November 19, 2012

A few nights ago, I saw a prayer request on Facebook for a friend of a friend’s 18-month-old girl, who  after swallowing a dry kidney bean, went into cardiac arrest and suffered brain damage. While the mother, Sarah, was cooking dinner, her daughter, Brooke, was playing with her favorite ‘toy’, dried kidney beans. All of a sudden, Brooke began coughing and her breathing became distressed. Her mother unsuccessfully performed the Heimlich maneuver trying to remove the obstruction before calling 911.

When the paramedics arrived she went into cardiac arrest.

She would need to be resuscitated once again when they arrived to the ER before sending her to the operating room to remove the now-enlarged kidney bean. After surgery, Brooke, would begin a series of seizures, which occurred every two seconds for over 24 hours. Her seizures, which were influenced by deep brain damage could only be controlled  through a medication, Pentobarbita that placed her in a coma, but could also damage her liver and pancreas.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe while reading this mother’s story. I prayed for her family, for Brooke’s strength and for God’s mercy.

Today I read Sarah’s updated blog titled, “Miracles.” She spoke about making Christmas ornaments with Brooke’s handprints, watching old videos and praying for positive outcomes but most of all, peace.

Her husband, Darren, prayed and asked God for a healing miracle, but also peace should God request Brooke’s return into his arms.

“Shortly after that powerful and tender blessing, Brooke’s heart rate and blood pressure began to drop rapidly. We told the doctors that we did not want her resuscitated, and that we would like to let her go peacefully, but also that we wanted her organs to be donated.

….I feel that is part of the reason God has blessed us with this miraculous cocoon of grace. Without it, I don’t think we could get through the next few days. But somewhere there are other families and friends praying for a miracle. They are praying for their little child to be able to laugh hard, to roll down hills, to play in the ocean, and to run after a dog. They are praying for a full and happy life for their precious baby. Now we are praying that Brooke’s body will hold up through this process (of passing to keep her organs non-viable), and that she can be the means by which God works that miracle. Please pray with us for those unknown children.” – Sarah

In her sadness, Sarah found strength. Her faith in God and his plan for their family amazed me. As a daughter of a mother who received a kidney transplant, I can only imagine how many lives little Brooke has saved in the ending of her own.

Her profound experience affirms the daily loneliness that has plagued me since I was a little girl. This time of year has always been a solemn time as we will shortly be celebrating Thanksgiving and soon after my birthday. I’ve always felt inadequate about my life – about the purpose of my existence – after all there are  billions of people and I’ve always felt like a piece of sand in an infinite beach overreaching time and space. It didn’t make sense to me that we lived, just to grow and then all die one day.

In my depression, I discovered my purpose. I created this website. I started servicing others. I utilized my God given talents to help others, for it isn’t want we get, but what we give that truly matters. When my husband arrived home from Hurricane Sandy’s relief project, he shared special stories of strength, pain, humility and humanity.

We don’t take anything with us when we die.

This year I’m thankful for Sarah’s blog and for everyone I’ve connected with in these past years of online writing. Life can be incredibly lonely – but when you have others that inspire you, educate you, motivate you…

Life doesn’t feel so lonely.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Thank you for your presence in my life.

An image taken by my husband while on the east coast.

Team Rubicon is a great nonprofit.
They were on the grounds before FEMA and Red Cross. So proud of my hubby.