And if that wasn't enough!

And if that video wasn't enough! Here is a letter the filmmaker sent to a prominent talk-show host:

About a year ago, our friend, 33 year old Santa Barbara firefighter, Tyler Gilliam was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread to his abdomen and chest. Since then, he's been through 4 massively invasive surgeries and spent over 80 days in the hospital.

His girlfriend Amber has supported and cared for him throughout the ordeal. A few months back, he proposed and they're now engaged. In January, they entered a contest to win a Southern California Dream Wedding. Out of over 600 applicants, their story was chosen for the top 10.

It was then up to a public to vote for the couple they felt should win their dream wedding. On February 11th, Tyler went in for his 4th surgery. The following day, the voting closed and Tyler and Amber had nearly twice as many votes as the second place couple. Thousands more.

They were ecstatic. Finally, something good was happening for them. This wedding was the momentum shift they needed.

Then, on Valentine's Day, while Tyler recovered in the hospital, the contest announced they had chosen the second place couple to receive their dream wedding. It seemed the rule was that the winners would be chosen by the sponsors from the top three vote getters.

It was devastating to them. At first, I was outraged at this contest. And then I thought, everything happens for a reason. And the reason is, they deserve something much, much better. I'm on a mission to see that they get the true wedding of their dreams.

To give you an idea of how much Tyler means to this community, please see this short documentary of four fellow firefighters who ran 94 miles over three days to surprise Tyler at his hospital room while he was going through chemotherapy.

Is there anything you can do to help us give them the wedding they deserve?

Thank you so much for doing what you do!

Jason

Running to Tyler

A friend of mine made this video which documents an oddessy made by four Santa Barbera firefighters to see their brother in a cancer ward at UCLA. Without any training and inspired by Dean Karnazas, they decided on a whim and without any training to run the 94 miles. This is a deeply moving display of brotherhood and love - better grab a tissue.

Running to Tyler from jgagne33@gmail.com on Vimeo.

It reminds me of this story of the friends who lower a paralyzed man through the roof to get him to Jesus. It was this loving act by the friends which prompts Jesus to proclaim the man's sins forgiven and allow God's healing to take place.
Mark 2:1-12
2When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Is it our prayer or the love manifest in our act of prayer that manifests God's healing energy in our lives? I like to think of faith as not just what we believe, but also and more deeply, what we do because we believe. It was the faith of the friends, shown in thier action that brought the healing forgiveness to the paralytic. And you could see in the tears of these tough firefighters that that the love they show for one another- by running 95 miles over 3 days toughing out pain, blisters, sprains and exhaustion- brings healing.