[Jeffrey_D.]

Uncle Jeff,

Just wanted to give you what seems to be the final update. I went to the hospital yesterday morning and sat with the family for a few hours. We were informed that Chris took a turn for the worse on Tuesday night. He started having continuous seizures and running a fever of 104. I think the fever was due to the amounts of ammonia in his body. I am unsure of the type of cancer, as it is a name I have never heard before. One of the tumors was sitting on his liver, not allowing it to detoxify the blood being pulled in. His ammonia level jumped another 4 points yesterday leaving him at 275, a normal persons levels are under 30. His blood pressure was dropping and his heart rate was double that of a normal person resting, at 160 beats per minute. They upped his dosage and were administering it every two hours instead of 4 to treat the ammonia levels. They can't/couldn't do anything about the ammonia levels because of the one tumor (keep in mind there wheresoever, that were rapidly reproducing) on his liver, but couldn't get the ammonia levels down because of the tumor.... no surgery because of how Whig the levels were. So basically we were looking at a double edged sword. They took him in for an EEG as I was leaving the hospital yesterday, and were also going to do an ultra sound to determine wether or not there was a way to relieve the pressure on the liver. Initially the EEG came back normal, showing no signs of damage due to the seizures.

This mornining I got a phone call saying that Chris is completely brain dead. With everything I have read, once you are completely brain dead, you essentially are dead. The only thing keeping him breathing is the ventilator. They are however, waiting for the final member his family, Chris' brother, to get here, as they had a grueling drive from Seattle, Washington. They couldn't fly with the baby, who was 4 months premature, and had only recently been released himself. Once Kenny arrives, I believe they will make the decision to pull him off of life support.

I want to thank you and all of your friends for keeping myself, and especially more than anything Chris and his family in your thoughts and prayers. It means so much. I will get an email address for sherry and pass this chain of love along to her. I love you guys and miss you. Thank you again for all of your heart warming thoughts and prayers.

God Bless,

Gretchen

Jeff & Rennie wrote: (e-mail)

Gretchen,

If you can you might want to share that link with Sherry and let her know that there are now "Hundreds" of people that she doesn't know, praying not only for Chris, but for all of you

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1739072/posts

Love ya lots,

Jeff

[cgk]

Oh my, I'm so very sorry to read this. I will continue to pray for Chris' family: especially his wife & children... that His love, comfort and strength reach them and help them through this.

[cgk]

Sad update ping for your Prayer Warriors.

[SoldierDad]

Prayers are continuing for this family. Lord God in Heaven, comfort thy children during this time of grief and sorrow. May Your grace touch upon them and bring them relief from their pains. In Jesus' name, Amen.

[debboo]

Prayer for comfort mercies at this time for the whole family. God keep all of you in His tender loving care.

[alpha-8-25-02]

http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0187.htm
PLEASE SEND THIS TO THE FAMILY!

I may say to those of you also who have been bereaved—if you believe in providence you may grieve; but your grief must not be excessive. I remember at a funeral of a friend hearing a pretty parable which I have told before, and will tell again. There was much weeping on account of the loss of a loved one, and the minister put it thus. He said, "Suppose you are a gardener employed by another; it is not your garden, but you are called upon to tend it, and you have your wages paid you. You have taken great care with a certain number of roses; you have trained them up, and there they are, blooming in their beauty. You pride yourself upon them. You come one morning into the garden, and you find that the best rose has been taken away. You are angry: you go to your fellow-servants, and charge them with having taken the rose. They will declare that they had nothing at all to do with it; and one says, "I saw the master walking here this morning; I think he took it." Is the gardener angry then? No, at once he says, "I am happy that my rose should have been so fair as to attract the attention of the master. It is his own: he hath taken it; let him do what seemeth him good."
C.H.SPURGEON

GODSPEED!

[MamaB]

I am so sorry about this and at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It just seems so sad if someone in the family passes on during this time. Keep us posted. Prayers being said.

[scottdeus12]

Prayers coming your way...nothing is impossible Jeff.

Keep your head up.

Scott

[raybbr]

Prayers for Chris and his family.

May God's love enfold you during this time of trouble. May the grace of Jesus's love carry your soul towards peace.

Ray

[Faith]

I am so sorry. May the Lord hold all of you close to His heart.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Oh Dear Lord God....please, let Thy will be done.

Help this precious family in their hour of need...

[Brad’s Gramma]

Prayers, and your ping lists PLEASE...

[Tribune7]

Prayer bump

[Bizzy Bugz]

My prayers for this family. May our God comfort them and give them peace.

[backtothestreets]

Jeff,

My prayers for Chris, you and your family. I've something to share with you and everyone.

Many years ago a situation of utter desperation sank me to a place I had no where to turn but prayer for remedy. The situation weighed heavily on me and I wanted so much to have someone join me and prayer and lead the good prayer. None I knew were available to me. Something within refused to give up such a hope though.

I asked Jesus to pray with me. I know Jesus knew how to pray, but I learned something more in asking Jesus to pray with me. I learned that I truly believe Jesus defeated death.

Never had I humbled myself as I did in prayer that night. I asked no specific remedy, leaving to God that which would provide for all concerned in the situation, not just what I was aware of. I did include what I was aware of including every person feeling pain, but asked of Jesus to include those I was unaware of and their concerns.

The situation involved a pregnant woman having a difficult pregnancy. For months doctors had told her the child she carried had not fully developed a skull, and the child's heart was outside the chest cavity. If the child survived he would most certainly never develop fully and be a burden throughout his life. All tests and distant trips to seek medical specialists confirmed this. Worse still, there was good reason to believe the child and possibly the mother may die during delivery. The situation was dire.

The following morning I received a call from the hospital. It was the best friend of this woman. Hearing her voice my first words were about this woman alone as the child was never given any hope of surviving more than a few minutes. I expected the worst not seeing any possible good based upon all I knew.

"She's fine! And the baby is fine too!!!!!!! She went on to tell me how all the doctors, nurses and staff were puzzled how they could have been so wrong. I can't help but think some among them may have taken another look at God and miracles that day.

Jeff, I would never claim my prayers are answered. Never have I or will I receive a certificate from God stating the contract was fulfilled. I know a great many people prayed for this woman, but do not know if the combined pray, or a lone prayer of a stranger passing in the hospital halls was answered. I cannot even prove beyond myself that Jesus prayed with me that night. Nonetheless, please, when you pray, invite Jesus to join in your prayer, and ask simply that he pray for that which will grant all the people involved peace and have them look to God. And this I know. Never were the prayers of Jesus denied. God's will be done.

I must caution not to expect a miracle, but hope only for that which is best for all.

I hope you will not be upset that I have shared this with you and for all to see. My intentions are for the best of all concerned. Never would I want this post to be seen as by anyone as hijacking your most important message during your time of need.

God's peace to you and yours.

Chuck

[gpapa]

Prayers for Chris and his loved ones.

[Constantine XIII]

prayer bump

[tiki]

How very sad. I wil be praying.

[aroostook war]

I'm offering my prayers for your friend and his family.

[Jim Robinson]

I'm so sorry. Prayers for Chris and his family.

[hocndoc]

Prayers for the family - may the family and loved ones be surrounded by peace and God's love.

There's never a right thing to say. We're never ready, even when death is expected, when it's an obvious relief from suffering. And this one wasn't.

Please accept my sympathy and hope that you will find some solace in knowing that we don't have to know everything. And that's okay to ask, "Why?"