The 5 months that followed in the hospital encompassed some of the darkest hours of our lives. . . unthinkable suffering, multiple complications, terrifying uncertainty, and tragic loss. Coming home was supposed to mark a huge victory, and yet it was another mountain for our family to climb of "new normals" in a constantly changing picture! And then the next health crisis that began in August and lasted through February of the following year. . . would the pain, suffering and agony ever end? Last year at this time, Hope had just had her first severe seizure where she stopped breathing and we were scared that we were going to wake up again to an unconscious daughter. . . it was terrifying all over again. . . only this time, there was our past experience and painful memories to try to battle and keep in check. . . could it happen all over again?
And now, another year later, and 2 years from "the sad day," as Gabi refers to it . . .
. . . the God who was not shocked or left helpless like we were,
. . . the God who was sovereignly and lovingly at work in all our lives and the lives of many around us,
. . . the God who was full of compassion, grace, mercy and strength to see us through all that was to ensue,
. . . and the God who is always faithful and able. . .
. . . was unfolding a story. . . not one that we would have willingly signed up for, let alone signed up our precious daughter for, but one that was lovingly and sovereignly chosen for her life so that His love, power, compassion, grace, mercy, and ultimately His glory would be on display for us and the thousands of people who would be touched by her life and her story. . . His story of HOPE in Jesus Christ through a little girl, named Hope!
So today, Hope's awesome daddio has deemed our new "Celebration of Life" Day and will become an annual tradition in our family from now on! It is our day to remember December 14, 2011, and the fleeting nature of what this life has to offer, the uncertainty and pain that can overwhelm us, and the tragic loss we can so quickly and helplessly experience, BUT for the steadfast LOVE of our Heavenly Father and the HOPE we have in Jesus Christ, that can carry us through the darkest of days!
Romans 15:13
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
We'd love to share with you a bit of our day, our beloved prayer warriors. . . precious family and friends and even "strangers" not yet able to meet, but all VERY loved and truly a part of our journey and Hope's story! Hope's request was to have special time with her family playing games and going out to a movie. She got to enjoy some of her very favourite treats. . . crepes with nutella and cream cheese and a new favourite caramel apple pecan filling with cream cheese AND of course her all time favourite, nachos with all the fixings! : ) We also went as a family to the new movie, "Frozen" in 3D! We'd heard great things about it, and it was a really cute movie, however, both Trev and I were taken aback at how much the sisters, Elsa and Anna, reminded us of our Hope and Gabriella! The love and bond between these two precious girls has been such a huge part of Hope's story, the grace of God through such difficult times, and an immense blessing to Trev and I! At some points, it was also incredibly painful, as we wondered what their future held. . . would they every talk to each other again, play together again, etc. Some days when the pain was searing, I hurt most of all for the pain that Gabi was going through in losing her sister. . . for those of you who have already watched the movie, you'll understand why it struck a cord in each of us. . . although Elsa was still alive, Anna lost her sister and the relationship they once had. Gabs also mentioned it in the first few minutes of the movie that she thought the sisters were a lot like her and Hope. But then, what a celebration to come home, read Psalm 25 together as a family, and then reminisce what God has done in the last year. . . and two years!!! Everything has not been restored, but how much more since even last December! It's incredible and continues to fill us with hope and trust that God is doing a mighty work in and through our precious Hopey AND her little sister! Hope is talking now, eating wonderfully, and tonight at the movie, she was able to SEE some things. . . certainly not everything, but SOME things. . . and not just colours, but actually pictures. These are some of the things that she described to me, "fire, opening a door, running in a circle, a bird, and snowing!" It's cute. . . she's convinced that it was the 3D glasses that were helping her see, and thinks she should wear them all the time now, so she can begin seeing again! : ) What an encouraging thing for her to experience sight again, even in a very limited way! Another memory to add to our day of celebration and leave us full of hope for what God may yet do. . . a little girl that came so close to dying, that is a talking eating miracle. . . and we can't wait to see if God will add seeing and walking to that list!
Here is a little clip of Hope talking to her daddy at the end of our "Celebration of Life" day, after reading Psalm 25 and chatting about the movie, Frozen. . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuU93qdyqs0
Please do continue to pray for our Hopey girl, for healing and continued recovery. Also, Hope had a rough weekend last weekend. . . although not anything compared to what it used to be! She was a bit under the weather from a cold, but she also had another unwell bout, which she has not had such a significant one since this past August, so it was discouraging and yet, we're encouraged that it has been so long when it used to be weekly, and that God has brought her so far, that she still handles it so much better, and is such a sweet little trooper! She was not able to eat from Sat am until Sun pm, she struggled with itchiness all over her body all the time, she had insomnia for over a week, with some nights not sleeping at all, and she had terrible temperature dysregulation where she was ice cold at times and sweating hot at others. We're very thankful that she didn't have a seizure, which she is more prone to during these bouts. Please continue to lift these puzzling symptoms that no one understands or knows how to help her through, but we are so thankful that God has so vastly improved her from having them once a week!
And what about that little sister you may ask. . . how is God at work in and through our Gabi girl? I'll end with this, a tribute to the joys and immeasurable blessing of SISTER LOVE! I won't spoil the movie, Frozen, for those who haven't seen it yet, but for those who have, I'd love to share some of the acts of "true love" we have seen God do through our Gabi in Hope's life and recovery, as a little list of some "Did you know's!"
Hope and Gabi in July 2011 before Hope's brain injury
Did you know that. . .
*. . . Gabi was the FIRST one to get Hope to smile (about 3 months after her brain injury)
*. . . Gabi often would try to understand Hope's struggles and show compassion by sitting in her wheelchair to understand being unable to walk, covering her eyes to mimic blindness, laying in Hope's hospital bed exactly the way Hope did, trying to communicate without words like Hope, and many more examples like this
*. . . Gabi slept with Hope in her hospital bed every single night from before we left the hospital until the day we moved them into their new shared room (and they are currently having a "sleep over" in Hope's bed tonight!)--that was over 16 months straight!
*. . . when asked when she would start sleeping in her own bed, Gabi replied, "Well let's see, probably until I'm about. . . 15 years old! Wait, that would mean that Hope would be 17 years old. . . okay, maybe give or take a year or so!" : )
*. . . Gabi was afraid of getting thrown up on when sleeping with Hope in the hospital. One morning, it happened and it was an enormous amount dripping all down her hair, face and body. . . Gabi cried, had a shower, and then went right back to sleep with her sister that night again!
*. . . Gabi will tell Hope what is going on throughout the movies they watch together
*. . . Gabi will run to Hope in her wheelchair and put her arms around her and whisper hellos and other sister secrets in her ear
*. . . Gabi loves to sit in Hope's recliner chair with Hope and help Hope play games on the I-pad
*. . . Gabi has not had any sleepovers at friends since Hope's brain injury, because as she puts it, she "can't sleep without her Hope!"
*. . . Gabi saved a chocolate for Hope in the hospital in faith that one day Hope would eat it, even after we told her that she could just have it because we didn't know how long that would be. . . Hope ate that very chocolate about 4 months later!
*. . . Gabi once corrected an older boy for saying that he wished he could just ride around in a wheelchair all day like Hope, educating him as to all the things that Hope missed out on due to being unable to walk
*. . . Gabi, even after being asked to partner up by several of her friends, chose to partner with Hope for the science fair project
*. . . Gabi knew how to suction Hope and call the nurse using the call light in the hospital, for when I would need to leave the room briefly
*. . . Gabi was able to sleep through and/or cope with night after night of Hope screaming in pain, multiple doctor visits, nursing care, machines beeping and such, because she did not want to be away from Hope in the hospital
*. . . last Sunday morning after I said goodbye to their daddy who left for church while we girls were home with Hope who was sick, I returned to the bedroom to find Gabi and Hope facing each other, foreheads touching, and arms around each other, praying for their daddy to have a safe trip driving on the slippery roads in the blizzard weather
Hope and Gabi having a tea party in spring 2013, after Hope's brain injury
And to see a "true love" sister moment for yourselves, I'll repost the link to the video of Hope's first time home and you can see the precious bond that God gave Hope and Gabi on the video when Gabi comes home and Hope's response. . . what a God-given treasure!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB5DyF32zP0
I still owe you a school update. . . it's in the works! Dear ones, YOU ARE SO VERY LOVED!!! Thank you for continuing to share this journey with us!!! God is good. . . ALWAYS!!!
Thank you so much for sharing, Heather. This brought so many smiles to my face and a continual reminder to pray for you all. I plan to send it on to a few people. We love you guys and hope that someday, we can catch up again. : )
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