Suffering With Joy: Letters on Tragedy, Loss, and Hope

On January 22, 2000, my sister, Joy Dyer, tried to pay for a purchase at a department store in Bryan, Texas in her usual way. But for some strange reason, she could not make her hand write out a check. That was the first sign that something sinister was attacking her body. One week later we were told that Joy had a “high grade glioblastoma.” The doctors said that there was no medical hope that she could be cured and that Joy probably had six months to a year to live. That news rocked our family. On January 28, 2021—almost one year later to the day—cancer took Joy’s life.

The letters in this book were born out of a deep love for Joy and Dean by friends and family. We desired to walk with them through this hard journey and support them however we could. My hope is that these letters, originally written to support my sister through her suffering, will provide some comfort and encouragement to other fellow-sufferers who are walking a hard path.