Dear friends,
Liam is still in the hospital recovering from this latest gut infection and pancreatitis. He is on total gut rest and TPN (IV calories), and they are closely monitoring him for any signs of needing surgical intervention. He seems to be doing a little bit better each day. He has been vomiting less and less and has started walking again. One concern, however, is that his bowels have temporarily shut down and he has been constipated for the past couple of days. The constipation is causing a lot of discomfort and belly pain. Unfortunately, it’s not safe to administer any sort of constipation remedy at this time, so please pray that it resolves on its own soon, and that his gut heals completely.
This unexpected gut infection has really caught us off guard. In fact, his medical team was also baffled by his symptoms. He wasn’t supposed to get any more of these types of infections during the maintenance phase. His blood counts are great. We are done with all of the intense treatment. Unfortunately, it appears that Liam’s gut hadn’t fully healed from the chemotherapy he received in January. The lining of his intestines is weak and permeable. They believe that a stomach virus (which one of our kids had last week) caused this extreme reaction in his body.
Needless to say, we are disheartened by yet another rare complication. Liam has already had his fair share of those. He is discouraged and sad to be in the hospital again when he thought he’d be home for good.
The morning that Ben took Liam to the ER, I sat on the couch and began to cry. My two other sweet little ones came around me and held me. Jack, our normally rambunctious and unruly wild child, began to remind me of God's truth.“Mama! Why you cryin? God can do any-ting. He is sooooooo big. You fo-got dat.”
Then Lily chimed in with her encouragement.
“Yea, Mom. God already knew this was going to happen. He has a plan.”
I was so thankful for their faith and comfort. Please continue to pray that the Lord would strengthen our hearts and that we would see His goodness through the fog of adversity. Pray for Liam’s healing and encouragement.
I will continue to pray for Liam - Superman- and for you all. Hold tight to each other and live each other ❤️Barb the office
I’m truly sorry you all are going through this. My heart is with you all ❤️ the hearts of children are so inspiring. You both have done a remarkable job in raising your beautiful children. ❤️🙏🏻❤️
Kathy and I (from CC Philly) are praying for Liam and your family each day. Thanks for this update.
Heartbroken as well, forgetting also dat God has a plan and He is sooooooo big. Love you!!!
What a gift our kids can be, especially when reminding us of Truth. We'll be praying for y'all's family and for immediate and miraculous healing!
I can picture you with Jack and Lilly applying lessons they learned from you and Ben. Your tears and Liam's sad face connect deeply. And we cry out, "How long, O Lord?" and do our best to replace the "Why, Lord?" with "What now, Lord?" May the crying of lament be mixed with the praise for His goodness as this battle of good and bad continue
Crying along with you as the journey is overwhelming. Asking the Lord to sustain your family and do a work of healing in Liam's gut. Thankful for the reminder through the childlike faith of your kids that God is bigger, God is sovereign, and God is good. As I walk alongside my own adult child who is on a similar journey as Liam, my heart breaks for all that your little one endures. It is so important to remind ourselves of who God is.
Thank you for sharing your journey. Lily's words ministered to my heart this morning. "Yea Mom. GOD already knew this was going to happen. He has a plan." What a needed reminder that we are not forgotten, that every trial is part of the story - part of our refining process - and that JESUS is the author and finisher of our faith.
We pray daily for you all dear sister. You are all loved, we are here if you need us.