Madelyn Rose Powell

Madleyn Rose Powell

Last week some good friends of ours called regarding an email they had received about the Powell’s. It wasn’t about us, and although we share the same last name, there is no relation. I asked her to please forward the email to us, so I could learn more about this little girl, and began praying for her and her family. The email called for fasting and prayers over a sick little girl, just about Adelaine’s age. They live in Hollywood, Florida. My heart really went out to her family, as I know the grief of suddenly finding out that your child is critically ill. With our girls being so close in age and in name, I just felt an instant connection to this family.

I was waiting to find out more about her condition and what caused her illness before I posted her information on Adelaine’s website. Her blog didn’t say what caused her to become ill. But before I could get more information, Madelyn left to go be with the Lord. The celebration of life is taking place today. I am so saddened by the news. I just found out today that apparently she had contracted some rare form of staff and the infection attacked her lungs. Please pray for her family, I can’t even imagine how hard it must be to say goodbye to this beautiful little girl. I am looking forward to one day meeting Madelyn and holding her hand while we run through a field of flowers together and breathe in Heaven’s clestial air!

Dear Lord, Jesus, we lift up in prayer Madelyn’s family to you right now. Please comfort them during this time of sorrow.Your word says: Come to me, all you who are weary and are burdened, and I will give you rest, Matthew 11:28. We pray that you will carry them through the days and weeks ahead. Thank you that you love them and will never leave them and will comfort them always. We thank you for their great faith. Please let your promises cement firmly in their hearts and in their minds. Thank you that if Madelyn had to leave this earth, that she is with you right now in Heaven. We thank you that her parents and siblings, who as believers, will one day see her again in Heaven. You will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things will pass away. Revelations 21:4. We pray that they feel the love and prayers from caring people all over the country. Thank you for the lives that they have touched. We ask you to use them Lord to show your peace. We pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This poem was on Madelyn’s Blog:
I want to play and soar and dream.
Fly above the fields until I am free.
No pain, no sorrow and no fear,
Can touch me now that I am here.
Breathe in the breeze and feel the sun,
Across my face, I run and run!!!
I play and laugh among the trees.
Alive! Alive! I breathe! I breathe!
With legs so strong, I run so fast;
The world just smiles as I go past.
Sweet laughter bubbles up inside,
For freedom long denied, denied.
No tears, no pain, remembered here,
I’ve been released from all my fears,
To run and laugh until the day
When all bad things have passed away.

About the author: Brenda Penepent, LPN, Executive Director of Healing Heart for Bereaved Parents, Russellville, Arkansas Chapter. Copyright © 1995 by Brenda Penepent. All rights reserved.

Donations for her family can be sent to John Bush for PAL 8181 W Broward Blvd. Suite 350 Plantation, Florida 33324. Make checks payable to PAL care of the Powell family. Please visit the PAL web-site at www.palsports.org for updates on the fund and the tree dedication ceremony.

praying hands

We have so much to be thankful for, Adelaine has done remarkable well through all this. I know that has much to do with everyone’s prayers. Please continue to pray for her, as she still has a long road ahead of her. Below are some Bible scripture on healing.

Please go to http://www.prayerclosetministries.org/Pr4PhysHlng.html to download the word document for printing. To look up the bible verses online go to www.biblegateway.com

Also you can find many prayer guides for other areas of your life (school, marriage, children).
http://www.prayerclosetministries.org/P … deSel.html

Scripture Prayers For Physical Healing
…..The following are Scripture prayers that you can use to plead with God for healing. These prayers are not magical formulas. They are prayers based on the Word of God that you can use to seek the release of God’s healing power in the lives of sick and hurting people. You can use these or develop your own from them.
Father, You created ___________________. You formed him/her. You knit his/her inward parts in the womb. You alone know how to make what is right in ______________’s body. You alone know how to heal __________________. As his/her Creator, I pray that You would grant healing to __________________. Let Your power envelop him/her and bring the healing that is needed (Genesis 1:26; Psalm 139).
You are the God of healing. Your name declares that You are the Healer. Your nature is to heal. I plead with You to be true to Your name and Your nature. I ask You to release healing into _________________’s life. Reveal Yourself to be the God of healing by touching and transforming _______________ (Exodus 15:26).
I praise You, O God that one of Your first revelations about Yourself is that You are a God who heals and makes whole. The essence of who You are is to heal and make whole. I plead in the name of Jesus that You would heal and make ________________ whole (Exodus 15:26).
Father, Your Word says that You heal all our diseases. I plead in the name of Jesus that You will heal ______________ of __________________. Drive this completely out of his/her body (Psalm 103:1-4).
Father, I plead that You will heal _____________________ because of Jesus’ work on the cross. By His death and the merits of His blood, I pray that You would grant healing to _________________ (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Lord Jesus, You said “according to your faith, let it be to you.” I pray that You would grant ________________ the faith in order to believe Your Word for his/her healing (Matthew 9:29).

Lord Jesus, like the woman in the crowd who touched the hem of Your garment and was healed, I pray that _______________ would reach out to You. Your healing virtue is available to those who reach out to You. I ask that _______________ would experience this healing power when he/she reaches out to You (Mark 5:24-34).
Father, when doubt or unbelief starts to fill _________________’s mind and heart concerning healing, I pray that he/she will focus on the words of Jesus, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36).
Lord Jesus, You have been exalted as Lord over all. This includes all sickness and disease. In the Your name and through Your power, I pray that You would remove _______________ from ___________________’s life (Philippians 2:9-11).
Father, in Jesus’ name and because of His blood, I plead that You would bind any evil spirits that are involved in __________________’s condition. Bind the spirit of fear that says he/she will only get worse (Matthew 16:19).
Father, I plead that You would remove any obstacle in __________________’s that would prevent him/her from receiving healing (James 5:16).
Father, I pray that You would pour out Your mercy and grace on ___________________ during this time of sickness. Let Your power sustain him/her until healing comes to his/her life (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Father, in the midst of the pain with no outward improvements, enable ________________ to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in love and obedience for You. I plead that _______________ will keep his/her eyes fixed on You, his/her Healer and Sustainer (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Father, You are full of mercy and compassion for _________________. He/She is suffering and needs Your healing. Because of Your unfailing mercy and compassion, I plead that You will release Your healing power in __________________’s life. I ask that You would heal ________________ as a concrete expression of Your mercy and compassion (2 Corinthians 1:3; Lamentations 3:22-23).
Father, the Lord Jesus Christ has taught me to ask, seek, and knock. I ask You to grant healing to _______________. I seek You for the release of Your power into his/her life. I am knocking for the blessing of physical and spiritual wholeness in ________________’s life (Matthew 7:7).
Father, I ask in the name of Jesus for You to heal ___________________ so that You might be glorified. Grant healing to _________________ so that people might praise You and honor You for Your love, compassion, and power (John 11:4; Acts 4:21).
Just as the people who brought the blind man of Bethsaida, I bring _______________ to You. I lift him/her up to You in prayer. I beg You to touch him/her. I plead with You to grant healing in his/her life (Mark 8:22-25).
Father, I believe that You are willing to heal. I believe that You have the power to heal. Because of this, I pray that You would heal _____________. In faith, I plead for the release of Your healing power in his/her life (Matthew 9:2, 15:28).
O Lord my God, I plead that __________________ would cry out to You and that You would heal _________________ in response to his/her cries to You (Psalm 30:2).
Father, I plead in the name of Jesus that You would send Your Word and heal ________________. Deliver him/her from ________________ (Psalm 107:20).
Father, I ask in the name of Jesus that You would strengthen __________________ on his/her bed of illness. I plead with You to sustain him/her on his sickbed. I pray that You would grant Your healing in Your time and way in his/her life (Psalm 41:3).
Father, I pray that You would heal _____________ of _______________ so that he/she can declare Your mighty works to others (Psalm 118:17).
Father, You are the God who has the power to take sickness away from ________________. I plead in the name of Jesus that You would remove __________________ from _________________’s life (Exodus 23:25).
Father, I pray that __________________ would not be wise in his/her own eyes and that he/she would shun and avoid evil. Let this bring health to _______________’s body and nourishment to his/her bones (Proverbs 3:7-8).
Father, You give power to the faint and You give strength to those who have no strength. Father, _________________ has no strength and is faint because of his/her illness. I plead that You would grant power and strength to _______________ (Isaiah 40:29).
Father, __________________’s body has been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus. _______________’s body belongs to You. This disease/trauma is trespassing on Your property. I plead in the name of Jesus that You would evict this disease or trauma from _________________’s body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

The links below offer information on prayer and fasting:
http://www.cornerstonelacrosse.org/Fasting.pdf
http://www.prayerclosetministries.org/Pr4PhysHlng.html
http://www.billbright.com/7steps/

Thank you for praying this prayer for her!

Lately I‘ve been thinking about how I will be feeling once we reach Sept.5,2008. Please continue to pray that she will be completely healed not only from the Leukemia, but also from all the Chemo treatments. Chemo can cause permanent negative side effects, including secondary cancers. These drugs are extremely harsh, especially on the growing body of a two year old.

Now that she is cueerntly receiving treatments, we are actively doing something to stop and kill any cancer cells. Once the treatments are done, we won’t be making these attempts. I guess it’s like we know that during these harsh treatments the cancer can’t come back.

I also know that on July 5th 2006, God touched and healed our daughter from Leukemia. These treatments are just added “fluff”. Please pray that this truth will harden in our hearts like cement. Pray that on September 5, 2008, we will spread our wings and soar like eagles and fly far away from this place were at now!

Please pray for continued and increasing faith on the part of her parents, too! If we spend the rest of our lives worrying about cancer although it doesn’t even exist, we will be kept in bondage by the savage one. This, we know, is not the will of God.

Thank you & God Bless!

cnacer mom and daughter spinal tap

Today Adelaine had a big day of chemo. She had it injected into her port and then, after being put to sleep, injected directly into her spine. One of the benefits of being a regular at the hospital is the VIP treatment. I feel so blessed that the “Dream Team” allows me to go back to the operating room with Adelaine while they put her to sleep. Each time we do this I’m always nervous that my request will be denied. I can’t imagine her crying and reaching for me and screaming my name as they drag her away, especially knowing that there are risks involved in this procedure. Then they would probably have to scoop me up off the floor and carry me back to her room.

Fortunately my request was granted and I suited up into some scrubs (which were about three sizes too big!) and off we went to the OR. Once we were there Adelaine said,” I don’t want to breathe”. They all gave me a puzzled look. Here’s where being a mom is so great… I get to be her voice when no one else understands her! I explain that what she means is she doesn’t want to be put to sleep with the mask, but prefers to have the sleepy medicine injected directly into her port. Once you’ve had this done as many times as she has, you do develope your preferences! At All Children’s Hospital they really do try to accommodate the children as best they can, so her wish was granted as was mine! Oh, and Adelaine perfers NOT to wear hospital gowns. For some reason she has the idea that wearing hospital gowns is not very princess like!

The moments spent with Adelaine in the OR are so precious to me. What an amazing blessing to be the one to hold my daughter in my arms and sing to her and whisper sweet nothings in her ear as the team of doctors put her to sleep. It is truly an honor and a blessing. It is very intimate time together for me, probably because I know that I’m really not “supposed” to be there during that time. They told me once before that they wish I could come and sing all the children to sleep. I honestly can’t think of a better job!!!

It all takes about 10 seconds from the time they start to push the meds through her port until the time she is out cold! Can I get some of that? In about 10 seconds her weight seems to have doubled and her head becomes as floppy as that of an infant’s. She becomes unbelievable limp and relaxed and sometimes she even starts snoring! I give her a quick kiss, and then do a mad dash downstairs to the cafeteria and bring dinner back to her room, so she can eat as soon as she is awake enough.

Another HUGE blessing is Mrs. Pepper who works in the recovery room. We met on the second time Adelaine had this procedure done in the OR. We discovered that she was next door neighbors to some very close friends of ours and the rest is history! Adelaine always goes straight to Pepper, Pepper makes sure of it, until she is awake enough to be released to her room. Then they return to Adelaine’s room together while I am anxiously waiting, along with her food.(She isn’t allowed to have anything to eat or drink after midnight. This somehow applies to me too, as she becomes like some skilled hunter with the ability to sniff out food a mile away). Can yuo imagine how she’d react if she caught me eating something? It would be like your physical traimer cathching you scarf down an entire box of Krispy Kream Doughnuts or something!

I have to mention that the first time we did the spinal injections, we made it through that very physically and emotionally draining day,with great relief. At that time I had no idea that this would become a regular part of our treatment. When I discovered that we would have to do this over and over again, I thought I was going to be physically sick.

On the second time she ever had this done, while she was asleep, I ran downstairs to get her and the boys a snack. (Many times I have had all three children with me, so yesterday was nice to just be able to focus on Adelaine). While I was on my way back up (I always take the stairs just to make sure I don’t get stuck on the elevator). THEY PAGED MY NAME THROUGH THE HOSPITAL INTERCOM!!! I felt like I was running in slow motion. When I finally reached the desk, they said, “Oh, Adelaine woke up and she’s asking for you. You can go into the recovery room to see her if you’d like”. I must say that through this all I am developing nerves of steel!

Some interesting trivia on Adelaine’s medical costs…

Today we received a medical statement for Nov. / Dec. from the Clinic. As our insurance pays for most of it, we’ve never actually seen on paper what her medical bills come to. For some reason today they sent us a statement, probably to make us thankful for our insurance!

The total bill came to $10,593.02, that’s only for two months!! Did you know that to have sterile saline pushed through her port, which is basically boiled ocean water, is $42.10? A sterile procedure tray is $42.25 (we don’t even get to take it home)!! A 30 minute hospital discharge is $478.32, that’s just to say, “Sign here, here, and here, goodbye”! Her blood “transfusion” was $321.39, and that blood was donated! A box of tissue is $500.00, ok just kidding about that one, but you get the picture.

The moral of all this is that just three months earlier Doug did not have this job, and I’d be embarrassed to say what kind of insurance plan we had before then. Isn’t God Awesome!!!!!!!!