According to an online message, Langley-Aldergrove M.P. Mark Warawa has been hospitalized for possible pancreatic cancer.
Posted to Facebook, the message reads:
My dear friends, I am very sick in the hospital and need your prayers for a miracle. You can see how yellow my skin is. The doctors believe I have pancreatic cancer. I have procedures tomorrow morning and some additional tests over the next few days to see if cancer has spread to other organs. If it is just in the pancreas, I will surgery and 6 months of chemotherapy. If cancer has spread to other organs, there isn’t anything medically to do and life could be short.
We have our total trust in God. Yes there has been lots of tears, but the God who created us has healed me and saved my life before. Most important is I know God loves me and wants me to trust Him. I do!
We so appreciate your prayers and messages of encouragement. Please keeps them coming. For requests for an update on my condition, please come to this Facebook. I hope to updated you every couple of days. It’s not possible for Diane to respond to all the inquiries and I need to be in her loving arms.
Easter [is] a very special time. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can have hope for an eternity with Him after we die. That is our hope. God bless you. Love you all.
Local and national politicians began providing their best wishes as the news spread on Monday.
“Please join Jill and me in praying for Mark Warawa, who has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,” Conservative leader Andrew Scheer wrote on his Facebook page.
“Mark and I were elected to Parliament at the same time in 2004,” Scheer wrote. “He is truly one of the kindest and most genuine people ever to serve Canadians in the House of Commons. Let’s let Mark and his wife Diane know that we are fully behind him in this fight.”
“While we are saddened by this news, we are hoping for the best,” said Langley Township Mayor Jack Froese. “Our thoughts are with MP Warawa and his family during this difficult time.”
Langley City Mayor Val van den Broek also released a statement on Warawa’s announcement.
“On behalf of City council and the citizens of Langley City, we are saddened to hear Mark’s cancer announcement,” van den Broek said. “Mark served as Member of Parliament for Langley City for many years until the 2015 federal election when the electoral boundary changes came into effect. He was a strong advocate for our community and represented us well. Our prayers and thoughts are with Mark and Diane and their family.”
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Warawa recently announced he would not be running for re-election and said that he has been studying to become a chaplain for end of life care.
An MP for the Langley and then the Langley-Aldergrove federal riding since 2004, Warawa was an Abbotsford city councillor for 14 years before he jumped into federal politics.
He has most recently been serving as a shadow cabinet secretary for seniors in the Conservative opposition ranks.
When he announced he was retiring from federal politics, Warawa said he was looking forward to spending more time with his 10 grandchildren.
He put forward private member’s bills several times, including the Safe At Home Bill, which was passed in 2014.
The bill required courts to consider banning sex offenders from living within two kilometres of their victims’ homes. It was particularly intended to protect young victims.
My heart goes out to @MPmarkwarawa and his family in this time of need. Mark has been a dedicated, & passionate public servant. From serving his fifth consecutive term as an MP to many years as a City Councillor. Pls join me in wishing him well https://t.co/rxybcxFfPS
— John Aldag (@jwaldag) April 15, 2019
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Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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