Faith

"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock." Matthew 7:25.

In my dining room, I have a picture of a house built on a rock near the sea. Underneath the house is the word "faith." Below that is the verse from the Bible. Our family has sure been beaten about by the winds these last few weeks. The rain has fallen, and yet we stand. With God as our rock, we are on a strong foundation. The friends and family he has provided us have kept us on our feet when the storms have fought to knock us down.

I think of the floods as the tears that have been spilt by myself and all those who care about Simon. I can feel the cleansing quality of tears shared with friends. I am comforted to know that I am not alone in this, and indeed, we are never alone.

Today was uneventful, as far as Simon's treatment is concerned. At one point, they tried to increase the rate of the medicine, which resulted in a slight case of the shakes and a rise in his temperature. The temperature only went up to 99.8, and they immediately slowed the medicine down and both side effects stopped.

Today's excitement was of a positive nature. My kids attend the very best school in the entire universe. From the moment I put out the word that we were headed to the ER, they have rallied around Simon and our family. In a show of support, they are organizing a blood drive. The principal put out a press release this morning about the drive, to bring more people in. With in minutes, a local t.v. station had contacted him and wanted to interview Simon, the school, and our family.

This afternoon, Mr. Knapp and the t.v. crew arrived at the clinic. They spent some time taping Simon, and then they interviewed Mr. Knapp, Simon, and myself. The story aired on KKTV news at 5:30. I wasn't home to see it, but I did see the story they posted on their web-site, and later, they also posted the video. I am including a link to the story. They did a beautiful job telling Simon's story.

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/39514767.html#

I also want to share the press release, written by Don Knapp, the greatest principal in the world.

Serious Health Condition Strikes Pikes Peak Student—Blood Drive Scheduled Falcon, CO, February 2009 -- Simon Wright, a 5th grade student at Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning went for a routine doctor’s visit about a skin rash, only to discover that a much more serious ailment was lurking in the shadows. After a rush to the emergency room and the cancer center, it was discovered that Simon is suffering from Aplastic Anemia—a potentially fatal condition.

“48 hours can definitely change a life,” is the first thing Cheryl, Simon’s mom, will tell you. In that time span, Simon went from being a healthy 5th grade student, to a child struggling with a serious health condition. The roller coaster of emotions has left the family fatigued, but hopeful.
At first, Simon was scared, and he has had a few panic attacks, but they have been short lived, and he has been in great spirits overall. Cheryl credits her faith along with the support of the school and her church with helping the family remain positive.

Aplastic anemia essentially means that the bone marrow has forgotten how to make blood. Treatment ranges from immune suppression therapy to bone marrow transplants. The condition leaves Simon unable to come to school for several months while he struggles to work through this difficult situation. The major concerns over the next few months will be bleeding and infection. Because of that, he will be very limited on contact with people.

Within the first few days after diagnosis, Simon had surgery to install a port near his heart because of the amount of IVs he will need to have over the next several months. A few days later, he began Immune Therapy that could last up to 6 months and potentially end in bone marrow transplants.The Wright family, with 5 children, has been at fixture at Pikes Peak School for years. The close-knit parent community of the school has gotten solidly behind the family to support them through this crisis. Families are giving rides, making meals, and giving donations.

Simon will need several transfusions while he tries to recover, so the school is hosting a blood drive on April 15th and 16th. Several families and community members will show their support by giving blood on that day. The school is asking that all willing individuals contact the school at 719-522-2580 for details on how to join the blood drive.

As I type this up, the kids are all fast asleep in there beds. Outside, a storm is raging. The snow is coming down. The wind is blowing so hard that the snow is falling sideways. In their slumber, the kids are oblivious to the storm outside, just as I had been to the storm raging within Simon's bones. And yet, the house still stands. I have to have faith that when this storm passes, Simon will still stand, and our family will still stand. Isn't God good?