hope

Yesterday I e-mailed Jennifer, who is the mother of Spencer, a little boy with Spina Bifida. We've been e-mailing occasionally for about a year now... I met her (online) when I first started researching stem cell therapy for the treatment of SB. She had just started looking into it herself, and found out about a hospital in China that is already treating people (using stem cells) who have all kinds of problems, including Spina Bifida! Jennifer told me that she was thinking about re-financing her home in order to afford to take Spencer to China for SCT (stem cell therapy) this summer!

So, since Josiah's birth is approaching, and my thoughts have been geared toward raising the funds for his cord blood to be banked for James, I decided to e-mail Jennifer and see if she was still planning on taking Spencer to China this summer...

It's a good thing I e-mailed when i did!! they are leaving for China in less than 2 weeks! She sent me a link to their blog page where they will document Spencer's amazing journey in China, getting stem cell treatments for his Spina Bifida. Here it is: http://stemcellschina.com/blog/SpencerT/

Needless to say, I am VERY excited to see what happens with Spencer, and EXTREMELY interested in how SCT will affect his life, and possibly bring some healing to his body! We have hope that it will, and look with expectation and anticipation at a bright and joyful future!

As for James, we are banking Josiah's cord blood and waiting to see if any clinical trials open up here in the U.S. that he might be eligible for first. It is our hope that having a sibling's cord blood banked will give him a greater chance of being eligible when clinical trials do start taking place. (PRAY that it would happen soon!!)

This is an exciting journey, and we give praise to God alone, even now, for the ways that He will show His faithfuness, might, wonder, beauty, power, and sovereignty through all of this! Glory be to Him alone!

Josiah: The Lord has brought healing!

In the meantime, we continue to live with the harsh realities of SB... tomorrow my mom and I take James to Sac for an MRI, and we will see the neuro-surgeon to discuss whether or not to proceed with surgery to drain and shunt his cyst. This would be surgery #6 for James, and it doesn't get any easier :( In fact, as James gets older, it seems even harder.

Because of the anesthesia, James can't eat at all tomorrow, until after the MRI. It is scheduled for 1pm, and it will take about 3 hours. Then he can eat, and then we will see Dr. Ciricillo. It's going to be very difficult. Also, in the past, they have had a really dificult time finding his vein to start an IV, and it is excruciating to watch James be poked again and again (no wonder he has "white coat syndrome" and hates doctors!) .... I spoke with the anesthesiologist tonight, and he said that he will personally place James' IV tomorrow (which is great!) ...

Just pray for us when you think of us tomorrow. It is going to be a very long day, and I'm not really looking forward to it AT ALL. I love that boy so much, and I hate to make him do all of this stuff when he has no idea why he has to, or HOW it could possibly be good for him, or even necessary....

By the way, we started the projects and devotions that i ordered for Lent from familieswithpurpose.com and they are really neat. James is so cute, and I am so excited for him to learn the truth behind Easter... how he has a sweet Savior, JESUS (the true and ultimate One who brings healing!) who gave his very life for him - and who has suffered waaaaaaaay beyond our "light and momentary" trials, and who will come and take us HOME someday, where James (and all of us!) will have a new and perfect (hallelujah!) body!