Kenny and Kristi O'Quinn don't give up easily. When Kristi O'Quinn began noticing last year that her husband was constantly tired, he put off going to the doctor because, he said, he didn't have time.
The father of four young children was also a pastor, running a construction business and building a home for his family in Franklin.
But Kristi O'Quinn was persistent.
When a mosquito bite on their youngest child swelled to the point of needing medical attention, Kristi O'Quinn insisted that her husband see a doctor as well.
The 35-year-old was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia on Dec. 1 and was admitted to a hospital immediately.
"It's a miracle the events that happened to get Kenny to give his blood in the first place. It was one mosquito," she said.
The couple said that doctors told them if he had waited another week to check into a hospital, the fast-progressing disease could have been fatal. The disease causes the bone marrow to make abnormal blood cells or platelets and can spread to other parts of the body, including the central nervous system, if not treated.
Kenny O'Quinn spent a month at Scott & White Hospital in Temple receiving chemotherapy before going into remission. He'll spend at least another year fighting the disease, Kristi O'Quinn said.
The couple admit to being overwhelmed with bills, particularly since Kenny O'Quinn is self-employed, but put their faith in God to provide for them.
"What gets you through something like this is knowing that you have a God that says he'll never leave you or forsake you," Kristi O'Quinn said.
Last week, Kenny O'Quinn returned to the hospital after developing a serious eye infection and learned on the same day that someone had stolen all of the tools from his construction business.
Kenny O'Quinn, who helped build several of the homes at Still Creek Ranch, a nonprofit boarding school operated by his parents, Margaret and Danny O'Quinn, has been in the construction business since 1996. He said it would cost about $1,000 to replace the tools, but he hasn't lost his spirit and continues to find inspiration in God.
"I give him all the glory that I've been able to handle it well, and he's given me the physical strength to endure it so far," he said.
The biggest inconvenience, he said, has been being inside a hospital for long periods. He said he tries to spend his time roaming the halls, visiting and praying for other patients who don't have visitors.
"For some people, I'm walking through the exact same thing they are going through. For a lot of people, that really hits home," he said.
Kenny O'Quinn doesn't know how long it will be before he can return to work, but friends and family members have helped finish their Franklin home so they won't have to continue living with relatives.
Kristi O'Quinn said she hasn't worked in 15 years, but may have to find a job so that they can continue to afford their health insurance.
"I truly believe God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and if it came to a part where we were starving, he would send a raven," she said. "Is it going to be easy? No. May we have to start selling some things or may I not get to buy things I may want? Most likely. May we have to sacrifice some things? Yes, but God is faithful. He has provided for us in miraculous ways thus far."
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