August 13, 2006 

Dear Folks,

Our baby girl will enjoy her day six birthday today.  Stephanie, Alison’s grandparents, our extended family, and I have been able to see her beautiful face by the loving mercy of our Lord and Savior.  We believe this developing miracle is due to your continued prayer on her behalf.  Once again, our family thanks you for lifting up our little princess to her Lord and asks that you continue to stand in the gap on our behalf through prayer.

Our little Alison has been holding steady for the past two days.  After seeing her improve a little each day for three consecutive days, it has been difficult to see her in a holding pattern.  Yet, her doctors urged us to be prepared for this.  We are truly thankful to our Lord for Alison’s early gains.  We believe there are many good days ahead due to your continued prayers.  Please continue to lift Alison up because you are her lifeline to the Great Physician.

Our baby girl continued to swell Saturday due to the paralytics she is on to keep her calm and the oscillating ventilator that is necessary to help her breathe.  Her attending physician said she is doing well, but Alison may need to be given medicines to help her excrete the increase of fluids. 

We ask that you pray that her swelling would begin to decrease.

Alison had two IV connection points inserted into her right leg and her lower right arm Saturday which caused her substantial aggravation.  Her paralytics were increased to help her rest.  Her vital signs that have been improving have taken a small step back.  Yet as Stephanie left her little girl last night, her vital signs seemed to be improving.  We ask that you pray that her vital signs will regain the momentum they had been showing.

The cardiologist told us that some of the signs of pulmonary hypertension were beginning to reappear, but that it was probable that it would continue to appear and disappear several times.  Her blood pressure, which had been a little high, is now a little low.  She is now taking medicine to help regulate her blood pressure.  Please pray for Alison’s little heart that it would become healthy.

Her little lungs have strengthened, but it is our hope that they would regain their momentum as well.  The paralytics cannot be removed from her body to lessen the swelling until her lungs gain substantial strength and her dependence on the oscillating ventilator is reduced.

Another gain from decreased use of the paralytics would be that her neurologist could run some invaluable tests to see if she suffered any brain trauma, and if so, how her recovery is going.  We have been encouraged from what we have seen that she can overcome any potential damage and we ask that you continue to pray for healing in her little brain.

Alison was beginning to show signs of jaundice earlier, but Thursday and Friday the jaundice seemed to be receding.  We praise our Lord for that advance.

I cannot help but be amazed at how our daughter is fighting.  When I stand there and look at her beautiful little face, her little ears, fingers and toes, I am shaken in amazement of how complex our bodies truly are and how wonderfully we are made by our Creator.  The Lord is truly awe inspiring. 

When I take her small hand in my fingers and see how delicate she is, I cannot help but realize how truly fragile we all are and how great our Lord is.  I can only dream of the day we can hold her in our arms and take her to her new home.

We continue to appreciate just how great of an organization Woman’s Hospital is.  The nurses, specialists and doctors are taking such kind interest in our little girl.  They are so patient with Stephanie and me and go out of their way to keep us informed.  We ask that you would continue to lift the doctors, specialists, and the nurses up and ask that the Lord would give them special insight, concern and love for baby Alison.  These special folks are extremely important for the healing and future of our daughter.

We are still reminded that our Alison is very sick and extremely dependant on your prayers.  She has made more progress this week than we were told to hope for.  The Lord has been giving us encouragement that you have sought on our behalf.  We are human and are weak, but we continue to pray along side you that we will be encouraged and that our Lord will continue to hold Alison where we cannot.  We pray that she will be made whole and that we will be able to take her home in the future, but we realize the Lord’s ways are not always our ways.  We were created in His image, but not with His resources for knowledge and strength.  We just know that we need our Father, and by mercy and love, He comes to hold us.  How can a loving Father not?  Our God is greatest when our needs are the greatest.  Our challenge is to become totally dependent on Him.

Thanks to your prayers, Stephanie had a special day Friday when she was discharged from the hospital. 

A dear friend who suffered the loss of her son told Stephanie the hardest thing she had to face was leaving the hospital with empty arms. 

She gave Stephanie a teddy bear and said that it was intended for Alison but that Stephanie could borrow it to hold as she left.  Yet, a condition was placed on it that Stephanie would have to return the teddy bear to Alison when she came home.  Stephanie held that teddy bear tight as we left.  What a powerful testimony and a selfless gift to my two ladies.

Stephanie had a sweet and sad moment when she arrived at home and saw baby Alison’s room.  I couldn’t help but think how special it is going to be when Stephanie can hold her daughter and place her in her crib that we so carefully put together.  We know that the Lord is still finishing His job of creating our little girl.  And she is so beautiful.

We are still unsure what the Lord has planned, but we feel the peace, confidence and hope that the Lord is going to bless us with answered prayer.  Yet, we do not want to get ahead of the Master and go outside His will for us.  We are encouraged, but we are still mindful that the Lord’s ways are not our ways.  We also know that the Lord has eternal vision and we are limited to today.  We try to stand on our own two feet, but it is special to remember that we have a Heavenly Father who is standing with us and carrying us through our difficult times.  We just need to look to Him and to call on Him.  Our Lord is truly faithful to answer.

The peace we have, the hope we have, the six days we have been able to enjoy, and the continuing improvement our daughter is making is because of your generosity to lift us all up to the Lord.  We will never be able to repay you for the investment you are making in us and for us through your prayers.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Blessings to you,

Langston and Stephanie