Samuel update: Another amazing God moment in the life of our little boy

Update: I just added the above photo (taken from waaaaaaaaaay across the room with my zoom lens!).  Samuel really liked dying his hands Easter eggs this morning.  If you look closely, you can even see a touch of green on his chin from a seriptitous lick of an especially green egg.  🙂  Trust me when I say that I am loosening way up from when James was teeny.  hehe

I want to start off by saying that I’ve really appreciated the e-mails asking about us and checking in.  Thank you all! 

We are doing really well.  Just returned home from a first visit to Stephen’s parents.  Samuel warmed up to them right away and I can see the beginnings of a great relationship with his new found grandparents (Fruit Loops are his new favourite breakfast.  😉 

Anyway, we have had sketchy Internet since returning from China, hardware problems, software problems and even a grinding noise in my new camera lens and corrupted SD cards.  So no photos.   Again.  Just received good news on Samuel’s medical front.

We had the chance to see Samuel’s orthopaedic surgeon at our Children’s Hospital.  He had a very comprehensive series of x rays done of his spine, profile, pelvis, hip joints, various angles of his legs.   We were delighted to hear and see so much more than we had before.  It really explained his movements  in a very clear way.

As the radiologist and his team were taking the x rays, Steve was in the booth with them while I held Samuel’s hand and helped him stay focused on not moving (he did amazing!).  As Stephen would ask a question about what he saw and as the team commented on things I began putting pieces of what they were saying together.  Without them spelling things out for us, I knew from my research that what they were describing was not hopeful in the direction of a future with prosthetics. 

I quietly took a deep breath and we carried on our chatter and adjusting and holding still and beginning again for the next x-ray. 

We told the team goodbye and returned to our examination room with Samuel.  We didn’t really talk or comment, and then suddenly in walk the surgeon and his team.  Quietly they close the  door and the surgeon sits down. 

And then he began to explain the x rays.  Fractures, bones that have not fused, floatin bones, nubbin, unattached metatarsal.  And I said, “Wait a minute.  Fracture?”

He quickly stopped mid breath and laughed apologetically, explaining that it was not in fact a trauma induced fracture, but just a way of describing an unfused femur bone. 

Nervous laughter on my part. 

And then as he begins again, it sinks in.  He’s describing undislocated hips.  He’s describing minor (in the world of the amputee) surgeries to prepare Samuel.  He’s explaining that VERY SOON Samuel will begin the life of a bilateral above knee amputee PROSTETHIC WEARER! 

Oh sure, he has a load of work ahead.  He’ll have to undergo surgeries and fittings, sores and preventive measures due to his new legs, but he’ll walk.   He’ll RUN!  He may even play soccer and ride a bike!

The doctor saw what we saw.  A little boy wired for movement.  A little boy who through the diligence and prayer of his physical therapist, was able to move so well that the doctor was filled with surety at the bright active life Samuel will have.   And I am not kidding on that one.  Had the doctor not seen Samuel move he may not have offered the same hope for him. 

And Stephen and I looked at each other and smiled.

And at that the doctor and his team were openly surprised.

I am sure time and they are used to giving “bad news”.  I mean, we were prepared to hear the exact opposite.  the difference?  We knew our Samuel would live to greatness even without his new legs. 

But, with his legs – oh, nothing will stop that boy unless he allows it to! 

But there is more. 

You will not believe this! 

Truly only God!

The doctor and his team literally paused in surprise at our unusual reaction.  And then we began to talk about next steps.  Surgeries to begin.  Meeting with the prosthetist before surgery, etc.  In the process, we let him know that we were from out of town.  We told him the name of our town and again, he stopped in mid stream.  “You’re from ***********?!”

“Yes…..?” 

Turns out that one of his patients also is from our area.  He had also been born as a congenital bilateral above knee amputee.  And he was fitted at age 3 with prosthetics!  And get this?  The prosthetist who fitted that child?  He works back and forth at the Children’s Hospital and our community!!! 

Seriously!  Only God! 

Only God can take a tiny little boy from Yueyang County and bring  him to the other side of the world to a family wondering how they were so blessed to be called his family.  Why?  Because God had already paved the way for his coming.

Blessed be the name of the Lord! 

He is Risen Indeed!