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Joe’s Diagnosis
By Kendra | June 27, 2008
Praise the Lord for His care of us through such a competent staff. We just met with his doctor and we were told that Joe has tested positive for Enterovirus. For adults, that means vomiting and diarrhea, but with little guys like Joe…it is worse. In his case, the virus has caused sepsis (entire body infection) including his brain. The bummer is that there is no way to treat a virus directly, so we just treat the symptoms.
Prayer Requests:
*They know Joe has had some brain damage due to fluid swelling, but there is no conclusive test/evaluation to figure out the extent of the damage. We might not know for weeks, months or years…Join us in praying for NO long term damage.
*Since he has multiple systems struggling right now, please pray for protection of further damage and for quick healing and function.
*He has an EEG right now and just had an ultrasound to check his kidneys. Pray that the brain activity is normal and that the kidneys start working.
*He may require dialysis. Pray that his kidneys just start working.
*The doctor has informed us that a diagnosis is only the start. The potential roller coaster ride is just starting and it will most likely get worse before it gets better. Pray with us that Joe blows away the statistics and gets better.Praise the Lord:
*It was not the herpes virus (magnified brain damage)
*Because God is Good all of the time!
Thank you all for your faithful prayers.
Topics: Mighty Joe's Story | 59 Comments »
June 27th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Continuing to pray!
June 27th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
In prayer for your sweet boy, as well as your entire family.
June 27th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I am and have been praying for you all. May the Lord shine forth as Healer for Joe.
June 27th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
I am praying for your little guy!
June 27th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Our family is lifting yours up even now. May God strengthen you for what is ahead and hold little Joe in the palm of His hand.
“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.”
These words were taped to our daughter’s incubator during her two months in the ICU. May they remind you of our GOOD and FAITHFUL and STRONG God. We join you in praying for Joe’s complete healing and miraculous recovery as well as God’s protection and grace and sufficiency and shalom for your entire family. Bless you.
June 27th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Oh my! This breaks my heart to read this! I am praying for little Joe’s complete restoration and healing!
Through Christ’s stripes we are healed! Joe is healed because of Christ’s stripes!
Love,
Miss Amanda
June 27th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
My Father,
You are the Great Physician and you see all. You care so for this little one. Father, we believe you are the God of impossibles and are FULLY capable of healing this little one. We ask that you booster this baby into truly healing health. Perform your miracles on his little body, shock the doctors, shock the parents, shock the nurses, show them what YOU can do. May the family recognize your hand and be true witnesses of your glory, your power, and your care. Amen.
June 27th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Kendra and family, We will add you all to our prayer list. Having a sick child is really a time where your dependence on our Maker becomes very evident. You can walk this out with your trust in His promises. We had a son with some struggles. Nothing that we ever thought would take his sweet life at the age of three years. God has carried us through the worse time of our lives. I am praying for the specifics that you listed. The unknown is always a trying time, blessed you will be. The Lord will conquer it all. Enjoy your sweet little guy!
June 27th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
[...] Joe’s Diagnosis June 27, 2008 [...]
June 27th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I am praying for you all and Baby Joe. I am so sorry for this. Believing with you for a move of God’s healing hand in each prayer request.
Blessings~
June 27th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
We are praying!!
Love, Heather
June 27th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Thank you for the updates. I am praying for Joe and you as you post each one. I know this is the furthest thing from your mind right now…but are you still pumping? Your breast milk will be a HUGE advantage to him during this time. Even if you cannot actually feed it to him now, it will be extremely beneficial as he is recovering. I am sure you already know that though…
Love, Leah
June 27th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Guys,
Just headed over to MT for my weekly chuckle and vicarious enjoyment of your life, and was met with this upsetting posting. I’m aching for all of you right now – you all are so strong and faithful that I’m trying not to ache too much, but it’s hard. You have our prayers from Chico. I doubt I need your permission, so I’m adding you to my church’s prayer chain right now.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Oh, my! I hadn’t visited in a couple of days, and oh, my! You all will certainly be in our prayers! That picture of him in the hospital crib just tore my heart out! He is so precious!
Dear Father in Heaven, hold Joe and his family in Your everlasting arms. Bring Joe healing and his family peace. Be with each person attending him in the hospital, that they be kind, gentle and clean. (That’s the mama in me! *Ü*) Give the doctors wisdom as to what is wrong and what to do. Give Kendra and Fletch the same wisdom. Be with those caring for the other children. Thank you for Your people that come to our aid in times of great need.
Bless Kendra and Fletch with Your presence.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Love,
Beth in NC
June 27th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Amen to Beth’s prayer! Still praying here, as well. I praise God that the doctors were able to find out so quickly what the problem is, and I pray for little Joe’s quick healing and peace for your family.
Much love, Erin
June 27th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I read this morning about Joe, and our family has been praying all day, even though we were away from home. When we returned home I was surprised to have a message on our answering machine from our church’s prayer chain to pray for Joe Fletcher. I didn’t know anyone else in my church that new of your family. But they do and I am so glad that they added you to our chain! We will continue to pray. God is faithful. We are in the area so if you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.
June 27th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Will continue praying.
June 27th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Dear Kendra,
Our family has been fervently praying for Little Joe and will continue to do so. We are praying for you and Fletch, too. . . may God continue to sustain you and give you peace.
Please keep the regular updates coming.
love,
Rebecca in Singapore
June 27th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
I am continuing to pray for God’s mercy and healing!
June 27th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
[...] 2008. “Little Joe” as they call him was taken to the ER, and after a bunch of tests, he was diagnosed with Enterovirus. Please pray for a full recovery for “Little Joe” as well as wisdom [...]
June 27th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
There for you sister….literally. Praying without ceasing for your little Joe.
June 27th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Praying here for each of you. Thanks for the specific prayer points.
May you know His presence with you each moment, trusting Him because – as you say – God is good.
In Him
Meredith
xx
June 27th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Our family is praying for you and your baby! We hope that he gets better soon!
June 27th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Hi Kendra & Fletch – we are praising the Father with you for a diagnosis. We will keep you close in our prayers, trusting the Father with you for His best for sweet baby Joe and for all of you. Love you so! Q
June 27th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I recently found your blog and have been blessed as I have been reading it. We are a family with 7 under the age of 7, 5 biological, 2 adopted. We went through something VERY similar with our 3rd biological baby. Long story, but it ended up being bacterial meningitis. We almost lost her. I know what you are going through. May God’s presence be felt by you as you go through this. I am praying for your family.
In Christ, Laura
June 27th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
My entire family will be praying for little Joe.
June 27th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
You don’t know me, but I just wanted to let you know that I am praying for and thinking of Joe and your family. May God give you His peace as you wait.
June 27th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Praying for complete healing for Joe – and for the rest of you. And strength for the journey.
June 27th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Oh, Kendra.
My heart is heavy for you tonight, and all you’ve had to endure within the last day. Sheesh.
…Been praying for your sweet Joe- and we will continue to pray that God would bring TOTAL healing to every system in his little body, and that He would continue to give the doctors wisdom and direction, and that He would give you rest and peace.
Much love to all of the Fletchers,
~Stacy, Mark and kids
June 27th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Believing that God will completely heal and restore Baby Joe. Keeping you all in prayer
June 27th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Praying here!
June 27th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
We are praying for you little guy as well as your family.
June 27th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
We’re continuing to pray for you!
June 27th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Joe was on my mind a lot today. Praying for you all.
Susan
June 27th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
May your Little Joe surprise us all with his resiliency. God grant him that.
June 27th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
This time, right now, is the yucky bit.
But “joy comes with the morning”!
We miss you, Kendra, and so many of us are lifting up your family and Mighty Joe. I’ll be passing on all the updates and praises so that we can each more diligently pray.
Peaceful sleep for all of you tonight!
Faithfully,
S
June 28th, 2008 at 3:33 am
Oh my! I am praying for your little Joe and also for the rest of your dear family. God’s grace is sufficient. May He uphold you during this time and bring miracle healing to Joe’s little body! (((HUGS)))
~Amanda
June 28th, 2008 at 3:47 am
Praise God for a diagnosis!! And we will be praying for his recovery and for strength and endurance for all of you!!
June 28th, 2008 at 3:53 am
I am so sorry that your family is having to struggle thru this scary ordeal. You are in our prayers!
Much love,
Jen Igarashi
June 28th, 2008 at 5:05 am
God is Good, all the time! We are so grateful for a diagnosis and that you have such wonderful caring staff. We will keep praying for your sweet baby Joe, and for you and the rest of your kiddos in this tough time.
June 28th, 2008 at 5:34 am
I am continuing to pray. May God wrap you in His arms and that you may feel His presence. That the healing power of our Lord and Savior corse though Baby Joe’s veins. Miracles….faith….hope, all right there with your sweet son.
Also praying for the doctors and nurses, that they would be touched in their souls at the miracles they witness in your baby!
“God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble.”
June 28th, 2008 at 6:13 am
Dear Kendra, I am a friend of Sandy Meyerhoffs and she has requested us to pray for you and your little one. My youngest at age 3 went through a very similiar experience with sepsis treating the symptoms. We were hospitalized for over two weeks while the infection traveled through her body organ by organ. Gods comfort was amazing. I pray that you stay in the moment and do not become an expert/study every what if scernario. Each day there will be a different test with a different could be diagnosis. Focus on the current reality and allow God to take your fears. We are praying. Laurie Lee
June 28th, 2008 at 6:15 am
We love you Kendra and are all praying here for Little Joy, you, your husband and entire family.
jeannie
June 28th, 2008 at 6:16 am
I am lifting precious baby Joe in prayer. I pray for complete healing and strength for family.
June 28th, 2008 at 6:16 am
Dear Kendra,
Joining you in prayer, dear sister in the Lord. May there be some comfort to you in knowing that so many truly care and are praying – even those of us you do not know. Thank you for keeping us posted – checking in often.
Dawn in TN
June 28th, 2008 at 6:39 am
We are still praying here!!!
June 28th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Hugs hugs and more hugs…
Praying along with you and family.
June 28th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Praying for your sweet Joe – for supernaturally fast and full healing, and for you and your dh to be comforted and encouraged in the midst of this difficult time.
June 28th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Oh Kendra! We will continue praying!
June 28th, 2008 at 7:17 am
The staff of Memorial sends their love and prayers. Baby Joe you touched our hearts.
June 28th, 2008 at 7:19 am
Dearest KK, We are constantly thinking of you and praying for all of you and wishing we could do more to help. (This is much more difficult than what I endured!) Many blessings and peace to you and to Joe. Anxious to see you again, healthy and happy… Much love, kp
June 28th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Kendra,
We’ve been praying for your little guy. I believe God is sovereign in all of this. May He wrap His loving, mighty arms around all of you in the midst of all of this and bring you incredible comfort.
In Him,
Marla
June 28th, 2008 at 8:03 am
I’ll be praying for Joe and the entire family.
June 28th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Oh Kendra, I’m so sorry. I am praying for you guys and baby Joe. God is a God of Miracles!!!!
June 28th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Continuing to pray for Joe. Praise the Lord for a direction to go to get him better. Praying with you as a sister in the Lord!
June 28th, 2008 at 9:21 am
hi kendra and andy…we are praying for joe and for a complete recovery. we are praying for you both as our sweet Savior continues to hold you in the palm of His hands. we ask for continued wisdom for the doctors and staff. we pray for peaceful days and nights for your children at home. xoxo ~ the page family
June 28th, 2008 at 10:21 am
The Hector family has been praying unceasingly. Our thoughts are with your entire family, and are petitioning the Lord for a successful, complete, and quick recovery.
Deus Primus,
BFH
June 28th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Continuing to pray for baby Joe.
January 24th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
[...] of the PICU doctors who treated Mighty Joe’s Enterovirus this past summer visited us today before our little girl was discharged. I don’t know if [...]