A Story About a Door

In our journey of asking, seeking, and knocking for Anna’s full healing we have come to the doorway of stem cells.

Right after Simon’s birth we heard about other children with Anna’s injury benefitting from umbilical cord stem cells. We were discouraged to find the limitations the United States has placed on this treatment. In our research, we found only three universities doing clinical research on stem cells for children with cerebral palsy. Their qualifications were too rigid for Anna to be their lab rat.

We prayed (and pray) that God would graciously close doors for us if it isn’t His best for Anna. When it comes to stem cells the results vary. Some kids experience no change, some can walk and none are fully healed. Most parents state improvement in muscle tone, core strengthening, and vision. All of which would benefit Anna. It’s the abundant testimony of other special needs families that has led us to keep on asking God for this treatment. Anna has been accepted by two of most well reputed, established umbilical cord stem cell providers in the world.

  “Where God guides, He provides.” About a week after learning that we were not qualified for any US stem cell research, we found the big price tag for umbilical stem cell injections in other countries. Our insurance will not pay because its considered alternative. We prayed, brought this to you guys to pray over, we started a GoFundMe account and looked to fundraising. We were desperate, I was ready to slam this door shut. We drug our knuckles to do fundraising on top of serving Anna and Simon daily. My attitude tanked, “stem cells a privilege for the rich.”  The fundraising did bare some fruit, but it was too little a bite out of the funds needed. 

The greatest warning sign was that my heart was telling me that we were doing these things on our own strength. Rather than being led by the Spirit who always supplies the strength for His will done His way. We relented, and found a whole new dependence on God as our needs persisted and our resources did not increase. We looked at the door not knowing if we would ever walk through it.

But God has mercy, He still provides. Surrender is what came next as we waited and wondered how? We prayed with increasing expectancy, “Lord use stem cells, make a way for us to get them. If it pleases You.” Once surrendered, we remembered His faithfulness to us during Anna’s birth and how He dispatched a supernatural amount of monetary gifts through the Church and our family. We were discharged debt free and had enough to pay for the move back to Colorado. Wow!

While the fundraising brainstorming was still churning, and the stem cell price tag was tempting to discourage us, God moved. My brother Will shows up one day and says “have you looked into the value of your condo?” By God’s grace, the market value of my condo in Denver had tripled the purchase price.   Whoa… Lord.

My Condo has been under contract for a month and Lord willing we will close this coming Tuesday. Last week we applied for passports. Once the sale is complete we will buy tickets and make arrangements for stem cells and the crucial follow-through with three weeks of intensive therapy. At last the door seems open.

The key to this door of healing is this:  If God chose to use a poultice of pressed figs to heal Hezekiah, or mud to give sight to a blind man, or a bronze snake to cure Israel, then certainly it is possible that He use umbilical cord stem cells from Panamanian women who just gave birth to bring healing to Anna. Let it be known that all credit, honor, and glory for any betterment that Anna may or may not have is the Lords. Our hope for healing is in Christ and not receiving stem cells.

Please Pray:

-That we keep our eyes on Jesus

-For the sale of the condo to be blessed. 

-For us to receive the passports soon.

-that we would not be stressed or make Anna feel stressed regarding the planning of the trip

-that Anna could receive millions of umbilical cord stem cells and that they would populate intentionally, miraculously in the areas of injury bringing healing.