Matthew's Story

Yesterday I had the privilege of spending some time with my friend Leana. It occurred to me after she left that I have never blogged about her sweet son, Matthew. Here is their story.


I met Leana four and a half years ago as I found myself in need of a pediatrician. She is one of the nurse's at the doctor we have gone to since Amelia was born. Soon after I met her at the office, I noticed that she also attended our church. Not much later, she started babysitting for us. How lucky could we be to find a babysitter that was a Christian AND a nurse? I often said Leana would know how to deal with any problems better than I would. I never worried when I left Amelia with her. As we had more children, she continued to babysit and love each one.


Several years ago, Leana, single and thirty something, began pursuing the desire of her heart to have a child. She went through the laborious process of adopting through the state. She was specifically seeking a special needs child. One that no one else would want to love. Everything was going well until one of the very last steps. They discovered something in her past they felt made her unfit. I happen to know what that thing is and let me tell you, it would make no difference in her ability to love and care for a child. A little discouraged, I imagine, she decided that this must not be what God had for her at that time.


Fast forward a couple of years. Out of the blue, Leana had the opportunity to adopt a child privately through a connection that was made by a friend of a friend. The process was rolling. Leana got ultrasound pictures of her soon to be baby throughout the process. She spoke with the birth mother after doctor appointments to check her progress. Everything was in motion for Leana to be in Georgia for the birth of this healthy baby boy.



I must admit that I had a fleeting moment where I was torn between my strong desire for Leana to have this baby and my belief that a child should have two parents. This did not last long as I took this matter to prayer and considered Leana's walk of faith. I found comfort in knowing that Leana prays about everything and above all wants only what the Lord has for her. She was totally trusting when the previous opportunity to adopt was taken away from her, knowing that God has a specific plan for her life. After all this, I rested in knowing that this was the way God was blessing her faithfulness.





Back to the birth. Leana was indeed there for this blessed event. Unfortunately, the baby boy was not healthy. Leana spent weeks there as Matthew was fighting for his life. He has a condition, which I know I will misspell miserably, called Congenital Myotopic Dystrophy. It is a rare form of muscular dystrophy. His future is uncertain.


I struggled through this all with those unproductive questions, "Why on earth would this happen? How on earth could this happen to someone like Leana? She deserves so much more than this!" All the while, Leana remains faithful. Through the constant ups and downs, she maintains that God has a purpose for all this. She considers Matthew a blessing. She does not feel resentful, cheated, or angry. I'm sure those feeling creep in from time to time, but generally she fights daily to love and care for her son. She struggles, as you can only imagine. Caring for a severely handicap child is physically and emotionally exhausting as I can only begin to understand. If it's not the constant doctors appointments it's waking up around the clock to change his feeding tube or check on his alarming heart monitor. And then there is the endless doctors bills which she was certainly not prepared for. Who could have been?


I can see God's hand in all of this. As much as my finite mind can. Even in the way he put the desire in Leana's heart way back when to have a special needs child. It was the preparation she needed when she found out her healthy baby boy was not so healthy after all. Her relationship with God is undeniably the foundation that is keeping her together through all of this.


Please pray for Leana. Emotionally this is a heavy load. Physically she is exhausted. Financially she is overwhelmed. Please pray for Matthew. Pray for a miracle for him to overcome the odds.


Dear Lord, I thank you for Leana, the person that you have hand picked to love this precious child. I pray that you would fill her with all the things she needs to fill this role of Matthews mother. Fill her with hope for Matthews future, that she would not be discouraged. Fill her with understanding that is beyond herself, strength she does not possess, patience when progress is slow, love beyond all things. Renew her mind, heart, and spirit daily as she will well need it. Meet her where she is, every moment. Be her every provision, Lord. I praise you as the God who is able to do all these things. Amen.


If you feel led to send an encouraging word to Leana, you may do so at boltcrazy2@aol.com.