Surgery Went Well

Rachel's surgery went well! She's back at home now and getting better every day. The surgeon redid her Nissen, repaired another hernia and pulled her stomach, liver and colon out of her chest cavity. I know she feels better now! Thanks for everything you all have done and we appreciate the prayers. Keep them coming!

Rachel's Upcoming Surgery

Rachel was to have surgery tomorrow (the 29th) but it has been rescheduled for Oct. 13. She will have a hernia repaired and a repeat Nissen. This is basically the same surgery she had on her 1st birthday but it will be at a new hospital and done by a new surgeon. Pray all goes well! God Bless!

Look at Me!

Rachel loves playing with her big sister! They play so well together!

Update on Rachel's Medical Equipment

Lots of people have been asking so I thought it would be a good idea to give an update on the medical equipment for Rachel. As of right now our insurance company has pre-authorized payment for 70% of part of Rachel's wheelchair. As expected, they denied payment for the hi-low chair. However, unexpectedly they also denied payment for a needed part of Rachel's wheelchair. The charges for the denied part of Rachel's equipment is a little over $9,400. I have requested an appeal in the hopes that our insurance will reconsider their decision. If they reconsider they will pay 70% of this as well. The remaining 30% is where the funds you gave will come in. Thanks so much for giving! Pray that all the "red tape" will be taken care of soon and the orders can be placed on the chairs! God bless you all!

Update on Surgery

Rachel came through with flying colors! Praise God for answered prayers! We got to see pictures from before surgery and it is amazing she was even able to breathe! The doctor was even impressed she could breathe. We had a great doctor taking care of her and he even knelt down and prayed for Rachel before they took her to surgery! WOW! I was not nervous at all and I had every confidence God had her in His hands. Thanks for all your prayers. We are all so thankful for them!

The Benefit Was A Success!

The Benefit was an astounding success. Jason and I are still overwhelmed at God’s goodness and the caring hearts of friends, family and even total strangers! I want to sincerely thank everyone involved. You all worked so hard and we are so very grateful. There were many, many people helping with the benefit. We also had so many donations! Our parents and family, their church families, my church family, my dear friends and neighbors, our co-workers, local businesses…WOW! How could we ever thank you enough? We praise God for taking care of Rachel and supplying ALL of our needs. God is AMAZING!

Rachel's Surgery Tomorrow

Rachel will be having surgery tomorrow (Thursday) to help her breathe easier. The doctor will be removing some excess tissue from her vocal cords as the tissue keeps falling into her airways making it harder to breathe. The doctor will also be moving a bone in her nose to help her breathe better. While I am not looking forward to whatever pain this will cause her I am excited about the possibility of her not having to work so hard to breathe! Please keep her in your prayers! God is good and faithful and I know He has her in His hands!

Rachel's Benefit

Rachel's grandmother has put together a benefit for her that is scheduled for Saturday, May 2nd at the Hartsville Rec Center on Antioch Rd. in Hartsville (Byrdtown). Many thanks to Mammaw and all of the others that have put so much effort into making it a success! The proceeds for the benefit will go towards her wheelchair and braces (whatever insurance does not pay). Any funds received above what is due for the wheelchair and braces will go toward any needed accessories or customizations to her chair. Anything after that will go towards her hi-low chair (whatever insurance does not pay) and any accessories or customizations to the hi-low chair. After these are paid, anything left will go towards making Rachel's home wheelchair accessible. If there are any funds left these will go towards installing her wheelchair ramp (praise God, He has already provided the ramp; it just needs installation!). Any funds after this will go towards Rachel's outstanding medical bills or other medical equipment she may need. If there is anything left over it will be saved for future use towards medical equipment or medical needs. If you have any questions please leave a comment and I will try to answer you or direct you to someone who can answer your questions. Again I want to thank everyone who has been involved and I want to thank God for all He has done! Many, many blessings to you!!!

Here is Rachel in her stander. Many thanks to Amber and her family for donating this stander after their sweet angel, Allie went to be with Jesus.

Some New Info on Rachel

Rachel has finally seen the new surgeon! He has made some suggestions and has also referred Rachel to an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist. (She will see him next week.) The surgeon was very concerned about her strider and breathing difficulty so he said she needed and evaluation from the E.N.T. Dr. before anything else could be done. When the surgeon said the worst that could happen would be that Rachel needs a tracheotomy and would breath from a trach my heart sank but since I feel quite a calmness about that. I don't think she'll need it at all!

Rachel also got her leg braces in last week! She hated them at first but she's getting used to them now. I have seen progress with her legs lately and I thank God for it!


Rachel was able to go to the park the other day and I got some great shots of her and her sister and daddy! She's growing so much! Thanks to all for your continued prayers and encouragement!

Going to See a New Surgeon

Rachel will be going to see a new surgeon on Wednesday. Her new doctor thinks her vomiting may be because of the placement of her button in her stomach. They are looking at moving the hole in her stomach to another location. Hopefully the surgeon will tell us he can go through her existing button and down her throat and will not have to cut her open again. She does have another hernia and he may want to repair this and redo her Nissen again. If this is the case, it will mean another extensive surgery. Pray all goes well and that we hear good news. Above all, pray God be glorified in it all! Also, please be in prayer for my sweet pastor's wife, Nancy. She is having some medical issues and needs divine intervention. You can read about it here: http://www.justforjesus.net/2009/02/update-for-nancy-allen.html
Thanks for the prayers and God Bless!

It's been a While!

Wow! Has it really been since Sept. that I have had an update? Sorry Guys! Rachel is doing well. She has still been having a lot of vomiting but she's progressing! Her seizures seem to be under control right now, praise God! She is holding her head up some and getting stronger every day. We now know that she has cerebral palsy but God is working miracles in and through her because of it. She has had many doctors appointments and tests and we hope to have some results soon. Attached is a video of her in her saucer. She'd been trying to get that toy for a month! Keep praying for her...your prayers are availing much!