Day 11 I think
Today is only day 11, however, it seems like a year ago since we rushed Cora here from her doctors appointment. The day was long and we still have not received any news on the type of neuroblastoma that she has. This along with the emotion of the whole experience has seemed to weigh heavily on all of us. Jess is still not feeling very good, but she did get a lot of good rest in today.
Cora showed some small signs of improvement today. They started weaning her off of the oxygen that she was on, and she seemed to do well with that. They also gave her a feeding tube through her nose so that they could get some nutrition into her stomach. Her incision continues to seep, but it has slowed down a lot today. Yesterday they found that she had an infection in her body some where. Therefore they put her on a very strong antibiotic since her immune system is very compromised from the chemo right now. We are really praying that we seem some definite signs of improvement soon, as it is so hard to see our baby in this condition.
It is after days like today that we ask why. We do not understand all that God is doing through this, or what all He is trying to teach us. As we were talking tonight we were reminded of the verse in Proverbs that says, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all of your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." We can not forget that God is in control, and that he is bigger than the cancer or any other problems that we face. Here are a few things to pray for.
Praise
-Cora's abdominal measurement is continuing to decrease.
-Her incision is not seeping as much any more
-For the thousands of prayer warriors that she has
Prayer
-That her infection would go away
-That we would get some results on the type of cancer
-That the results would be positive
-For rest and health for Cora's family (especially mom)
-That we could hold her again soon
posted by the mcclenahans @ 11:15 PM
66 Comments:
I just came across your blog tonight on Kayleigh Freeman's blog and although you don't know me I will be praying for your little girl!!!
I am praying for your precious daughter. Thank you for sharing with us & allowing us to fall in love with your Baby Cora.
my wife had seen and read your blog and passed it on to me and everyone else. this is the first time i've actually gotten the time to finally read through it. i just want to also say that we will be praying for you and your precious baby.
We found you through a friends blog. My daughter (3) and I are praying for Cora and your family daily! May God move in Cora today!
you are in my heart always. i asked my mother and sister to send their faith and encouragement your way.
i admire your courage and strenght. we love your Cora
Not a day goes by that I don't think about your precious little girl and pray that God will bless Cora with a miracle.
May He continue to give you and Jessica strength in the coming days, and may each day find your sweet baby feeling better.
Sincerely,
Janie
praying for you and your family...as always. xo
Praying...
That verse is one of my favorites. It is impossible to understand the whys. Praying for continued healing for Cora today!
Found you through a blog. This family in Stillwater, MN is praying for Baby Cora! May God's grace and strength and the truth in His Word continue to penetrate your hearts even when you don't understand.
Katie Nash
I am praying for you from Mobile, Alabama. I can't imagine all you are going through, and I won't pretend like I do. I will, however, continue to pray for your baby girl and for strength for you, your husband, and the rest of your family.
On another note, I love the name Cora. It was my great-grandmother's name and I have always loved it.
I have been praying since I first read about your little girl and will continue to do so until she is back to her beautiful and healthy self.
Sunny, FL is praying and sending many warm thougths...
I just found your blog through Cherry Lane blog. I will follow you and pray for your sweet daughters healing, and for you and your husband. God's love to you.
Praying....Stay upon Jehovah!!!!
Cindy
www.weloveyoujoel.blogspot.com
HI.... I am just someone who found you for some reason and you have already impacted my life. I wanted to let you know that I am praying for you and your family.
Michelle
"I am overcome with joy because of Your unfailing love, for You have seen my troubles, and You care about the anguish of my soul" Psalm 31:7
Jess, Joel and Cora. We don't know eachother, but I can't get you out of my mind, heart or prayers. Your faith is so strong and encouraging. I am in awe of your Faith in Crisis. God will provide. We are serving an awazing God. My emotions are so overwhelmed. I cannot imagine how you feel. I cannot seem to stop praying for you and I won't!!!! I am a prayer warrior and will sontinue to follow up with your story and pass it along.
Karen in MASS
bless momma's heart...and yours too! i am praying for that precious pea, cora, every time i think of her, and that's pretty often...i have a "paige" here. i am so glad you posted that sometimes you have doubts and feel the why...and that it's then that we remember that we must lean on god in all things. it must be so difficult to do that...and i just want you all to know that your honesty and love for the lord is already bringing about change in people everywhere...praise god for that!
many prayers for you all...
In my thoughts & prayers.
“The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26
I know how you feel about it seeming like a year. I remember when my baby was so sick feeling the same way and looking out of the hospital window and thinking how could things "out there" go on as normal, and the sky look so blue? She is healthy today, which I thank Jesus everyday for. We are continuing to pray for Cora, as many are. God is with you.
You don't know me but I am following your story and praying for your precious daughter. May God bless all of you with strength to face all the challenges ahead.
Prayers coming your way from Utah,
Michelle
I found you through another blog and I want you to know I will be praying for Cora and all of you.
You do not know me but I am Brianne Banning's mom and Baylee's Grammy. After Bri visited you last week we were all excited to find you to be people with a deep faith in God. That faith will carry you and strengthen you and influence others in the coming months. For now rest assured that Dr. Rosen & Kim and their staff are AWESOME as well as the pediatrice staff at Wesley. You are in great hands both physically & spirtually. We want you to know that our whole family is lifting up your whole family. Remember God is bigger than all of this!
You are on our hearts and in our minds and prayers today and every day.
Sending prayers up to the big guy, actually I am shouting them loud and clear.
My family shall pray too-
pve
I came across your blog yesterday and am so heartbroken that your precious family has to go through this. Your little Cora reminds me so much of my little daughter, Clare. I'm praying for your family every day.
Just sending more love your way. Even hooked up to everything Cora is a cute little doll. Soon she will be back in the kitchen sink, I just know it!!!
Sending hugs, love, prayers and support today. I am praying that you will get to hold Cora very soon....
Cristy
I am praying for your sweet baby Cora.
Laura
www.8halves.blogspot.com
As with many others commenting here, I came across your blog through someone else's, and your story has touched my heart. I have a 15-month-old daughter, and as I look at Cora's picture, I see my own daughter there, but for the Grace of God. May God bless you all during this time, bringing the peace, comfort, strength, and understanding you seek. I will have more prayer warriors added to your cause shortly! Take care.
Such a beautiful little girl. I know you are thankful the Lord has gifted you with her presence. Your faith in our Lord will never be unfounded. Cling to Him in all that you do. Your faithfulness will be rewarded. I will be praying for each of you. I've walked this path. He is your strength and light.
Hello, I linked here from Valerie's blog. Please know that I am praying for your baby girl.
I come to your blog with my box of tissue in hand. Thank you for sharing your journey through this incredibly difficult time. I don't even know you or your daughter and it is hard for me to wrap my mind around it, I can't imagine being the parent. Today I pray for all those good cells to grow back in Cora's little body, that her tummy heals, that she fights, fights, fights!! I pray that no matter what this day, and those to come may bring, that her mom and dad are able to be the mom and dad they want to be for their little girl, strong, healthy, brave, and at peace. God bless you and your family
Constant prayers said here.
God bless you guys today.
Praying for Cora and her very strong parents. God bless you all!
Dear Lord Jesus, we lift up your precious child, Cora and ask for your divine healing. We also ask for your comfort and strength for her loving parents as they travel this journey of faith. Matthew 19:14-15
Your story just breaks my heart...I found your blog from Kayleigh's blog and will continue to follow your story. I am praying for you and your beautiful daughter. No child should have to endure cancer. Stay strong.
Mommy in Indiana
My husband and I have two daughters ages 3 and 1. They are the most amazing gifts from above. We are praying for your most precious gift Cora and for mommy and daddy too. She is such a strong little girl! And my goodness is she ever beeeutiful! You can tell those big eyes melt lots of hearts. My husband and I went to high school with your friend Kendall in clay center. We now live in Douglass so we are familiar w/ Wesley hospital and your daughter is in great care. Just remember.....FAITH(lots of it)....HOPE(lots of it).......and LOVE(LOTS of it).
Sincerely,
Dana, Kate(Thomas), Kennedy, and Gentry Bergsten
We continue to have Cora and the family in our prayers. We understand the heartache of seeing your child go through this. Keep strong in the Lord - it is amazing how the strength comes when you most need it.
little benson and i pray for baby cora many times throughout our day. we will continue to pray and interceed, my friends!
We are thinking about you often and are praying for you. Ellie said to give Cora a kiss again. We love you so much!
I have been keeping up with baby Cora for the last week, since finding your blog, and pray for her daily! Trust in the Lord! Have Faith and hold onto each other...
I found your storie on Meg Duerksen's blog. You and your strong little girl are in my thoughts all day.
Frederieke
Rotterdam, the Netherlands
I am praying for you sweet little darling. She has touched my heart and I pray for complete healing for her.
Kim
I'm amazed and in complete awe of your family's steadfast strength in the Lord in the face of crisis. I just know Cora's blog is encouraging people all over the nation. She has touched thousands of hearts without saying a word. My friends and I are praying for Cora's cancer to GO AWAY, and for God to remain your family's source of strength during this trying time. We are praying for healing, health, and comfort!
GOD BLESS THIS FAMILY!
Love in Christ, NJ from Oklahoma
Your precious baby girl and your family are in our prayers. The Bannings have kept us updated through "Little Flying Pigs". She has many prayer warriors praying for her. You are in our hearts and prayers.
Ephesians 3:20 -Now to HIM who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...
I also came across your blog through Kayleigh's. I will pray for you and your precious baby girl. ...Dear LORD please heal this child....
We continue to pray, pray, pray! May God continue to give each of you the necessary strength, courage, and love.
I left a message for you yesterday, just wanting you to know that I will continue to pray for your family. I, like so many others, am awed by your faith and resulting strength. I've never felt so much love and concern and felt so moved to pray and to ask others to pray for someone I've never met.
I wanted to share with you something that I experienced last night that I don't believe was "coincidental". I have two little boys, 3 and 6 and I'd been reading your blog and praying right before I took them upstairs for their baths. I was sad. My 6 year old asked why, and so I explained as best I could that Baby Cora is very sick, and that her mommy and daddy are so worried and that they need our prayers.
Thirty minutes later, my 3 year old was asleep and I sat down on my 6 year old's bed to read to him from his Children's Bible. We do this every night without fail. And every night, without fail, one of us picks it up, and randomly opens it and that's where we read. Last night I happened to be the one to pick it up and like I've done a thousand times before, I absentmindedly opened it, my heart still heavy with thoughts of Cora. I looked down to begin to read to my son. Here's where I had opened and what I read:
"A Girl Who Died"
Matthew 9; Mark 5
A man named Jairus came. He begged Jesus, "My daughter has just died. But come and place your hand on her. Then she will live again." Jesus went with him. They came to Jairus' home. People were crying. Jesus went inside. He said, "The child is not dead. She is only sleeping." But they laughed at him. He made them go outside. He took the child's father and mother in where the child was. He took her by the hand. He said, "Little girl, get up!" Right away she stood up and walked around. They were totally amazed at this.
I just felt that I should share it with you. I'll continue to pray for all of you everytime you cross my mind, and to spread the word to everyone I come in contact with.
May God grant you all a restful night. Let Him hold your sweet baby until you can again!
...oh Lord it is not by accident that i found this blog...no... there are no accidents with you..bless this precious family...this family that i do not know...this family that continues to praise You...even in the midst of this hard and scary trial...take this precious baby and make her well..confound all human minds and odds...and make her well...You know the plans You have for cora...plans to give her a hope and a future...we claim that promise You have given...and someday when she is an old old woman...she can tell the story ...this is what the Lord did for me!..hold these parents in the palm of Your hand...remind them that You love cora more than they do...and gently remind them that they are Your children too...in the name above all names...the name of Jesus Christ i pray... knowing without a single doubt that You led me here for this moment... and that as i type you begin to act...amen
Cora is so beautiful, her parents are so faithful. I can't imagine what you are feeling, but our whole family is praying for Cora, your family and wisdom for the doctors and nurses as they care for Cora.
Praying without ceasing.
Hank and Mary from Farwell Michigan
I am praying so hard for her!
LuLu
Jess, Joel and baby Cora,
I can't even fathom what your hearts are feeling right now. Please know that my family is praying for you and that you would have peace. I pray God brings a miracle to your family.
Praying for you in Columbus, Ohio.
I can't begin to imagine what you're going through and so admire your strength and faith. You're in our hearts and prayers!
I cannot imagine not being able to hold my babies.. Let alone watch them be sick and know that there is nothing I can do. BUT that would be me feeling sad for myself. YOU guys are in that boat and yet you are doing something. You are reaching out to God, friends, and family in prayer. AMAZING. God WILL see you through this. I admire you and you reminded me to pray to God and be thankful everday. Thanks for showing us how to pray for you. What amazing people you are!!!
Hi Macs.
My heart is so heavy for you guys. Julie has been keeping me updated, and of course I check your site several times a day. (Even thought I know it won't be updated everytime) It reminds me of why I am here on Earth. To serve God. Your family inspires me to be a better mother, friend, wife, daughter, sister and above all Christian. I don't know how I would react to a situation like this but if it means anything to you guys, It would not be with the grace and faith that you have. I pray for Cora often, as do my kids, I have told everyone I know to do the same. Hopefully you guys feel those prayers and hopefully Cora will be healed soon. I also pray that you get to hold her again soon. (No words here.) I will be a prayer warrior for Cora and I hope that everyone I told will join me too.
Praying for miracles for your little girl.....
I have been touched by your family and the way you are responding to this trial. I pray for you daily. I am a 2 time cancer survivor and know how intimate God is when the situation is way too big. He becomes very personal in the valley...in fact as you look at Psalm 23, David wrote "HE makes me lie down in green pastures...BUT when David came to the valley the "He" was changed to a "You". "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for YOU are with me..." "He" is replaced with "You" because God becomes very personal in the valley. May you feel His breath upon your necks...He's that close!
I came across your blog tonight from another - I am praying for Cora and your family. I pray that you find rest and peace.
Lisa
The Healing That We Need
Why, O Lord, does it always seem
That we often get no reply?
When we are so very desperate
For all the answers why
When we need a special touch
To heal all of our sickness
A miracle that only you can do
Restoring strength to our weakness
We do not know the reasons why
You don't answer straight away
We only need to have faith in you
And be persistent when we pray
You may choose to heal much more
Than our needs of the physical
So much more is the spirit inside
That may be in need of a miracle
For you care so much for us
And want to see us healed
Not only in this body of ours
But in our souls as well
For healing is for every part
Our body, spirit and soul
And God just wants to touch each part
And make us truly whole
We needn’t feel so downcast
As we wait upon the Lord
For the answer will come in His time
Then we shall be restored
© By M.S.Lowndes
Your family has been on my mind ever since I came across your blog a few days ago. Please know that I am praying for you and your sweet baby girl Cora. (She's beautiful!) Keep trusting!
Jan in Canada
Still praying & keeping your family in my thoughts. God is big don't forget that but also remember that it's OK to ask "why"...He can take it!
Blessings to your family,
Heather
Your beautiful girl is in my thoughts!!!
This comment has been removed by the author.
We always want to know why and usually never get the answer. But, maybe it's because you are proving what God already knew. That you would be an AMAZING witness of faith that is sorely needed in this world right now.
God Bless.
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