Thursday, September 20, 2018

The Heart Says It All

We have all heard the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words".  This picture shows you a happy young man who loves life and he doesn't judge "a book by its cover, but he loves a person by their character".

This is my nephew and he is a special person.  I can remember the day that my sister called to tell me that she was pregnant.  It was an exciting day for everyone.  My sister went the extra mile in taking care of herself.  She ate the foods that would assist in developing this babies body and she exercised to give her body the strength that she needed.  Her and her husband began to create the room for this special baby.  We just didn't realize at the time, how special Graham would be.

The family was waiting for Graham's arrival into this world.  That sweet, 6 pounds and 8 ounces was the sweetest picture.  He had his ten toes and his ten fingers.   After about two days in the hospital, my sister and brother-in-law went home with their baby boy.

The first day went okay, but after that things just didn't seem to be going the way they should.  Graham cried a lot and he couldn't gain weight.  Terri and Gary tried everything.

Four months later, Graham was scheduled for hernia surgery.  We all thought this was the answer.  He went into the hospital weighing 8 pounds and 2 ounces(this is 4 months later).

The surgery went well.  But when they were trying to wake him up from the surgery, he went into a code blue.  For some reason, he wasn't able to swallow.  This is when all doctors and nurses got on board and began to do various blood work and run other tests to figure out exactly what the situation was.

After a few days, Graham was diagnosed.  He has a chromosomal condition that can be classified as a monosomy 21(a deletion of the 21st chromosoma).  In addition, he has some extra of the 19th chromosoma.  When he was diagnosed at four months, he was a failure to thrive baby.  It was determined that he did not have the ability to swallow and manage food.  He had surgery to place a G-button for tube feeding, as well as a wrap on the esophagus to prevent reflux.

At this time, Terri and Gary were told told that there were not really any other cases like him.  In the few that were similar, the babies died.  We were told that Graham would never walk or talk and that he would be severely retarded.

Graham has defied the odds.  He does walk and run.  He is delayed in speech and social skills.  He does understand everything you say to him.  He is still tube fed and he eats very small bites of certain foods.  He gets his main calories from being tube fed.

At the time my sister got pregnant, she had left the corporate world.  She had been a Trainer for Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics for thirteen years.  To this day, she says her greatest success has been Graham.  I do believe that God had prepared Terri for working with Graham with her background in training.

Graham will be turning "21" this month.  Though small in size, he has a big heart.  Graham loves people, sports, having fun and of course playing on his laptop. He enjoys dressing up as Captain Marvel or any of the other Superheros.  And every once in a while he pops up in the room dressed as a Ninja Turtle.  All of this has been achieved through therapy, great teachers in school, Terri and Gary, and of course, all the prayers that have been lifted up for Graham throughout the last 21 years.

A big dance party is being planned to celebrate Graham's life.  All of his family, friends and friends from school will be attending.  I can hardly wait to watch him open up his cards.  He loves opening up cards with a dollar bill inside of them.  That one dollar means the world to him.

When you are having a bad day or wondering why life is the way that it is, I want you to stop and to think of Graham and say a prayer for him.  Know that God is there and He is with you each step of the way.   Do a heart with your hands and know that you are loved!  Remember God has a plan for each of our lives.



Sunday, September 9, 2018

God is Alive!

As I look at this sunset, I know that God is alive!  The rays from the sunset show me how He shines.  He is at work, even though at times I wonder.  My heart has been so heavy burden lately.   I talk with someone and find out that a family member or good friend has a serious health condition.  I begin to pray for this person and I pray for healing.  I know God heals.  I have seen people that were healed and then there were others that were not healed.  Why didn't God heal them on earth?  This is so hard to comprehend.  All I know is that I need to trust Him and know that He heals in His timing, either here on earth or with Him.

When I read Psalms 139:13-16, I know that God created each one of us.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.  I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

These verses are showing me that God knew me before I was even conceived.  If He knew me then, He knows me now.  Any health issues or challenges in one's life, God already knew about before anyone else did.  This is telling me to "let go and let God".  Let God do what God knows and does best.  "His love is eternal and his faithfulness lasts forever".

I am praying and I am asking God to heal each individual.   I am also asking that God will give each person a peace among their family and that they will feel God's presence and know that God is in control.

As I wake up each morning and see the beautiful sunrise, may I ask for the direction that I need for that day.  And at the end of the day as I see the sunset, may I thank God for this day and what He has provided for me.

I know that each day there is a sunrise and a sunset.   May I also remember that God is the alpha and the omega!