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December 2009 A few days before Braxton’s surgery, we got dressed up and headed to a local park with our sweet friend, Candice. She took the below family pictures for us. Check out her site at www.picturesforapurpose.com Her passion for the orphan and her desire to help others is contagious. We had a blast with her that day and we were so happy to get a spiffy, new family picture. On December 1, 2009, we headed on our 3-hour drive to Shriners Hospital for Braxton’s anticipated surgery. On December 2, we met with the Child Life Specialists and the Surgeons. We were all ready for the big day. The surgery went well. It was longer than we/they expected. They ran into a few medical anomalies when they got in there as they found that he had no knee joint and what had looked like a knee was a condensed ball of cartilage. They also did not see an obvious, clear growth plate in the knee area. The doctors plan to write up a case study in the medical journal as his leg again was unlike any they have ever seen. So he technically had an above the knee amputation and his stump is very short. The first night was very hard as once the nerve block wore off, he was in severe pain. With the pain came fear unlike any other I have seen. I looked into his eyes and saw my little boy in outrageous pain frosted with utter panic and fear. His eyes darted in terror and his body trembled with agony. He could not form words and he flailed his arms in the direction of his right femur. His oxygen saturation dropped to the 70s and he turned ashen. His nurse quickly flew out the door to retrieve some additional pain medication (the big guns) to place in Braxton’s IV. I asked Braxton if he would like for me to pray for him as I really had no idea what else I could do. Evidently the nerve blocker had worn off and our room was full of the demons of pain, fear, and uncertainty. Braxton shook his head “Yes” I prayed as Braxton tried to gain self-control. His eyes were full of angst and worry while his body was assaulted by the ugly monster called pain. As the nurse came back into the room, he worked rapidly like an experienced superhero not getting his cape caught in any of the monitors and medical equipment. Soon strong pain medication was fighting its way up through Braxton’s IV tubing and into his veins. I stroked Braxton’s cheek and whispered comforting words into his ears. He looked deep into my eyes and I could see that he was looking to me for the strength that he was battling to find. As his eyes locked with mine, I knew that as he needed courage, faith, hope, and love reflected back to him. In the dark and cold of this hospital room, I needed to trust Jesus in this moment so that Braxton could find comfort in my resolve. Though the atmosphere was chaotic and even scary, I dug deep and boldly told Braxton that everything was going to be okay. I reminded him that we could trust Jesus and that Jesus would hold him closely in his arms to get him through this difficult time. Braxton’s eyes continued to lock with mine and I could see the courage begin to seep into him. He began to settle and the crying ceased. Like a soldier confidently loading and preparing his gun for battle, Braxton grabbed his little flashlight and clicked it on. He reached for his favorite soft, comforting stuffed animal, MingMing the monkey. He clutched his blanket and confidently put his oxygen mask back on. He sat there in the dark of the night with me and with his little flashlight in his hand beaming light into the dark room, he said with resolve, “I am going to be brave.” Despite my best efforts, tears rebelled and came rushing down my face. I kissed him on the forehead and said, “Yes, buddy! Jesus is here with us and this is hard...but you can choose to be brave. You can feel frightened and you can be in pain and you can still be brave. I am so proud of you!” It was a rough night, but one that I will never forget. In the dark of the night, Braxton learned to trust Jesus to a whole new level.

Our Team Love What a Great Group of Kids Working with Child Life Specialist Just Prior to Surgery Braxton (after receiving happy juice) and Daddy Just Prior to Surgery Braxton Recovering from Surgery

Braxton is in a body cast and cannot move all that much. But, his spirits are light. We were able to come home two days after surgery and he was so thrilled to see his siblings. He is eager to get moving again. He seems to be adjusting to the condition of his leg and looks forward to running one day with “a prosthetic and two shoes”. Braxton has experienced some serious phantom pain as his nerves and brain work out the new situation. He has had some pain here at home but we keep focusing on the goal and dream with him of the day he will walk and maybe even run. We head back to Shriners in several weeks. They will then take off the cast and remove the nylon stitches. They prepared us that this may be a difficult procedure as it will be painful and he will also be seeing his leg stump for the first time. That same day, we will meet with the prosthetics guys and they will begin to fit him for his first prosthetic that will be complete with a working knee and ankle. That will be exciting! They hope to have him up and going in 6-9 weeks. I will be sure to report back soon. Anticipating the victory while we endure the recovery, Tamera

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