Pray for Rye Guy

On Saturday, April 21st, at 10:11 am Rick found Rye unresponsive.  Jazzy heroically dialed 911 while Rick and a neighbor (who is an ER doctor) began CPR.  Julie was at a Foreign Language Teachers Conference in Jenks.  Once both parents had arrived, the ER doctor kindly, but clearly explained that since there had been no oxygen to Rye's brain for approximately 30-40 minutes we would be having conversations about organ donation withing 24 hours and that he would not survive.  That has been the consistent message from medical teams from the beginning.  The brain was expected to reach peak swelling by around 72 hours.  If herniation did not occur before that, an MRI would be performed.  The MRI Wednesday afternoon confirmed that there was extreme damage and cell death at all levels of the brain and on both sides.  The very minimal activity was from a very abnormal brain sending very abnormal signs.  With that news, coupled with the absolute lack of any physical responsiveness to hourly neurological tests (light shining in eyes, pinching of fingers, swabbing of eyeballs, tickling of feet, etc.), the family was made aware that it would be acceptable at any point to proceed with donor matching.  The desire of our family the entire time is for God to either completely heal and save Rye's life or save the lives of others through organ donation.  We love that physical picture of how Christ lost his life to give others eternal life.  Doctors and amazing nurses have worked tirelessly to ensure via the respirator, all kinds of medicines and monitors that Rye's organs stay healthy.  Since Julie needed a bit of time to process things, she asked if Saturday, a week after the accident, would be a reasonable day to let go of this precious child who may very well have been in Heaven (not the hospital) the entire week and move forward with donation.  Doctors said that would be fine while offering another day to Rick, "we can do this earlier if you like."  While dreading that possible moment on Saturday, we prayed for God to give us any clear sign that Rye might possibly be in that body or that He make him completely brain dead so we could have no doubt in our minds that it is God, not us, taking our child's life.  Being a donor family comes with the complication that finality of earthly life is less visibly clear.  Even after declaration of death, machines will keep this child's body "alive."  We, as parents, will potentially not see our child breathe his last and have the closure of such a scene.  We may have already seen that.  Julie has repeatedly said that "I am not sure if Rye is in this hospital, but I am very sure that Jesus is. God is clearly in every person who visits, hugs, prays, brings coffee, sings over Rye, etc."    
     Friday, April 27, God blessed us with postponing our Saturday plans.  Rye showed an appropriate response to pain.  He moved his shoulder when his shoulder was pinched hard intentionally by the physician (instead of inappropriately moving his leg, for example).  His eyes opened.  We count those moments as God's kindness in letting us see his eyes again and in giving doctors a reason to wait things out a bit.  Again, doctors are very honest about how small a sign that is scientifically.  
    So, we wait.  And we pray.  And we rejoice that we have this time with Rye's physical body here so that the beautiful body of believers can join us in the grieving, hoping, waiting, praying, crying, singing, laughing, eating, hugging, holding, touching walking, talking, etc.  We thank our Father that, Rye, who has no living grandparents and no relatives in the state has the biggest family ever imagined in the brothers and sisters in Christ who internationally are going before the throne of the Creator of the Universe daily on his behalf.  We know God can heal him here completely.  We pray He will.  Regardless, we trust His character that never changes and is always good, always for us, always faithful, always loving and always righteous.