Mary Rice Hopkins, a longtime creator of Bible-based songs for children, is being treated for a rare, aggressive form of cancer. In a July 19 Facebook post, the Christian singer-songwriter shared news of her diagnosis and treatment plan and asked people to “please keep praying.”
Hopkins, 68, shared a photo of her strapped to an MRI machine, writing, “Something’s been going on with me for a while now.” In early May, a doctor found a “concerning lump” on her neck, and soon afterward, another lump appeared while Hopkins was traveling overseas.
By early July, Hopkins received a diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). According to the Lymphoma Research Foundation, MCL represents just five percent of all cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
“This has been one of the hardest things I’ve faced,” wrote Hopkins. “But I also know—I am not facing it alone.” Admitting that she “doesn’t handle needles well,” Hopkins praised her medical care team. “God’s grace has truly carried me,” she wrote, “and thankfully, prognosis and plan [have] moved quickly.”
Mary Rice Hopkins Begins Clinical Trial for Aggressive Cancer
Hopkins launched her music career as part of the duo Wendy and Mary. In 2005, she partnered with puppet creator Darcie Maze on the TBN show “Mary Rice Hopkins and Puppets with a Heart.”
Hopkins’ work has received the Parents’ Choice Award and the Dove Foundation Seal of Approval. Based in Southern California, she travels to perform at church and children’s ministry events throughout the world.
About her condition, Hopkins shared that “doctors are hopeful, and the early results are encouraging.” She was accepted into an immunotherapy clinical trial at City of Hope, a leading cancer center in Duarte, California. Treatment, which began on July 21, will involve 24 injections throughout the next two-and-a-half years plus daily pills.
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Hopkins thanked people for reminding her that “God’s got this,” adding that she has “felt every single one of those prayers” from fans. “This isn’t how I imagined being ‘used by God,’” she added. “But I’m here, trusting that He will bring purpose through it all.”
