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| Posted by: Pamela McKee |
| Posted at: Mon, Oct 22, 2007 - 13:17:37 |
I know that you don't know who I am, but I feel like I know you and your baby like the back of my hand. I want you guys to know there are so many people praying for you and your sweet boy. It is so amazing to see what our God can do. I am so proud to see how strong you two are and were even through the hard times. You both have faith that continues to amaze me, and patience that is life-changing. Just reading your journal daily has given me a stronger relationship with God. I will continue to pray for you and your sweet sweet family.
Through Him~ Pamela |
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| Posted by: Samantha (Sparks) Allen |
| Posted at: Mon, Oct 22, 2007 - 10:44:37 |
Oh Kelly, Praise God for the miracle of Bennett! It sounds like you guys are SO close to going home! The CPR class and learning how to use the equipment (insert the NG tube) are the last steps! And he weighs in at 11.5lbs!! That's awesome! My precious Emily was ten weeks early and had a long NICU stay... the feeding was her last big hurdle and a long one at that! She eventually skipped several days leading up to the full feeds when she kept pulling the NG tube out herself... finally the doc just said 'let's see if she can do it on her own since she obviously thinks she can'! And she did!! She is now seven months old and weighs just a pound more than Bennett! We have had a lot of the same problems as you, although Emily was a preemie, never on ECMO and her breathing difficulties weren't due to an infection... but she has a level two brain bleed, which we have been told greatly increases her chance of cerebral palsy... I know the CP word has been mentioned to you but don't let that scare you. Get Bennett into therapy (Emily has therapy at our home three times a week)and is making steady progress. We had to stay home for months once we finally left the hospital and are getting back into that phase again now that RSV season is upon us (the synagis shots help get us out a little bit... we do all still need our sanity!) Email me if there is anything I can help with. I have been following Bennett's ups and downs and been in steadfast prayer for your little family. Our God is so good and has carried His little Bennett thus far. He won't stop now! Maybe someday we will run into each other at ACU and I can tell Bennett myself just how loved and prayed for he was in his first few rough months. Hang in there... you're almost home with your sweet little one! I can't wait to check the blog and see him home!!
Much Love,
Sam (Sparks) Allen |
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| Posted by: Liz and Walter |
| Posted at: Mon, Oct 22, 2007 - 07:49:57 |
Kelly, Travis, and Bennett,
We are SO thrilled and thankful to God for the amazing progress that Bennett continues to make! It was so wonderful to see him in those pictures sans tubes!! We continue to pray for his complete recovery, and his arrival home soon.
Much love,
Liz and Walter |
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| Posted by: Megan and Douglas Srygley |
| Posted at: Mon, Oct 22, 2007 - 07:40:48 |
What exciting news for Bennett to be off the nasal oxygen! We are praying prayers of great thanksgiving that Bennett is doing so well and on his way to being discharged! Our hearts are encouraged by your hope and strong faith. Sending our love and prayers,
Megan |
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| Posted by: The Sperrys |
| Posted at: Sun, Oct 21, 2007 - 20:01:03 |
Praise be to God for this great news! Before reading this evening's post, we were reflecting earlier today on what a journey you three have been through over the past two months and on the amazing miracles God has performed in Bennett's young life. We compared the pictures from the day Bennett started ECMO to the pictures from yesterday with no tubes. Truly amazing.
During our Bible class this morning, we were reading 1 Peter 1, and thought of you when we read verses 3 through 9:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Your faith and trust in our Father continues to inspire us and so many others. Thank you for sharing this journey with us.
We love you all! |
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| Posted by: Grana and Popper |
| Posted at: Sun, Oct 21, 2007 - 19:43:43 |
Dearest Bennett,
What rejoicing we did last night when we saw the beautiful picture of you TUBE FREE!! I was standing beside your bed with your daddy when he took the first picture of you with all of your tubes. He stayed up until the very 'wee' hours of the night working on the website because he wanted people to pray for you. It seemed everyday more tubes were added but of course they were all so neccessry for your recovery.
God has been so very gracious to grant your healing and the Shunk and Speck families will be eternally grateful to so many people who have taken their time to pray, comment and just think about you for the past 9 weeks. There have been church congregations, students, teachers, ladies' Bible study groups, men's Bible study groups, youth groups, oollege chapels, Reach groups, and countless people that we do not even know that have lifted your name up to God in prayer because they either heard about you or saw your website. There is no way for our families to express our gratitude to all of you except to simple say 'thank you' from the depths of our hearts.
Popper and I had wonderful 60th Birthdays this year, because we were with you 2 weeks ago and with birthday cousin Palmer and sweet Lainey Hope this weekend.
God is so gracious!!
We love you dearly and can't wait for you to see your 'little blue house' very soon.
Popper and Grana |
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| Posted by: Colleen & Phil |
| Posted at: Sun, Oct 21, 2007 - 19:39:28 |
What a way to celebrate being two months old - breathing on your own and moving to your own room! You are an amazing, sweet, adorable, very loved, little boy!
We are so thrilled for y'all and are praying hard for Sweet Bennett's complete healing, his strength during his feedings, and for him to stay healthy from all infections. We are also praying for y'all as your dream of bringing your son home is so near. May the Lord continue to bless y'all's beautiful family. We love y'all and we will continue to pray and praise God. |
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| Posted by: Darlene Warren |
| Posted at: Sun, Oct 21, 2007 - 19:35:36 |
| What terrific news these last two days. Bennett breathing by himself and no help and moving to his own room. Getting ready to go home. I know you must be so excited. We all shared the Praise of Bennett breathing by himself. God is so good and is showing us all his love for Bennett and his mommy and dad. Sunday's are so special. The new pictures are precious. We keep Bennett in our prayers and Mom and Dad too. Have a blessed week. |
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| Posted by: Zach & Parul |
| Posted at: Sun, Oct 21, 2007 - 19:27:29 |
Travis & Kelly,
What FANTASTIC news!! We are so excited about the latest progress! Bennett is doing so well and is such an amazing little guy. We can't wait to hear how the meeting goes and if a discharge date is revealed.
Much love,
Zach & Parul |
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| Posted by: Debby |
| Posted at: Sun, Oct 21, 2007 - 19:03:48 |
Hello you 3!!
How beautiful you all look in every picture! His little face without those tubes...Praise God! You are the strongest couple I know! I am always comforted in knowing and seeing how much support you all have! I think of you every day. It seems like getting him ready to go home, means it's just around the corner! No doubt, your beautiful boy is feeding off the strength you both give him to keep going! Can't wait to see what happe
ns next! Love you! Debby |
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