Amazing!

The following was posted on our TARS support group today from Ethan's mom; he has always been an inspiration to us. Ethan is a 17 yr old high school senior with the shortest arms like Zac. He also had fused knees at birth, so you can see why he is such an inspiration. (even as TARS is very rare, shortest arms and fused knees is no more than 20% that have TARS -Dr. Paley said Zac's condition has no less than 1 in 1 million births) It is awesome to have the internet, and to be able to connect with other amazing kids with the same conditions! We actually recently found a little boy who is 5 who's knees are fused in exactly the same way as Zac's with the shortest arms. Dr. Paley introduced us, and called Zac and this little boy twins. This little guy's parents are also considering the same procedure as what Dr. Paley did for Zac! What is even more awesome, the procedure that Zac had done has never been done before, and Dr. Paley created it; now someone else may benefit from what he learned with Zac. Sometimes I just get so amazed by this journey!!!

The Multicultural Journalism Workshop drew to its close yesterday
evening after two intensive weeks for the 20 junior and senior high
school students who experienced working with some awesome
professionals from the fields of print and broadcast news. At the
presentation ceremony the students got to show off the fruits of their
hard labor, a newspaper,a radio broadcast, and a television news
broadcast. Now here is the very most awesome part....Ethan was
awarded the top college scholarship which will be determined to be
from $10-$15 thousand! We are so proud of him!

This may have been a life changing experience for Ethan. He loved
everything about it, waking early to meet for breakfast at the
university cafeteria to review the previous day's work with his
instructors and peers, working on story interviews on the phone and
out in the field, learning how to write a lead, having his stories
edited, and working late into the night on the newspaper layout. We
hired a personal attendant to come in the morning and evening to help
him with assembling his prosthetic leg, and other than that he was
completely independent. It was good for him and for his dad and me. I
think we all grew a lot from the experience.

Chris, Ethan's Mom (17 years old)

e-mail update for 6-21

Hi all,

We are excited to announce that we have another date for Zac's surgery: July 23rd, the pre-op apt. is July 21st. Zac is doing well, and does seem to be healthy, with some allergy issues. Please pray that he will stay well through the surgery. This is the third attempt to start the process on his left leg. Dr. Standard has been named as the attending physician this time. We don't think that this makes much difference as he has been involved in all of his other surgeries. Dr. Paley will at least be available, if not working along side of Dr. Standard. Please pray for these men as we prepare for this major surgery.

It will be one year ago on July 17th that we started the surgery on his right leg. All is well now, he is in a full leg brace, and is starting to weight bear, and walk in a walker. I don't think that he will completely walk with the walker until both legs are straight. We think that he will be able to that even with the fixator on his left leg. We are getting ready to order a power chair that he should have by the time he is 3 (the process takes a while with paper work). Zac turned 2 yrs in May. He is a typical 2 yr old! He and Cai are great buddies one minute, and typical brothers the next.

As you pray for Zac, we ask that you continue to pray for us. We are facing decisions, and need direction as far as employment. We have both been looking and interviewing, but nothing has turned up yet. James continues to take classes with ECPI to complete an Associates degree in Technology in the spring, and then a Bachelors with the accelerated program in the fall ('09). We do not have clear direction as to relocate, and/ or to sell our house, but we may soon have to make that decision. We feel strongly that what is best for Zac is to continue with the surgeries, especially as we have the right leg completed, it is the sooner the better for his progress. As we keep up with Cobra, we do not have anymore deductibles until September, so if we have the surgery now, it is 100% covered. We are seeking God's direction in all of these things, but at times the silence is deafening. We also know that it is a difficult time for many people, we are not alone. God has blessed us with many caring individuals that pray, and that is where we are at. We feel that He uses our situation, and we give Him the glory in all things. He has supplied our needs in so many amazing ways, we know that He will continue to do so. It is in our human that we desire to know the when, where, and the hows, and not to mention the whys. Because He has been so faithful, and because we love Him, we continue to trust, and believe. We know that He is in control.

We are so grateful to each of you. We look forward to sharing good reports about Zac's surgery.

For those who have prayed for our dear friend Lenni, she went home this week. Her new room was completed. We are thankful to know her, for her life, and for her faithfulness. We give God praise that her son and daughter came to know Jesus as their own savior the night before she passed. Please keep her family in your prayers.


Thank you,

James, LeAnn, Cai, and Zac

A friend goes home

My heart is heavy tonight as we say good bye to a dear friend. Lenni went home today. She has suffered from a rare cancer for several months. The last week has been difficult and she was on her way to her earthly home today with hospice called in, and instead went to her heavenly home to be with her beloved savior.

My heart rejoices with her as she told me several times that if the treatment did not work she would just beat the rest of us to be with Jesus. She is in love with him and has an amazing faith! She has been one of our faithful prayer warriors. I will miss seeing her face each Sunday morning as she served the rest of us coffee in the back of the sanctuary. I will miss hearing her amazing wisdom as she would share in our Sunday School class. I will miss hearing her poems, and beautifully written words.

When Lenni learned that she had cancer she shared that she had been praying that God would use her as a vessel for Him; she believed that through the cancer, He was answering her prayer. She also added, "when you pray in that way, you have to stay in The Word."

Lenni loved Zac, Cai too. But with Zac, she said that she wanted to write an article about all the lessons that she learned from Zac. I don't know if she ever wrote it. I hope so. When he was an infant we never took him to nursery for fear of illness, so she always played with him in the back while she attended the coffee shop (at church). One of the other reasons that she connected with Zac was that she announced that she would be a grandma for the first time the same Sunday we announced that we were expecting a baby (Zac). Her grandson is about 1 month older than Zac. She also watched our boys one time, so James and I could have a date.

I was honored just 2 Sundays ago to experience another act of her generosity. Lenni found out that it was my birthday, and wanted to surprise me with a party in SS class. Even as she was not feeling well, she was still thinking of others! I was extremely humbled, and honored. I was looking forward to this Saturday though, as it is Lenni's Birthday, and her dear friend had planned a surprise birthday party for her. I thought what a great thing that her act will be returned to her in a wonderful way. I think that this Saturday, we will be celebrating her life in a different way, but celebrating just the same.

It is amazing to see God work through our earthly trials, and to know that He is in control. I believe that God has answered my good friend Lenni's prayer to be a vessel, you see last night both her son, and daughter came to know Jesus as their own savior!

Lenni, I rejoice with you as you are with Jesus, and without pain. Thank you for all of these things, you will be missed! I will be praying for your family, especially your son and daughter who are so new to this faith.


Lenni wrote this to us the last time Zac's surgery was canceled.

What Can I Say?

Dear Snider Family

Our flesh and bone gets so tired of waiting,

We look, we long, days spent anticipating,

Jesus loves me this I know,

Why do answers seem so slow?

Blessed are those that suffer,

How many more blessing needed to make us tougher?

In this fallen world we are helpless,

Thank you for your grace we are not hopeless.

Your journey seems so long,

Consider those that walked in a circle, in a desert, 40 years but not a

strap wore on a sandal thong.

Last thing you want to hear,

Is another hang in there.

We hurt with love for your family,

And pray for a breakthrough openly.

May God bless you with answers to all of our prayers for your family,

With Much Love,

Lenni

waiting

We are still waiting to get a schedule for Zac's surgery on his left leg. I have contacted Dr. Paley's office several times without any replies. Finally, today I e-mailed Dr. Paley to let him know that we are trying to reschedule Zac's surgery; within hours I get a copy of his e-mail to his assistant (of whom I have been leaving messages with) asking her to contact me to re-schedule. Hopefully that means I will talk with her tomorrow. This surgeon runs an extremely busy practice, with patients from around the world, and a full staff of residence that he trains to do the same amazing procedures that he does. He is considered a pioneer in the field, and has developed over 200 procedures himself -including what he is doing for Zac! Yet, he is so efficient and quick when it comes to e-mails. It always amazes me! The first time we contacted him by e-mail to even see if he would look at Zac, we got a reply within 2 days.

Today someone was asking us about the procedures and surgeries on the TARS support group, and as I was answering their questions, I was reminded about what a miracle really happened to have his leg turn out the way that it has. It is so straight, and really looks beautiful. To think that he will walk one day. I am just overwhelmed right now as I write. God has really worked a miracle through the Dr. and team that we found. That is such an answer to what we prayed for and asked so many to join with us in praying. It makes me start to get excited about what is about to happen with the left leg. I know that anything is possible, and I am expecting another miracle!!!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers. The following was posted on our TARS Support group. It really touched my heart, so I thought I would share it.

By Lori Borgman

Expectant mothers waiting for a newborn's arrival say they don't care
what sex the baby is. They just want to have ten fingers and ten
toes.

Mothers lie.

Every mother wants so much more.
She wants a perfectly healthy baby with a round head,
rosebud lips, button nose, beautiful eyes and satin skin.
She wants a baby so gorgeous that people will pity the Gerber baby
for being flat-out ugly.

She wants a baby that will roll over, sit up and take those first
steps right on schedule
Every mother wants a baby that can see, hear, run, jump and fire
neurons by the billions.
She wants a kid that can smack the ball out of the park
and do toe points that are the envy of the entire ballet class.
Call it greed if you want, but a mother wants what a mother wants.

Some mothers get babies with something more.

Maybe you're one who got a baby with a condition you couldn't
pronounce,
a spine that didn't fuse,
a missing chromosome or a palate that didn't close.
The doctor's words took your breath away.
It was just like the time at recess in the fourth grade when you
didn't see the kick ball coming,
and it knocked the wind right out of you.

Some of you left the hospital with a healthy bundle, then, months,
even years later,
took him in for a routine visit, or scheduled him for a checkup,
and crashed head first into a brick wall as you bore the brunt of
devastating news.
It didn't seem possible.
That didn't run in your family.
Could this really be happening in your lifetime?

There's no such thing as a perfect body.
Everybody will bear something at some time or another.
Maybe the affliction will be apparent to curious eyes, or maybe it
will be unseen,
quietly treated with trips to the doctor, therapy or surgery.
Mothers of children with disabilities live the limitations with them.

Frankly, I don't know how you do it.
Sometimes you mothers scare me.
How you lift that kid in and out of the wheelchair twenty times a
day.
How you monitor tests, track medications,
and serve as the gatekeeper to a hundred specialists yammering in
your ear.

I wonder how you endure the cliches and the platitudes,
the well-intentioned souls explaining how God is at work
when you've occasionally questioned if God is on strike.
I even wonder how you endure schmaltzy columns like this one-saluting
you,
painting you as hero and saint,
when you know you're ordinary.
You snap, you bark, you bite.
You didn't volunteer for this, you didn't jump up and down in the
motherhood line yelling,
"Choose me, God. Choose me! I've got what it takes."

You're a woman who doesn't have time to step back and put things in
perspective, so let me do it for you. From where I sit, you're way
ahead of the pack.
You've developed the strength of the draft horse while holding onto
the delicacy of a daffodil.
You have a heart that melts like chocolate in a glove box in July,
counter-balanced against the stubbornness of an Ozark mule.

You are the mother, advocate and protector of a child with a
disability.
You're a neighbor, a friend, a woman I pass at church and my sister-
in-law.
You're a wonder.

Not our timing.....E-mail update for Zac -

Well, we are home again. Big sigh! We arrived in Baltimore Sunday night, in preparation for the pre-op apt. on Monday. Zac woke up in the morning on Monday coughing. We thought that it may be allergies as he didn't seam to cough when we were away from the hotel room. I mentioned it at his apt., but the Ortho. folks don't really worry about those things, they leave it up to the Anesthesiology Dr.s to figure out, and we don't see them until the morning of surgery. Zac's surgery was supposed to be yesterday morning (Wed. am), which gave us an extra day for the possible allergies, to become a runny nose and even more of a cough. Yesterday morning we went just to let them make the decision to cancel the surgery. We thought that could be the very possible outcome, which of course was the case. The Anesthesiologist took one look at Zac, and said no way. Even though his lungs were clear, the body will fight against the anesthesia, as it is fighting the cold. Although we knew that this was the possible outcome, it was still a blow. It takes so much out of us to prepare emotionally, and physically with all the travel, etc., and here we are the second time of trying, and we still come home without surgery. It is a bit devastating. I am just going to be honest here, we have more questions than answers. The Dr.s said that we need to wait at least 4 weeks to make sure that he is cleared of the cold. We are really praying for direction. We are thinking that now we need to concentrate on taking care of ourselves, and get some things in order before we are ready to attempt this again. The thing is, there will never be a perfect time. We had thought that the sooner the better for Zac's development. We have tried, but for some reason, it was just not meant to be at this time.
Please pray with us as we make these decisions. It does not make sense to us, but we know that God is in control. I am praying that the next time the scheduled time for the surgery will be the right time, not just that the surgery will be done in the right timing. Most of all that God's perfect will be done. Please pray for grace and strength for us as we emotionally deal with these changes.
We will now focus on the job search, for both of us. We are unsure how all that will work out with timing, and new jobs. I really hope that we will not have to delay much longer, for Zac's sake. To be honest we feel that we are at the end of our rope again, and anticipate how God so often works when we are at the end of ourselves. I heard something this week saying that God helps those who are helpless, and we are all helpless. I think it is when we recognize our helplessness, that God works the best. We love Him so much, and we know that He loves us...we look to Him with anticipation.

We feel compelled to share, as it is for His glory, and how else will He get the Glory, if we do not share. Even as Jesus wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, He goes on to answer Martha's questions with this "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" John 11:40. We believe that God's timing is usually outside of our box, but he still cares about our distress.

Thank you,
LeAnn
James, Cai, and Zac

A lesson learned!

Check out Cai's left foot in this picture. He has been complaining about pain and limping for about a week. There was not a point of injury that we could remember. There was not any bruising, or visible swelling, and so we thought that he strained a muscle or something. Even Zac's PT looked at it and said he must have hit it on something, but that it did not appear to be broken. So, we put off going to see the Dr., until Fri. He was still complaining, and even said he would like to go to the Dr. I was thinking just to rule anything serious out, so we went. The Pediatrician thought there was slight swelling. He ordered a blood count, and x-rays. The blood count he said was to rule out an infection. That immediately took my breath away, as that was the first time I had thought of anything more serious! Thankfully the count came back normal. The x-ray revealed what they called a healing fracture in the Fibula (the small lower leg bone). There was just a small shadow on the x-ray, which they said is the healing much like a scab. Apparently it maybe would not have been detected a week ago if we had taken him in then, and they said that it did not hurt anything by waiting. If he were an adult and/or not as active as he is, they would not have put a cast on him. But, they said to protect him from himself it would be best to wear a cast for about 3 weeks. Most likely it happened from all his jumping. He loves to jump! So, a lesson learned, an injury does not have to have bruising, or swelling to be more serious! I am glad that we went on Fri. as we leave on Sun. for Baltimore. He will blend in there, and look like another patient! --Even with his neon orange cast. (He chose orange, as that is his favorite color)