BEYOND THE BREAKING POINT: The Heart-Wrenching Reality of Will Roberts’ Stage 4 Diagnosis

There are moments in a family’s history that divide time into a “before” and an “after.” For the Roberts family of Ralph, Alabama, that moment arrived with a diagnosis that felt like a physical blow. It wasn’t just the word “cancer”—it was the staggering realization of how far the battle lines had already been drawn.

When the results of Will’s initial PET scan came back, the news was far more complex and daunting than anyone could have prepared for.

A Rare and Relentless Map: What the PET Scan Revealed

The original tumor was only the beginning. The imaging revealed that the disease had already begun a silent trek through Will’s body, showing a “skip lesion” in his upper left femur and another suspicious, shadowed area in his right leg.

In medical terms, Osteosarcoma—a form of bone cancer—is already a formidable foe. But Will’s case is exceptionally rare. Doctors are facing a presentation that involves both legs simultaneously, a factor that shifted the conversation from a localized fight to a systemic war.

Because of the multiple lesions and the spread beyond the primary site, the medical team had to deliver the most difficult news a parent can hear: a Stage 4 diagnosis.

Understanding the Stakes: A “Very Serious” Prognosis

A Stage 4 diagnosis carries a weight that words can barely support. In the clinical world, it means the prognosis is “very serious.” It means the treatment must be more aggressive, the prayers must be louder, and the courage must be deeper than ever before.

For Will, this means navigating a world of high-intensity chemotherapy and complex surgical considerations that most adults would struggle to comprehend, let alone a young boy. Yet, it is within this “very serious” reality that the Roberts family has chosen to plant a flag of unshakeable faith.

The Anatomy of a Miracle: Why We Pray

When the medical reports are heavy, the spirit must be light. The family isn’t ignoring the PET scan or the Stage 4 label; they are simply refusing to let those numbers be the final word.

• They are fighting for a “Skip”: Praying that those lesions shrink and disappear against the odds.

• They are fighting for Strength: That Will’s body can endure the treatments necessary to clear both legs.

• They are fighting for Time: For more “good days” like the ones spent hunting and playing dominoes.

A Call to Arms: Standing in the Gap for Will

Will, Brittney, and Jason are currently standing on the front lines of a battlefield they never asked to join. The weight of a Stage 4 diagnosis can feel like an anchor, but the love of a community can act as a life jacket.

This is a heavy part of the story, but it is not the end of the story.

Every prayer whispered, every card mailed to their home in Alabama, and every word of encouragement shared online acts as a counter-balance to the clinical reports. We are asking you to look past the “seriousness” of the prognosis and see the warrior who is determined to beat it.

Please, continue to lift this family up. They are facing the impossible with a courage that defines the very best of us.

[To read the full medical details and learn how you can specifically support Will’s journey, see the pinned update in the comments below. 👇]

Since Will is facing such an aggressive diagnosis, would you like me to help you organize a “virtual prayer chain” or a specific card-sending drive to ensure he feels a constant wave of support?