Happy Anniversary!!!!

Happy 31st Anniversary Mom & Dad!! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful example of how marriage can & should work! Thank you for loving each other so much! We hope that your day is wonderful and that you both feel extra special today!! We love you!!!

Ryland's Improving!

Yesterday, Ryland made some big improvements! His fever finally broke and the new x-rays came back looking a little bit better. As you can tell from the picture, his swelling has come way down! Doctors also decided to take him off of the paralytic meds, so he was able to see his mom and dad and start moving around a little bit. He's almost back where he was before this last episode!

The doctors have warned Shane and Shana, though, that when Ryland starts to come down off of the paralytic he'll probably start being mad, confused, and in some pain. They will keep him on some pain medication, but will also start to wean him off it as well. It will be a really slow process because the doctors do not want him to go through really bad withdrawals.

So, keep Ryland in your prayers. Pray that he continues to heal, and that he won't experience bad withdrawals or pain from coming off of the paralytic and the morphine. Pray for Shane and Shana, that they will be able to help keep Ryland as calm as possible and remain strong for him. Let's keep on praying until Ryland has a total recovery!

Ryland's Website

Ryland's website is up & running!

Please stop by and check out Ryland's updated site. A lot of new things have been added since the end of last week. You can read Ryland's story, look at photos, read his patient journal for updates on his progress, and leave encouraging messages for Ryland and his parents in the guestbook. There is also a section of links through the CDC where you can look up specific diseases or conditions. So, you can study up on what all Ryland is dealing with. As always you can donate towards Ryland's cause.

**For those of you who have a blog, there is a downloadable logo that you can add to your pages. It looks like this:






Go to caringbridge.org and click on the 'How to Help' button. Under 'Other ways to help' there is a link for bloggers. Click on it, and then click on 'Logos for Display'. When you copy & paste the html code into your blogger format, you can add in Ryland's address.
Ex: "http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/rylandreese" (I added it to the first caringbridge address. There are 4 caring bridge addresses in the code.) This should allow the logo to take you straight to Ryland's page.

The more awareness we can create on Ryland's condition, the more people we can recruit to pray with us for his healing. There's power in prayer! The more people praying, the more power!
Here's the latest from Ryland's journal:

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2009 04:53 PM, CST
"Ryland has been running a fever for about 24 hours. They took and sent off a bunch of cultures, and so far nothing has grown from them. It could take up to 3 days to see lab results and to find out what might be causing his fever. Ryland is getting a tiny bit better each day, and x-rays seem to be improving. His immune system is so compromised and weak, that just one of us going into the room or someone visiting could introduce a new infection or cold. When we get home eventually, we will be seeing an immunologist in Lubbock to help ryland with his immune deficiency. We have taken steps forward the last 4 days, but it seems to be a roller coaster ride in here sometimes. We hope that he can get off of his paralytic soon, so he can start moving around again. He muscles are very weak, and it will take a long time of therapy to regain that strength back. Thank you for visiting our web page on Ryland, and were hoping he will get better soon. Please continue the prayers. Love The Reese's"

Let's continue to lift up the whole Reese family in prayer. Pray that he will continue to improve and strengthen. Pray for his immune system to build back up, and allow for both of his parents to be in the room with him. For Shane & Shana, pray that they will continue to have hope & remain positive as Ryland's recovery continues. Be Blessed everyone!

Pics & a Website

For those of you who have been praying, here is a face to go along with his name. This is sweet, little seven year old Ryland Reese.

This is Ryland befor he got sick and put in the pediatric ICU on January 31st.
The picture below is Ryland in the ICU at the BSA hospital in Amarillo, TX.

Ryland has been in ICU since Saturday, January 31, 2009. That is 21 days of being in critical care, and having to lay still. In order to give the Reese family support during Ryland's critical illness and monsterous expenses of being in the hospital for that long, they have set up a website for Ryland through a charitable organization call Caring Bridge.

On his website you can leave encouraging messages, look at the patient care journal for updates, donate money to help the family cope with hospital bills, make financial tributes, look at uploaded pictures, and read Ryland's story.

His website was just set up in the last day or two, so there isn't much on there yet. But, here is the link if you wish to stop by and have a peek, leave a message, or give a financial gift.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/rylandreese or click on the Caring Bridge logo to the right

Some News. . . .

Sorry I haven't been able to update the last 2 days! We didn't hear anything until this morning. So we figured 'no news is good news'.

Shana and Shane said that the doctors think Ryland has a combination of the fungus, strep, and a viral infection. They will continue to test for all of those. So for now, his doctors have diagnosed him with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The good news. . . Ryland is in critical condition still, but is stable. His oxygen has been brought down from 100% to 40%, which is amazing!!!! Especially considering how critical things were just 2 days ago!

The not so good news. . . Ryland is having to take blood pressure meds to keep his bp level down. He might also have to be kept in the hospital for up to 2 months for the steroid treatment, and to wean him off the ventilator. He might also have to do daily breathing treatments for up to 2 years.

The AMAZING NEWS!!!!. . . . Ryland's lungs have a 100% percent chance of healing in time! It's amazing to me how God created our bodies to heal themselves! Psalms 139:13 & 14 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are WONDERFUL, I know that full well." How wonderful are our bodies?!

I thank the Lord right now for Ryland that his body is fearfully and wonderfully made. That, through time, his lungs will heal because that is how God created bodies, to heal themselves. Let's all continue to pray that Ryland's body reacts well with the steroid treatments, and with the help of doctors and medicine that his body will begin and continue to heal. Pray for the critical care team that is overseeing his treatment. They need wisdom to figure out what is causing the problem, and how to treat it efficiently. Pray for Shane and Shana. They are worn out and tired from being up at the hospital with all of the ups and downs. Pray that they are continually filled with peace, and continue to lean on the Lord for their source of strength.

Not Much Change

Mike just got off the phone with Shane this morning, and there has not been much change in Ryland's condition. Doctors have told them that the fungus actually looks a little bit worse. Shane said that the antibiotics that they gave him aren't really doing much. They are going to give him a steroid shot this morning and see if that helps his body fight off the fungus. If nothing else helps, they are talking about flying Ryland to Dallas where he can hopefully receive better care. Keep praying!!! I'll update more hopefully sometime this afternoon.

***Urgent***

Please pray! Ryland has had a major set back today. Doctors have found a fungus growing in both of his lungs. The fungus is from all of the antibiotics that he had to take. They said that both lungs look very bad, and that the only thing they could do is give him the strongest antibiotic that they have available and see if it can kill the fungus. They gave him the meds this evening. Doctors have told Shane and Shana that if the medication does not work, they can't do anything else.

Let's all agree together in prayer that God will once again intervene and heal Ryland's body. Pray that his immune system would be able to handle the round of harsh meds that they are having to give him, and that doctors would have the wisdom and knowledge needed during this challenging time. Pray for Shane and Shana to have strength of mind and to remember that God is still in control. May they keep in mind that God didn't give them a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. May a spirit of peace engulf them tonight as they wait and pray for the fungus to leave Ryland's body.

Thank you for all joining in prayer with us! We know that there is power in prayer, and power when two or more gather and agree together in the name of Jesus! We'll update as soon as we hear something!

Ryland's Surgery Update

Late yesterday evening we heard from Shane that Ryland's surgery had gone well! The doctors only had to remove the middle section of his right lung instead of the middle & lower section that the x-rays had shown needed to be removed. The surgery lasted about 4 - 5 hours, and when we briefly talked to Shane, Ryland had just gone into recovery. The late hours of yesterday and the early hours of this morning were really crucial. Ryland's body had to accept all the changes from the surgery, as well as a blood transfusion.

Just a few minutes ago, I received an email telling us that Ryland is doing very well! His body is seeming to accept everything so far. He is resting and in stable condition!! Shane and Shana's email also said that during surgery, the doctors removed the tube from his left lung and replaced the one in his right lung to continue draining off blood. The doctors have said that they are hoping to wean Ryland off of the ventilator within a week and move him to a regular room where he can continue to recover and begin therapy.

We need to continue to pray for Ryland's body to recover quickly and completely. Since he has been laying still for 12 - 13 days, his muscles are very, very weak. Because of the downs syndrome, he has more obstacles to overcome. Shane told us that he probably won't be able to hold up his head on his own when he wakes up. He will also more than likely have to relearn everything. (crawling, walking, etc.)

Let's continue praying for the Reese family. Pray that their strength would be renewed as they begin the road to recovery, and that Ryland's body won't take long to remember how to do things. Pray that his muscles would quickly find their strength again, and that therapy wouldn't be as tough as the doctors are saying. Let's all agree together for God to receive the glory for Ryland's healing!!

Ryland's Surgery

Ryland is going to go ahead and have surgery tomorrow on his right lung. The doctors believe that he is strong enough for it. So, let's all be in prayer for him as he goes in at 12 noon tomorrow. Pray that the surgery would go well, that his body would remain strong, and that the doctors wouldn't find anything wrong. We're believing for a complete healing for him. Pray that the surgeon would have wisdom and discernment concerning the care of Ryland, and that the surgeon's hand would be guided by the Lord. Also, be in prayer for Shane and Shana as they wait for the surgery to be completed. Pray that they would have peace and strength of mind as they wait for the surgery to be completed. We'll update as soon as we hear how it goes!

I've been tagged . . .

This is a picture of us with our friends Trent & Katy. This is the day that Trent graduated from Parker last summer. Katy was just about to get ready to have little Jenz a few weeks afterward. We are so blessed to have them as some of our closest friends!

Directions:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.

2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.

3) Explain the picture.

4) Tag people to do the same.~No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.) Have fun!!

You're it!

The Halls

The Bruns

Please join me!

As I was praying for the Reese family today, my heart broke. I started sobbing and couldn't quit for several minutes. I felt several emotions all at once. I thought about how they must be feeling right now. (scared, worried, fearful, helpless, etc.) The Lord gave me a verse to pray over them.

Proverbs 18:10 - "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe."

As I was praying this over them, I was reminded of how powerful the name of the Lord is, and how many names He has. These are the ones that I am praying they will come to see God as during this time. PROVIDER, HEALER, HELPER, OVERCOMER, VICTOR, FRIEND

Please join me as I pray that the Lord will touch them in a special way today. I pray that they will know God as their provider, healer, helper, overcomer, victor, and friend. May they run into the arms of a mighty God, who is strong in their weakness!

The Last Few Days. . . .

Ryland Reese - 7 years old

Ryland has had a lot happen the last few days. This Thursday the doctors decided that in order to keep his good lung strong (the left one), they would have to go ahead and puncture it to drain off the fluid that has been building up. They could not do it with a needle for fear of collapsing it, so they had to make an incision on the side of it. They also decided to turn Ryland on his stomach and side every few hours to get the fluid moving around so it would rise to the surface where it could be drained out. When they went to move him from his stomach to his back again, he was not ready for the change. It took several hours to get his heart rate, oxygen levels, and his body to settle back down. With each turn after that, his body dealt better and better with every move.

Ryland has been waking up more often, but is really scared and disoriented. He gets really mad and tries to talk, but can't. So, he starts biting the tubes in his mouth and grinding his teeth. They are having to sedate him when he wakes up to keep him from moving around too much, and to help him stay calm.

Saturday we heard that he had a really good night on Friday, and that his oxygen levels are almost down to regular room air!! The doctors are going to give him about a week to let his lungs heal and his body to gain some strength back. Then, they are still talking about surgery if he is stable enough to handle it. That's all the news we've heard so far, but we'll keep updating!

Let's continue to stand in the gap for the Reese family! Keep praying that Ryland's body will continue to heal and that he would be at peace as he gains back strength. Pray that Shane and Shana would be able to rest their own bodies and minds, knowing that God is in control and watching over them. Pray that God would continue to lead and guide the doctors as they care for Ryland and that they would have supernatural wisdom in making decisions for him. Let's keep believing for a miracle in the Reese family!!

Ryland Update #2

This evening Shane said that things were going a little bit better. Ryland is still in coma, but not as deep of one. He has started to respond a little bit by wiggling around, which is a really good sign! The doctors did find a small cyst in the lower right portion of the lung (the 1/4 that they might need to remove), and will try to prod it and let it drain tomorrow. Ryland will also undergo a cat scan tomorrow to get a better view of which portions exactly are damaged by the bacteria.

Let's continue to pray for a complete healing of Ryland's body, especially for the right portion of the lung. We're standing in faith that his cat scan will come back clean and there will be no permanent damage. Pray for the doctors that are treating him, that they will have supernatural wisdom concerning his care, and will be lead to make right choices for him during this critical turning point. As for Shane and Shana, pray that their expectancy will remain high as they continue to watch and wait. May their faith be strengthened as they watch the miracle of healing in their son unfold!

Ryland Update #1

We spoke to Shane and Shana today, and Ryland has had a big break through! The doctors did a culture on the bacteria and figured out exactly which strand of pneumonia it is, and which medicine it responds to the best. So, Ryland is not taking the five antibiotics that he was on yesterday. He is now only taking penicillin. His fever has also came down to a 99.8.

He is still in a coma, but has started breathing more on his own. Instead of being on 100 percent oxygen, he is now on 60 percent, which is the lowest percentage you can be on before being taken off of the ventilator. Ryland's body is getting stronger and starting to respond very well to the medication. His improvements are small, but are beginning the road to recovery.

Continue to pray for Ryland to have a complete and total healing in his body. We are even believing that the surgery won't be necessary as his body continues to heal. Also, pray for Shane and Shana. They need continued prayers for strength and peace of mind. Today they were encouraged and uplifted at the good news, and the support and prayers of everyone. Let's continue to pray this sweet little boy's healing into existence!!

****PLEASE PRAY****

Our friends, Shane and Shana, from Amarillo desperately need prayers right now! Their sweet little boy, Ryland, is in intensive care right with a bacterial strand of pneumonia. Normally for a 7 year old this would not be a life threatening thing, but Rylan has down syndrome and with that has a weaker immune system right of the bat. His body has not been able to kick the pneumonia, even with the medication and being comatose. The doctors are waiting for him to get a little bit stronger so that they can do surgery to remove the lower 1/4 of his right lung that has been too badly damaged by the bacteria and is no longer usable.

Please pray that Ryland's body will strengthen and fight off the pneumonia. We are also believing that he will have a complete and total healing. Pray for his parents, Shane and Shana, who are worn out, tired, and living every minute on the edge of their seats with Ryland's condition the way that it is right now. Pray that they will have peace of mind, knowing that God is in control.

For those of you in Amarillo who feel compelled to go and be with them, they are at BSA in the ICU critical care unit, room 4. Shane and Shana are already appreciative of all the people praying already. Let's keep it up until something changes!!