Prayer Needs

There has been much on our hearts recently, and foremost there has been a pressing need to pray for our loved ones.  Here are our top 2 prayer requests as of late.

1. I mentioned a few posts back that our father was suffering from mysterious swelling.  Once he and our mother arrived back to the states, his conditioned worsened.  After many appointments, the doctors suspected cancer.  But we are thankful that this week, the doctors diagnosed his cancer to be Lymphoma and not Lung Cancer and thus, a better prognosis.  They also extracted more than half a gallon of fluid from his lungs and now, he is able to breathe on his own and feel much more comfortable overall.  However, along with the cancer, they found a very rare inflammation/infection in his lungs.  This makes treatment for the cancer tricky, since the chemotherapy may exacerbate this issue.  So we are praying for the doctors, that God would grant them wisdom in coming up with the best way to treat his condition.  The hard part for us is just being so far away from them (they live in Maryland) and not being able to take care of them.  But we are so thankful for Mike and Miriam's parents and their unwavering faith and trust in the Lord during this time.

2. I met my friend, Keri, at Marcus' Blind Children's school.  Her second daughter, Olivia, was treated by the same OT as Marcus, and so many of their sessions overlapped and we got to know each other.  Olivia, who will be 3 soon, was a premature baby born at 24 weeks gestation.  Although she has low vision and some other delays not uncommon to prematurity, she is a walking miracle.  Her first few months of life were spent in the NICU and every week was a rollercoaster where her survival at stake.  But today, she is making great strides and a precious gift to her family and to all who know her!

Keri and I found out that each of us was pregnant with our 3rd and were surprised to know that we were due within a week of each other.  However, a few weeks ago, she was having signs of preterm labor and was admitted to the hospital for steroid injections for the baby's lungs in case she was born early.  While she was there, her water broke and Jaquelynn was born at 25 weeks gestation.  Needless to say, it's been a heartbreaking time for Keri and her family.  But we are thankful that Baby Jaquelynn is doing well and that she even avoided a heart surgery this week that the doctors thought they would have to perform.  If you could remember her in your prayers, please also pray for Olivia, who will find out tomorrow if she will need yet another eye surgery of her own.  The family is holding up despite the tumultuous ups and downs of caring for the baby and the other two girls, but they appreciate anyone and everyone's prayers!