A father who is battling cancer had a moment of respite in an unlikely setting when a Texas police officer pulled him over. The driver shared his story, and the trooper then offered a prayer.
On May 31, Alex and his wife Ada Chavez from Brownville were en route to Houston when they were stopped by an officer from Williamson County. The officer, who planned on dispatching a warning to Alex, got more than he bargained for when he asked the 35-year-old to step out of his car.
Officer Palacios noticed Alex’s scars and felt compelled to ask what had happened.
“Alex explained to him that for over a year he’s been battling cancer, and told him we were on our way to Houston for his next chemo treatment,” Ada told The Epoch Times. However, what unfolded next surprised both Ada and her husband.
“The officer asked us if we believed in God,” Ada said. “We both said ‘yes,’ and he asked if he could pray for us. We said yes. I grabbed my phone and started recording him. It was amazing!”
While deeply moved by the encounter, Ada claimed that she and Alex haven’t had any further contact with Palacios. But their shared prayer by the roadside has touched hundreds of thousands of social media users.
Ada met Alex, a welder, at work eight years ago. Married for five years, the couple have three children together: Alexie, 6; Adaiz, 5; and Alex Jr.
“Alex was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma while working as a welder [in May 2020],” Ada said. “The cancer spread to his neck up to the collar bone. So we decided to travel to Houston for a second opinion, and unfortunately, it was confirmed that the cancer had spread.”
An active person who loved working out and lifting weights before his diagnosis, Alex underwent a massive physical transformation and his family struggled with their separation during treatment.
“Sometimes the kids have to stay behind, or there have been times where he has to travel on his own,” Ada told The Epoch Times. “But we remind him every day he has to keep fighting, and that we are waiting for him to get back.”
Their kids, she continued, don’t know exactly what’s going on because they wouldn’t understand. “All they know is that Daddy has to leave to go see the doctor to get better,” she explained.
Alex has undergone surgery for two tumors. To date, he has completed his fourth session of chemotherapy and needs two more.
His devoted wife was initially confused by her family’s fate, but believes that everything happens for a reason.
“I believe God gave him a second chance,” she said. “Every day I thank Him for having Alex with us another day. We’re just living day by day. Alex will be a living testimony.”
