Amen, and I too will continue with my prayers.

I am praying that Stephen continues to make gains, and that if it is God's will for him, to be whole again. Praying that his family will be held in the Father's arms.

35 July 04, 2006 at 01:27 AM PDT
Well, campmeeting was everything Stephen had hoped for! He glowed!
We were all so grateful that he was able to be there. He never once used his wheelchair, but wandered the campus with his friends. Friday night they interviewed him in the Early-Teen Tent. He rose to the occasion in Stephen-style!

On leaving campmeeting Sunday, Stephen's health began to decline.
It's a long, complicated story that does not yet have an ending. We took an ambulance ride from the little hospital in my parent's town of N. Conway NH over to the referal center hospital, Maine Med in Portland Maine a few hours ago. He is at this moment undergoing a diagnostic lumbar puncture. Stephen has been in a worsening delirious state, where he does not appear to recognize me or anything else, for the past 10 hours. Preliminary CT scans show that it is not related to brain metastisis...their deferential diagnosis at this time is leanig toward some sort of viral encephalopathy (inflamation of the brain).

Please pray for wisdom and skill for the doctors as they try to figure out this complicated picture. Please pray that Stephen is pain-free. Please pray that we can make it home (soon).

Thank you.
June

That was posted on their website. June is Stephen's Mom.Wayne is his dad.

Next update:

36 July 04, 2006 at 11:57 PM PDT
It's hard to know what to say, so I'll just stick to the facts as we currently understand them.

The lumbar puncture (spinal fliud from Stephen's back) appears to show cancer cells. His confusion is apparently related to cancer recurrence/spread to the lining of his brain and spinal cord.

We're hoping that steroid medications will shrink some of this and he'll be able to recognize us again. That may or may not be the case. He currently is still not recognizing family.

Stephen is being med-evacued from Portland, Maine to Loma Linda tomorrow (Wednesday, July 5). We expect him to leave Portland around 11:30 am and to arrive here at Loma Linda mid-afternoon or so.

I just got done reading the latest Care Page messages. They mean so much to us. Thank you for your presence in prayer.

Tomorrow William starts 3rd grade.

Wayne

July 05, 2006 at 08:52 PM PDT
We made it home!!!

Stephen appears to visually recognize his family. It is a little difficult to know what else is happening in his head since he does not talk, or respond in a recognizable physical way to our questions.

Carcinoma meningitis is the confirmed diagnosis. We've been in deep conversation with the medical team about various treatment options at this point. When looking at the big picture, we are opting to not pursue further chemo or radiation at this time. We have other decisions still to make regarding TPN, steroid usage, etc. Tommorrow we plan to bring Stephen home on hospice.

Sometime after I've slept, I will tell you more about all the wonderful people we have interacted with in the past few days. There are many, many kind souls on this planet!

June

My heart just aches for his family. June and I have known each other since HS days and we attend the same church as they. This has GOT to be hard for them!

Thanks for your prayers!!

Taylor

Stephen's great uncle is a member of our choir and many of us know what a terrific kid he is. I received a call last night, and unfortunately, Stephen is failing fast. Please continue to keep the family in prayer. Someone will update as we learn more.

Thanks for your prayers Alb. I feel so sad about this whole situation.

There are times when we humans feel so inadequate and there is nothing to do but leave it to God. Watching a child in dire sickness is one of those heart-wrenching times