Monday Night

Well, it is Kim's turn to be at the hospital tonight, so I (Jason) will try to do my best to update the blog again. Liam and I had a great night last night. we has a lot of fun and when it was time to actually sleep Liam did well there too. Aside from a few washroom trips he managed to get some much needed rest. This morning also started off well, but he was sick to his stomach and then was not much in the mood for eating the rest of the day. He did have a little to eat toward the end of the day but was again sick just before I left tonight. He gets a bit discouraged after being sick so we pray he does not get too down. He has not had much to eat this week and with the surgery approaching quickly we are praying that he can eat well tomorrow, get his strength up and be feeling positive.
I know that Kim has been sharing lessons she has learned and so I thought I would share some neat moments we shared with Liam today. There was a moment when it was just the three of us, and Liam asked if I could read 2 Corinthians 3. I was a bit surprised, but I got my bible and read "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort." Kim and I realized that this was one of the scriptures that Kim had hung on the wall of the hospital room. We were not sure that Liam had really noticed, but apparently he has been reading them and finding comfort from God's word. Similarly, I had taken a moment to read the story from Mark 8 (that I had referred to in a previous post) in which Jesus heals a blind man, but does so in two steps. I have found comfort in that story over the last few days and thought that it might comfort Liam as well. After I read it to him, I was not sure he had really heard me or found it all that comforting. He had been tired and I wasn't sure whether he was able to pay that close attention. Later in the evening, however, my parents were visiting and when the topic of his surgery came up Liam stopped and asked that I share about the story where Jesus healed a man in two steps. I asked Him to tell us about it and he continued to recount the story of when a blind man was brought to Jesus. Jesus spit on his eyes and asked the man what he saw. The man said he saw people but they looked like trees. Jesus again touched the man's eyes and his sight was restored. Liam had listened the story, taken it to heart and indeed had found comfort in God's word. I was reminded of the thought found in Isaiah 55:11 that when God's word goes out it does not return empty but accomplished what He desires. We can share God's word with our children, and trust that despite what the initial reaction or appearance might be, that it can and does make a great difference. God's Word truly is amazing!
As I have been writing, I received a call from Kim and Liam. Liam is a bit discouraged as they have decided to reconnect his IV in order to get his fluids back up and deliver some steroids to control swelling. It is probably best for his body but it is not as comfortable for him and it means that he has to wheel the IV pole around with him everywhere. Please pray that he will not feel down, and that his body will be strengthened.

Sunday worship with Liam and a lesson

I am typing this post from our home. Jason is staying with Liam tonight and I drove home to the house to surprise our other three children. Much attention has been paid to Liam since his diagnosis and many of my posts have been about him but God has blessed Jason and I with three other wonderful children. They too are "fearfully and wonderfully made" and God is drawing each of them closer to Him through this trial that we have faced together. It is wonderful to be able to see God molding and shaping them into who He wants them to be. I got such special hugs and attention from them tonight when I arrived home and it was hard to hold back the tears. Daniel and Caroline make Jason and I so proud as we have watched them try to support Liam, us and their grandparents through this time. They never complain, they always pitch in and they are Liam's most faithful prayer warriors. Trinity Joy, our youngest at only three also loves to pray for her big brother and she is always there for a giggle. It is good for their mommy to be home with them.

Our day today, started off like most Sunday's with church. Although we could not worship with our church family, who we missed terribly, we hosted church right in Liam's hospital room. Liam, Jason, our friend Cheri and I gathered to sing praises to our God. It was Liam's request morning and we started with "I love you Jesus, deep down in my heart". Liam sang and played drums on a box we got him, while Jason played guitar. We continued to sing for a while, we read some scriptures that people have sent us and that I had picked and we prayed. It was a very special time. Although, we did have to close Liam's door, Liam's wall is one big window facing the hallway, so everyone could see what we were doing and I am sure they probably could hear us too. Yeah God for more moments of opportunity.

Liam continues to do well. He is eating and walking for short journeys down the hallway. They did cap off his last IV that is in his neck and started to give his medication by oral pills instead. Pray that he will continue to keep food down so that he can stay with this type of treatment instead of the IV. The itching of his head is still a problem and he and I did not get a lot of rest last night. Pray for a restful sleep for both Liam and Jason.

In the past this blog has always been about lessons that I have learned from our extraordinary God. Tonight, I thought I would share one with you. As I have walked the halls of the hospital, praying through my own struggles, I have noticed the halls are never empty. Someone is always walking deep in thought. I have looked at their faces and wondered about their stories. I have wondered who they are worried about and how they are coping. I have prayed for these people and their stories that only God knows. I think part of what God has been teaching me during this time is to give me a better and maybe more informed glimpse of what Jesus sees. Sometimes you physically see the pain on their face like the mother we (Tat, Brigitte, Liam, Jason and I) meet and prayed for in the lounge this afternoon. Many times though you don't see anything different. They walk past and they smile politely because that is what they are suppose to do but it is not how they feel. It also does not make their pain any less real. I know this because I too have smiled while inside my heart was breaking. I have often heard our Pastor, Jim Danielson, say that we should always greet everyone, like they have a broken heart because they probably do. I have always thought that was a good idea and wondered why sometimes I don't. God is teaching me more about the compassion needed and a better understanding of how impossible it is for me who did not make the heart to mend it. I am called to be Jesus hands and feet here on earth but I can not mend hearts. That is the Makers job alone. I pray that Yahweh who is the maker of all hearts will draw those that I meet in the hallway closer so He can fix what He alone created. As you head out tomorrow please pray the same for those that pass you in your hallways. God Bless and good night.

The End of Another Day

It is Jason again, at the end of another day. Liam had a great day today. His stomach settled down which allowed him to begin to eat today. The bit of swelling that he had in his face has begun to subside (he even let Kim take a picture for the blog ) and he is feeling pretty good. He has been up a lot today making trips to the washroom, taking short walks down the hall, sitting up and watching movies in his wheelchair. He was really excited to see his brother and sisters today and we all met in the family lounge to watch a movie and then went to the game-room for Pacman and Foosball! Liam began playing his game of Foosball from his wheelchair, but some of his competitive nature came out as not long after the start of the game he was standing to play! All in all it was a great day.

As his second surgery approaches next Wednesday, we have begun to organize prayer for the surgery day and the days to follow. It has been such a blessing to Liam to have the list of the people who are praying for him at different hours around the clock. In the sad moments or the distressing times he often asks about who is praying for him at that moment. Kim says that he often wakes her throughout the night to ask who is praying, which seems to bring him great comfort. With this in mind we would like to make sure that we have this for him for the next surgery as well. We have some holes to fill on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and would like to extend our list through to Monday which will cover him through the roughest days. Because we will be at the hospital between now and then, without consistent Internet access, my dad has agreed to collect all the times and bring us a list for Wednesday. His e-mail is gmcgibbon1@cogeco.ca

Below are the half hour slots we still have free:

Wednesday
12:30am
1:00am
9:30am
10:00am
10:30am
3:00pm
3:30pm
4:00pm
4:30pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
9:00pm
10:00pm

Thursday
12:30am
1:00am
4:00am
5:00am
9:30am
10:30am
11:00am
3:00pm
3:30pm
4:00pm
4:30pm
6:00pm
6:30pm
7:00pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
9:00pm
10:00pm

Friday
12:00am
12:30am
1:00am
4:00am
5:00am
9:30am
10:00am
10:30am
1:00pm
3:30pm
4:00pm
4:30pm
6:00pm
6:30pm
7:00pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
9:00pm
10:00pm

We will also need to fill all the slots Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Again, if you are able to sign up for a slot please e-mail my dad who will add you to the list: gmcgibbon1@cogeco.ca

Thanks to all who have been praying, leaving comments and sending e-mails to support, encourage and uplift us. We have not been able to answer all of them, but we are downloading them when we get a moment with a wireless connection and reading them throughout the day.

Liam's New Room

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Deuteronomy 31:8

I am sitting beside Liam in his new private room! They asked us if we wanted to move late last night because they had one open. It was such a blessing last night to be here with Liam. He and I were able to close the door and have some privacy. We both slept peacefully. It has been a definite praise for both of us.

Yesterday we received news that Liam's next surgery date has been moved up to next Wednesday, November 12th. They were able to clear schedules and get everything booked!

Liam was a little down yesterday as the reality of another surgery began to sink in. It was hard for him when he was feeling so sick to his stomach to think about having to do this all again. He did have some highlights yesterday with visitors and the child life specialist came to visit to bring him his bravery beads. He has a big string already, each bead representing a part of his journey and all the different procedures and tests that he has had to face. We also had a boost yesterday when his physio therapist came to visit and give him his exercise plan. Again we saw God's hand in that it was someone who we had met at Ryerson Camp who was the nurse one summer. Liam was up numerous times walking to the bathroom or to a wheelchair that allowed him to get out and about. This morning he went to the family lounge and made it through a whole movie. He has begun to eat a bit more today and keep it down. He has had apple sauce, a grilled cheese smuggled in by Grandpa, and even had a hamburger for lunch. So far he has kept it down.

He is doing well today and is looking forward to a visit from his siblings Daniel, Caroline and T.J. it will be nice to all be reconnected again after several days apart.

Liam says hi to everyone and thank you for the continued prayers. If you could pray specifically for the itchiness of his head dressing that would be great as it still bothers him quite a bit.

This is the Day

“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24

This scripture has been flooding my heart and my mind ever since we heard the news that Liam would have to undergo another surgery. I have to admit at first I kept talking to God and asking "why have me think of this scripture? Today is not a good day. Give me another scripture to hold on to. I don’t like this scripture today. It is hard to rejoice when I am shocked, heartbroken and tired." But as the night wore on the scripture would not go away and I found myself humming an old praise song called “This is the day”. It is a happy upbeat song and the more I repeated the scripture and sang the song the more I felt at peace. Today, I think my emotions are once again following God’s will for my life. Although I still wish that Liam did not have to go through anymore pain I am confident that His love for Liam and for us has not changed. He knew that Liam would face this and already we are seeing moments of God’s grace and beauty. Even last night during my low moments God was providing opportunities. I had a conversation with the grandmother of the little girl who was in Liam’s Critical Care unit. She is a Muslim woman who loves her granddaughter with all of her heart and is devastated by her condition and scared of what will happen. It had been a particularly hard day as her granddaughter had been struggling since last night. We shared our sorrows and then God provided an opportunity to share my hope in my God that loves us so much and wants to heal us. I shared that He wanted it so badly that He sacrificed His own son Jesus so that we would be saved. I also shared with her that I had been praying to my God that saves and singing praises over her granddaughter while I was in the PCCU and that I would continue to do so. She listened intently and said “Yes please, please keep praying to the God you know.” I promised her that I would also ask all of you. Please pray for this family. Pray for the little girl’s physical healing. Pray that God would get all the glory for everything that happens. Pray that this beautiful Grandmother would begin to see more of Jesus and how He really does save those who put their trust in Him. Pray too that I would be given more opportunities to support her and her family.

Our prayer specific needs for today are for Liam’s physical restoration. He has asked me to ask you all to pray that his head would stop itching and that his stomach would not be upset any more. He has still not been able to keep anything down. Please pray too that the swelling that has started today would recede. Pray that Jason and I would continue to lay our burdens at Jesus feet. Pray that Dr. Singh would be able to make all the arrangements that she wants to make today for Liam’s next surgery. Please keep praying. Many times throughout the night last night Liam would wake me up to ask who was praying right at that moment. When I would tell him, he would always drift right off to a peaceful sleep again. It is a huge comfort for him.

The Day After Continued

This is Jason, Kimberley's husband finishing up the report on the day. Kimberley is still at the hospital with Liam and I have returned home to visit with our other amazing children, fill them in on how things are going and help them get a start on the day tomorrow.
It continued to be an amazing day as we watched Liam make such progress towards recovery (see previous post for some details). He truly astounded everyone with how well he did! He did have the final drain removed and was transferred out of ICU to the regular ward. He seems to be showing no signs of the possible effects of the surgery that we had been told to expect. In fact, after viewing the results of today's MRI the surgeons said that there was hardly any evidence that he had undergone surgery at all!!! We continue to be thankful for the progress he is making.
Unfortunately, the surgeons had some other news based on the MRI that they had to share with us today as well. The pictures revealed that there was significantly more of the tumour left behind than they had thought, more than they are comfortable with. After a consultation between the members of Liam's surgical team, it was decided that a second surgery will be required in which they will go back in and remove the rest of the tumour. I would be lying if I suggested that there was not a bit of shock, sadness, some tears and fear upon receiving the news. We have felt so much peace, and have been lifted by the prayers of so many during these difficult months and I know that we will be carried through this next stage as well. Liam was also informed about the news by Dr. Singh, after which he simply nodded and said "OK". His courage really is amazing.
We are so grateful for the support, encouragement and prayer that has been given thus far, and if it is not too much, we would ask that you might consider praying for a few weeks longer.
I have been thinking about the story where Jesus heals the blind man but only partially at first. For whatever reason Jesus uses two steps to bring the healing to completion. I think that I will probably look that verse up tomorrow and spend some time reading and praying with it, but I think some sleep is needed first!
Blessings,
Jason.

The Day After

We are having problems getting an internet connection today. Sorry to all those who were waiting patiently for an update.

Liam had a good night last night. He is in the Pediatric Critical Care Unit. Both Jason and I were with him until 11:30 pm. Our nurse Melanie then came to tell us that she had a room with a bed that she could give us so Jason stayed with Liam and I got some much needed rest until about 2:30 am. Liam had a few rough moments and he began asking for his mom so Jason went off to sleep and I stayed with Liam. I had the privilege to remind him that his friend Tat was praying for him at that time. He was very comforted by this and began to rest better. I sang worship songs to him and it was a wonderful time of God’s presence right there in the PCCU. I was the only parent in the room with four nurses (one for each of the children in Liam’s room.) Although Liam had a pretty good night it was at times busy and hectic for the other children with alarms and treatments. No matter who it was that was having trouble worship songs and prayers filled the room to encourage both staff and the little ones who were working hard in the night. It really was a special time. Liam continued through the night to ask me what time it was and who was praying. He would smile as a read him names he recognized and ask who is that and where do they live for names that he did not know. Liam’s prayer partner list was also an encouragement to one of the doctors (a resident) this morning. She asked me lots of questions about it and said she had never seen something like that before. She thought it was a great idea.

God’s hand on Liam has continued to amaze us. They have now removed his catheter, another IV line, and they have him up playing a video game! Can you imagine! Many of the nurses and doctors have come by to tell us how well he is doing. God made an amazing kid when he made Liam and designed his life! It is incredible to be along for the ride. Liam has already had a MRI today for them to check the residual of the tumour and the drain that they have placed in his ventricle. If they like what they see then they will be removing Liam’s drain this afternoon and transferring him to a regular room! We are so excited that we could burst! Everyone involved in his care seem to be so surprised at how quickly he is recovering. We are not surprised as we know and can actually feel that he is being covered in prayer. God has heard our cries and He is answering them as only He can do! Our prayer requests continue to be for the three other children that are in Liam’s room. Pray that their parents would lay their heavy burdens on Jesus and find true rest. Pray that these little ones would feel the presence of Jesus and be comforted. Pray for wisdom for the staff that is caring for them and for the Holy Spirit to rest in the room. Pray that God would be glorified in all that happens. For us as a family we request that you continue to pray for Liam’s physical restoration and for God to grow him spiritually through all of this. Pray for the procedure of the drain removal as it can be a bit painful. Pray that although Jason and I may continue to be physically tired that the Holy Spirit would continue to carry and guide us. We can never thank-you enough for all that you are doing in holding us up in prayer before the Father.