Their story began as a dream come true but quickly turned into a nightmare. David and Antonia met, fell in love and were married in 2007. They became the proud parents of triplets in 2008. Eight months later in 2009, they learned that Antonia, at age 32, had a tumor the size of a fist near her heart; it was a very rare form of non-Hodgkin´s lymphoma.
The tumor was inoperable and the only treatment available involved a massive dose of chemotherapy that can only be taken once. While the tumor has disappeared, cancer still remains in Antonia´s lymph nodes and other places in her body.
Antonia, who is from Slovakia, has only one dream now to move home and raise her children near her family. Her courage in facing the unknown is an inspiration to all as is the sacrificial love of her husband who has willingly given up everything to fulfill her wish.
On this feast of St. Joseph, who led his family to safety in Egypt, we see another man who is leaving familiar surroundings to care for his wife and family.
David Broadwell, 46, was born and raised in Northern Virginia. He had worked for the Federal Government, most recently as a contract specialist with the U.S. Geological Survey. His parents are now retired and live in south Florida.
In 2007 he met his future wife, Antonia, through a mutual friend, a woman from the Czech Republic. At that time, she was an au pair just outside the city of Toronto, Canada as was Antonia.
David´s friend encouraged him to make contact with her, saying, "She is really religious! Antonia and her family celebrate Easter and they pray before they eat!"
As a Christian, David was now even more interested in getting to know her.
The two of them enjoyed getting to know one another by phone, and then he began traveling to Canada to visit her on the weekends. It was there David, who had been brought up in the Baptist church, first encountered the Catholic faith lived out with devotion by Antonia and her aunt.
Seeing the depth of their faith and the stability found through the sacraments and teachings of the Church, David converted to the Catholic faith. They were married in July, 2007. One year later, they became the parents of triplets in July, 2008.
In the spring of 2009 Antonia began to feel her neck veins bulging and a pressure in her head whenever she would bend over. When David searched those symptoms on the Internet, the results concerned him and he immediately took his wife to the emergency room.
Doctors discovered an inoperable rare tumor near her heart, which was only one of 40 cases worldwide, so there was only a small body of information on how to treat it. They immediately began rigorous chemotherapy, giving her a lifetime dose using an experimental combination of drugs.
Tests later revealed that the tumor was gone but that there was activity in the lymph nodes of her chest and in her spleen. The couple is still awaiting more information from the doctors on what they can do next.
With the future so blurred, David asked his wife what would bring her peace. "To have my children grow up near my family," was her reply.
They had given up just about everything, including their house and their car, to help pay for their medical expenses, yet David knew they had to take this step of faith and move to Slovakia.
Antonia´s parents live in the small village of Hanusovce, near Presov in the Eastern part of the country. They have a small piece of land next their house where David could build a new home for his young family.
"What kind of a house would you like?" he asked her.
"Just like the one we have now, this is home" she replied, referring to the small two-bedroom carriage house they are renting in the Washington suburb of Sterling, Virginia, north of Dulles Airport.
As the Broadwell´s began planning their relocation overseas, David reached out to a few friends, knowing he could not accomplish this move on his own. Fellow-Catholics and former co-workers also heard of their plight as well as the upcoming move and responded with their support.
A blog was begun,
forantonia.wordpress.com, to share the details and further developments of their amazing journey. The Knights of Columbus, a local parish outreach group and an online forum called GovLoop.com were among those who committed to raising $2500 each toward the expenses of moving and building a home. Individuals and couples also stepped forward as fund raisers as well.
These expressions of love and support have overwhelmed David and Antonia. "Raising a family and having good friends are the two most important things in our life," David shared. "It´s not about money and wealth but relationships our relationship with God and with others."
The Broadwell´s are scheduled to leave on March 30, arriving in time for Holy Week services in their new land.
"Right now we have enough money to build a foundation for our new home," he stated, "and that is exactly what I´m going to do. I´ll build it as I can and if the only job I can get is dumping trash cans, I don´t care. That´s what I´ll do."
"When I began this new part of my life," he said, "I could only count eleven people that I would consider my friends. That´s what happens when you live a selfish life. I am no longer the same person; this experienced has changed me. Whatever the world´s measure of success, if I make this move, build a home and care for my family, this is what matters.
Antonia continues to take one day at a time, devoting herself as a wife and mother. Our prayers go with her, her husband and their three beautiful 20 month-old children as they begin the journey of a lifetime.
To learn more about the Broadwell´s experience and get more involved in their journey, you can
click here to visit their blog.
