Letter from James
11/22/2006

11/22/2006 2:47 PM

Dear Family and Friends,

I was just informed the donor has been located. Everything is being prepared for a 12/12/06 transplant. (Johnson's birthday)

I am writing from the hospital room, it's a semi ICU room. There is an iPod hooked to speakers blaring "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Pressing On." Our boys are vibrating the room with their energy, which in pre-leukemia days used to drive me nuts some of the time. Not now. They are such good medicine for all of us, especially Sydney.

Sydney has been on supplemental oxygen for 2 weeks; the doctors did not know if she would ever be able to breathe with out being hooked up to oxygen. Yesterday, Sydney went four hours without supplemental oxygen.

Ever since our horrible prognosis, three days ago, Sydney has felt great 95% of the time.

One of the doctors commented that if any kid could survive this, it would be Sydney. I don't mean to imply that Sydney could fight her own way out of this, because she can't. The experts have seen it many times, where people fight valiantly and do everything they are asked to do, but still don't survive. The only way Sydney will survive is if God heals her. Sydney's God-given makeup has made this nightmare so much easier, because she is almost never fearful. She gets knocked down over and over, and yet she still gets up. I have been told some of the kids just stop fighting. I was also advised by a trusted doctor to be sensitive to signals pointing to Sydney wanting to give up the fight. In other words, don't push her anymore and stop all the painful treatments and make her comfortable. Obviously, this is a sickening proposition to watch for. However, giving up is nowhere on Sydney's radar.

Lynette and I have peace in our hearts much of the time. I can't explain this; although if we look around we can easily become terrified.

The head doctor just came in and listened to Sydney's lungs and gave me a high five.

I recently asked God what should I do to lead or help my family. I heard very little and then He impressed on me very quietly, "The Lord is my Shepherd". I thought I desperately need to hear from You, and this is all I get. Some standard "go to" verse that I may have come up with myself. Then I began to see that the best way for me to help was to point my other sheep to our Shepherd, the Shepherd who is very motivated and capable of protecting and defending us.

Sydney just leaned over and said her head hurt. We all responded with laser focus, asking ourselves why she is hurting and tried to figure out what was going on. Then with a grin she said, "just kidding." I think she has decided that her being sick might not kill me and she may have to give an extra push to knock me over the edge. I don't need an extra push.

Thank you for your encouraging notes and emails,

James

The Lord is my Shepherd.

Answered prayers

• The donor has been secured.
• Lungs are improving.
• We all have relative peace.
• Pain is greatly improved.

• Sydney to be miraculously healed.
• Her lungs to be healed.
• Fungus goes away.
• Cancer goes away.
• That we all grow in our confidence and assurance in Christ.