Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving was a very special one. We have a lot to be thankful for. Getting to spend Thanksgiving with my sister & her family this year was truly a blessing. Last Thanksgiving we had to celebrate Thanksgiving without them.

Jennifer said the grace before Thanksgiving dinner. It brought tears to everyone's eyes. We couldn't understand every word she said, but we know God did!

Josiah & Kacyn are getting so big! Kacyn is still eating through his feeding tube, but continues to improve in his spoon feedings. He just isn't able to eat enough by mouth to do away with the feeding tube yet. He's also getting better at sitting up by himself.

Jennifer got a new walker. They weren't able to bring it with them on the trip from MO this time because there just wasn't enough room in their car with everything else they have to bring. Hopefully, I'll get to see her use her walker when we see them again at Christmas.

Hope everyone had as blessed a Thanksgiving as we did. The last year has been filled with blessings & miracles & we are thankful for all of them & for all of you who have cried, prayed, & been here with us through this past year. Thank you for everything!

1 Year Ago...

It was 1 year ago today that I got the most devastating call of my life thus far. It was my mom calling, but she was crying so hard I couldn't undertand what she was trying to tell me. Finally, David's mom, Kathy, got on the phone & I found out my baby sister, Jennifer, had gone into cardiac arrest as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident 11 days earlier & was on complete life support. I can't even begin to describe the feelings & emotions of that day.

It was also my sister's husband's 25th birthday that day. There was nothing happy about his 25th birthday.

Today, a year later, Jennifer is still recovering from the brain damage which was a result of the cardiac arrest, brain damage that was so severe the drs didn't think she'd recover from it. She's come a long way in the last year, but still requires 24 hour assistance with everything. Her husband, David, who is celebrating his 26th birthday today, has taken care of her every need without ever complaining. He's a true hero in my book! He & Jennifer are inspirations to everyone.

Today we are not only celebrating David's birthday & life, but also the gift God gave back to us a year ago, Jennifer.

"Where there is great love, there are always miracles." -- Willa Cather
Jennifer's miracle began a year ago not only because of the great love of her friends & family, but also because of the great love she & David have in our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. It's this great love & faith that helped get all of us through the past year. Thank you for being there with us, helping, supporting, & praying with us. Thank you for being a part of Jennifer's miracle.

Love,
Lynn

Happy 1st Birthday, Kacyn!!

WOW! It's hard to believe, but Kacyn's a year old now! Sunday, Oct 18, was his 1st birthday!!

We celebrated his birthday all together at mom & dad's house with a Winnie-the-Pooh birthday cake. He didn't get to eat any of his cake, but we let him taste the frosting! He liked it!

We tried to focus on celebrating Kacyn's birth & not the events that led to his early arrival. He's our little miracle! He's getting so big and is the sweetest little baby!

I have added some 1st birthday birthday photos taken by a friend of the Dierkings.

Thank you for all the prayers. Please continue to pray for complete healing for this little family.

Family Picture

I have posted a family picture taken of the Dierkings by a friend of theirs. They look great! The boys are getting so big! What an amazing family! They truly are a miracle of God!

Jennifer is getting more botox injections in her left hand today to help loosen up the muscles & hopefully help regain movement & use of that hand. The botox injections usually make her sick for a few days.

She continues to slightly improve, but still is unable to walk or really do anything by herself yet. But it's just little subtle improvements that we, the family, can see that tell us she's still getting better such as being able to cross her legs by herself. She wasn't able to do this before, but now she can! Things we all take for granted are big accomplishments for her.

They are coming here to AR today. We will be celebrating Kacyn's first birthday on Sunday, Oct. 18! I can't believe he's a year old! Jennfier wanted to have his 1st birthday party here at mom & dad's. I'll post birthday pictures soon!

All of the prayers, support, love, encouragement over the last year has been appreciated more than I can put into words. Because of you, it helped us make it through this very difficult year. Thank you & God bless!

But don't stop praying yet! There's still lots of healing to be done!

Jennifer's Posting

Below is a posting directly from Jennifer. It's something she wants me to share with everyone.

A good friend of Jennifer's saw her in Tulsa several weeks ago. This friend was so taken aback & upset at seeing Jennifer like she is now that she couldn't sleep. She got up from bed & was praying for Jennifer when Jennifer's spirit appeared before her & said, "I'm still here, You're to see me as I really am. Tell David I love him. Thank him for not giving up on me and fighting for me. We win the fight, we have won the fight, with our God nothing is impossible."

Jennifer continues to improve with each day. The improvements are very subtle, but they are there. She may not be able to do everything yet, but her personality, sense of humor, smarts, are all there. She is the same Jennifer.

Kacyn got his new chair. He really likes it! It has a base for outdoors that comes off & can stay in the van & has another smaller base for in the house. It has great head support which is already making a big difference in helping to strengthen his neck. It also has a tray like a high chair that is removeable. He likes to play with toys on this tray.

Josiah got a new swing set which he is really enjoying! Our kids had outgrown their swing set so my husband took it apart. He & my brother drove it the 4 hours to Sullivan, MO, & put it up for Josiah. That made that little boy very happy! He was very excited!

I have posted a picture of Kacyn in his new chair & Josiah on his swing.

Please continue to pray for this little family. They've come a long ways, but still have a ways to go so they still need prayers.

Josiah's 3rd Birthday!

Josiah’s birthday was Aug 25. He turned 3. His birthday party was Sat, Aug 29. His party had an Imagination Movers theme. For those who don’t have small children & don’t know what Imagination Movers is, it’s a show on the Disney Channel that Josiah loves. Grammy made outfits for both Josiah & Kacyn just like the ones worn on the show. They looked so cute!! They had a good turnout for his birthday, about 50 people total (adults & children), & had a cookout. They also had a giant inflatable bounce house/castle that their church raised money to rent for them. The kids loved jumping & playing in it! A paramedic friend brought an ambulance by & let the go through it. Josiah truly deserved a special day to himself & that is what he got. Kacyn enjoyed the party too! He likes being outside. He loves looking around at everything & just coos & talks.

Kacyn continues to do well with his feeding tube. It took quite a few adjustments to his feeding schedule & a little time determining the amount of formula that was right for him, but Grammy’s got it all down now! She also feeds him by mouth daily to work on his swallowing & he’s doing pretty well with that also. Hopefully he won’t need the feeding tube much longer. Also I found out from Grammy today that he just got his 5th tooth! He’s such a sweet little baby.

Jennifer also continues to do well. The changes are very subtle, but I can see improvement each time I see her.

Thank you for all the prayers, support, & love. Please keep praying for complete healing for Jennifer & Kacyn. And don’t forget to pray for David & Grammy as they lovingly care for Jennifer, Josiah, & Kacyn.

Welcome Home, Kacyn!!

Kacyn was released from the Childrens Hospital yesterday. Josiah's been a little pistol since I've been here! He's so full of energy & into everything! Yesterday when it was just me & him here at home he was germ-free!! He got a small bottle of hand sanitizer & covered his arms, legs, & bed with it! We also have carpet now that won't get sunburned because he put sunscreen on it today!

David's dad had his surgery today. They only had to remove the right side of his thyroid. They said it looked benign. He's doing well. He said it feels like he has a really bad sore throat. He should be released tomorrow. Kathy didn't get to go back to OH for his surgery as originally planned since Kacyn didn't get released from the hospital until late yesterday. David's sister, Chrissie, is there with him though & has kept Kathy & all of his posted today.

Please continue to pray for miracles for Jennifer & Kacyn. Also please remember David. It never ceases to amaze me to see how well he cares for Jennifer, doing absolutely everything for her & dropping whatever's he's doing to do it without ever complaining. He sometimes teases her about it, but he never really complains. They argue over what to watch on tv. Jennifer used to always control the remote. Since she can't use it, David now has control, but he almost always gives in to what she wants to watch. He says it's nice to have control over the remote, but he'll be happy when she is able to take it back. Please continue to pray for strength, encouragement, & comfort for him. He has more stress in his life than the rest of us can even begin to imagine having. Please pray for Grammy as she continues to care for these precious little boys & for David's dad as he continues to recover from his surgery. Thank you & God bless!

In MO

I arrived at David & Jen's house yesterday afternoon to spend the week helping out. Kacyn is still in the Childrens Hospital. We went to see him after I got here. He is just the cutest & sweetest baby. I held him the whole time I was there.

They are now looking at possibly releasing him tomorrow. They are still working on getting his feedings straightened out. Grammy is still at the hospital with him. Hopefully they will both get to come home tomorrow.

Please continue to pray for Jen's complete healing as well as Kacyn's.

G Tube

Kacyn made it through his surgery with no problems. He was in quite a bit of pain last night & this morning. If you have children, you know that a pain cry is like no other. It can break your heart. They gave him some morphine this morning & he slept for quite awhile. Then seemed to feel a little better after that.

The plan is currently that he will be released tomorrow. And will have to go back in about a month to have surgery to put a shunt in.

I have posted a couple of new pics. One is of his G tube & the other is this afternoon & shows the modifications Grammy made to his clothing to accomodate the tube.

Please keep the prayers going for this precious little baby & his family!

Surgery

Kacyn is in surgery getting his G tube put in. He should be getting to go home this week. He'll have to be fed through the G tube & his body temp will have to be monitored closely since it still drops too low especially when he's sleeping.

Please keep the prayers flowing for this little boy & his family.

Still in the hospital

Kacyn is still in St Louis Childrens Hospital. They are hoping to get his G tube put in place & possibly send him home by the end of the week.

Grammy said he's been more awake today like normal for him with only a few naps here & there. Still having difficulty with swallowing which is the reason for the G tube & with his body temp.

Once his G tube site has healed completely, they will bring him back in about 1-2 weeks to put a shunt in.

Mom is back home now, but will be going back Wed-Thu. Then I'm going up this weekend to help out while Kathy goes back to OH for Bob's surgery.

I have posted another new picture of Kaycn & Josiah that was taken yesterday. Josiah is in Kacyn's hospital bed with him, watching tv. They're sooooo cute!!

Please keep Kacyn & Jen in your prayers. We need healing miracles for them. Please keep Bob in your prayers as he prepares for his surgery. Pray for Kathy, Mom, & myself as we drive back & forth. Pray for strength & comfort for the entire family. And last, but not least please pray for David. He is a remarkable person. The world would definitely be a much, much better place if more people were like him.

More Tests for A Little Boy

Kacyn was awake all day yesterday & several times during the night! A lot of the time when he was awake he was smiling & coo’ing at Grammy!

They’ve put an iv back in him. This is so they can get anti-seizure meds in him quickly, if needed, since they cut his phenabarbitol anti-seizure meds in ½. The iv will also be used to sedate him for his MRI tomorrow.

He is undergoing a multitude of tests again today. They took blood for more blood tests this morning. Poor little guy may need a transfusion if they keep taking blood from him! Grammy says he looks like a pin cushion!

I have added a link to a video that David's mom, Kathy/Grammy, created. It shows how the lives of so many people (especially David's, Jennifer's, Josiah's, & Kacyn's lives) were changed forever in just an instant.

Thank you for all the prayers & support! Unfortunately, prayers are still needed & I have to ask that they please continue! Please continue to pray for my sweet baby nephew!

Jen still needs prayers too! She is fighting pneumonia & was running a fever yesterday. Her lungs are still very weak so pneumonia is a very scary thing for her to have. Please pray for her lungs as well as her brain. She is still trying to recover from her brain damage & learn to walk & get her other motor skills back.

The Latest

Grammy told me Kacyn was awake more today than he has been the last few days put together. She said he would smile & coo at her! I can't wait to see that beautiful little smile & hold him again!

Please continue to pray for little Kacyn & Jennifer & that whole little family!

What a little trooper!

I have posted a pic of Kacyn that was taken this morning. He was wide awake which is a good thing! You can see his big beautiful blue eyes - yes, he has blue eyes! He gets them from our dad or Pop-Pop as Jo calls him!

In this picture he's in his EEG head wrap, warming blankets & has his iv & feeding tubes, but he very rarely cries. He has a whole new set of tests to endure today.

Please pray, pray and then pray some more for this sweet, sweet little boy & his family. Jen is too tired & weak to make the trip to STL each day. David is tired from making the trip to STL each day and then taking care of Jen and Josiah. Mom arrived in MO yesterday to stay with & help with Jen & Jo so David can go see Kacyn each day. Again please pray. This family & this sweet little baby boy need a supernatural miracle from God. I can't even begin to thank everyone enough for the prayers & support, but I have to ask for the prayers to please continue!

Kacyn

Kacyn is still being kept at the Childrens Hospital. They have run numerous tests, but are still trying to determine what the real cause of his problems is.

They did a ct scan & determined that there has been no change in the spinal fluid buildup on his brain. It's still not putting any pressure on his brain.

His phena barb (sp?) level was high which would cause the sleepiness.

Since he hadn't eaten (or taken a bottle) since the day before arriving at the hospital, they put him immediately on an iv.

They attempted a lumbar puncture on Fri, but unable to draw any spinal fluid. They tried again on Sat & were successful that time. It'll be 48 hours before they have all the results from that & David didn't know exactly when the 48 hours ends.

The test results they've gotten back so far have indicated no infection. Everything is pointing to all of this being caused by something neurological.

Also keep Jennifer & David in your prayers. They are driving the hour back & forth to St Louis every day. Jennifer's also not feeling well due to her pneumonia & just overall tiredness which is worsened by the driving back & forth & pneumonia. Please pray for Kathy. She's staying at the Childrens Hospital with Kacyn. Bob has been staying home with Josiah, but had to leave to go back to OH. Please pray for a safe trip for him.

Rough Day

It's been a rough day for the Dierking family. I talked to David about an hour ago & he was making his 2nd trip to St. Louis today to take Kacyn to the Childrens Hospital. They were unable to get Kacyn to wake up today so he hasn't eaten all day, hasn't had a wet diaper since yesterday, & his body temp is at 93 degrees.

Jennifer has the beginning of pneumonia & has been put on antibiotics.

Please keep this little family in your prayers.

Thank you!
Lynn

EEG Results

Kacyn & Jennifer both had EEG's. Kacyn's didn't show any seizure activity, but it showed that it could happen at any time. David compared it to how you can tell it's getting ready to storm before it does. They put him on some seizure medication & he seems to be a little more alert & have better head control since being put on it. Jennifer's EEG showed no seizure activity which is what the drs really expected, but they wanted to do the EEG just to make sure.

Mom & Dad went to MO last Thu-Fri. Mom said Jennifer was very tired when they were there. They'd had another busy, busy week with 12 trips back & forth to St Louis. I would have been tired too! Mom & Dad brought Josiah home with them. He was going to stay a week here in AR, but Jen & David couldn't take it! They said it was just too quiet at home without him. They came down Monday to get him! They're going back to MO tomorrow morning.

David had an ultrasound to see if it was his gallbladder causing him problems & it showed everything was ok with his gallbladder.

I posted a pic of Kacyn's new chair! This makes him much more mobile & he really seems to like it. It's given a whole new view of the world!

Please continue to keep this little family in your prayers! God is working miracles in them!

Update to Today's Earlier Post

Just got word from David that they had to postpone Jen's EEG until next Thu because David was too sick to take her yesterday. They think he either has ulcers or an issue with his gallbladder. Either one doesn't sound fun! Please pray everything is ok with him too! He is feeling a little better than he did yesterday which is good news.

Busy Week

David & Jennifer celebrated their 4 year wedding anniversary last week. Congratulations! Happy Anniversary! I love you guys! I am so proud to have you in our family, David! I almost can't remember you not being a part of our family!

The Dierkings have had a very busy week this week. They had 1+ appointments every day this week in St. Louis (1 hour drive 1 way) between Jennifer & Kacyn.

Kacyn had an appointment with the neurologist. The neurologist thinks his eye fluttering & looking hard to the left may be slight brain seizures or it could be erratic brain activity. The neurologist wanted to go ahead & start him on anti-seizure meds, but David & Jennifer made the decision to hold off on this until Kacyn had his EEG this week. They were afraid the meds would make it incorrectly appear that he wasn't having seizures on the EEG. Please pray that Kacyn's EEG this week was normal.

Kacyn also had an appt to get new splints for his hands & feet.

Kacyn continues to grow! He is now approximately 19.5 pounds. His head has grown another 1/2 inch in the last couple of weeks, but his soft spot still appears to be ok. As long as his soft spot is still there the dr's don't think there is any pressure being put on his brain. His head measured 46 cm. Jen's head measures 48 cm. But David said big heads run in the Dierking family!

David was hoping they could have Jen's feeding tube removed. This is used only to give her her meds because she hasn't been able to swallow pills. The dr doesn't want to remove this yet because Jen still has difficulty drinking water unless it's thickened. Until she is able to drink water that's not thickened, the dr doesn't want to remove the feeding tube. They are looking at possibly after summer being able to remove this.

Jen had therapy this week along with appts with some of her drs & for an EEG also. She had her EEG yesterday. They are trying to determine if the times she passed out in therapy were seizures or due to lack of oxygen because her lungs are still weak. Her primary care physician thinks it's just her lungs, but they need to make sure there isn't any seizure activity going on in her brain. Please pray that her EEG is normal.

David has taken Jennifer to a friend's house to swim in their pool a couple of days this week. Jen really enjoyed this. She is also doing pool therapy as part of her physical therapy.

Please pray for David's dad. He is having surgery in Aug. Suspicious cells have been found in his thyroid so they are removing it. There's a 30% chance it could be cancer. With his history of cancer, they aren't taking any chances. He will need to take radiation pills if it's not cancer & chemo if it is. (Or at least that's how I understood what David told me...) Please pray for Bob.

I apologize for not posting more frequently, but there's really not a lot to report on on a daily basis anymore. I will probably only be posting once a week going forward unless there is a need to do an additional post.

Please continue to pray for this little family. They are getting better, but things are progressing very slowly & they still have quite a ways to go. Also remember to pray for Bob & Kathy as Bob faces surgery soon & Kathy continues to care for those precious little gifts from God for Jen & David.

8 Month Anniversary

Today is the 8 month anniversary of the accident that changed a young little family forever as well as the lives of many other people. Through the love and support of many friends and because of their faith in a loving & good God, that young little family is still with us & doing better each & every day.

Jennifer got another round of Botox injections in her left hand. Hopefully, this will enable her to begin using it. The last round of Botox helped her left hand some, but not enough for her to be able to use it.

I don't have a lot to report on. Things are progressing very slowly, but Jen & Kacyn do continue to improve. Kacyn continues to grow & gain weight! I can't believe exactly how much when I see pictures of him! As Kacyn gains weight...Jen's losing it! She's excited about that!

Please continue to pray for Jen, Kacyn, & this little family. They still have a long ways to go to being completely healed.