This is in response to a letter I recieved from a Mrs. Martha Shull of Lexington, SC. In this letter Mrs. Shull is requesting prayer for her 6 year old child, Hailey.
 
Hailey was born premature on October 8, 1999 and has suffered constant, devasting health problems. She was born with her retinas detached because they had not had time to develop properly. Although she was flown to the Wilmer Eye Institute at John Hopkins for surgery, she is still legally blind from all of this.
 
As well, she also had 2 brain bleeds which left her with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. She is learning sign language and has home bound school because she cant take the chance of getting sick. if she becomes ill, she stands a great chance of having more seizures. She has extensive homebound therapy at home with an Ocupational Therapist and a Physical Therapist.
 
If this werent enough, in July Hailey began to have severe vomiting episodes. She was diagnosed as having a diverticulum in her esophagus. This formed because her esophogus has weak spots in it and now she has to have surgery to correct this. However, this surgery could be fatal in Hailey's frail state.
 
Hailey's mother gives God the glory for the miracle that Hailey is and the grace that God has bestowed upon her and her husband, Hugh. She claims the promise of grace and strength to bear whatever comes her way.
 
Please pray for peace that the Lord will do what is best for Hailey. Pray for her healing and for the hands of her doctors to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Pray for strength beyond all measures for this family and guidance in all thier decisions.
 
There is power in prayer! Miracles happen when God's children pray! Lets lift this family up for God's healing and peace.
  UPDATE

  This is the email update we received from Hailey's mother after Hailey's surgery:

 

Well, I just wanted to send a PRAISE report....we brought Hailey home from the hospital today.  It is 9:30 p.m. Friday [February 3,2006]. and I'm just looking over a few emails before turning in.  I'm not sure who emailed you or how much they told you so I'll give you a quick report.  The surgery went very well on Monday.  Dr. Adkins told us that morning only 6 children in the last forty years have been reported as having what Hailey had so it is exceedingly rare.  He had spent the weekend studying and researching and told us that he may have to split her diaphragm to get to the right spot.  As it turned out, the diverticulum was right down at the very bottom of the esophagus.  This meant when he got in her belly and undid the fundoplication he was able to see it and fix it without doing anything through her chest or splitting the diaphragm. When everything had been completed and he was closing he did not feel the need for a chest tube for drainage as he had prepared us for.  I have never seen him smile, not in his office or in the hospital three years ago.  When he came out of the OR to talk to us he was smiling ear to ear.  I think he was concerned going into the unknown, and was so pleased, not with himself but with the turnout.  He mentioned prior to surgery that he had devoted most of his weekend to Hailey and that some things had "come to me" during that time.  I quickly told him that everyone praying for Hailey had not just started that morning, and that they had not just started praying for him that morning either, and what came to him was from the Lord in answer to our prayers.  Because she did not have a chest tube, and because he did not have to cut her diaphragm, this makes recovery much faster, and reduced the great risks involved..  Thank you again so much for your prayers, and please pass on the praise report to all your email friends who have prayed for Hailey and for us.  Our God is so Awesome and we are so thankful.  In His love,  Martha Shull
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Please continue your prayers for Hailey and her family. God has honored and answered so many prayers that have gone up on Hailey's behalf! It gave me chills to    read how certain things had just "come to" the doctor prior to Hailey's surgery! God truly does answer prayers.

                     ...Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
                    the LORD will hear when I call to him.   Psalm 4:3