Charlotte Hughes awoke with a jolt. Silence hovered over the hospital. She just had surgery the day before. COVID-19 restrictions allowed no one to be with her. It was 1:00 am Friday. In a few hours, she would be home. She opened her tablet. Checking the security camera on their Chandler home she was stunned to find son Kyle standing outside. Numbing realization washed over Charlotte. Something terrible must have happened to Ray, her husband of fifty-three years. Flashing lights announced the arrival of a firetruck. EMTs ran toward the house, one checking a rear bedroom window. The events unfolded like a silent black-and-white movie.
Ray captured Charlotte’s heart when she was fifteen. Both were active in their local Ohio Nazarene Church youth group and shared a small group of friends who did everything together. Most activities centered around the church. Ray’s endearing nature drew people to him.
A few years older and proud car owner, he took on the role of their appointed driver. The girls always raced to snag the coveted seat next to him. In the end, Charlotte won his devotion. They married four years later; five years after that Kyle was born.
Ray held a lifelong fascination with trains of all shapes and sizes. Charlotte joined in his passionate hobby of building layouts and trains of varying scales.
Deafening silence filled the room as Charlotte continued watching her tablet. A dizzying flare of lights announced the arrival of an ambulance. An Unexpected peace draped over her like a blanket. Kyle guided the firemen to a narrow opening where a smaller fireman slid through using a sturdy walnut dresser to enter the bedroom. Ray was lying in a pool of blood, blocking the bedroom door. It was January 2021.
Several years prior (2014); Ray had been diagnosed with peripheral artery disease requiring bypass surgery. Plans to winter in Arizona were halted. The night following his bypass, Charlotte slept in a cot next to Ray’s hospital bed. A sharp pain in her left leg awakened her. An ultrasound had already identified a simple fatty lymphoma. But when Ray developed a staph infection following surgery, Charlotte entered the role of caregiver. Ignoring her pain, she devoted herself to packing Ray’s wound and administering IVs.
On a cold December Ohio day, shortly after Ray’s surgery, a scan and biopsy of the lump on Charlotte’s leg was taken. The new diagnosis: a large malignant sarcoma, cancer. Learning from her doctor that immediate treatment was unnecessary, Charlotte and Ray jumped on a train heading for Arizona and their and new home.
It was Christmas Eve in Arizona when a full body PET scan revealed Charlotte’s cancer was isolated within the tumor. That evening family and other believers surrounded Charlotte, laying hands upon her, praying for a miracle. Charlotte felt the presence of God fill the room, giving her assurance He was in control. She laughed out loud with joy, realizing no matter the outcome, she could trust Him.
Radiation treatments began in February; surgery was scheduled for April 2015. Charlotte, still caring for Ray, began her treatment. Radiation caused intense pain and swelling. Muscles were removed, leaving Charlotte unable to walk, wheelchair-bound for several weeks. Roles reversed as Ray cared for her. “He never left my side...when I couldn’t stand up. He was always there.”
Charlotte’s sister said she would be “praying for peace.” Charlotte did not realize the impact that specific prayer would have during the next several years. God’s continual provision became evident with each challenge. Charlotte regained her ability to walk after months of physical therapy. Monitoring her leg and tumor site continued and five years later she was pronounced cancer-free.
The years flew by as Ray and Charlotte treasured winter visits with their three granddaughters, Kyle and his wife Betty in the warm Arizona climate. Both returned to their active and busy lifestyle with no further limitations. Arizona felt like “home”, so they packed their belongings, leaving Ohio in the rearview mirror.
Two years later, the COVID-19 pandemic descended. Ray was hospitalized due to anemia and diagnosed with stage four bladder cancer. A few weeks later, Charlotte felt a lump in her groin. Testing confirmed the sarcoma had returned, this time spreading into her lymph nodes. Both Ray and Charlotte underwent chemotherapy and radiation together.
Charlotte remained strong but Ray grew weaker. The cancer had moved beyond his bladder into his spine. Putting her own physical needs on hold, Charlotte again concentrated on caring for her husband. The strong, healthy man she had known began fading
He lost eighty pounds and most of his strength but never lost his joy. His laughter and faith continued to bind their family together.
Once again, Charlotte was hospitalized to remove the second tumor. Because of Covid, she was there alone. Ray was too weak to manage, so Kyle moved in, caring for his dad while Charlotte was hospitalized. Just before surgery, they had a family Facetime call. Ray’s strong voice was a mere whisper. Because the tumor had resulted in loss of the femoral nerve, the doctor warned Charlotte she may forever require a leg brace to walk. She walked that morning without a brace! The doctor told her; “I did not do this – it is a miracle!” Again, Charlotte recognized God’s presence amid her wilderness. Charlotte, Ray, and their family celebrated the miracle via Facetime later that day. During the call, Charlotte heard Ray’s infectious joy and laughter again strong and exhilarating. It was the last time she would hear his voice. That night, Ray fell at approximately 1a.m., the exact time Charlotte had been awakened.
Now, she continued watching on her tablet as the gurney was rolled out of their home. She could see Ray’s head and knew he was still alive, but he would not be home to welcome her later that day. His fall had resulted in a compression of the cervical vertebrae. Surgery relieved the spinal pressure, leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down. A ventilator kept him alive, unable to speak. The family held one final video conference. “We all prayed with him and expressed our love for him.” After the call ended, the nurse reported that Ray had a tear running down his cheek.
Kyle and Charlotte made their way up to the hospital to say goodbye that Sunday. Despite the pain of her recent surgery, Charlotte walked the entire length of the hospital, assisted only by a walker, Kyle beside her. They remained at Ray’s bedside for two hours, praying, singing hymns, and holding his hand until he took his final breath. Charlotte remembers a tremendous peace enveloping her like a warm hug.
God was with her.
Recently, (2025), a third sarcoma was discovered and surgically removed from Charlotte’s lung. Though the pain was intense, no chemotherapy or radiation was necessary. Today, Charlotte proclaims God's presence; “God’s miracles continue to be all around me. Whatever the future holds, I am fearlessly in his arms and have His amazing peace that surpasses all comprehension.”
