Pray for Sydney

I thought I had finished using this blog, but it seemed to be the best way to let everyone know how you can stand in faith with us and pray for Sydney and how to update you on her journey.

To get you up to speed, Sydney was born Nov. 6th at 41 weeks. She seemed completely normal for the first 12 or so hours but then started spitting up blood. The doctors sent her down to the NICU and x-rays showed that Sydney had air in her abdomen. She had emergency intestinal surgery and they discovered her sigmoid colon had ruptured because her meconium was very thick and backed up. The surgeons had to give her a colostomy bag and we were unsure of what caused all this to happen. 

However, this week tests came back and Sydney has been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. It is a very serious condition and to find out more about it you can go to cff.org.  When we imagined adding a third to our family we hoped for a healthy full-term newborn with no complications. To have this diagnosis has been difficult for us but we know that there is a purpose in this situation. We have hope in our God who has been so good to us and who performed miracle after miracle in the lives of our twins. We are blessed by an incredible team of doctors and nurses, and are very encouraged by the medical advancements we are learning about for treatment of CF. Ultimately we know that the doctors do not have the last word, and trust that Sydney's future is in the hands of Jesus. So we are going to believe for another miracle, and would ask that you all join us in prayer. Here are the things we are specifically praying for:

• There are mild and severe cases of CF and it is impossible to tell now what hers looks like. We are praying that she will have a very mild case with no symptoms and that she will have a very long life. Specifically pray that her lungs would be strong and healthy and that her pancreas would function normally.

• Pray for her to stay healthy and free from sickness. This first year is extremely important for her long term health.

• Pray that God will get much glory through her story and her  life.

• Sydney has been in the hospital now for over 2 weeks so we are ready for her to be home. Pray that she can make progress with her bottle feedings so we can leave the hospital.

• She will have her intestine reattachment surgery sometime in early 2013, so pray that it goes smoothly.

• We still have weekly therapies for Liana and Adleigh had a heart procedure scheduled for 2013, so pray that God will continue to heal them and help us manage all of the different treatments.

We have been extremely encouraged by our Elevation Church family and feel so supported during this time. The scripture we have been praying over Sydney everyday has been Psalm 103:1-5.

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Thank you for believing with us!