Prayer for Brooke

Update on Brooke as of 3/2/09

Thank you so much for your prayers. Brooke's platelet count was up to 64,000 Thursday. Normal is 200,000. So it has come up. We got as low as 7,000, which I don't know if you know this but anything below 20,000 can cause serious internal bleeds, especially in the brain. Please pray for Brooke's platelet count to continue to increase!

We have been on a roller coaster, up and down, but this is the 2nd highest number we've had. They first tried treating Brooke with an IVIG, which is intravenous gammaglobulin. They did 2 of these. They did not work, so now she is on a high dose of prednisone it's a steriod. So right now we're waiting to see if this will work. Please pray for God to give the doctors wisdom, insight, and discernment regarding Brooke's treatment, and pray for divine healing by the Great Physician, who can heal with just a touch.

Between the steriods and birth control (to control her periods) the side affects are crazy. Well I said all of that to say this, Brooke is going back to school Monday.. Needless to say I'm scared to death. She's been out for 3 weeks. I know I can't keep her in a bubble and I know we're going to have to learn to live with this but, I'm a mother and I'm worried. Really through all of this I've had a peace within me and I know she's in Gods hands.How great is that? Please pray for God's peace that surpasses all understanding for Brooke's mom and dad, and for His comfort to abound to them.

Please pray that this medicine will work, her platelets will come up and that she doesn't get hurt while they are low.Thank you so much!

Thanks so much for joining me in prayer for this precious young lady and her family...

Praying still...




Below is the original prayer request on February 25, 2009


Please be in prayer for the 13 year old daughter of a friend of mine. We went to church together before we moved, she is a lady who loves the Lord and is so quick to minister to others in need. I would love for as many of you as possible to join me in prayer for her, Kendall, her daughter Brooke, and their entire family (dad, 2 other daughters, and a son).

Below is an email I received from her today, I will update as I get more details...

Thank you so much for your prayers. We need them! I don't know what you've heard but Brooke my 13 year old has a blood disorder called ITP. It's crazy, it's a disorder that the doctors don't know alot about. Please check out caseyscause.org and read about, it's alot to explain. We feel like we've been on a roller coaster for 15 days. I know Brooke is in Gods hands but I can't help but to be scared to death. We go back to get more bloodwork on Thursday morning. Please keep in touch.

You can go here to Casey's Cause to read more about ITP...

Praying...

Prayer for Josiah Carrier

Update as of 2/26/09, from their caringbridge site...

We just got home, the surgery has been put off for two more weeks. Josiah developed a cough last night and the doctors were hesitant to put him under. I'll write more later but again thanks for your overwhelming support and prayers.

Update as of 2/25/09

Josiah will be having surgery to repair his skull in the morning. Please pray for his surgery and all involved. Down further in this post is a link to their caringbridge site if you want to visit there. Thanks so much for your prayers!

Update as of 1/13/09

We went to see Dr. Blount yesterday and discovered that Josiah will likely require surgery; the skull piece is deteriorating into calcium deposits and being harmlessly absorbed into the body. Over the next few weeks Dr. Blount will be weighing his options, trying to determine which course of action to take given the variables surrounding our son’s age, etc. We are scheduled to return on February the 2^nd and from there he’ll have likely charted a course of action.

Please visit this family's caringbridge site (you can click below to get there) to read more of their story and to be strengthen in your own faith as you see how they rely on God to get them through this time.
Thanks for the prayers!

If you want to be part of a miracle, just join us in continuing to praying for Josiah Carrier. He was miraculously healed by our Great Physician after suffering injuries from a TV falling on his head. His parents strong faith and the way they have and are handling this situation with their child, with total trust in God and open hands, is a wonderful testimony to our Lord and Savior. You can click here to read his story and to get updates, but let me warn you, if you go back and start at the beginning you will need a box of tissues at your side, so go grab a box! Thanks for the prayers!

Prayer for Baby Cora

Update...

Cora is now with Jesus.... I am so sad and heartbroken over this little one's death, and I did not even know them. Please join me in praying for her family as they mourn her death and adjust to life without their daughter... I can not even begin to imagine how they are feeling. Cora went to be with Jesus this past Sunday, the 8th... I feel horrible that I did not know that until now. I have not really felt like being on the computer this week and have not kept up with things as I normally do. You can go to their blog (link is in the paragraph below), and they have a link for anyone interested in hearing the celebration of her life. Thank you for joining me in prayer for this family.


Please be in prayer for Baby Cora.... she is a precious little girl who has just been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I can not imagine what her parents are experiencing right now... Please join me in lifting them to the throne of grace, and praying for our great and mighty God to heal her little body. You can visit them here....

Praying...

Prayer for Baby Harper

Update!!!! Praise God! Baby Harper is going home TODAY! She is going home with no tubes, wires, or monitors! She is now a healthy baby girl going home with her mom and dad! What an amazing God we serve... her parents were told only 20 days ago she may not live through the night. Thank you so for joining me in prayer for this precious little one, and rejoice with me now in these answered prayers!!


Please go to the sidebar and click on the button for Prayer for Harper. I have seen prayer requests for this precious newborn on several blogs I visit... would you join me in praying for her and her family. Thank you so much!

Continued Prayer for Jeremy and Johnna

For those of you who are coming here consistently to pray for others I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart! What an awesome privilege we have to be able to come before the throne of grace in times of need, whether it be for ourselves or for others... thank you for joining me in praying for these precious families!

For those who are praying for Jeremy and Johnna, they now have a blog that you can check out for updates and more specific prayer requests. I just wanted to share it with you so you can pray more specifically, and so you can personally leave them words of encouragement if you feel led to do so. To visit them click here....

Praying...

Praise Report for Pate Babies!

Praise God! The Pate babies... twin boys, James and John David, are scheduled to come home today! Please pray that all would go well today and they will come home! Also pray for a smooth transition for this family as mom and dad and the 3 sisters adjust to life with 2 little boys in the house! Thanks for all your prayers for this precious family. It is just amazing how God has worked in their lives! Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise Him!!!

Blessings!
Tricia

Prayer for Jeremy & Johnna

The following is a prayer request that I received through emails from our church we attended before we moved. I do not know this couple but their situation breaks my heart, would you please join me in lifting them and their unborn child up before the throne of God. Thank you so much!

Dear Friends,

We just wanted to thank you for your warm wishes and excitement regarding our pregnancy. We waited many years before starting our family and were thrilled to share our news over the past few months.

Just before Christmas break, Johnna’s OBGYN mentioned that the amniotic fluid appeared low and that she should return in a few weeks to check it again. At that time, we were informed that this could be due to dehydration. On December 30^th, we returned to the doctor to find that there was no fluid present and our doctor referred us to the Maternal/Fetal Medicine Clinic (UAB Health Systems). After seeing a doctor within this high-risk group on January 2^nd, we learned that our baby has “bilateral renal agenesis” which is the absence of kidneys, ureters and the accompanying arteries. This means that the baby cannot make amniotic fluid (which is the baby’s urine) and therefore will not have any fluid to help it’s lungs mature or grow for the rest of the pregnancy.

Our doctors expect the baby to go full term (or close to it) but its lung and kidney problems will not be allow it to live very long (typically only a 30 minutes but could be up to a few hours). Although we are devastated now, we know the worst is to come and are trying to prepare ourselves with each passing day. What should be the happiest time of our lives together has now become the saddest. Our doctors said the best thing for us to do is go about our normal routine, and that is what we will do as best we can. We're just trying to take it one day at a time...

Intellectually, we understand what is happening, but for us this is an emotional struggle and test of faith like we'd never thought possible. We will have another ultrasound at UAB on January 16^th and will be seen by the UAB physicians and our OBGYN for the remainder of Johnna’s pregnancy.

We know many of you are already praying for us and we feel those prayers everyday. If you wish, please pray specifically for the following:

1. That the baby be comfortable and pain-free during pregnancy and delivery (lack of fluid can cause space for the baby to be very compressed)
2. That we have AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE with our baby after delivery
3. That we know what to do regarding medical decisions before and after the birth

Please feel free to pass along our situation to others we know or don’t know (Sunday school prayer list, church prayer list, etc…).

Thank you for your friendship and prayers during this very difficult time.

Jeremy & Johnna