization: “Yesterday didn’t take anything from us that today had already given.”
This is the essence of the Roberts family’s strength. They have learned that cancer can try to claim a future, but it has no authority over the present moment. By refusing to let “tomorrow’s worry” steal “today’s joy,” they have reclaimed their lives from the grip of the diagnosis. They are living “America First” style—standing firm on their own soil, protecting their family’s peace, and refusing to retreat an inch in the face of an enemy.
The Warrior Spirit: Still Standing
Will Roberts is 14 years old. He has endured surgeries, toxic chemotherapy, and the loss of a “normal” teenage life. Yet, he is still standing. He is still hunting, still fishing, and still smiling. His mother’s decision to “speak life” isn’t just a religious exercise; it is a psychological shield that allows Will to keep fighting with everything he has.
As they wait for more detailed results and the next steps from the team at MD Anderson, the Roberts family remains an anchor for their community. They are proving that while a PET scan can see “spots” on the lungs or bones, it cannot see the light in a soul. It cannot measure the depth of a father’s love or the height of a mother’s faith.
Conclusion: A Prayer for the Journey
As more details emerge from these scans, we must remember that the Roberts family isn’t just fighting for Will—they are fighting for the hope of every parent who has ever pushed a wheelchair through a hospital parking deck.
Let us pray for the strength of Jason and Brittney. Let us pray that the doctors find a “medical u-turn” that defies the current data. But most of all, let us thank them for showing us how to stand. In a world that often feels like it’s crumbling, they are a reminder that some things—like love, faith, and a steak dinner with your family—are untouchable.
Because today, despite the “spots” and despite the “unclear findings,” they are still standing.
Will you join the “Circle of Strength” for Will tonight? 🇺🇸🙏
