WONDERFUL PRAISE REPORT!

Where do I begin?!

First, the MOST IMPORTANT place to begin is in giving ALL GLORY AND PRAISE TO OUR FATHER WHO IS THE GIVER OF LIFE & WHOSE TOUCH CAN HEAL ANY DISEASE, INJURY OR AILMENT. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE AMAZING MIRACLES YOU HAVE DONE IN MICAH. THANK YOU FOR THE NEW LIFE YOU HAVE BREATHED INTO OUR MIRACLE MICAH JUST THIS PAST WEEK. YOU GIVE US SO MUCH HOPE AND JOY. WORDS AREN’T ENOUGH TO ADEQUATELY EXPRESS THE DEPTHS OF OUR GRATITUDE. WE LOVE YOU!

We want to thank Mr. David Wild and his wonderful students at Tri-City Christian School in Vista, California, for all of your beautiful and encouraging cards and prayers. Please keep up the powerful prayers for Micah and his parents – GOD IS LISTENING!!!! We will be answering each one of your letters soon.

I want to remind all of you of where Micah has been physically up to this point. Micah is still not taking a bottle but being fed breast milk by tube. He likes to eat baby food but cannot take very much at a time. He doesn’t seem to have any problems eating by mouth. Micah has had visual light sensitivity and recently we thought from time to time that he might be looking at us but could not really tell for sure. He has been very healthy overall with the exception of a couple of very small colds. His legs and feet are very, very spastic. His legs are totally stiff and do not bend at the knee. He has never moved his legs or feet on his own at all. He hasn’t really smiled – sometimes a little gleam in his eye and a “sort of” smirk/smile but not very often. He hates the car seat or sitting in any seat and does not like to lie on his back or on his stomach while he is awake. When he does, he cries and cries. With the exception of a very occasional time, Micah has not started cooing. Just after a sneeze he might take a second big breath and let out an “oooooohhhh” for a brief second – but nothing intentional and pretty much that has been it.

We took Micah to the Institutes in Pennsylvania (IAHP.org) a couple of weeks ago to spend two full days with their specialists. The purpose for this visit was or them to assess his developmental abilities and then to put him on an intensive therapy program to try to re-pattern his brain. Also, we were seeking a “second opinion” because the medical doctors here at home were strongly recommending a surgery for Micah where the muscles in his hips and legs would be cut (released). Micah’s hips are dislocated and his femur bones are several inches from his hip sockets, and his knees are being pulled in the opposite direction because of the muscle spasms. This is caused by the brain injury. What we have since discovered is that this surgery that the doctors are pushing for is only “cosmetic” in nature and does nothing to improve Micah’s abilities – present or future. It serves only to make Micah look normal (his legs loose and bent at the knees and his feet straight, etc.). We have been told that he would most likely need repeated surgeries just like this through the years because of scar tissue and also because the problem isn’t really solved. The brain will still tell the muscles to do the same thing. The general opinion of the Institutes is that this surgery is NOT a good thing – especially for a baby who has so much potential for healing in his brain. The idea is that if the brain is healed or re-patterned, the muscles will hopefully begin to do what they are supposed to do.

The first day we were there, Micah saw all types of doctors, therapists, a nutritionist, respiratory specialists, etc. Each one of them had the job of assessing his current developmental stage. While Micah was seen by numerous specialists, one session stands WAY OUT.

- One of the doctors was testing Micah’s ability to feel cold. He touched his naked little body with a cold pack and Micah showed that he could feel it (we already knew that). Then he laid Micah down on top of the cold pack so that his bare back was touching the pack. Micah immediately began to hyperventilate and then his legs and feet started moving!!! One of his knees even bent a little! He began to smile and he started making sounds that he has never made! Unfortunately for me, I had just left the room to get a diaper for him when this happened. When I returned to the room, Chris and Stephanie were beside themselves with joy and wanted to try it again so I could see. This time, instead of using the cold pack, they blew on his face so that he would take in air. As soon as he took a big breath, his little legs began to lift and his feet moved a little back and forth! Then the doctor placed a few large white cards with black shapes on them in front of Micah – and Micah looked at them! He followed the cards as they were moved. It was so obvious to all of us that Micah was seeing!!!! Micah’s little face was just beaming – he was very obviously excited! It was as if a whole new world just opened up to him. We just cried right there. I cannot describe that moment any better than to say that we were witnessing yet ANOTHER MIRACLE in the making!

The doctor put a pulse ox on Micah’s finger to find out the oxygen saturation level in his blood. The result was a 77% -not very good. Then, the doctor put a plastic mask over Micah’s nose and mouth and let Micah breathe his own carbon dioxide for 20 seconds. He removed the mask and waited one minute and then tested his oxygen level. It was now up to 96%. He masked Micah again for 20 seconds – now it was at 98%. He repeated the process one more time and Micah was at 100% oxygen saturation. The doctor said that Micah is not getting enough oxygen and that all the oxygen that he is getting is going to his trunk and that his legs and brain are not getting what they need. So, part of Micah’s therapy will be masking him numerous times throughout his waking hours every day.

Since that session with the doctor, Micah has not been the same. He LOVES being on his back now – probably because he can see! He has begun to interact with us. It was so fun watching Chris and Stephanie talk to him and play with him. They were so animated and excited and Micah just got excited right along with them. Micah was doing what all the medical doctors to this point have said he would NEVER do – he was INTERACTING with them! You can imagine the joy we all felt – especially Micah’s mommy and daddy. We spent hours blowing on Micah’s face so he would take a deep breath in and move around. And so often he would coo.

I have attached two short video clips to this update. I hope you will be able to access them. Make sure your volume is turned up so you won’t miss his little voice. The videos are quite shaky but you will see the “new Micah”. Look at the expression and life in his little eyes and the little smiles. Take a look at his legs lifting and his little feet doing small little movements. AND REMEMBER, HE HAS NEVER DONE THIS ON HIS OWN BEFORE!!!! (If for some reason you have trouble playing these videos, please email me at stachemama@aol.com and I would be thrilled to send them to you).

Using the Institute’s methods (which they established & are now being used throughout the world), back in December Micah was at the “developmental” age of less than ½ month old even though he was actually 3 months old in age. After this appointment, it was determined by them that Micah is now a little over 3 months in his developmental age. He is now 8 months old. So, in 5 months, Micah has grown over 3 months developmentally. We know that Micah will catch up!!!

Stephanie was given various therapies to do with Micah. One is masking Micah numerous times a day. Another is to begin getting Micah used to eating food by mouth. He is on a strictly “organic” diet as is Stephanie now since she still feeds Micah her milk. Micah will also begin being “patterned”. One of the initial patterning techniques that will be done on Micah takes two people. One person will move his arms while the other moves his legs in a flowing movement that mimics his movements while he was in Stephanie’s womb. This patterning is done numerous times throughout Micah’s waking hours. Eventually, we pray, Micah’s brain will register muscle memory from that early stage in his life and then his legs will begin to loosen and move in that same pattern on their own. The masking will aid tremendously in this process by giving Micah the oxygen he needs to feed his brain and body. Also, the masking will help to improve Micah’s vision. The doctor says that he can see up to about 2 feet. He does not see “up”, but straight out and down. He sees outlines and color. His vision is not “good”, but HE CAN SEE!!!!!!!! We know that this is just the beginning.

Just after we knew that Micah could see, I went out to a local bookstore and bought several new books for him. I got this one big book on Colors. Each page had objects in one color and the color was bright. It was so fun showing Micah the books because you could just watch his eyes go over each object on the page. It was wonderful!

We will be returning to the Institutes in six months for another assessment of Micah and a review of his therapies. Believe it or not, at that time depending on his visual abilities, they may start him on a reading program!

I realize this update is long but I know you do not mind! The prayer requests are simple this time. I would ask that you would continue to pray as the Lord leads you.

We would love you to specifically pray for the following things:

THAT GOD WOULD GIVE STEPHANIE SUPERNATURAL PATIENCE, STAMINA & HEALTH – THE DAYS WILL BE VERY LONG FOR HER.

PRAY THAT STEPHANIE GETS INTO A COMFORTABLE RHYTHM OF DAILY THERAPIES FOR MICAH.

AND MOST OF ALL – ASK GOD TO CONTINUE HIS AMAZING, MIRACULOUS HEALING OF OUR GRANDSON. HE HAS DONE SO MUCH ALREADY – IT SEEMS SELFISH TO ASK FOR MORE – BUT WE WILL ANYWAY!!!!

Once again, we thank you from the depths of our hearts for your continued prayers and encouragement. It blesses us when we get requests for updates when we haven’t done one in a while because it means you are still thinking of Micah. We love your letters of encouragement.

Thank you for loving our Micah.

Grandma Teri