Let the healing begin...

"For I am the Lord that healeth thee" Exodus 15:26

We serve a mighty and awesome God!

Here is a picture of one of Chance's therapy...he practices sticking out his tongue to help him eat food and speak. He couldn't do this about several weeks ago but now he's doing it! Glory to God!

There is a song that goes like this....I am the God that healeth thee, I am the Lord your healer, I sent my word and healed your disease...I am the Lord your healer.

It's been almost three weeks since Chance has been in the rehab and I tell you God has been so good. Chance has been improving slowly but surely. In the picture above he is trying to whistle for his grandma (Dale). Just a few weeks ago he couldn't really even pucker up his lips and now he's doing it! Praise God! Thank God for all of the hard working speech therapists that have been working with him. Chance has been going to therapy everyday from about 7:30 am till around 3:30 pm with breaks in between. The other day his mom asked him to say his alphabets to his dad and he did it! He even remembers his mom and dads cellular phone numbers! How amazing is the power of God! Randy, his dad asked him, "Chance, what is 1+1 and he said 2," and then he asked him, "Chance what is 5+5 and he said 10." His mom told him to count and he did, all the way up to 20! What a mighty God we serve!
The other day his auntie Gina asked him to put his hand into hers and he slowly lifted up his hand and put it into her hand. God is healing Chance one day at a time. It's just amazing to see the power of God at work.
Chance has come a long way from when he first went into PICU all the way up till now. Just looking back and seeing what the Lord has done is such a wonderful blessing. Everything that the doctors and neurologists said that Chance would never do, God by the power of his Holy Spirit has just totally miraculously done the very opposite. Let the whole earth be filled with the Glory of the Lord!
What an awesome God we serve! Oh the Glory of HIS Presence! Thanks to everyone for their continual prayers. Thank you all for your love, warmth, and support. We appreciate every prayer lifted up for Chance and his family. Please continue to pray for a speedy recovery and covering for Chance. Please pray that the Lord would continue to grace Chance's parents with the gift of Faith. That the Lord would keep them and strengthen them as well as encourage their hearts. Also for Randy's wife Mimi who is back on Maui caring for the rest of Chance's brothers and sisters. That the Lord would strengthen her and keep her as well. Please pray that the Lord would open the doors financially so that the medical expenses would be taken care of.
Please pray for the many others who have been or are going through similar experiences.
Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement and for all the prayers that are being lifted up around the world. God Bless

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalms 103:2-5

Moving on to a new step of faith...

"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." --Romans 8:28



Yesterday, Chane had a very special visitor, Bryan Clay, Olympic Gold Medalist and local boy from Kaneohe. Bryan is a very warm and caring individual. He and Chance got to spend a little bit of time together. On Sept. 1, 2008 when Chance was admitted to Kapiolani Hospital his prognosis was very grim. He spent a little over two weeks in PICU then was moved to the Wilcox Ward. Each day the progress that Chance had made has been nothing short of miraculous. He is currently not connected to anything (IV's, tubes, etc.). His G-Tube installed on October 6, 2008 is working well and his meds and feedings are being administered through that. Most of the medications he was on for various reason have now stopped except that which is absolutely necessary (ie. seizure medicine, muscle relaxers, and he is still on Diazapan as needed).

Last night, Chance received a phone call from Ana and a group of family friends on Maui. His face lit up and he was smiling as he listened to each person tell him how much they loved and missed him. They played some music for him and he enjoyed every minute of that phone call. Thank you so much for calling from Maui and making Chance's night! He was responding in the conversation and smiling from ear to ear.

Today is a very exciting day for Chance as he will be moved from Kapiolani Hospital to Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific on Kuakini St. in Honolulu at 11:00 am. [http://www.rehabhospital.org/] We are very excited about this move! It means that Chance will have the best Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapies available to him as he continues on the road of progress. There will be much hard work to be done by Chance, Randy and Tanya. At the rehab hospital, Chance will have at least one hour of each PT/OT/ST a day broken up into smaller chunks of time depending on his physical ability. It it s huge blessing to witness this move and a HUGE step of progress for Chance.

A special thank you to all the doctors, nurses, therapists, and staff at Kapiolani Hospital. You have been professional, loving, and caring. Thank you for being a part of Chance's life and standing with him through this trail.

The prayers of the saints and the Lord Jesus have made all the difference in this recovery process. Your prayers are so valuable to Chance and his family. We cannot thank you enough and also ask that you continue to stand in the gap for Chance and he takes another leap of faith at the Rehab Hospital of the Pacific.

Truly, "We know that ALL things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"For with God nothing shall be impossible." Luke 1:37

Today Chance went to therapy in a wheel chair. He even got a new hair cut thanks to Tammy. Chance's therapy went well. He got to stay in the wheel chair for about an hour or so. He is still smiling and cracking up everytime we see him. The nurse today saw Chance in the wheel chair and said "Wow, it's a miracle." I believe with all my heart that Chance will be a testimony of the awesome working power of God....he already is! Praise God!
Thank you to everyone for all your continued prayers. They are greatly appreciated.

"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Truly the Lord has been gracious to Chance. He is definately answering our prayers.

I would like to thank everyone who has been praying for Chance and our family. Please continue to keep Chance in your prayers. The word of God says, "If you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." John 14:14.

The surgery went well and Chance has a G-tube inserted into his stomach. He is slowly learning how to use his tongue and lips when eating his baby food. His mom even tried giving him some ice-cream and boy, does he like it!

Chance has been working with the Physical Therapist in many different ways...this is one of them. He is kept secure while standing with his dad and the PT. Chance is amazingly making alot of progress each and everyday. He can hear you when you talk to him. He even tries to respond back by talking. With alot of speech therapy and just learning how to communicate all over again, he'll be just like before. Chance will be leaving Kapiolani Hospital on Thursday and will be going to the Rehabilitation Center in Liliha. He will be working out alot with the Physical Therapists. Please pray for a speedy recovery. Chance is cheerfully taking a picture with his cousin Faith. He has Seanelle's hat on in this picture.

Today Chance got to taste some strawberry sour belts (his favorite) from his mom. He really likes it better than the baby food. Hopefully he'll be able to eat some steak and lobster soon. Chance is always smiling and laughing. The other day one of the nurses came in and started to talk to him and even ended up singing to him. He just started cracking up laughing uncontrolably. It is such a joy and a blessing to see him smiling and laughing. Sometimes it's almost as if he's playing with the angels. He can move his feet when you ask him to. He is responding well.

Chance has lost some weight and we would like to ask that you pray for proper nutrition, weight gain, and strength. Total recovery in Jesus name!

"The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation." Exodus 15:2

Hold Fast to the Lord...

"But you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now." --Joshua 23:8

October 6, 2008

Mahalo nui loa for continuing to stand in prayer with us for Chance.

It's been a daily walk with Jesus and settling into a routine.

Today, Monday, around 4-5pm time Chance will go into surgery to have a gastric tube placed into his abdomen [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feeding_tube]. The feeding tube he has been fed by since coming to the hospital needs to be removed (through his nose into his stomach). It is a temporary solution and not meant to be in a patient for extended periods of time.

Chance is continuing to improve! He is still smiling and laughing. He started to track voices with his eyes and move his neck to follow the voices as well. This week they will be ramping up the Physical Therapy, Occupational therapy and Speech Therapy to prepare Chance to be moved to Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific. Chance needs to be able to go through 3 hours a day of PT/OT/ST. Not three hours straight....just throughout the day broken down into smaller segments depending on his progress.

He is trying to communicate with us. He get grunts to let us know when he needs to be changed and when he is uncomfortable. We are starting to pick up on his clues, cues and needs. He started eating a little bit of baby food. Yesterday, he had five whole spoonfuls. He is learning how to eat all over again. Not sure he likes the baby food, he kinda grimaces when he is eating it. Once the feeding tube is out of his nose we hope it will help him to eat better through his mouth. The feeding tubes can be very uncomfortable and slow down his progress with feeding by mouth.

The other day his cousin Seanelle, Tanya and I were in the room with him. He was resting and then woke up and we had him laughing so hard his shoulder was shaking. Chance really likes Selena's music, during physical therapy they played one of her CD's and he was smiling really big! The PT asked him to tap his foot and he was tapping with the music!

Each day there has been a little blessing from the Lord for Chance. Continue to pray for Chance and his family as we settle into a routine and move down the road of progress.

Each of your prayers have meant so much to Chance. The Lord is hearing them and we are being sustained by them daily. You are a blessing to us. Thank you for continuing on this journey with us.

Pray for:

• Today sometime between 4-5pm Chance will be in surgery in have the gastric tube placed.
• His continued healing
• Great success with all the Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy that he is doing.
• Pray for the finances and the medical bills they are mounting
• Wisdom and discernment for Tanya and Randy in all decisions that need to be made for Chance's medical care.
  

Pray for others:

• Maddie's surgery went well and they are flying back to Maui today. They will need to come back to Oahu for a one-day procedure Oct 15, 2008. Please pray that will go smoothly too!
• Michael in his continuing battle with Leukemia at Kaiser Moanalua
  
• Brittany as she is now at St. Francis Hospital
• Samantha for continued progress in healing from her stomach infection
• Pray for all the Doctors, Nurses and staff at Kapiolani Hospital--they have been wonderful.

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings." -Malachi 4:2