Kris Update:

Praying partners, I just received this from Kris’s mother, Carol Kline:

Dear friends and loved ones,

I know Mother's Day will be yesterday by the time some of you read this but I had to tell you about my Mother's Day gift.  Talk about answers to prayer!!!  They were small gifts, but they were welcomed gifts just the same.

First, let me preface this update about Kris by saying that on Friday, the news was disheartening.  Kris's husband, Russ, called to let us know he met with the head neurosurgeon at Brooke Army Medical Center, a Dr. Teff.  Dr. Teff truly is the man responsible for saving Kris's life, I believe, because he headed up and performed the brain surgery on her and likely rejoined the carotid artery at the base of her head.  So he's top knotch in my book; there's no question.  However, Russ said that Dr. Teff was somewhat low-key in his assessment of Kris's condition on Friday.  He said that Dr. Teff seemed to be trying to warn him (and the family) that Kris had not progressed or changed in the two or so weeks since the accident, and he was explaining that she may never come out of this at all.  There was more but, suffice to say, he seemed to be trying to not get our hopes up.  Russ sounded so down and, of course, that just... well, it was not a good night here Friday night, I can tell you. 

BUT... come Saturday afternoon, tunes were changed!!!  Russ called to let me know that Dr. Teff came in to see Kris while he was there Saturday morning.  Dr. Teff touched her right arm or held it or something, and Kris reached over towards her right arm with her left arm.  Well, Dr. Teff was quite surprised and openly admitted that was a response, probably to pain, because her right arm had been badly hurt in the accident.  The upshot of that is that Kris is having response to pain and touch and movement.  Now, if that's the case, she is not brain dead, which is sort of what he had alluded to on Friday.  Dr. Teff said that was definitely a point in the right direction!  WOO HOO!!!  We'll take that point and see him a few more!!!

Early this afternoon -- Mother's Day -- our grandson, Joshua, called to tell us they were with Kris.  He said the nurses had placed her in a geriatric chair just to get her out of the bed for a while, and there was lots of movement.  He also said the nurse had checked her vitals and raised her eyelid to check her pupils and her eye moved!!!  It hasn't done that!!!  And here's a really neat note... however they measure the circulation to the brain, that measurement shows that Kris's circulation to the brain has improved.  YES!!! 

Now for the piece d'resistance!!!  (I'm not good with French!)  Late today, I called the ICU to talk with Kris's duty nurse.  It happened to be one of the captains who had been on duty when we were out there; a very nice young lady.  She said that Kris had opened (OPENED that is) her left eye.  Her right eye seems to have been really badly damaged and we're not sure what's happening there, but the left eye opened.  She evidently is having responses to pain or movement or touch or sound.  There are those impulses again and they are just getting stronger.  Little by little, things are beginning to happen.  We'll take all those little things we can!

So.... that pretty much made my Mother's Day for me.  Well, along with some lovely cards and flowers from the other kids, but you have to admit... this would pretty much knock anyone's socks off!!!  So, all you wonderful prayer warriors and partners and folks in churches, and just everywhere all across these United States... please keep praying.  The prayers are sustaining me, our family, all of us.  And I have no doubt in my mind that they are making their way into Kris's spirit and uplifting her and strengthening her.  How wonderful it is and how very grateful we are.

I will continue to keep you posted.  We sang in a big, beautiful Methodist church in Annville, PA this morning.  The pastor is a dear, dear friend of ours and he and his congregation have been praying right along with everyone else.  It is prayer that makes it possible to do these concerts, truly.  It is just what we have to do right now.  God is so good; so very good. 

Blessings and much love,

Carol and George

We join with Carol and George, rejoicing and praising God for the progress Kris is making.  And we continue to pray for her complete recovery.