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Musician meets cancer
diagnosis with hope
By Joyce Coronel, The Catholic Sun
April 3, 2008
Many people shudder at the thought of a cancer diagnosis, but Julie Carrick is not one of them.
The local musician, who travels the country with her husband Kurt to share the Gospel message, was recently diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer.
“We’ve already received our miracle,” she said just days before a surgery that removed the upper lobe of her right lung. “The miracle was that it was discovered before it hurt me… you don’t have symptoms of this type of cancer until it’s stage 3 or 4.”
Kurt recounted how he had recently switched the family’s health insurance coverage and chosen a new doctor. Julie set up an appointment for a routine physical during January.
When asked about her previous health history, Julie, a non-smoker, mentioned a bout with Valley Fever back in 2003. Just to be on the safe side, a chest X-ray was ordered.
“The technician told us that unless they found something crazy, we’d hear from the doctor in a couple of days,” Julie explained. She was at Costco’s lunch counter with her family when the radiologist called to tell her there was a 97 percent probability that she had lung cancer.
“It was horrifying,” Julie said, brushing back a few tears.
Ever since Kurt left his job with the highway patrol back in 2005, the couple has been in full-time ministry together, traveling from state to state, sharing a message of hope and healing for marriages. It’s a message the Carricks plan on continuing to share, in spite of Julie’s serious illness.
“We did a national trade show and a biblical scholar conference [in California] during the whole time of finding all this out,” Julie said.
The Carrick’s Web site, www.carrickministries.com, has an event schedule that explains their daughter, Edel Horvath, will be filling in while Julie recuperates from surgery. A marriage enrichment weekend scheduled at Scottsdale’s Franciscan Renewal Center for April has been pushed back to May.
Although doctors say Julie will probably not need chemotherapy, her husband and son-in-law both said they would shave their heads if she did, and Edel promised to cut her lengthy locks. It’s a promise she kept.
“She said, ‘I’m grateful that you’re not going to have chemo, but since you’re giving up half your lung, I’m going to cut my hair,’” Julie said, smiling through tears at her daughter.
Julie’s Catholic faith — as well as the love and support of family and friends — have kept her strong and in good spirits.
“Right from the onset I chose to hand it over to God because He is the Divine Healer. The mind can get too busy thinking about all the ‘what ifs.’”
Instead, the East Valley musician and mother of three views her illness as a chance to offer up what she’s going through for the salvation of other souls and for their needs.
This idea that our suffering can be put to good use came to her from Nicky Maillard, a former student at Pope John XXIII School who died from a brain tumor.
“I learned from a 14-year-old boy how to pray,” Julie said as she fingered a small piece of red cloth, taken from the shirt Maillard wore the day he died. Julie wears it, as well as other medals, on a chain around her neck.
While visiting Maillard, a friend of her son’s, she hoped God would miraculously heal the boy.
“As we were sitting with him, I said, ‘Nicky, why don’t we pray and ask God?’” He said, ‘Mrs. Carrick, why don’t we pray for people who are really suffering?’” Julie recounted.
It’s a prayer she continues in the midst of her own suffering.
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