Prayer Requests

Dearest Family and Friends,

How good it is to read your comments each day and your love messages to Shea and the family! We are all taking a corner of Shea's mat, as it were, and like the men in Mark 2 who lowered their friend through the roof, we are taking our Shea to Jesus. Judging from what we are hearing, every hour someone somewhere is praying for her.

Since we know that you are checking the blog so that you can pray specifically for Shea, we'd like to enumerate some requests. Steve asked me last night to ask you to pray about the following three things:

1. Weaning Shea from the ventilator. Gradually the ventilator will be dialed down, and she will be doing more and more of the work of breathing. Pray that her body adjusts to this weaning.

2. Weaning Shea from her medications. She has, of course, been on some heavy sedatives and pain killers. Weaning her from these must be done carefully with the least discomfort to her. Please pray that she will have no long-term dependence on these drugs.

3. The possibility of brain injury. There are so many unknowns with Shea right now. Until she is totally conscious, the full extent of her injuries will not be known. Naturally, the family is concerned about this, so we would request prayer that God would continue the healing He has so wonderfully begun and that He would give a renewed sense of the nearness of God to the family.

It's important for everyone to know that we are all thrilled with Shea's progress, but we know that may be a long road ahead. Susan and Steve will need endurance for all that will be required of them. At this point they don't know what the future holds, but they keep reminding themselves to rest in the One Who is already there.

In addition to these requests for Shea, it's important too that we continue to lift up Susan, Steve, Luke and Jesse in prayer. As was reported yesterday, Steve is sick with the flu. As the head of his family, his responsibilies are enormous and can lay heavy on his heart. Susan and the boys are fighting off colds. Last night Susan looked so weary after she came back from the hospital that I did what any big sister would do: I sent her to bed! She didn't resist. (She's always been such a good little sister!) The physical as well as the spiritual and emotional weariness are a natural part of a crisis like this, and we need to remember to pray faithfully.

I am at the Ronald McDonald House where we have access to the computer. Susan hasn't left Shea's side because Shea is so restless, drifting in and out of consciousness. Susan told me that nurse Laura encouraged her to continue to tell Shea what has happened to her each time she wakes up and seems to want to communicate. Then Shea will go back to sleep and wake up again and again. Each time Susan is to tell her the same thing. Eventually it will sink in and Shea will remember. When I asked Susan how she would know that Shea is remembering, she said that Laura assured her that Shea's body language will say, "Okay, I know." She will react in an almost angry manner, probably more frustrated than angry. Laura said to Susan, "You will know."

Susan just called again and said that Shea is quite emotional today, crying every time Susan talks with her. By crying, we don't mean sobbing, but there are tears in her eyes, and you can tell from her nose and mouth that she is struggling with deep emotion. Susan said that Grandpa Anderson is by Shea's side. She reached up and put her arms weakly around his neck. He leaned over, returning her hug, and put his face next to her cheek. He whispered to her, "You're alright, Shea. It's going to take some time, but you are going to sing again." Shea cried and cried. This is so sad for Susan to watch, but in a way it is good because, she said, "That's Shea." She's responding in love and gratitude to her dear Grandpa.

Thank you, dear ones, for loving Shea enough to carry her to Jesus.

Kathy Falk

P.S. Jeanne just called. She is enroute to Augusta, Georgia, and received word from her daughter Meredith that Jason is being released from the hospital. They have determined that he is not suffering from the same heart condition his father had. He's being put under the care of a physician at home where he will be monitored. Thank you all for praying for this family.