Fighting for LIFE

    
Many of you will remember sweet Jayson from my earlier blog posts. He is my absolutely precious 5 year old neighbor who had a brain tumor removed in June (Jayson pictured right shortly after his surgery). If you don’t remember his story, read: Difficult Realities, Encountering Hope, and I Will Not Forget.

    Almost a month ago (while I was in the States visiting my family), Jayson’s health took a turn for the worse again. He was disoriented and began vomiting; he was rushed to the hospital in Managua. Jayson needed an additional operation, but the swelling in his brain was too great to allow for the operation. His health continued to deteriorate as the swelling increased. Eventually Jayson could no longer recognize his own mother. Wednesday night he slipped into a coma. The doctors say there is no hope.

   On Friday, Rosita (Jayson’s Sunday school teacher) and I made a 4-hour trip to Managua to sit with Jayson’s mom so, at least for a little while, she wouldn’t be alone with her pain. By the time we finally arrived in Managua, taxied across the city, and located Auralila (Jayson’s mom) within the hospital we only had about 40 minutes to spend with her before making the return trip to Candelaria.
   She is doing well all things considering (Auralila pictured left in the black shirt). She has been sleeping on the floor at the hospital for 27 days already. She has lost a lot of weight from eating only small amounts of food from street vendors. She is really hurting, but she seems to be at peace whether the Lord takes Jayson home or heals him. She knows that it will be hard to lose him, but she doesn’t want to see him suffer. She is hurting, but seemed at peace. Please just pray for strength for her. She is alone at the hospital, barely gets to see her son, and has hardly been sleeping or eating for almost a month now. She needs strength.

    I had no plans to see Jayson while I was in Managua. I had hoped and had asked the Lord, but I thought that it was impossible. I had been told that, in the intensive care unit where he is being cared for, no one except one family member is allowed to enter (even that family member can only enter for an hour). However, thanks to a very compassionate doctor, I was given permission to enter and to see sweet Jayson. Thank you, thank you, thank you Jesus for that gift of time!!!
   It was both extremely difficult and such a blessing to be able to have that time with Jayson. I walked into the room and stood by his bed. Jayson is now awake (PRAISE JESUS!). He looks so tiny and fragile lying there in that hospital bed hooked to both a feeding tube and a respirator. My heart broke, but I didn’t want him to see me cry. I silently prayed asking the Lord for strength. I began to lightly stroke his head and leaned down to whisper to Jayson words of love and life. I was able to tell him how much I love him, how I love his joy and the life that springs forth in his laughter, that he’s strong and brave and good, and how much the Lord loves him and delights in who he is (Jayson and I playing together pictured above right).
    Then I began to pray. I began to pray for healing and for peace. I had prepared my heart to tell Jayson that if he wanted to fight for life then we would fight with him, but if he wanted to go and to be with Jesus then we blessed him and released him to go. However, as soon as I had uttered the words, “Jayson if you want to fight for life…” he began to nod his head yes. So I promised him that we are all standing and fighting with him in prayer.
    The doctors say there is no hope, but I don’t believe that. Jayson wants to live. He wants to keep fighting. As long as he wants to fight, we will stand and fight with him. So I ask for your prayers on behalf of this precious little boy. I continued to pray LIFE & HEALING over Jayson. I prayed. I proclaimed life over his body. I prayed over him until he drifted off to sleep. Then I reached down and kissed his forehead one last time and whispered in his ear that I, his family, his church, and most of all the Lord love him and then slipped quietly out of the room.
   
    I felt such a peace in that dimly lit hospital room. Unexpected peace just flooded my heart. As long as Jayson wants to fight, his family and church will fight with him. We will believe in his life. If he decides that he’s ready to be with Jesus, then we feel peace in that as well.
    For now, I am asking for your prayers. I’m asking that you will stand and fight with us on Jayson’s behalf. I ask for prayers for his family. I ask for prayers for us as a church family. We are all hurting together with Jayson. But we are also fighting… fighting for LIFE.