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One Family's Persistent Hope: That Their Soldier Will Wake Up
The New York Times ^ | January 22, 2006 | Denise Grady

Posted on 01/22/2006 12:14:03 PM PST by PastorBooks

AUGUSTA, Me. - To Laurie, who married him two years ago, Harold Gray is still "the guy I felt like I waited for my whole life." Mercedes, his 6-year-old daughter, likes to think of him racing around the yard, chased by an angry pet goose as she watched and laughed with her two sisters, Isabelle and Natalie. His father, George, calls him "an excellent man," a carpenter and a proud soldier, tough on the outside but with a dream of teaching kindergarten. ...

On Dec. 26, 2004, Sgt. Gray, then 34, a member of the 133rd Engineer Battalion of the Maine Army National Guard, was driving in a convoy outside Mosul, Iraq, when a bomb blew up underneath his truck.

He has been in hospitals ever since. Blind and severely brain damaged, he cannot speak, move voluntarily or communicate. He is fed through a tube implanted in his stomach. Though he appears unaware of his surroundings, family members say they believe he hears their voices when they visit. ...

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Daily Prayer; Military/Veterans; Miscellaneous; Religion
KEYWORDS: ied; iraq; military; oif; pray; prayer; prayerrequest; prayers; prayersfortroops; soldier; soldiers; wia; wot
Prayers for this soldier and his family.
1 posted on 01/22/2006 12:14:06 PM PST by PastorBooks
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To: PastorBooks

This is very hard for everyone involved.
What a tragedy for one of our heroes and his family.
Praying for healing of body, mind and spirit.
May the Lord bless and keep them,
may His face shine upon them
And grant them peace.


2 posted on 01/22/2006 12:25:03 PM PST by La Enchiladita (God bless our troops.)
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To: ME Conservative; spartan68; Madame Dufarge; busybody; Severa; SheLion; larryjohnson; Rocket1968; ...

Bump, and Big ole Maine Freeper Ping


3 posted on 01/22/2006 12:31:20 PM PST by MS.BEHAVIN (Women who behave rarely make history)
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To: PastorBooks; 4woodenboats; 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; abletruth; Accountable One; Aeronaut; ...
Prayer ping.

Please post your replies to PastorBooks


PastorBooks, My prayers going up for Sgt. Harold Gray and his family. God's healing for Sgt. Gray...God's comfort for his family.  

Blessings,
trussell


If you want on/off my prayer ping list, please let me know. All requests happily honored.

4 posted on 01/22/2006 12:49:28 PM PST by trussell (Work for God...the retirement benefits are great!)
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To: La Enchiladita

Amen


5 posted on 01/22/2006 12:50:44 PM PST by trussell (Work for God...the retirement benefits are great!)
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To: PastorBooks

My prayers are with this brave man and his family today.


6 posted on 01/22/2006 12:55:33 PM PST by GreenHornet
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To: La Enchiladita
Amen.
7 posted on 01/22/2006 1:04:07 PM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (Embrace peace- Hug an American soldier- the real peace keepers.)
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To: MS.BEHAVIN

Prayers for this brave man and his family.


8 posted on 01/22/2006 2:53:23 PM PST by Madame Dufarge
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To: PastorBooks

I join in urgent prayer for Sgt. Gray.


9 posted on 01/22/2006 9:50:30 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: PastorBooks

More prayers for a healing for this child of God/son/father/soldier. Prayers for his family, too.

In Jesus's name,
Amen.


10 posted on 01/23/2006 6:56:26 PM PST by Donna Lee Nardo (+++ DEATH TO ISLAMIC TERRORISTS AND CHILD AND ANIMAL ABUSERS +++)
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To: PastorBooks

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Harold Gray, his wife Laurie
and their daughter Mercedes.

Please comfort this family.

Please guide the doctors, caregivers
and nurses as they deal with Harold's
medical condition.

May Your will be done.

I humbly pray all this in Jesus' name.

Amen.


11 posted on 01/24/2006 12:12:02 AM PST by Cindy
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To: Pegita

Prayer ping.


12 posted on 01/24/2006 12:12:30 AM PST by Cindy
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To: PastorBooks; Cindy
Heavenly Father, we return to thank You that You are Sovereign ... that there is nothing outside Your control. May this brave warrior's family continue to reach him through their voice and touch, and may they, and his medical team, draw him back to consciousness. Bless this family in innumerable ways throughout their lifetimes, Merciful Father, for their suffering is the sacrifice for the freedom of others. May the Heavens rejoice over their gift to their fellowman, and may we forever remember in gratitude. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen ...
13 posted on 01/24/2006 12:24:54 AM PST by Pegita ('Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word ...)
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To: Pegita

and Amen.


14 posted on 01/24/2006 12:38:33 AM PST by Cindy
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To: PastorBooks

Continuing prayers for this honorable soldier.


15 posted on 02/22/2006 4:20:02 PM PST by Donna Lee Nardo (+++ DEATH TO ISLAMIC TERRORISTS AND ANIMAL AND CHILD ABUSERS +++)
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To: PastorBooks

Just in case someone is still there....here is a link to an article from today that indicates persistent vegetative states can be awakened with the sleeping pill Ambien.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2006/09/sleeping_pill_ambien_cure_for_persistent_vegetative_state/


16 posted on 09/13/2006 6:29:33 PM PDT by bperiwinkle7 ( In the beginning was the WORD,,,,,,,,,,,,,,)
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To: PastorBooks

Prayers Said.


17 posted on 04/01/2007 11:32:12 PM PDT by fishhound
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To: fishhound
Hello, fishhound

Bless you for your prayer! It's been over a year since I posted that first story, so I was curious and did a Google search. I found an update from last November -- apparently there has been some improvement.

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Wounded Soldier Makes Gains

http://ellsworthmaine.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4991&Itemid=31

Written by Jennifer Osborn

Thursday, November 02, 2006

PENOBSCOT — Sgt. Harold Gray, the local soldier wounded in Iraq, has begun showing signs of improvement, his father said.

Gray, 35, is a member of the Maine Army National Guard’s 133rd Engineer Battalion. He suffered serious shrapnel injuries after a roadside bomb hit a convoy he had been riding in Dec. 26, 2004, in Mosul.

Gray has been at Togus VA Medical Center since July 2005 after spending six months at hospitals in Florida and Washington, D.C.

His father, George Gray, said Harold has been giving the “thumbs up” sign. When questioned, Gray has been blinking twice to answer “yes” and once to answer “no,” the elder Gray said. He can move his limbs and squeeze someone’s hand on command.

“He’s just doing good,” said Gray. “One of his main doctors who sees him says Harold’s in there, he just hasn’t figured out how to come out yet.”...

The soldier’s wife, Laurie, travels to Augusta every day to take care of her husband. George Gray goes Saturdays. Harold Gray’s mother visits Sundays. The rest of the family, which includes the soldier’s young daughters, Natalie, Mercedes and Isabelle, visit as well.

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18 posted on 04/12/2007 6:32:03 AM PDT by PastorBooks
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To: fishhound

You are most welcome.
Bless you too.
May this man’s health continue to improve and as I read I witness the beauty of family. I pray for those, around this man, struggling for him.


19 posted on 04/12/2007 10:57:07 PM PDT by fishhound
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To: PastorBooks

You are most welcome.
Bless you too.
May this man’s health continue to improve and as I read I witness the beauty of family. I pray for those, around this man, struggling for him.

Had to do this twice.


20 posted on 04/12/2007 10:59:24 PM PDT by fishhound
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