Thursday, January 17, 2008

Nathan & Tricia Update

Wednesday's update from Nathan at http://www.cfhusband.blogspot.com/:
Tricia is doing well today. They are weaning her off the last of the sedatives. I'm not sure what to expect.

Gwyneth is doing well. Was a little unstable this morning, but a slight adjustment with her breathing tube has her happy and healthy.
Today I was introduced to another tiny preemie who needs prayer support. His name is Kyle, and you can visit his parents' blog at http://thesherrillstory.blogspot.com/

As some of you know, two of our children spent time in the NICU as newborns. (In fact, updates from Owen's days in the NICU are still posted on our original website at http://stepega.tripod.com/id15.html.) Yet neither of them was there for this extended time of months upon months, where you get to know the other babies' families and celebrate and grieve along with them. Both Nathan in his blog and Kelly (Kyle's mom) in her blog have shared the stories of other parents walking this tentative, unknown path along with them. In a recent post describing her sorrow over several babies in her son's "pod" who have not survived, Kelly wrote something that spoke to me as a reader and observer of these stories - something I felt worth sharing with all of you:
when we first made kyle's site shauna was going to put a pic up of him. I was hesitant b/c I did not want people (and I quote) to be able to shed only one tear for my son and then turn around and do their dishes. as if he never existed. Shauna looked at me and said "Kelly... you do that every day." (you gotta love honesty!) she is right. I wanted people to be changed and moved by God AND to care enough to fight for him and pray for him. If they were not going to be then I did not want them to have the privilege to sit and watch my horror but do nothing and not even be changed. How often am I a spectator with my mouth gaped open at what the enemy dishes out or what the world brings (however you want to say it) I might even turn to my friend and use it as dinner conversation and then I go do my dishes and forget.

my horror now comes b/c I can not escape.

Dear God - please never let me forget. Even when my life lets me walk away from this pain and into joy. Never let me forget these people. these people that hurt. the people that you love. these people that need and hurt and ache for joy and hope and peace.