inspirational dedication
Story by Susan O'Connor, Photo by Dero Sanford

Lora Mason is a shining example of what it means to be dedicated. While battling liver cancer she has managed to give of herself in ways that are inspirational.

Mother to Alisa, 16; Hannah, 14; and Abbey, 10; and wife to Joel, Lora home schools her children, has led the children’s ministry in her church, Calvary Chapel, for 17 years and she is a tireless volunteer at The Foundation of Arts. Her girls are involved in dance at the FOA and look forward each year to performing in The Nutcracker. Lora sews costumes for the production.

“As a volunteer, Lora takes on more than ever expected,” FOA director Sherri Beatty said. “She serves as an incredible mentor by modeling an admirable sense of character, humility, kindness, compassion, dedication and strength. And she does all this without expecting or wanting any thanks, recognition or glory. It’s impossible to know how many people she has touched — most will never know that it was Lora Mason who made their child feel special and beautiful — regardless of their skill level, experience or status.”

The words of her husband are especially touching.

“I watched Lora, day after day, for almost seven years, push herself to do for the girls and me when it was obvious she was tired and felt bad,” Joel said. “I learned much about self-sacrifice and love through her example. There was a strength that wasn’t her own. It was love, devotion, selflessness that drove her to do for us, to care for us. Many days we had to do for her, but when you feel well, it’s not so impressive.”

It was the summer of 2002 when Lora had the first symptoms of illness and learned of her diagnosis. Her cancer had metastasized and surgery to take out the primary tumor was set for Sept. 2. In November, she began her first round of chemotherapy, which was injected directly into her liver. Three months of extreme sickness followed each round. Years passed as Lora battled the disease.
“This is how I describe chemo — it takes you as close to death as you can be without going there,” Lora said.

Her doctor began to talk about a liver transplant when the tumors failed to respond to the chemotherapy.

“That scared me so much,” she said. “But I prayed that if it was the Lord’s will that I have a transplant, there would be no change in the tumors that were there. The doctor said there had been no change. That was all he said. It was the first time he had said that. I thought I was ready to hear it, but I started crying.”

There were tests and more tests, Lora said, to determine if she was a good candidate for a transplant. Finally, in December 2008, all the necessary pieces fell into place.

“I prayed, ‘Okay, I surrender’ in the latter part of December. I began to prepare that this was going to happen. I began to pray that God would be glorified through this — that it wouldn’t be about me.”

Then, on Feb. 18, 2009, the unthinkable happened. A young Jonesboro woman named Amanda Cerrato received fatal injuries as the result of a car accident. Her mother, Debbie Nolan, knew of her wish to be an organ donor. As Nolan sat in the hospital wracked with grief, the name Lora came to her mind. Not a last name at first, just Lora. Later, she thought of Lora’s full name. Nolan had worked closely with Lora years ago at Calvary Church. They hadn’t spoken in years, and Nolan had no idea that Lora needed a liver. Nolan found Lora’s phone number through a mutual friend and called.

“We found out that this just doesn’t happen in the transplant world,” Lora said. “It was incredible.”

Lora was a perfect match, another miracle. The surgery in February went perfectly, and Lora is doing well with no signs of rejection.

How have you had the strength to continue to home school your children and stay dedicated to your volunteer work? Many days were very hard. This is not just a cliché for me. I learned to rely on the Lord to give me strength and to “cast all my cares upon Him.” House work, yard work, etc. went on the back burner, and I took a lot of naps. My husband took on a lot of my responsibilities at home, as well as the children’s ministry.

What do you feel children gain through participation in the FOA?
Whether it be dance, art, drama or music, each child finds something inside themselves that they didn’t know was there and through the instruction that is given they work hard to perfect that talent. They are properly challenged to express and develop the talent that God has given them.

Your family has lived your illness with you. What is the most important lesson your daughters have learned from the experience?
Their faith has deepened. Life may not always be picture perfect, but nevertheless God is still in control. He knows what is best and He will take care of us. They have also learned to take on added responsibility with helping their parents willingly.

What new goals or projects are on your horizon? To enjoy each day as a gift from God, to grow OLD with my husband and to make a 15-layer tutu.

What is your favorite activity to do just for you? Reading and driving by myself through hilly roads while listening to praise music.