Reposting from last night for those who might not have seen it. I haven’t seen any new information since my first post.
Friends, would you please pray urgently for the little baby girl of two young friends of mine? Her medical situation is dire. Her name is Samantha, her parents are John and Ellie, and she has a five-year-old sister named Norah.
Samantha was born in June with a severe condition and has lived in the hospital ever since, hooked up to all kinds of equipment and going through a couple surgeries. She had been making good progress but has taken a turn for the worse in the last couple days.
Five hours ago her parents posted: “Please pray. Sam is not doing well at all, and they’re basically out of escalation options. She has been stable for the last 20 minutes, but things are very very tenuous right now.” A couple hours later they followed up with, “Still hanging on, still very tenuous. Root issue here is the [pulmonary] hypertension. Still extremely touchy.”
For those who want medical detail, Samantha has congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Her diaphragm was not completely formed, and her abdominal organs grew up into the chest cavity, severely hindering the development of her heart and lungs. She was diagnosed in utero and was born in a hospital with world-class neonatal care, so everyone was well-prepared before she was born to fight for her life when she arrived.
Her situation has always been touch and go, two steps forward, one step back, but everyone was encouraged by her progress. She was hooked up to fewer and fewer tubes and wires, taken off the ventilator, and needing less medication.
Since Friday she has had to go back on the ventilator, and her CO2 levels have been climbing. The pulmonary hypertension that has always been a problem seems much worse right now
Cheryl, thank you for asking about Samantha’s parents. They are both strong believers. Ellie grew up in our church. John came to faith in his teens. They’re in their early 30s now.
Samantha was diagnosed in utero, so John and Ellie shared with the church on a Sunday morning the challenges they would face when she was born.
Samantha has had ups and downs since her birth, but her overall progress was better than expected. As recently as Thursday her parents posted that “the docs are are super happy with Sam right now.” So it’s been a shock that she so abruptly started going downhill on Friday.
Just keep us updated Kevin. I prayed for her and her parents today,. Will continue throughout the day.
God may deliver her to her parents.
Then, He may deliver them from greater heartbreak later.
He knows what He’s doing.
Sometimes I forget that.
In our world Adorable #3 starts kindergarten today and her mom A is having a hard time letting that first one go. The Adorable is so excited and charming and smart, we have no worries about her.
But mom is up against some tough grieving right now–her first babe going out into the world, but also coming up on the September due date of the baby she lost. Her second child will celebrate birthday #3 on or about the due date.
We’re loving her and she’s getting some counseling on the miscarriage, but this is something she has to work through her own soul and heart. She’s a sweetheart and a clear thinking logical type. Please pray for her if she comes to mind.
Prayers this week for my friend K who is an experienced, dedicated, hard-working public school teacher who is crushed by anxiety and worry (t the point of feeling physically ill) whenever she returns to the classroom each fall (especially as she currently has no permanent assignment at a school, so there are unknowns as the school year beings — what school she’ll be at, what grade she’ll be teaching; she’s big on preparation so a good part of her worry is not being able to really prepare — although even when she had regular assignments she worried herself sick).
I’m one who needs to mentally/emotionally prepare for whatever it is I have to do. Nightingale’s jobs have involved getting called in at the last minute or not having a week’s schedule until the week is about to begin, & I have found that difficult to deal with.
Flexibility is not my strong suit, but God has continually put me in situations where I have to be flexible.
K is a believer, though she’s RC and doesn’t have a lot of straight Bible knowledge (she told me that she just learned — from her daughter who’s married to a Muslim and is now leaning that way herself I suspect — that she should camp out in the Psalms for her worry issues; the kids went to Catholic school growing up which also is where K got her start in teaching so many years ago).
I gave her a couple Christian books on worry (Elyse Fitzpatrick & John McArthur) when I visited last week, she’s reading those and has been gushing about how helpful they’ve been as she prepared for this week’s start of school.
She’s always been a worrier — but it now it seems to be more and more physically taking its toll in her not being able to eat and feeling physically ill. So more than worry, really it’s some very deep anxiety that takes over during these periods.
Kevin, a family in my church in Chicago dealt with very much the same situation, the difference being they didn’t know their daughter had heart problems until she was born. But she kept “beating the odds” and living a little longer, surviving one more procedure and one more surgery, and they began to hope she might survive. They had a few weeks with her (with her hospitalized and hooked up to tubes the whole time). Doctors and nurses came to our church for her funeral, and our pastor preached Christ and emphasized how even her very short life showed God’s glory, and how patient the little one was in suffering.
It’s a stark thing to see an infant-sized casket, though. But we can pray that her death might be the means God uses to bring others to Himself. And that her parents will know the comfort only He can bring, and will be brought closer together in this loss and not torn apart.
Need prayer. I somehow strained my back about a week ago. I was being careful, and the strain was recovering. Well, eldest sibling and family have come for a visit, and I made the mistake of lifting my three-year-old nephew yesterday when he needed some intervention at church. Now, my spine feels like a column of fire. I move to the city next week…
Kim, Last Saturday, Chuck had to attend the funeral of the thirty year old son of a friend of his.
He used to sing in the youth choir. He died of an overdose.
Very sad. They said, “They should be attending his wedding.”
I can’t understand how people can watch what happens to other people and still let it get to them.
I may have told you this before. But:
I never took up the habit of smoking.
We were practically encouraged to smoke in basic training. On our marches we always had a ten minute break every hour. The flight sergeant would say, “Rest, light them up if you have them or can bum them.” But I kept noticing all my friends who were trying to quit smoking. So? I never started. I wasn’t being good , it was good sense that kept me from cigarettes.
I did smoke a cigar occasionally. Just when I was drinking, which was seldom.
Unfortunately, the pull to use the drug etc. is so strong that even being close to death yourself doesn’t seem to discourage some users from going back to it. It is so heartbreaking to watch and be so helpless. I cannot imagine facing it without the gift of faith, hope and prayer.
Wandering Views 
Reposting from last night for those who might not have seen it. I haven’t seen any new information since my first post.
Friends, would you please pray urgently for the little baby girl of two young friends of mine? Her medical situation is dire. Her name is Samantha, her parents are John and Ellie, and she has a five-year-old sister named Norah.
Samantha was born in June with a severe condition and has lived in the hospital ever since, hooked up to all kinds of equipment and going through a couple surgeries. She had been making good progress but has taken a turn for the worse in the last couple days.
Five hours ago her parents posted: “Please pray. Sam is not doing well at all, and they’re basically out of escalation options. She has been stable for the last 20 minutes, but things are very very tenuous right now.” A couple hours later they followed up with, “Still hanging on, still very tenuous. Root issue here is the [pulmonary] hypertension. Still extremely touchy.”
For those who want medical detail, Samantha has congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Her diaphragm was not completely formed, and her abdominal organs grew up into the chest cavity, severely hindering the development of her heart and lungs. She was diagnosed in utero and was born in a hospital with world-class neonatal care, so everyone was well-prepared before she was born to fight for her life when she arrived.
Her situation has always been touch and go, two steps forward, one step back, but everyone was encouraged by her progress. She was hooked up to fewer and fewer tubes and wires, taken off the ventilator, and needing less medication.
Since Friday she has had to go back on the ventilator, and her CO2 levels have been climbing. The pulmonary hypertension that has always been a problem seems much worse right now
Please pray. Thanks.
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Cheryl, thank you for asking about Samantha’s parents. They are both strong believers. Ellie grew up in our church. John came to faith in his teens. They’re in their early 30s now.
Samantha was diagnosed in utero, so John and Ellie shared with the church on a Sunday morning the challenges they would face when she was born.
Samantha has had ups and downs since her birth, but her overall progress was better than expected. As recently as Thursday her parents posted that “the docs are are super happy with Sam right now.” So it’s been a shock that she so abruptly started going downhill on Friday.
Still no news since my first post.
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Just keep us updated Kevin. I prayed for her and her parents today,. Will continue throughout the day.
God may deliver her to her parents.
Then, He may deliver them from greater heartbreak later.
He knows what He’s doing.
Sometimes I forget that.
LikeLiked by 2 people
So very sorry and certainly praying.
In our world Adorable #3 starts kindergarten today and her mom A is having a hard time letting that first one go. The Adorable is so excited and charming and smart, we have no worries about her.
But mom is up against some tough grieving right now–her first babe going out into the world, but also coming up on the September due date of the baby she lost. Her second child will celebrate birthday #3 on or about the due date.
We’re loving her and she’s getting some counseling on the miscarriage, but this is something she has to work through her own soul and heart. She’s a sweetheart and a clear thinking logical type. Please pray for her if she comes to mind.
Thanks.
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This touched my Mommy heart this morning:
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Prayers this week for my friend K who is an experienced, dedicated, hard-working public school teacher who is crushed by anxiety and worry (t the point of feeling physically ill) whenever she returns to the classroom each fall (especially as she currently has no permanent assignment at a school, so there are unknowns as the school year beings — what school she’ll be at, what grade she’ll be teaching; she’s big on preparation so a good part of her worry is not being able to really prepare — although even when she had regular assignments she worried herself sick).
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Michelle – Is A a believer?
DJ – Is K a believer?
I’m one who needs to mentally/emotionally prepare for whatever it is I have to do. Nightingale’s jobs have involved getting called in at the last minute or not having a week’s schedule until the week is about to begin, & I have found that difficult to deal with.
Flexibility is not my strong suit, but God has continually put me in situations where I have to be flexible.
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Yes on A.
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Amen.
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K is a believer, though she’s RC and doesn’t have a lot of straight Bible knowledge (she told me that she just learned — from her daughter who’s married to a Muslim and is now leaning that way herself I suspect — that she should camp out in the Psalms for her worry issues; the kids went to Catholic school growing up which also is where K got her start in teaching so many years ago).
I gave her a couple Christian books on worry (Elyse Fitzpatrick & John McArthur) when I visited last week, she’s reading those and has been gushing about how helpful they’ve been as she prepared for this week’s start of school.
She’s always been a worrier — but it now it seems to be more and more physically taking its toll in her not being able to eat and feeling physically ill. So more than worry, really it’s some very deep anxiety that takes over during these periods.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your prayers for Samantha. She is gone. Please keep praying for her parents. They wrote 15 minutes ago:
Samantha passed into the arms of the Father this morning.
We got to hold her for a while, which was nice.
Her systems were shutting down, and she was slowly edging towards the end, each recovery taking a bit longer, and each low point a bit lower.
We are resting right now, since we didn’t sleep much last night.
I’ll write more later. For now, pray for peace, grace, comfort, and wisdom to deal with unwanted logistics.
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Kevin, a family in my church in Chicago dealt with very much the same situation, the difference being they didn’t know their daughter had heart problems until she was born. But she kept “beating the odds” and living a little longer, surviving one more procedure and one more surgery, and they began to hope she might survive. They had a few weeks with her (with her hospitalized and hooked up to tubes the whole time). Doctors and nurses came to our church for her funeral, and our pastor preached Christ and emphasized how even her very short life showed God’s glory, and how patient the little one was in suffering.
It’s a stark thing to see an infant-sized casket, though. But we can pray that her death might be the means God uses to bring others to Himself. And that her parents will know the comfort only He can bring, and will be brought closer together in this loss and not torn apart.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Need prayer. I somehow strained my back about a week ago. I was being careful, and the strain was recovering. Well, eldest sibling and family have come for a visit, and I made the mistake of lifting my three-year-old nephew yesterday when he needed some intervention at church. Now, my spine feels like a column of fire. I move to the city next week…
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Our prayers for the family, Kevin. I am happy they know the Lord and got to hold their little one. I know their grief will still be great.
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Please pray for the oldest son of a less than a friend more than an acquainance of mine. He is a drug addicts and is breaking his mother’s heart.
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Kim, Last Saturday, Chuck had to attend the funeral of the thirty year old son of a friend of his.
He used to sing in the youth choir. He died of an overdose.
Very sad. They said, “They should be attending his wedding.”
I can’t understand how people can watch what happens to other people and still let it get to them.
I may have told you this before. But:
I never took up the habit of smoking.
We were practically encouraged to smoke in basic training. On our marches we always had a ten minute break every hour. The flight sergeant would say, “Rest, light them up if you have them or can bum them.” But I kept noticing all my friends who were trying to quit smoking. So? I never started. I wasn’t being good , it was good sense that kept me from cigarettes.
I did smoke a cigar occasionally. Just when I was drinking, which was seldom.
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And this makes me wonder … ? (with regard to my friend):
http://www.challies.com/articles/some-things-you-should-know-about-christians-who-struggle-with-anxiety
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Unfortunately, the pull to use the drug etc. is so strong that even being close to death yourself doesn’t seem to discourage some users from going back to it. It is so heartbreaking to watch and be so helpless. I cannot imagine facing it without the gift of faith, hope and prayer.
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Fallen human nature and a fallen world, Chas
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