Photo submitted to Times Observer Scott and Sarha Young and their children — ages 2 to19 — lived the last two years making memories with family and friends. Sarha passed away from breast cancer on May 5.

Prayers and community support are making all the difference for a Sheffield family.

On May 5, Sarha Young passed away from cancer surrounded by family at the age of 36. She leaves behind her husband Scott and eight children.

Both had been in long relationships that had recently ended when they found each other.

“Sarha and I got together,” Scott said. “We were madly in love.”

That was in October of 2018. They married a year later — Oct. 12, 2019.

The time between was full of news, both wondrous and terrifying.

“We found out a couple weeks into it that she had a lump on her breast,” Scott said. “We found out it was cancer.”

“Right in that time, we found out she was pregnant,” he said. “We didn’t know what that meant for us moving forward.”

They heard rumors of terrible problems the baby could have as a result of the cancer and the treatments for it.

They consulted with an obstetrician and an oncologist.

Marissa was born May 19, 2019, 10 weeks early and weighing only 2 pounds, 6 ounces, but otherwise healthy.

“There was a lot of talk of really, really scary stuff,” Scott said. “None of that happened. I am so grateful.”

Although she had been through many rounds of chemotherapy, the news regarding Sarha’s cancer went from bad to worse.

“The diagnosis had changed to metastatic stage four breast cancer,” Scott said. “We were terrified.”

Around late March this year, Sarha was told the cancer had spread to her liver.

And, a doctor said he suspected she was resistance to the chemo.

“She opted to stop doing treatment,” Scott said.

She started living every day as a gift.

It wasn’t a new experience.

“My wife was huge on love,” Scott said. “There’s a love that my wife and her family have that is not experienced a lot in life — complete acceptance.”

“She lived her life like every day was her last” even before cancer, he said.

May 5 was the last such gift… “She peacefully passed away,” Scott said.

Since then, the family has been working to move forward.

“It’s been really hard,” he said. “And it’s been really really blessed.”

The family has been receiving a lot of help from the family, friends, and strangers.

“It’s amazing to me that there’s an entire community that’s just helping us,” Scott said. “I couldn’t process and put a thought together. It has helped carry me.”

“There were loads of people that had reached out to us,” he said. “The school district dressed in purple to support us.”

Knowing there is an entire community of support… “It’s been such a beautiful thing,” he said. “It’s been a true blessing the community outreach, the love, the support.”

When people offer to help, Scott asks for their prayers.

“Pray that my wife found some peace and is not in pain anymore,” he asked. And for peace from “the hurt in my kids’ hearts that I hear every day.”

BENEFIT

From 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 22, there will be a drive-through spaghetti dinner at Hessel Valley Lutheran Church.

All proceeds will go to the family. Those who are unable to attend but would like to contribute may do so in care of the church — 166 Hessel Valley Road, Chandlers Valley, PA, 16350 — with checks payable to HVLC and ‘Sarha’ on the memo line.