It all began in 2012 when Miles and Sharon Coker's son, Keaton, was diagnosed with brain cancer. Keaton fought for two years with courage, humility, and confidence in his Creator, but in July of 2014 he went to be with Jesus. Since then, Miles, Sharon, and the entire Coker family have experienced all of the unspeakable aches that accompany the loss of a loved one. Keaton was just 18-years-old, and
while he was dying of brain cancer, he showed the world how to live. His desire was to spend his life in ministry, pointing others to Jesus. THAT is precisely what Thumbs Up Mission is designed to do. As the Cokers reflected on their two-year journey through cancer, they were reminded of many blessings along the way. One stood out brighter than all the others. In March of 2014, Keaton was given a wish from Make-A-Wish Georgia. Desiring to spend time golfing and relaxing on the beach with his brothers, he wished for a trip to Jamaica. For five glorious days the family was able to play, laugh, and banish all cancer treatment activities from their minds. The Cokers treasure the memories of that trip, and now that Keaton is gone the value of that treasure is priceless. They will never forget the time spent together and will always be grateful for it. One day during a conversation with Miles' accountability group, God began the first nudges toward the creation of Thumbs Up Mission. The group had asked him what meant most to his family on their journey with cancer and in response, Miles told story after story from Keaton's trip to Jamaica. Soon Miles began to talk loosely about the possibility of starting a foundation in Keaton's honor, but couldn't quite decide upon the right focus or direction for the organization. The men began to pray that an idea would take shape. Just days later, the Cokers received a phone call from a friend of a friend. The friend, a young wife and mother named Ashlee, had just been diagnosed with the same kind of brain cancer that Keaton had. Miles and Sharon spoke with the family and shared what they had learned from personal research about treatment options, but as the conversations continued the biggest thought that ran through their minds was, “That family needs time away together!” Understanding that Ashlee wouldn't qualify for a wish from a children's wish granting organization, Miles and Sharon found a gap they believe God was asking them to fill. Keaton taught us many things during his 6,858 days on earth, but generosity was near the top. His birthday and Christmas money repeatedly got shoved into a dresser drawer for safe keeping; then, when a worthy cause moved his emotions he would empty his money drawer completely. All who knew him marveled at that trait and learned from his example. Thus, it seemed fitting that as we prepared to gift Ashlee and her family precious time away from cancer together, we used Keaton's life savings to do so. Witnessing Ashlee and her family come home restored and full of hope was confirmation from the Lord that we were meant to continue creating ways for families battling cancer to get away together in honor of Keaton. God began to stir a strong passion in the Coker family's hearts to give to other families what they had been given regardless of the age of the cancer patient. Simply stated, they wanted to come alongside families walking through a cancer journey to help them make memories that transcend time. As our organization evolved, we began doing this by hosting weekend retreats at family-friendly resorts filled with comedy teams, musical entertainment, and inspirational speakers. We supply laughter when it is in short supply, infuse hope when circumstances look bleak, and provide families time together when cancer has stolen too much. Toward the end of his life, when cancer had stolen Keaton's ability to communicate verbally, he would respond to questions with a smile in his eye and the “thumbs up” sign. We loved his positive spirit, and we want our foundation to carry that positive focus into a world teeming with hurting families. Thus, Thumbs Up Mission was born.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21
