The miracle of a new liver and a new chance at life! (Jenna)

February 16^th, 2002

On Saturday our family had to meet with the social worker, and I think each of us kids had to meet individually with her. She asked us all kinds of questions about Mom. I felt like I was pleading for Mom’s life, trying to convince her of Mom’s character, to show her that she deserved a second chance at life. It all felt so surreal.

The decision came an hour later. Mom was on the transplant list. Praise God. Apparently our pleading for her life had worked. She was at the highest priority level possible… a 4F. They told us that even at this priority level, it would be an average wait time of two weeks to find a liver that would match her properly by blood type, weight and sex. The problem was, she didn’t have that long to wait. They would only give her 48 hours on the transplant list before they would take her off because she would likely have too much brain damage after that.

Dad and I went back to my dorm room to sleep. We felt we had done all we could do and needed rest for whatever lay ahead. We talked a bit, prayed a bit, and were both just about to go to sleep when the phone rang. It was Pastor Tom. He was at the hospital and had just gotten word that there was a liver for her! A match! Unbelievable! It had only been 4 hours since she got on the transplant list. We were overwhelmed with the knowledge of God’s faithfulness and love.

I opened my Bible, and my eyes fixed on a passage in Isaiah 54:7-8. I could hardly believe my eyes. It read…

“‘For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,’ says the Lord your Redeemer.”

I felt in my heart that this was a promise for Mom from God. It had felt like God had abandoned her for a while, but He would have compassion on her. I felt a sense of peace that no matter what happened, God would have compassion on her, and I had hope that either she would be restored to life or I would see her in heaven someday. We thanked God, again overwhelmed by His goodness, and after making a few calls, prepared to sleep. The surgery wouldn’t start for another 6-8 hours or more because the liver had to be carefully removed from the donor and flown to Edmonton from Montreal. We wanted to be ready for an all-night prayer vigil.

After a peaceful sleep for the first time in days, our family gathered in the waiting room of the ICU. I think we basically took over the entire room! We prayed and prayed. Even with the hope of the liver transplant, there was only a 50% chance that it would work at this point because she was so sick. Still so many hurdles. Even if it worked and she woke up, she might be left in a vegetative state forever.

The surgery took 12 hours. Sometime in the morning, Mom was wheeled down the hallway in her bed and returned to her room in ICU. We breathed a collective sigh of relief. The surgery was over. She had made it through. Now we again just had to wait and pray.

At one point, I remember walking with Dad somewhere down the halls of the hospital and telling him that if Mom didn’t make it, I’d quit school and come home and take care of him and Michael and Breanna. He adamantly refused saying that I had to keep going, had to keep living my life, that God would take care of all of us. I couldn’t believe the pillar of strength that Dad was for me and so many others, when he was the one who was suffering the most of all.

We are so thankful for many things…

·      Thankful that Mom came back to town instead of camping out in the van in a deserted farmyard.

·      Thankful that she told Dad the truth.

·      Thankful for the good medical system.

·      Thankful for the doctor in Saskatoon who transferred her to Edmonton.

·      Thankful for the team in Edmonton who believed in her enough to put her on the transplant list.

·      Thankful for the support from family and friends the world over.

·      Thankful for the prayers of hundreds or thousands of people.

·      Thankful that we live in this time where transplantation is a possibility.

·      Thankful for that woman and her family from Eastern Canada who decided to donate her organs, which gave Mom another chance at life.

·      Thankful for the people of Meadow Lake Alliance who had a 24-hour prayer vigil for Mom.

·      Thankful to God for His love, care, faithfulness, provision, kindness, compassion. All of this is because of God’s goodness. He is good. His love is unfailing and never-ending. May He always be glorified because of this.