It was early on a quiet Saturday morning when the message arrived. The kind of message that makes the room feel suddenly colder, heavier. As I read the update, a deep, aching silence settled in. The news was not what anyone had hoped for. It was about someone we had all come to care for deeply — a young boy whose strength had inspired so many, whose courage had quietly taught us what it truly means to fight.
Fourteen-year-old Will Roberts has been battling bone cancer, a battle no child should ever have to face. For a brief moment, hope had shined brightly. Just weeks earlier, Will had undergone a major and complex surgery at MD Anderson in Houston. Doctors worked tirelessly to remove cancer from his pelvis and femur. The surgery was considered successful. For a moment, everyone allowed themselves to breathe. For a moment, it felt like maybe — just maybe — Will was finally turning a corner.
But then came the words no family ever wants to hear.
The cancer had spread.
It was no longer confined to one place. It had moved into his jaw, his sternum, his lymph nodes. It reached his liver, his arms, his legs — even his lungs. The disease was moving aggressively, relentlessly, as if determined to steal what little peace this family had fought so hard to hold onto.
Will’s mother, Brittney, shared her heartbreak in a Facebook post that stopped people in their tracks. Her words carried the raw pain of a mother facing every parent’s worst nightmare — yet they were also filled with fierce faith and defiant hope.
“We’ll sit and wait until Monday when we see Will’s oncologist,” she wrote. “But I refuse to let the Devil get me. These are the most tears I’ve cried… but God is not done with Will yet. The Devil will not steal my joy this Christmas.”
In those words, you can feel everything — the fear, the grief, the exhaustion. But you can also feel something stronger: a mother’s unshakable belief that love and faith are more powerful than despair. For Brittney, for Will, for their family, it is not over until God says it is over.
She asked for prayers — not just for healing, but for Will’s spirit.
“Pray that Will keeps the fighter instinct in him. Pray that he wants to drag me to another hunting stand at five o’clock in the morning. It’s not over until God tells us so.”
Those simple words paint a picture far bigger than cancer. They paint a picture of a boy who still wants to live, to hunt, to laugh, to dream. A boy who refuses to let illness define the size of his life.
Because Will is more than a patient. He is more than a diagnosis.
He is a fighter in every sense of the word.
At just 14 years old, Will has already faced more hardship than many people face in a lifetime. He has endured surgeries, endless treatments, hospital rooms, and painful procedures. He has also endured deep personal loss — losing his parents to tragedy and addiction. And yet, somehow, heartbreak did not harden him. It shaped him into someone compassionate, loving, and resilient.
Will is a devoted brother to his five siblings. He is a son who loves fiercely. He is a young man who still dreams of the future — of going to college, of joining ROTC, of building a life beyond hospital walls. He loves hunting. He loves the simple moments that make life feel normal. And even now, in the middle of unimaginable pain, he holds onto those dreams.
That is what makes his story so powerful.
This may be his last Christmas. That is a reality no family should ever have to face — especially not with a child. The cancer has spread so aggressively that doctors cannot say how much time remains. Every day is uncertain. Every moment is precious.
And yet, even in this darkest season, Brittney refuses to surrender to hopelessness. She clings to faith. She clings to love. She clings to every small victory — every smile, every laugh, every moment Will feels strong enough to be himself.
This family fights for time.
They fight for memories.
They fight for moments that may seem small to others but mean everything to them — a shared meal, a quiet conversation, a morning in the woods, a laugh that briefly makes cancer fade into the background.
Will’s journey is not just about surviving cancer. It is about fighting for dignity, for love, for the right to dream — even when the future feels unbearably fragile.
His parents, Jason and Brittney, have stood by his side with unwavering devotion. They have taken unpaid leave from their jobs to care for him. The financial strain has been crushing. They now face the terrifying possibility of losing their home and their vehicles. But even in the face of financial hardship, exhaustion, and heartbreak, their love for Will never wavers.
They give him everything they have — their time, their strength, their hearts.
Because that is what love looks like in a fight like this.
Will’s story is filled with pain — but it is also filled with extraordinary courage. It is a story of faith in moments when faith feels almost impossible. It is a story of a boy who refuses to be defined by his illness. It is a story of a family that refuses to stop believing, even when the road ahead is uncertain.
This Christmas, Will is not fighting alone.
He is surrounded by family, friends, and a community that has been touched by his courage. Every prayer, every kind word, every message of support reminds this family that they are seen, that they are loved, that they are not walking this road by themselves.
So this Christmas, let us stand with Will.
Let us send prayers, strength, and love.
Let us believe — with his mother — that it is not over until God says it is over.
And even if the road ahead is short, let it be filled with love, dignity, and moments that matter. Let Will be surrounded by warmth, by laughter, by reminders that his life — no matter how long — has already made a powerful impact.
Because Will has shown us something unforgettable:
Even in the darkest moments, courage can shine.
Even in heartbreak, faith can stand tall.
Even in the face of impossible odds, a fighter’s spirit can never truly be defeated.
Please take a moment to send Will and his family your prayers, your thoughts, and your love. Let them feel the strength of a community standing beside them. Let them know they are not alone.
This Christmas, may hope, love, and faith surround Will — and may his fighter’s heart continue to inspire us all.