A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2004 Does anyone here pray???

If anyone here prays my family is now, and is going to be for some time, in need of all the prayer we can get!! We just got soem VERY BAD news!! I know I am very new here but need prayer soooo much now!! Thanks to those who will begin prayer on our behalf!! May God abundantly BLESS you and yours!!

(If this is considered inappropriate here, please forgive.)

My baby sister's oldest daughter was born with many things wrong with her, but just this weekend we learned that the worst of all is that she has Leukodystrophy !! And now that we know something about this group of diseases--it is likely that my sister (her mother) has the adult version of this. My niece, Brittany is only 10 yrs old and has just been diagnosed with the 2nd version of this. There is also a version which afflicts infants. None live more than 15 yrs--many much less. My sister doesn't know about this diagnosis yet (she doesn't have custody of her girls and so doesn't see them often). My sister's other daughter, Chelsea, 8 yrs old, apparently is ok, but I am sure they will test her as well now. There is no cure, nor any treatments that can do anything really. This is one of life's unfair things!! And I do NOT blame God--for He is not the author of death and destruction!! This is NOT His Will for Brittany or my family. For those who do not read the info on the link--my niece will in all likelihood be a vegetable or dead in 10 yrs or so. This is one of the most unkind diseases I have EVER heard of!! It would be soooo great to have someone to blame but there is NO ONE to blame. Please pray for each of us in this family to have whatever it will take for us to get through this. But especially for Brittany that she will that God is not punishing her by the terrible things that have happened to her and are happening to her now. Well, and her sister is very close to her (they are less than 2 yrs apart in age) and she will need all the strength and love she can get throughout all of this!! I do not know what we need but may God provide everything that we need!! This is a BIG shock to me and I cannot express how truly and deeply upset I am!!! I am today more thankful than I have ever been that I have been unable to have children. God KNOWS what is right for each of us and if I had been able to have the children I had so desperately wanted when I was much younger, my children could have not lived or been born with this condition--in any of it's three versions. This is not the only bad disease running in the family. My Mother's mom had a stillborn boy before her--some disease that only effects the males, and skips generations and is carried and passed on by the mother?!! (According to my Mother.)

I do not pray but I will send you my best wishes and good thoughts. Many people on this board pray so you will not be lacking!

Having lost my husband very suddenly to cancer, I can tell you that seeking information is one of the best kinds of peace of mind you can get. Learn all you can and have faith in the abilities of science. Although there may be no cure, there is often times so much medicinal science can do to help make it easier and less painful than it might otherwise be.

Never stop looking for alternatives and always get as many opinions as you can. Without that, you will always wonder if you did enough. But most importantly, always remember that you do what you can and nothing more than that is ever expected or needed.

Do not start greiving before it is time. That will only make you miss what you have left. Although these are not your children, now is the time to reach out to groups of mothers who have lost their children. There is no better support than with those who have had similar experiences. Find groups of terminally ill children and reach out for advice from their parents. You'll find that, if you let those parents cry on your shoulder, that there will be other parents with whom you can cry.

Be proud of yourself for what you are able to accomplish in the time that is left rather than beating yourself up for not doing enough quickly enough. Often doing more or doing something faster would have had no effect on the outcome anyhow.

Time spent sharing with these children (even watching TV or goofing off) will never be time wasted. Don't feel like you have to do it all.

As I said, I do not pray. But be forewarned! You will have so many prayers in just a few hours from this site that you won't know what to do with yourself!

Remember that smiling, even though you don't feel like it right now, will brighten someone's day. And it may even make them give you a smile in return!

Thanks for your heartfelt advice and tips. I think that you probably do pray--many people who think they do not actually DO!! Anyway--I will not turn down ANY prayers. Each and every member of the family will need each and every one we can get!! Prayer never hurts and often really DOES help!! I know I definitely will be looking to spend far more time with these girls than I previously have "gone out of my way" to do!! I guess the best policy for EVERYONE is to "Live Like You Were Dying"!! That song has especial meaning to me right now!! God Bless You!!

Bonnie HUGGS!!

I know what you mean about people who don't think they pray but actually do. Believe me, I don't. I do, however, find the sentiment behind someone's prayer very lovely.

Often people would tell me they would pray for me or my husband. My response was always, "Thank you but please don't pray for us. If you want to pray, please pray that you will be strong for us when we need you." I believe that people who pray for emotional healing will get what they desire. It is much like meditation IMHO, in that you can find peace there. How it comes to you is a matter of opinion, I think.

BTW, I got so wrapped up that I forgot to welcome you to the forum! I've been away a while and I completely forgot my manners!

Also, your little Roo-stamp is the cutest darned thing I've ever seen!!!

bonnie, i am a pray-er, and will pray for you and your family. as sachi said, you will have lots of prayers before this site is done with you. and i know what you mean about those who don't think they pray, but sachi is right, there are those who absolutely do not pray for various reasons.

sachi, i know what you mean about the healing of meditation, and i do believe that prayer can manifest itself as meditation, but i also know that there are those who bring good will but do not pray. i am glad that if you don't pray, you do bring the good will.

bonnie... keep your faith, it will be ok in the end... you have a good start to the way to handle it.

Bonnie, I pray every night and you will have prayers coming for your family from Maryland--maybe Brittany will come to embrace God and the comfort she can receive from prayer and church instead of blaming him.........

My prayers go to you and your family for the strength to deal with this diagnosis. Special prayers for the little girl

G-Mom

Prayers being sent your way!!!

Give her a (((hug))) from all of us!
Make the most out of every second she has left....even if it is lying there giving each other a little smile.
Catlover

MANY MANY PRAYERS FOR YOU AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT I AM A SCEPTIC,BUT YES I STILL ASK FOR GODS HELP IN TIMES OF STRESS.l THINK WHAT WE REALLY PRAY FOR IS STRENGH TO HELP US THROUGH THE TRAUMATIC TIMES. THERE ALWAYS SEEMS A KIND OF PEACE AFTER YOU HAVE ASKED FOR HELP, ITS AS IF SOMEONE IS SHARING YOUR BURDEN.

prayers on the way from iowa!!!