April 9, 2008


I was recently asked what I do to stay faithful to God. It took me two pages to say what I could have said in a couple of short, fragmented sentences. My family. He entrusted them to me, and I believe His promises. They need me here on earth, and I need them to get to heaven. The kids are why we get out of bed everyday, isn’t it? We owe it to them to try and leave them some kind of a decent world to raise their kids. The great thing is that they have poor memories of the many times I fail them.

Garrett’s hospital visit went well. Still hoping for some weight gain, but it’ll come. We’re adjusting his medicines again because his cyclosporine is all out of whack, but the heart still runs great! They are good problems to have, really. His body was so used to running with a sick heart and now that he has a great heart we have to let his body get in tuned in just right.

We met a little girl here the other day. She is an absolutely beautiful child who has quickly captured my heart and has made all the difference in the world to Garrett and Jessi. They now have a friend they can play with. They can play with K.J., because she also has a suppressed immune system. K.J. has a very aggressive cancer. K.J. is 7 years old.

K.J.’s mom told me that she didn’t want to go back to school anymore because some of the kids made fun of her for losing her hair. Wait until she grows back a beautiful mane of golden hair and their still stuck with their baby hair. It reminded me of a few kids at Garrett’s school who made fun of him for having a “girl’s” heart, when they found out about Megan. Kids can be cruel, but payback can be fantastic and colossal. Wait until they try him out now…….with a 15 year old boy’s heart! They couldn’t keep up with him before.

Today, Jessi had to be sequestered in the room because she woke up with a little cough and a runny nose. The weather was not conducive to trying to take her home for a few days and she wasn’t feeling bad or running a fever. To be on the safe side though, we have to keep her away for 24 hours to make sure she doesn’t develop a fever and doesn’t have something contagious. I think it’s just dry sinuses, but we can’t take the chance, and it’s not fair to chance K.J. getting something.

Jessi had to sit in the room with daddy and wear a mask while the other kids got to go play and watch a movie. This whole ordeal has been tough on her, but she just doesn’t complain. She is remarkably amicable and understanding. But today, it hurt. I’m sure she felt punished. She didn’t make a sound as tears rolled down her face. I didn’t let her see mine.

Please pray for little K.J. She starts another round of chemo on Monday and it’s going to be a tough one.

God bless you,

JD