Turning Point...

It’s been a little over a week since I was quarantined from Ammon, and finally tonight, I get to join him for another night back on the frontlines at the PICU. As you can see from the posts below, it’s been a muddy week in the trenches. Ammon’s been bogged down, but he has also been surviving. If Summer hasn’t already done it in the interim, I’ll be sure to post an update sometime tonight on Ammon’s condition for the past day.

I’ve mentioned before that many times sitting next to Ammon’s bed, he has the effect of inspiring and strengthening those around him, even in the midst of a particularly sore fight. As Ammon’s conditions continue to be “tricky,” I have been amazed at the medical miracles that have manifest themselves. Some of these miracles occurred long ago and we are still the recipients of them all these years later, through various medications and procedures. While others are happening right before us. I can see it when the doctors and nurses say “let’s try this…”, and then proceed with the thought (we should show you a picture of one of the contraptions a nurse put together to help relieve abdominal pressure through his G-tube). Sure, part of the time it is just guesswork (Ammon likes to keep us on our toes that way), but other times the “let’s try this…” is a flash of inspiration. That inspiration is a result of your faith and prayers. I hope it’s reassuring for each of you to know that through your prayers you have been part of miracles.

A while ago I had the opportunity to share a little bit about miracles. In thinking about that it reminded me of one of my favorite new shows on TV. It’s called Turning Point, and it’s actually on BYUTV (to my nephews, please don’t be turned off by the BYU part, trust me, you won’t see Cosmo or Jimmer in any of the Turning Point episodes…at least, not yet). The first episode is my favorite so far, and it talks about a technology called Eagle Eyes. The show is inspiring, and if you’re interested please click here and enjoy, or at least make a note of the web address. We actually bumped into two of the children from the show, Elizabeth and Ty, at an event a while ago. It was awesome to meet their parents and to introduce ourselves to Elizabeth and Ty, express our appreciation for them, and then introduce them to Ammon. Following is a part of what I shared a while ago, and it continues to remind me of Ammon and the miracles meant to come about throughout this cancer process:

“Sometimes we are performing miracles without even knowing it. Through persistent work, and a measure of divine inspiration, scientists discover miracle technologies, doctors discover miracle cures. I love the story of Professor Jim Gips. Professor Gips is a computer science professor at Boston College, and one day a thought occurred to him about how cool it would be to control a computer simply by moving your eyes. After inventing the technology it was featured on a Discovery show and a mother with a non-verbal, non-communicative son with severe cerebral palsy saw the show. She pestered Professor Gips and repeatedly asked him to allow her son to try the technology. Professor Gips repeatedly turned her down saying that was not why the technology was invented, it wasn’t even a thought of his that it could be successfully used by such an individual. Eventually, he reluctantly relented and the mother brought her son to try the technology. The instant the son tried Eagle Eyes, as it is called, Professor Gips had one of those moments, he knew that this is what it had been invented for, he knew that this previously non-verbal young man had great intelligence. With this technology, the young man completed high school, made numerous friends, and effectively changed the outlook of his life, his mother’s and an entire community. He that couldn’t talk, could now speak. Now there are dozens of children that previously had no means of connecting with another, that are now expressing the simple fact that there is a child of God inside, that there is an individual with intelligence. Professor Gips, a computer science professor and a self-admitted individual that previously avoided and had no contact with individuals with extreme disabilities, also had a miracle occur in his life. He expressed the following, “My attitude towards the children with the disabilities....my initial attitude was, boy I'm glad that those are not my children, thank God that those are not my children, to those could be my children, to they are my children, to they are me, if that makes sense.” With a gospel perspective, from one child of God to another, it makes perfect sense.”