Chase Sammut

Happy Anniversary Chase Angelo

2008-09-18T17:16:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not, it's been a year since Chase earned his "angel wings". He remains on our mind constantly and we know he's smiling down upon us every day.

As the saying goes, time heals all wounds and it's certainly taking away some of the pain; however, the wounds still seem so "fresh and deep" - - it's just really hard to believe sometimes everything that took place.

Fortunately, Barbara seems to be doing well adjusting, although she continues making references to missing her brother. The other day, in one of her school exercises designed to stimulate creativity, she was asked to complete the sentence "I wish..." and she wrote, "I could go back in time 3 years so I could talk to my brother, Chase." I guess it seems that long for a 9 year old, when a huge percentage of her life was spent witnessing her brother's illness.

Anyhow, it's great that she can at least express herself and work through the grieving process... that's been a real focus of her art therapy for the past year and she seems to have really benefited from it.

Thanks to all Chase's Prayer Warriors for the prayers and support! It has meant the world to us!! Despite everything, it's nice having a little Angel shining down upon us...

Happy Birthday Chase!

2008-05-24T15:47:00.001-07:00

Chase would’ve turned 8 yrs old yesterday and (as with all of our memories of him), it’s bitter sweet. While I know that he’s in a better place, awaiting our reunion, he’s still terribly missed. There’s such a deep hole in our hearts that it’s hard to believe anything can fill it again to make us “whole”. This is clearly one of those situations that only time can help to ease the pain and lessen the depths of despair. The happy memories are always wonderful to recall but are too fleeting and seem to leave emptiness behind.

Despite all of the difficulty in enduring this experience, it’s hard to imagine replacing the time spent with Chase – although it was only 7 years, it left a profound impact on many people and has forever changed us. Thanks to all who remembered this special day and sent thoughts and prayers our way. Hopefully Chase has left a profound impact on your lives as well.
God Bless!John Sammut

Missing Chase Terribly!

2008-03-15T11:59:00.001-07:00

This has been an incredibly difficult adjustment since Chase passed away last September. Although the entire battle was long, grueling, stressful, and exhausting mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, it just kept us going in support of Chase knowing that it was all going to be worth it. However, it was a battle that I never expected to “lose” or have turn out the way it did. Now that the struggle is behind us, the adjustment process never seems to get easier.

Not a day goes by without something reminding me about Chase – a song, a picture, a memory, etc. Most of the time, I’m able to remain strong enough to remember that Chase is in heaven being rewarded and shining down upon us; however, that thought doesn’t always bring enough comfort to overcome the grief, loneliness and sadness. The underlying feelings of loss seem to permeate everything we do and dampen any celebration.

I just celebrated another B-day last week and Barbara did a great job trying to lift my spirits. She’s such a sensitive little girl and I’m sure that Chase is proud of how well she’s doing. Nevertheless, I can usually see that there’s something missing in her life (as with all of us) although she’s doing her best to adjust and minimize the emotional impact. Barbara had her first swim meet this past Sunday and she did great – she was extremely nervous, but I’m sure Chase lifted her up (she remembers that he was such a champion swimmer and doesn’t want to let him down).

I’m looking forward to taking Barbara to Disney for spring break this coming week – the last time we went was two years ago with Chase. We’ll be missing him terribly, of course, but we’ll do our best to remember the good times and continue to celebrate his life.

Thanks for all the continued prayers and support! God Bless!

John Sammut

Merry Christmas Prayer Warriors

2007-12-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

Despite the emotional challenges of dealing with the loss of Chase, we managed to make this a pretty memorable holiday season for Barbara. She had a wonderful time at her birthday party and sleepover – we appreciate all the wonderful messages and outpouring of support.

The candle lighting service put on by The Compassionate Friends was incredibly moving – Carol attended and lit Chase’s baptismal candle while I took Barbara to see Lion King, since we got tickets from friends at the last minute. After reading the program, it was probably a good thing that Barbara didn’t attend the service – it was extremely emotional and heavy, but very therapeutic for all the parents who have lost children.

Barbara has put together a collection of her favorite pictures and memories of Chase into a photo album – it’s so special to flip through and stimulate conversations about some of the many happy times. She’s doing as well as we can hope for, despite having an extremely difficult year. She’s been participating in a weekly art therapy session that is enabling her to slowly express herself and adjust to the changes in her life. Although there have been many sad and disappointing experiences along the way, it’s great to see her remember the good times too and continue to make positive memories.

Thanks so much for all the cards and messages of love and support for our family. Carol did a much better job than I did at sending out Christmas cards this year – I just couldn’t get motivated. We’re trying to keep the faith and believe that many things will be better in the New Year! Thanks again and God Bless!!

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Getting Through the Holidays without Chase

2007-12-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

We’re doing our best to remain positive and get through this first holiday season without Chase. It’s been rather melancholy, as you can imagine. The sorts of activities that we would normally cherish are very hard to participate in without feeling the weight of our loss and grief. Nevertheless, we have so many happy and positive memories to fill our hearts, we just have to focus on them and lean upon our faith in knowing that Chase is our little angel in heaven.
This Sunday, December 9th there is going to be a candle lighting service held by The Compassionate Friends. The Worldwide Candle Lighting unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor and remember children who have died at any age from any cause. As candles are lit at 7 p.m. local time, hundreds of thousands of persons commemorate and honor children in a way that transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious, and political boundaries. You can find a location to participate in this service on their website at compassionatefriends.org We will be lighting Chase’s baptismal candle in his honor and we will also be remembering all the other children we’ve cross paths with during this journey over the past two years. We will be joining the service at Paul's United Methodist Church, 620 Romeo St. in Rochester.

On a positive note, we are celebrating Barbara’s 9th birthday today. She has planned a very memorable agenda, starting with an ice skating party for all of her classmates. Afterwards, she has invited the girls to come back to our house for a Hanna Montana party and some pampering (manicures, pedicures, make-up, HM wigs, etc.). She got a karaoke machine and the latest HM music for a mini-concert. Then she’ll be hosting movie night and sleepover… hopefully all will go as planned – pls keep us in your prayers. Barbara’s had a very difficult year and we’re trying to go all out for this to be a very special birthday for her and hopefully a wonderful holiday season that she can use to lift her spirits past all the grief and loss.

Thanks again to all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors for lifting our entire family up in prayer. We truly appreciate all the support.

God Bless!!
John & Carol
Barbara Ann and our Angel Chase

We Continue to Celebrate Chase’s Life

2007-10-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

After Chase’s passing last month, we were surrounded by so much love and support that it was overwhelming. We were extremely blessed to spend 3 days with so many of his Prayer Warriors, during the two days of viewing at the funeral home as well as the funeral service and wake. This was such a beautiful celebration and send off for Chase that it filled our hearts with joy and gave us much relief. There were too many messages and incredibly moving gestures of love to fully acknowledge and respond along the way; however, each one contributed to lifting us all through the process – we are just now getting though all of the cards, letters, etc and we’re receiving deep consolation from each one. We also wanted to mention how grateful we are for the help we received from Auntie Cathy and Sr. Carmela in planning the funeral. There were also memorials of pictures compiled by Cathy Connover and Peter Balanda which were shown at the wake as well as a beautiful arrangement of movie clips prepared by Kay Ponicall along with the incredible send-off of balloons at the cemetery.

We set up the slide show at the wake that included many of the messages that were posted on the blog by Chase’s Prayer Warriors since we were too caught up at the time to review our e-mails. All of your thoughts and prayers were greatly appreciated and helpful in soothing our grief. It truly was an amazing celebration and tribute to our little superhero. We feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to share his journey with so many loving people. We continue to remember the beautiful moments of Chase’s life and cherish the insights that we gained along the way – he touched many lives in many ways and we know he is now our little angel watching and waiting from above.

His memorial card read: Chase Angelo Sammut (May 23, 2000 – Sept 19, 2007). I’ll lend for you a little while a child of mine, God said. For you to love the while he lives, and mourn for when he’s dead. We will shelter him with tenderness, we’ll love him while we may... and for the happiness we’ve known forever grateful stay. But should Thy angels call for him much sooner than we’ve planned, we’ll brave the grief that comes and try to understand.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and support lifting our angel Chase along the way and our entire family. We are forever grateful and tremendously blessed by you all. We also appreciate all of the contributions to Life Horse in Chase’s name – they have collected over $8K to date and it is making a big difference to this worthwhile cause of providing rehabilitation therapy for handicapped children.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase Earned his Wings

2007-09-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

After a long, grueling battle for over two years, Chase followed his calling to the light to be greeted into the arms of Jesus and receive his angel wings. Over the past week and a half, we treated his port infection once again with a strong combination of IV antibiotics. However, this time his organs couldn’t endure the trauma and his kidneys and liver were starting to fail. Over the weekend, we began getting an indication that he was struggling – he was retaining fluids and the swelling was getting worse. After trying everything we’ve learned over the past few rounds of infections without making progress, last night we decided to have Chase admitted to St. John hospital. They actually administered the same treatments we were using without making any more progress so it became very clear that this was the decision between Chase and God, regardless of anyone’s efforts. His battle ended peacefully this afternoon in our arms and we couldn’t be prouder of our Chaser Boy! He hung in there to the very end and seemed to hold off taking this journey until we were all ready for him to go in peace.

We will be celebrating Chase’s life over the next few days with the following schedule:

Thursday and Friday viewing at Lynch’s Funeral Home on Crooks Rd in Troy from 4-8 p.m. with a prayer service on Friday at 7 p.m. The funeral service will be held at St. Columban church on Saturday at 9:30 am followed by procession to Franklin cemetery and a wake at the Reserve (Big Rock) on Eaton in Birmingham from 12 to 3 p.m.

A trust fund will be established in Chase’s name to benefit Grandivew Farm, which is used to support the therapy of LifeHorse a specially designed therapeutic horseback riding program for terminally and chronically ill children to ride and be around horses. Donations came be made through their website at www.lifehorse.org.

We truly appreciate all the dedicated support of Chase’s Prayer Warriors around the world. We couldn’t have made this journey without all your prayers and Chase is now our special angel in heaven. We look forward to celebrating his life and remembering how he touched us all.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase Hits Another Speed Bump

2007-09-09T17:31:00.000-07:00

After several weeks of stability with improved blood tests, great vitals, etc. Chase has another infection – this time it’s his urinary tract as well as blood (sepsis). We’re not sure where it started and we’re hoping it’s not from the port again – the last round of IV antibiotics was really strong and it seemed to knock it out, but something reintroduced the bacteria into his system. We’re conducting more tests to try and determine the source of the infection as well as the sensitivity to be able to identify the right course of treatment.

While this is another frustrating speed bump, Chase’s rebound the last couple of times was very encouraging and we’re continuing to stay the course. We’ve recently begun working with another Naturopath who has given us some other ideas that we’re excited about trying, once we can overcome the infection. We also recently made contact with a leading doctor in stem cell research, who has some ideas about treatment options that might be helpful. As a stroke of divine intervention, we had stored Chase’s umbilical cord when he was born and so we have access to the stem cells for possible treatment. The research is very promising and has shown that infusing stem cells can accelerate healing with no known side effects. Of course, this is advanced research and not yet mainstream, so it’s costly and cumbersome; however, we have nothing to lose and we’re continuing to investigate the possibilities.

Due to the holiday weekend, we didn’t hold the normal monthly prayer service on the first Sunday this past weekend. We’re planning the next one for the first Sunday in October at 3 pm. We’re continuing to pray for strength, wisdom and guidance as well as the patience to support Chase in his recovery. We truly appreciate all the prayers and support – we know that miracles happen all the time and we’ve been witnessing this one in many ways...

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Past the Two-Year Mark!

2007-08-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

What a road it’s been since Chase was diagnosed on 8/11/05. He’s certainly come a lot further than conventional practitioners expected and he’s continuing to fight his way back every day. Chase has been breathing much better over the vent lately, once again, and his recent bloodwork is the best it’s been in several months. His hemoglobin continues to climb (this time without any transfusions) and all of the indications are that aside from the pressure on his brainstem his body is quite healthy – no sign of the pesty infection that plagued him for a couple of months. We’re continuing to work his limbs with a continuous passive motion machine, which has kept him quite limber and firm, with no atrophy or bed sores to date. Overall, his condition is remarkable considering his unresponsiveness for as long as it’s been. We recently came across this passage / interpretation from Joel Osteen which really seems to sum it up:

Trust God’s Timing: Human nature tends to want everything right now. When we pray for our dreams to come to pass, we want them to be fulfilled immediately. But we have to understand, God has an appointed time to answer our prayers and to bring our dreams to pass. And the truth is, no matter how badly we want it sooner, it’s not going to change His appointed time. When we misunderstand God’s timing, we live upset and frustrated, wondering when God is going to do something. But when you understand God‘s timing, you won’t live all stressed out. You can relax knowing that God is in control and at the “appointed time”, He is going to make it happen. It may be next week, next year, or ten years form now. But whenever it is, you can rest assured it will be in God’s timing.

God is not like an ATM machine, where you punch in the right codes and receive what you requested. Prayers are not always answered in 24 hours. No, we all have to wait and learn to trust God. The key is, are we going to wait with a good attitude and expectancy, knowing God is at work whether we can see anything happening or not? We need to know that behind the scenes, God is putting all the pieces together. And one day, at the appointed time, you will see the culmination of everything that God has been doing. God often works the most when we see it and feel it the least...

This message really hits home and although it sounds right, it sure can be hard to hold onto sometimes. All of your prayers and support have been a tremendous lift throughout this journey and we’re continuing to keep the faith while supporting Chase on his road to recovery. We’re hoping and praying that his recent improvements continue and that he’s finally starting to turn the corner...

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Thanks for the Inspirational Tesitmonials

2007-08-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

After our last post, we received several very inspiring testimonials of people who endured and overcame very challenging illnesses and experienced miraculous recoveries. We continue to believe in miracles and know that they happen all the time – it’s always great to hear first hand about other stories of those who were rewarded for their faith and patience. We know that ultimately Chase is in God’s hands and He knows best – we believe that this entire journey and experience has been a blessing for all of us in many ways, even though we clearly would never have chosen this path. We just have to continue to remind ourselves and focus on the positives that have come as a result of this process.

Chase seems to be getting over the port infection after a couple of weeks of IV antibiotics. We’re praying that it’s gone for good so that we no longer have the risk of removing and replacing the port, or causing a regular process of repeat infections. His most recent bloodwork showed great improvements once agan and he seems to be turning the corner.

Our friend, Meg Koss, who has helped in setting up and coordinating the monthly prayer services recently moved to North Carolina. This month we will be holding the prayer service at our home (532 Brookside Ave in Birmingham) and anyone who would like to join us is welcome to come by on Sunday, Aug 5th at 3 pm. We welcome all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors who can’t make it to join us in spirit at that time. We have no doubt that these prayers have been lifting Chase along his journey and are the main reason that he has gotten this far – he’s truly our miracle boy. Thanks again for all the prayers and support!

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase Could Use an Energy Boost

2007-07-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the extended delay in posting to Chase’s blog. It’s been a hectic couple of weeks on the home front for a number of reasons (mostly unrelated to Chase’s condition). However, Chase’s recent bloodwork seemed to indicate that another blood infection was coming on – his hemoglobin dropped and some of the other changes were consistent with the last time he had this kind of condition. We checked back with the infectious disease experts at St. John hospital who treated Chase the last time we had an in-patient stay and they believe the recurrences of this infection are probably related to his port (where he receives IV medications). Over the past week and a half, we’ve been treating Chase at home with a combination of IV antibiotics that we’re hoping will knock out the source of bacteria, if it is in fact in his port or wherever the root cause of the problem is. The real concern is that if the source of infection is Chase’s port and we aren’t able to knock it out with IV antibiotics, the only other option is an operation to remove and replace the port. This isn’t something we’re prepared to deal with at this point, given as much as Chase has been through.

Although his ability to trigger his own breathing over the ventilator seems to come and go at times, Chase has been doing relatively well / stable overall lately. However, he could really use an energy boost right now, since he’s been working so hard to fight off this bacteria source of infection while regaining his strength to breath more consistently. This combination of antibiotics can also be quite hard on the liver and kidneys to process. We appreciate all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors keeping these intentions for him. If there are any energy healers or reiki practitioners, we also welcome them sending Chase their assistance energetically. Thanks again for all the prayers - we’re hanging in there and keeping the faith with all of your support!

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Next Prayer Service

2007-06-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

From: Meg & Max Koss [mailto:kossfamily@comcast.net] Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:37 AM
Meg and Max Koss
6311 Walker DriveTroy, MI 48085
mk3013@yahoo.com megkoss@comcast.net
tel: tel2:mobile:
(248)828-4419 Home(248)840-2433 Meg Cell(248)709-1278 Max Cell

The next prayer service for families and the sick especially our children will be this Sunday at 3:00pm at St. Anastasia in the Chapel. I will keep all your prayers in my heart. If you have additional prayer requests please let me know. If you can not be there feel free to pray along from home. We will be praying the rosary and the Chaplet of divine Mercy.
God Bless
Love Meg

Chase seems to be on the rebound once again – the latest infection seems to have subsided and his bloodwork this week was much improved. He’s once again making progress with breathing over the vent, although it’s still a bit spotty. The changes that are being detected through Chase’s neurofeedback sessions continue to be promising. We are now conducting treatments daily and the EEG signal map is showing more and more delta wave activity, which is very encouraging. We are about to begin using a new protocol that has been successful at helping people in comas to become responsive. We’re hoping to be able to report some more progress soon. Please continue to keep our whole family in your daily prayers – we appreciate all the support!

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Hanging in There

2007-06-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Chase is continuing to do his best to “hang in there” while his status remains fairly stable at the moment. His bloodwork last week showed another drop in his hemoglobin level and we immediately did a blood culture – suspecting an infection. Fortunately, we were aggressive with the diagnosis as the lab confirmed the infection the next day and we immediately began treating with IV antibiotics again. Chase’s doctor suspects that we didn’t treat his condition long enough the last time and perhaps there’s a residual pocket of bacteria somewhere that wasn’t knocked out. We’re hoping to get it taken care of this time with a longer treatment. Up until that point, Chase had started making progress again with his breathing over the vent and the rest of his vitals and bloodwork were very stable.

We recently started using a Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) machine to provide more consistent and regular exercise for Chase’s legs throughout the day – research has shown that this approach can help accelerate brain repair. Ironically, the home-based EEG and brain stimulation treatment that was conducted this week showed more amplitude in his brainwave activity again – although it seems too soon to be related to the use of the CPM machine.

Nevertheless, this is clearly getting to the weary stages of this battle for everyone including Chase. He’s such a fighter and a strong trooper that his ability to continually respond and overcome these hurdles never ceases to amaze us. However, if he doesn’t start to turn the corner soon, we’re just not sure how much longer to expect him to sustain this fight. While we’re doing our best to keep the faith along the way, this is an incredibly exhausting journey. We keep praying to the Holy Spirit to provide wisdom, strength, and comfort in the situation so that we can more clearly understand God’s will for the direction we should proceed with Chase.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support!

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Prayer Service for Chase

2007-06-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the late notice, but the monthly prayer service for Chase is scheduled for tomorrow – the first Sunday of the month at 3 pm. It will be held at St. Anastasia once again for one hour and we will be including intentions for all sick children and their families.

Chase seems to have responded well, once again, to the antibiotic treatment of his blood infection. His hemoglobin is on the rebound and the rest of this bloodwork looked much better this past week. He is also starting to initiate more of his breathing again (not as much as he did a couple of weeks ago) and hopefully this will continue as his hemoglobin rebounds.

We also conducted another home-based EEG this past week along with a series of brain stimulation treatments. The response was quite significant – a major shift in the frequencies of his brainwaves in every region of the brain – much more delta activity, which is a very positive change. We don’t know what this means yet, other than the fact that his brain isn’t inert – there is definitely a change taking place and we’re hoping that it continues. The developer of this system is encouraged and has suggested using a new protocol that has been effective at stimulating even more rapid changes in brainwave activity.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support! Chase is continuing to make us proud as a strong fighter – he has such an incredible spirit that it’s very inspiring.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase’s 7th Birthday

2007-05-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the Prayer Warriors who sent birthday wishes to Chase on his 7th Birthday this past week. We had a cake for him and Barbara blew out the candles after making a special wish (of course, as always, her wish is for Chase to be completely healed). It was a special moment for our family, although painful as ever to see our little champion remain unresponsive. Carol had a special treehouse / fort built for Chase right outside the window that his bedroom overlooks. Hopefully, this is giving him even more incentive to stick it out and continue on the road to recovery.

After a couple of months of amazing stability in Chase’s bloodwork, this past week his hemoglobin level dropped significantly. Fortunately, we were able to quickly diagnose the issue this time (a blood infection) before it progressed to critical levels. We’re administering IV antibiotics which will hopefully enable everything to get back to normal in another week or so.

What a difference a year makes – on Chase’s birthday last year, we fulfilled his wish and had a family campout in the backyard. Although Chase had developed some weakness in his right limbs, he was getting around, communicating with us, eating, drinking, etc. How we long for those days again – we could even tolerate a long, slow recovery as long as we had ongoing indications of improvements in his condition. Without this kind of feedback, it is becoming incredibly tiring and challenging for our faith to continue enduring this journey.

We’re praying that the Holy Spirit would descend upon us this weekend during the feast of Pentecost. We really need the gifts of His guidance, discernment, wisdom and comfort at this time. We truly appreciate all the ongoing prayers and support!

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

A Difficult Mother’s Day

2007-05-13T20:42:00.001-07:00

Well, we did our best to make Mother’s Day special for Carol - Barbara was particularly sweet with the little crafts that she worked hard on and took a lot of pride in. Despite the beautiful weather and loving gestures, this was probably the most difficult holiday to celebrate to date (certainly for Carol) since Chase’s diagnosis. It’s just getting extremely hard to enjoy anything on the home front while faced with Chase’s condition. Although he remains pretty stable and this has been a blessing in terms of reduced stress, it’s still extremely wearing physically, mentally and emotionally to see him unresponsive.

We’re doing our best to keep the faith and believe that God has a plan of victory for us – whether we can recognize it at this point or not. Nevertheless, it’s incredibly challenging at the moment. We need divine intervention and guidance to continue our journey through this challenge. Chase’s seventh birthday is coming up on May 23rd – we could really use something to celebrate in terms of clear progress with his recovery or a strong indication of God’s will for our family.

We truly appreciate all the ongoing prayers and support.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Congratulations Chase & Barbara Ann

2007-04-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

The First Communion celebration for Chase and Barbara last week was picture perfect. The service was really beautiful, with 25 children participating. Afterwards, the weather really cooperated, which enabled us to hold our party outside for the children of our guests to run around all afternoon. It was a great opportunity for us to celebrate this special day for Chase and Barbara in a very memorable way.

We know that Chase was very cognizant of what was happening, mainly by monitoring his vital signs. As we began opening his gifts, his breathing rate increased significantly and he was essentially doing all the breathing on his own. He just seemed to be full of life. Barbara really enjoyed opening the presents for him and telling him about them. It was just a great time for our whole family.

Thanks to all who joined us in person or in spirit. We really felt the presence of the Holy Spirit for this important event. Fortunately, Chase continues to remain very stable with strong vitals and bloodwork – the most stable he’s been in months and this really helps to take some of the edge off our stress load. We’re holding in faith our expectation for him to wake up and begin responding once again.

Our next prayer service will be on May 6th at 3 pm in the new Chapel of St. Anastasia in Troy. Please pass the word – this will be for all sick children and the intentions of all participants. We appreciate all the prayers and support for our entire family.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase Received his First Holy Communion

2007-04-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter week, celebrating the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection and the His promise of eternal life. We enjoyed the time to celebrate with family and friends, although as with any holiday, it was very painful to view Chase in his current condition. Nonetheless, we’re continuing to maintain our hope and faith in the power of prayer and the fact that miracles happen every day. We know that there is nothing beyond the power of God – the fact that Chase is still with us 20 months after being diagnosed with this terrible affliction is a miracle in and of itself.

This past week, we were visited by one of Chase’s Prayer Warriors (Bonita, who lost two sons to this terrible disease). She brought her Spiritual Director, Father George, and we celebrated a beautiful mass together in Chase’s room. Fr. George was moved to give Chase his first Holy Communion – what a blessing and an answer to prayer. We’re just about to celebrate Barbara’s Holy Communion next Sunday (April 22nd) and had been hoping for Chase to take part as well. Now that he has received this Sacrament, the celebration will be for both of them. We’re hoping to have Chase in his wheelchair (outfitted with a vent) to enjoy the party with us.

Chase has continued to be very stable in terms of his vitals and bloodwork, which is quite a relief after the bout he had a few weeks ago with several different issues. He’s also breathing quite well, although somewhat inconsistently. Sometimes he does most of the breathing on his own (over the settings on the ventilator) and other times he lets the machine do all the work. This is somewhat to be expected, so we’re told, as he regains his respiratory strength. Hopefully, his progress will be able to continue and enable us to wean him further off the vent as soon as possible.

We truly appreciate the continued prayers and support from Chase’s Prayer Warriors around the world, as well as the messages of encouragement. We hope this collective journey brings many blessings to all who are joining us in spirit – that is our daily prayer, along with the petition for Chase’s return to divine health.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Prayers for Chase Crusade

2007-04-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Posted April 03, 2007

This is Chase Sammut, a very sick little six year old boy. In August 2005, Chase was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, anaplastic astrocytoma grade 3, in his brainstem.

The photo on the left was taken before his diagnosis, and the photo on the right is his kindergarten photo, taken a few months later after his diagnosis and treatments with steroids.

Chase’s parents, John and Carol Sammut, have exhausted every available medical alternative and Chase is now unresponsive in a coma. Without a miracle he has only a very short time left.

Please join us in our prayers for Chase and invoking the Lord’s Divine Mercy.

Heavenly Father,

Creator of heaven and earth and sustainer of it all, praise and honor and glory be to You forever.

We come reverently, yet boldly by the blood of Jesus Your only Son, to Your throne of grace in our time of desperate need. You have invited us in Your Word to call upon You. As we have a high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is touched by our infirmities and makes intercession for us, we know that You hear our request.

Your Word declares that there is no other name by which man can be saved but by the name of Jesus. In that salvation You have made provision not only for our spiritual and emotional healing, but your Word confirms that by the stripes of Jesus we were physically healed as well.

It is with this CONFIDENCE that we bring Chase to You by faith and receive healing for him.

We realize that by ourselves we are powerless to heal him. As little children we believe and receive this gracious gift from You in agreement with Chase's parents John and Carol, Chase's sister Barbara.

We thank You for the provision You made for Chase, 2000 years ago at the Cross of Calvary. We give You thanks in the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen - So Be It !!!

Please submit this prayer request to your congregation and forward it to other Prayer Warriors to join us in praying for Chase.

Chase had a Blessed Week

2007-04-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

This was a very blessed week for Chase. The visit of Father Sommers from the National Center for Saint Padre Pio was extremely moving – he spent the day with us in prayer, invoking our Lord to lay his healing hands upon Chase. The results of his blood test at the end of the week were the best in many months – everything seems to be completely stable and / or improving overall. The most visible sign of improvement is the reduction in swelling all over his body – he finally looks like the Chase we know and love.
The prayer service today was also beautiful – what a great way to start Holy Week. Thanks to all who participated in person or in spirit. We have no doubt that the power of these prayers is lifting Chase’s spirits and health. He’s making great strides once again in his breathing – by this evening, he was about at the level he left off when he made all the progress with the weaning off the ventilator several months ago.

Please pass the word among your churches to include Chase in their prayers and petitions during Holy Week and Easter. We know that many of you have already done this but we just wanted to provide a reminder to those who haven’t yet. We’re continuing to believe in the miraculous healing power of faith and prayer. Thanks again to all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors for your ongoing support and devotion.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Continuing to Believe in Miracles and Praying for Chase to Receive One!

2007-03-26T16:26:00.001-07:00

Our little trooper, Chase, seems to be bouncing back once again. His bloodwork today was the best it’s been in several months and he’s been incredibly stable since we got back home from the hospital. Chase’s breathing has also been improving – he’s nearly back to where he was when we were weaning him off the ventilator. His edema (swelling) has also gone down considerably, which is very noticeable all over his body; hopefully this is occurring inside of his head as well, which seems to be the case since he is showing several signs of improvement.

Chase still hasn’t been responsive though and we’re praying vigilantly for an Easter miracle (or sooner)! We’ve been watching movies lately and reading books describing other miracles to continually reminding ourselves that they happen every day – why not for Chase?! This Wednesday (3/28), a priest from the Saint Pio foundation will be visiting to pray over Chase and he’ll be bringing some very special relics as well. Please join us in fasting and praying on that day – we’re expecting the Sacrament of the Sick to be administered at around 12-1 pm EST.

We know that God is the ultimate healer and we are all (including St. Pio) only instruments of His divine will. We’re doing our best to keep the faith and believe that we will be rewarded for our devotion and patience. Our next prayer service will be held at Holy Name on Sunday, April 1st at 3 pm in the main church – since it is Palm Sunday, a prayer service had already been planned during this holy hour. We truly appreciate all the support and blessings Chase’s Prayer Warriors are continually sending him – Praise the Lord!

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

God Will Have the Final Say in Chase’s Outcome

2007-03-22T20:34:00.001-07:00

After several days of receiving IV antibiotics, Chase’s bloodwork stabilized again, including a significant increase in hemoglobin. We were able to get Chase back home yesterday, although he’s still not responding other than doing some of the breathing over the ventilator.

Nevertheless, as we’re being encouraged by so many of Chase’s Prayer Warriors, we’re keeping the faith and believing that all things are possible with God – there is no order of magnitude in miracles and this will certainly be a major one. We certainly could’ve stopped the struggle to recovery without being discharged from the hospital; however, our faith has carried us this far and we believe that God will have the final say. We appreciate all the Prayer Warriors continuing to support Chase in this journey. We’re planning another prayer service on the first Sunday in April at 3 pm – more details to follow.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Preparing to Abandon Chase into the Arms of God

2007-03-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who participated in our prayer service for Chase last week, in person or in spirit. He really needed the boost – as we conveyed to those who attended, we were most concerned about his bloodwork. His hemoglobin had dropped to critically low levels and after trying all the natural remedies we could without success, we decided it was time for a transfusion again. We know from experience (twice in the past year) that Chase tends to respond well to transfusions and usually returns to stability for several months. However, this time after receiving one unit of blood, his hemoglobin still wasn’t as high as we had hoped and his potassium dropped to a critically low level as well which was baffling his doctors.

We investigated our options and eventually had Chase transferred to the ICU at St. John’s hospital in Harper Woods. Fortunately, they were very proficient at diagnosing the underlying root cause as a blood infection (sepsis). We started IV antibiotics yesterday and Chase seems to be responding quite well – after another unit of blood and IV potassium, his bloodwork seems to be stabilizing once again. He’ll need to remain under close monitoring in the ICU for at least a couple more days as they further analyze the blood cultures and refine the antibiotics to target the specific bacteria.

The bigger concern is the result of the MRI that was taken to ensure that Chase didn’t have a brain hemorrhage since they suspected he had been losing blood with the low hemoglobin. The good news was that he did not appear to have any significant hemorrhage or seizures; however, it did not provide good news overall relative to the condition of Chase’s cortex. Although it wasn’t as bad as his Neurosurgeon had predicted (it wasn’t completely dissolved, indicating brain death), it was severely compressed due to extensive edema (swelling) as well as a layer of fluid around the perimeter of the brain that seems to be blood byproducts. Once we confirmed that the blood infection was the root cause of our immediate concerns, it also seemed to explain these issues. We’re praying that the response to the IV antibiotics will be to enable the edema to subside and the fluid around the brain to be resorbed providing more room for his cortex and other areas of the brain (while somehow miraculously avoiding any permanent brain damage).

After receiving the impressions from the Radiologist and Neurosurgeon, we are struggling with holding onto our hope and fearing the need to make some critical decisions soon. There is no doubt that the only thing that will enable Chase to pull through all of this is a total miracle – thus we are completely abandoning him into the arms of God. We know that ALL things are possible through divine intervention and we certainly don’t want to put any limitations on God. We are continuing to hold Chase in faith and invoke the healing power of Jesus – please join us in this prayerful intention. Thanks for all your support and prayers. We need all the strength we can get during this trying time.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Upcoming Prayer Service

2007-03-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

Our prayer services are normally scheduled on the first Sunday of the month. However, the person who has been organizing these services and receiving messages from Our Lady of Emmitsburg has asked that this month’s service be postponed to the following Sunday – March 11 at 3 pm. Unfortunately, we have some conflicts with Barbara’s activity schedule that we’re trying to work out (final swim meet of the season and Brownies) so Carol will not be able to attend this service. It’s going to be held at the new chapel of St. Anastasia parish at 4571 John R Road in Troy, Phone: (248) 689-8380. We want to continue including intentions for all sick children, so please forward any prayer requests.

Chase is really low on energy this week, after another rollercoaster ride with electrolyte imbalances. Something along the way caused his magnesium to be elevated and resulted in hyper-reflexia where he seemed to be having spasms all over his body. Fortunately, we were able to diagnose the condition and treat it fairly quickly. The good news was that this provided an indication of nerve function in his limbs and all over his body; however, after 24 hours of spasms, it has left him completely depleted. We’re praying that he regains his energy soon so that he can resume responding with movements in his legs, trunk, shoulders, etc.

Thanks to all Chase’s Prayer Warriors for helping us to keep the faith and continue to believe in this miracle. We’re remaining vigilant in our prayers while invoking the will of God and His infinite mercy. Please spread the word about the upcoming prayer service and our need for continued prayers.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Staying the Course

2007-02-22T19:48:00.000-08:00

Chase has continued to make progress over the past week in his rebound from the recent issues that set him back over the previous few weeks. We discovered that the antibiotic we had given him to treat the staff infection in his lungs was too low of a dose and once we repeated it this week with a higher dose (under the guidance of our licensed Naturopath) Chase’s breathing is much improved again. He’s doing most of the breathing over the ventilator and we’re going to resume the weaning again process soon, after we give him a chance to recover a bit more strength.

We also consulted with other practitioners of alternative therapies for treating brain injuries about the input we received from our Neurosurgeon and Neurologist. We’re finding that the practitioners of neurofeedback and other new approaches that are being developed to successfully treat these patients are adamant about the fact that conventional medicine is only scratching the surface when it comes to knowledge about the functions of the brain and there’s NO WAY they could tell us anything definitively based upon their conventional studies, including EEGs. For example, one of the developers of a new neurofeedback technology described a phenomenon of the brain suppressing the amplitude of EEG waves in order to protect itself from the risk of seizures – ironically, Chase had a major seizure last September during his hospitalization. According to this practitioner, this is a very common effect that he’s seen in patients and he’s been reporting this to Neurologists for the past few years, although they don’t seem to get it (or aren’t paying attention to the ramifications). He is thus very cautious about using this kind of data to make any decisions with long-term ramifications (i.e. there’s simply no way we’re going to give up based upon a conventional read of EEG).

We’re just being reminded once again about the fact that we have to remain convicted in our mission of supporting Chase in his recovery and expecting our miracle to continue unfolding. The fact that we’ve gotten over 18 months is already a testimony to that power of faith and prayer – we’re continuing to stay the course and we believe that all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors being rewarded for our patience and persistence. Chase is doing his part and we’re committed to doing our part with whatever it takes to support him on his journey. Based upon this, we’re not sure that it makes sense to do any more testing with conventional practitioners, since they only seem to want to use the results as ammunition to get us to give up the battle and it’s exhausting to continually fight the establishment – we know what we’re seeing (slow, steady improvements) and our faith tells us to keep going – we believe Chase is worth every bit of the effort we’re making and his victory will be an amazing testimony for many to follow. After all, as a 6 year old he has a long way to go (even if it's an uphill battle) and we have a strong feeling that he's going to make history (as he's conveyed through our intuitive).

Thanks for all the support and prayers! It’s inspiring us to continue on this journey. We’re all keeping the faith together and bearing witness to Our Lord’s infinite mercy.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Definitive Clarification is Coming Soon

2007-02-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

Over this past week, Chase seems to be getting back to the stability he had prior to the previous couple of weeks. During that time, he got over his bout with diarrhea, followed by a urinary tract infection and then a staff infection in his lungs. Fortunately, we managed to quickly diagnose and treat these symptoms so that he could get back on track. As usual, his body responded and overcame the obstacles once again. His blood test this week was the best in a couple of months, giving us a strong indication of his continued recovery.

We’re sure that the prayer service helped in boosting Chase again, as he started responding with movements and improved breathing on Sunday and has continued ever since. Thanks to all who joined us in person or in spirit. Chase’s therapists all got strong indications this week that he’s doing well once again.

We conducted an EEG at home last week, in order to try and gain some insight into the function of his cortex and higher brain. We know that Chase’s brainstem is showing signs of recovery (as evidenced by the breathing improvements); however, the cognitive functions remain in question. Unfortunately, when we got the results a couple of days ago we didn’t get much clarification (although it did show beta wave activity that was more than the previous study done in October). Nevertheless, the Neurologist isn’t certain if this was due to the electronic filtration that was used to sort out the artifact in the study.

We discussed these results again with the Burzynski Clinic and they weren’t too surprised with the relatively low brainwave activity. Dr. B felt that this was likely due to the constriction and pressure that the tumor has put on the brainstem, which doesn’t really provide any insight into what would happen once the dead tissue from the tumor is completely resorbed and the related pressure relieved.

We also consulted with the Neurosurgeon who put in Chase’s shunt and he’s still concerned that what transpired during the last hospital stay in October could’ve led to brain death (the MRI at that time indicated constricted bloodflow). Despite the clear indications of responsiveness that we saw after that point, he remains skeptical. The more we discussed this with him, the more clear it became that the best way to “cut to the Chase” would be to conduct another MRI. He feels that this would be able to provide definitive clarification relative to the condition of Chase’s cortex. IF he in fact experienced brain death several months ago, the MRI would show clear indications of the cortex breaking down (essentially dissolving into a liquid throughout the upper lobes). If not (which we believe is the case), then the MRI would show normal cortex tissue and would reinforce our approach of continuing to support Chase’s recovery.

We’re currently making plans to conduct another MRI as soon as practical and we’re really looking forward to getting this clarification. This should provide a lot of relief and comfort either way, enabling us to make the right decisions on which way to proceed with Chase’s ongoing care.

We’re now at the 18 month mark, which is certainly a lot farther than we were told to expect; however, we’re not stopping here. This is coming upon the most critical juncture to date and we need to remain strong in our faith. We truly appreciate all the prayers and support for Chase and our whole family. Chase’s Prayer Warriors have been invaluable to us all throughout this process.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Getting Back on Track

2007-01-26T15:02:00.000-08:00

Chase seems to be getting back on track over the past couple of days, after having a bit of difficulty getting over what seems to have been a bug of some type. This was the first set-back in terms of his stability in several months and it lasted about a week. Anyhow, we’re pleased to report that he’s breathing well once again, his blood work looks good and his vitals are all very strong. We’re hoping that he keeps this up and can get back to making progress on his way to independence from the ventilator.

We continue to be inspired by all the prayers and support we receive from Chase’s Prayer Warriors around the world, as we….”Bear our Share of Hardship for the Glory of God”. We are constantly reminded that faith is the realization of things hoped for – this is clearly a test of faith and patience which we are continuing to endure. Chase is an inspiration to us all as he, once again, continues to fight and bounce back from all adversity.

Our next prayer service will be on the first Sunday of February (the 4th) from 3-4 pm at the chapel of Holy Name at 630 Harmon St. in Birmingham, MI 48009. Please spread the word for our Prayer Warriors to join us in person or in spirit as we continue to lift Chase on his road to recovery. Thanks for all the love and support!

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Connecting with Carol

2007-01-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been using a very gifted “intuitive” to help us communicate with Chase. He seems to be very comfortable conveying telepathically his needs and desires as well as how he’s doing with the various treatments. We’re continuing to do everything we can to support Chase in his recovery while keeping him comfortable and “connected”, according to his suggestions. This includes having Barbara sit next to Chase while doing her homework after school and read to him every evening. We also spend about a half hour with him every night for family prayer.

During a recent session, Chase conveyed that he wanted mommy to learn how to “connect” with him with the help of our intuitive. Apparently, he wants her to be able to capture his thoughts in order to write a book that would help other families and children in dealing with these kind of situations. Ironically, for the longest time Carol had an intuition or calling to write a book, but didn’t think it would come so soon. Chase is very excited that she’s receptive to working with him and developing her ability to “connect” in this special way.

In general, things are continuing to go fairly well with Chase’s condition; however, over the last few days he had a terrible bout of diarrhea that has thrown his electrolytes for a loop. Fortunately, we’re on top of it with the experience that we previously gained and we know how to correct the issue. Hopefully, this will be worked out over the weekend and he’ll be back on track next week.

We truly appreciate all the prayers and support for Chase and our whole family.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

More Steady Progress

2007-01-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

Chase continues to be incredibly stable overall (vitals, bloodwork, etc) and he’s making slow, steady progress. Today, during one of his PT sessions, he was able to move both of his shoulders along with his trunk and he had considerably more movement and strength in his legs. He really seems to be “waking up”. We’re hoping that his progress will continue to accelerate with more immediate signs of his recovery.

Chase is also making more progress toward becoming independent of the ventilator. We met with a very experienced Respiratory Therapist recently who was very impressed with how far we’ve progressed in the weaning process, as Chase is triggering most of his own breaths now. We’re really on track to get him off the automated vent settings during the day – pretty soon, it’ll essentially be the equivalent of only CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). We intend to continue using the vent at night, since he seems to need this support and it also ensures that we all get a better night sleep with the proper alarms in place.

We’re spending more time lately visualizing Chase’s complete recovery after our evening prayers and we believe this is helping. We end our sessions with complete gratitude and confidence that our prayers are being heard and granted by God, as we see Chase responding once again. We truly appreciate all the prayers and support – Chase’s Prayer Warriors are an integral part of his recovery. He couldn’t do it without you!

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Prayer Service Update

2007-01-04T18:32:00.000-08:00

Since we had a very busy holiday season, with lots of visits from Chase’s Prayer Warriors as well as Christmas Carolers, we decided to delay the next prayer service (normally planned for this Sunday) until the first Sunday in February (the 4th) at 3 pm. We will announce the location in the next couple of weeks.

We’re pleased to report that Chase is continuing to make steady progress. He seems to like the PT sessions that we’ve been doing, so we’re increasing the frequency to 2-3 times per day. He also seems to be really working hard to open his eyes – occasionally he can open them slightly (about 1/3) but his pupils aren’t responding yet. We’re sure that’ll be next in the progression of his recovery. Chase is continuing to trigger most of his own breaths (with some pressure support from the ventilator). We’re developing a more structured protocol to get him completely independent as soon as possible, which he seems to be ready to achieve.

We truly appreciate all the continued prayers and support. There’s no doubt that it’s making all the difference in Chase’s recovery. Please join us in projecting heartfelt gratitude to our Lord for the fact that Chase is still with us and making steady progress. We believe that an attitude of gratitude for the miracle that’s unfolding before our eyes is what we need to accelerate his recovery.

Thanks again and God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Happy New Year!

2006-12-29T13:44:00.000-08:00

Although we have yet to receive the miracle of Chase’s complete healing, this has been a wonderful holiday season nonetheless. We continue to see consistent reminders that Chase’s health is on a slow, steady upswing with consistent stability. This week he’s shown a measurable increase in the strength of his legs (mainly resistance tension during his daily PT exercises) and even more upper body movements, including his neck and left shoulder. His breathing continues to improve and we’re beginning to learn more about utilizing a structured approach to completely weaning him off the vent. This is going to be one of our highest goals for the next few weeks.

The outpouring of support that we’ve received during the holidays is overwhelming. All of your prayers, wishes, cards, presents, etc. have lifted our spirits during a very emotionally difficult time. There were four different groups that visited to sing Christmas carols to Chase and filled our house with holiday cheer. He was even personally visited by Santa (since he couldn’t get to the mall) and received all the toys he could possibly play with once he fully recovers. Now it seems like we all need some R&R to gear up for the challenges in the New Year.

We truly feel that during this holiday season, we’ve received the birth of Jesus into our hearts more than ever and we’re being moved to surrender Chase to His infinite mercy. We continue to receive daily reminders of the power of faith and prayer though reading scripture, books, movies, or just word of mouth from our Prayer Warriors, including “…and he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matt 14.14). “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not yet seen” (Heb 11.1)

With all of your support, we’re continuing to keep the faith and believe that Chase will be completely healed in 2007! What a miraculous year this will be – we look forward to the celebrations and expressing our gratitude for all the prayers that are bringing Chase back by popular demand…. We hope you all have a wonderful, prosperous, healthy and safe New Year!

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Merry Christmas from Carol

2006-12-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Prayer Warriors and Good Tidings to all. We have decided to send our holiday wishes via the blog instead of Christmas cards this year since so many of our loved ones access it and this will save on the little time we have to spare. As you know, John and I are still very focused on taking care of Chase as he is still in a very precarious condition, but through the grace of God he has made many important improvements in the past few months. He is much more stable, using very little oxygen and seemingly prepared to be completely weaned off the ventilator. This is a hug Alleluia and we take this as a sign of God’s ultimate plan for Chase.

Obviously this past year did not go as we had expected but as you know, it could’ve been worse. Our hearts have been broken through this journey but luckily the Grace of God can turn anything anew. We still anticipate jubilation and the Glory of God to demonstrate the power of prayer and faith. We know that Chase’s buddy Jesus is comforting him and celebrating with him the Promise of everlasting life that His redemption provides.

We expect Chase to be quite different when he awakens from his sleep, due to the spiritual education he’s gotten through this challenge. We will wait for him with open arms and hearts as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the treasure of friendship and the power of prayer. We have all been witnesses to how one little boy can capture the hearts of so many through his courage and suffering. We couldn’t be more proud of our little trooper.

We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us as we walk down this path. It has truly been humbling and comforting because of all you’ve done for us. We will always remember how important this support has been – it has changed our lives and motivated us to do the same for others in difficult situations. This is the true meaning of Christmas.

We also hope that you all have a glorious New Year! We’re confident that 2007 will be a year of many celebrations and rewards for all of our perseverance and faith.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Happy Birthday Barbara Ann!

2006-12-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

We had a very busy weekend, starting with Barbara’s 8th B-day party on December 7th. Carol did an awesome job organizing a belly dancing party at our house for all of her classmates. They had a great time getting a private lesson from a professional belly dancer and they all loved their coin belts. With all of the focus on Chase, we’ve been delinquent in providing an update on Barbara. Fortunately, she’s been doing great through all of this – according to her teacher, she’s very well-adjusted and generally quite happy at school. She’s also been staying very busy with activities – gymnastics, swimming, brownies, etc. which she really enjoys and this has kept her spirits up along our journey.

We also had another visit today by a large group of Prayer Warriors from Chase’s school, Cranbrook which filled our house with holiday cheer. They sang lots Christmas carols and then prayed over him. We have no doubt that this went a long way to lift his spirits and boost his recovery. After they left, we decided to try to take Chase completely off the ventilator and see how he would do – to our pleasant surprise, he lasted over 20 minutes with no problem at all. All of his vitals (oxygen saturation, heart rate, etc.) were great the whole time. Although he probably could’ve continued longer, we decided to stop at that point because it was getting late in the evening and we didn’t want to stress him out. Nevertheless, this was another excellent indication that Chase continues to steadily improve every day. We’re going to start measuring and charting how long he can tolerate being completely off the vent so that he can get the exercise and build up his strength.

Thanks again to all for the prayers and support – especially Kay, Kathleen, Lucy, Patty and anyone else who helped in organizing the sing along today, as well as all those who attended. It moved us all beyond what words can describe. We are truly grateful for all the love that we are being surrounded by throughout this experience.

God Bless!!

John Carol Sammut
Chase Barbara

Thanks for Another Wonderful Prayer Service

2006-12-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to all who joined us for the prayer service this past Sunday in person or in spirit – we have no doubts about the power of this collective prayer effort. Chase reminds us every day – starting with the fact that he’s still with us and we’re now going on 16 months. He’s slowly building momentum with his breathing improvements, as we can measure the amount of pressure support that he needs and the amount of time that he can tolerate lower settings. The overall trend in undeniable and very encouraging.

We’re continuing to pray that Chase will soon be able to open his eyes and respond directly to us – that would just be the most amazing Christmas present we could ever ask for. Please join us in this intention and in gratefully thanking God for hearing and responding to all of our prayers. We believe in making our prayer as specific as possible and this is the next step that we’re focused on for Chase’s recovery. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt to extend this even further and imagine the upcoming headlines of Chase’s blog updates (Chase responds and reawakens, Chase regains movement of his arms, Chase takes his first steps after recovery, etc.).

We hope all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors are preparing for a wonderful holiday season. This time of year is particularly difficult here, as we reflect on the past year – we were just looking through pictures of Chase during his last soccer season, swimming, etc. We long to see those days again – with the help of your prayers, we truly believe it’s just a matter of time, once again. Thanks for all your help and support!

God Bless!!

John Carol Sammut
Chase Barbara

Pray for our Enemies!

2006-12-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

We finally got the rest of the file from Henry Ford Hospice and reviewed all the notes. It appears that Dr. Lewandowski was even more vindictive in the submission of the complaint to Child Protective Services (CPS) than we could’ve imagined. After we dismissed her services (due to a serious disagreement on our approach to supporting Chase – i.e. to help him recover, as opposed to expire), she immediately started the process of filing the complaint, as we suspected. However, the CPS organization saw right through the situation and dismissed the charges without pursuing the case further, stating

“Additional contacts were made which determined that the child has not been harmed”.

Apparently, this response wasn’t acceptable to Dr. Lewandowski so she proceeded to stir the pot even further. As documented in detail throughout the file, she organized more meetings and discussions with other conventional practitioners familiar with Chase’s case in order to gain their support for another complaint. She then convinced CPS to review the case once again with the additional information, which is where all the misrepresentations and distortions came in (such as sea salt injections, non-FDA approved treatments, wheatgrass, etc.). Since CPS dismissed the first complaint, she apparently felt that this one needed to include more “concerns” (even though these issues were never discussed with us or even documented in her file).

Thus, CPS decided to review the case again and this time they were persuaded that the situation was so grave that it couldn’t wait for further investigation or contact with the family (heaven knows what they thought we’d do if they contacted us to discuss the complaint). There are many more outrageous details to list, some of which are covered in our summary file which can be viewed at:

http://owa1.epictech.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chasesammut/files/Chase%2520Sammut%2520CPS%2520Summary.doc

The bottom line is that this Hospice “practice” is very misguided and although everything worked out well for Chase, we’re concerned that this is typically not the case. Ironically, our story prompted others to approach us about similar bad experiences with Dr. Lewandowski and the same Hospice organization, which didn’t have as positive an outcome as our case. So far, the management of Henry Ford Health System hasn’t taken any corrective action. The CEO of HFHS is John Polanski (jpolans1@hfhs.org). Please forward any comments that were previously submitted directly to his attention so that he can appreciate the gravity of our concerns.

We would also like to keep Dr. Lewandowski in our prayers, since she is clearly misplaced. This is not the kind of help that families in our situation need! Hopefully, more good will continue to come from Chase overcoming these challenges. He continues to improve slowly every day, with very stable vitals, excellent bloodwork (including high Hemoglobin), etc. This is our best retribution for all those who opposed our continued support of his recovery and tried to convince us otherwise.

Please pass along a reminder for the monthly Prayer Service which is going to be held on Sunday, Dec 3rd at 3 pm in the social hall of St. Anastasia church, 4571 John R. Road in Troy. This is for all our sick children for our families and world peace. For more information or special prayer requests please contact Meg Koss 248-828-4419.

We truly appreciate all the prayers and support for Chase and our whole family.

God Bless!!

John Carol Sammut
Chase Barbara

Chase had a Great Thanksgiving Weekend!

2006-11-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

We had Thanksgiving at our place, since it’s really difficult to transport Chase anywhere. We ended up with a house full of guests (about 20 of us altogether), many of whom stayed with us for a couple of days. This meant that Chase had a lot of his cousins around, which he really seemed to enjoy. They talked to him, watched movies with him, and we all prayed over him which we know lifted his spirits.

We had the best weather in Detroit on Thanksgiving that we can ever remember. It was really warm and sunny, so we took advantage of the opportunity to take the nephews and nieces to the big parade and other downtown attractions. Unfortunately, Chase couldn’t join us for this, but we had another big milestone with him. We actually took Chase out in his new wheelchair around the neighborhood and to see the new park that is under construction across the street. We told him that as soon as he’s better, the park should be ready for us to fly kites and have play dates. We know he really enjoyed himself the entire weekend.

Chase’s breathing continues to improve each day - he’s triggering his own breathing full-time and we’re making great progress at reducing the amount of pressure support that he needs. He seems to be gaining more strength in his lungs every day, which we can clearly measure. Chase is also moving his upper body more and more – sometimes on command. He’s working on trying to open his eyes – we know he can “see” us energetically, but it would be great for him to respond with his eyes. We’re praying that this is the next step in our miracle.

The next prayer service will be held on Sunday, Dec 3rd at 3 pm in the social hall of St. Anastasia church,
4571 John R. Road in Troy. This is for all our sick children for our families and world peace. For more information or special prayer requests please contact Meg Koss 248-828-4419.

We truly appreciate all the prayers and support for Chase and our whole family.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

Despite Chase’s current status, we feel there’s a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. First and foremost, he’s still with us. That’s a lot more than we were told to expect over 15 months ago. In addition, he’s been extremely stable lately, which is a real relief on the nerves lately. Chase is also showing many more signs of gradual improvement – we’ll take any pace of change at this point, as long as it’s moving in the right direction. Lately he’s been moving more with his trunk, head and limbs – sometimes on command and other times it seems like he’s just stretching and getting ready to wake up. He’s also been coughing a bit and even gagged yesterday (which is a reflex that he completely lost until recently). We’ve also continually been able to find ways of connecting and communicating with Chase (however crude) which always keeps all of our spirits up and I’m sure pleases him as well.

The outcome of our recent debacle with Protective Services was positive (complete vindication) and we’re continuing our pursuit of exposing the situation to bring attention to the need for change. Your support in this regard is extremely helpful – we’ve heard back from Child Protective Services as well as Henry Ford Hospital. However, we feel they’re still ducking the real issue – that the complaint was NOT in the best interest of our children (motivated by personal agendas) and that it was full of misrepresentations and distortions. We’re continuing to seek answers / further investigation and we’ll keep you posted. Keep up the expressions of support – they’re getting noticed (we also know that Chase’s blog is being monitored daily by people other than Prayer Warriors – so be it).

We hope all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Above all, we’re thankful for your faithful support of our family throughout this challenge.

God Bless!

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase and Child Protective Services

2006-11-20T13:20:00.000-08:00

On October 4, 2006 Chase was removed from his home with no prior notice by a police escort.

Chase's police-escorted ride to the hospital in an amblance was in response to a complaint made to Child Protective Services (CPS) by Dr. Jeanne G. Lewandowski of Henry Ford Kaleidoscope Kids Hospice Services.

The three videos below were broadcast on WDIV, an NBC news affiliate in Detroit. Click the Play button on the images to watch the videos.

Fight Over Chase
October 5, 2006

The Battle for Chase
November 15, 2006

A Family's Ordeal
November 16, 2006

The antineoplaston therapy mentioned in the complaint filed by Henry Ford Hospice Services currently has 14 FDA-approved clinical trials in progress.

John and Carol Sammut are asking for your support in requesting an investigation into this incident, to prevent similar unjustified action from being taken in the future against other families in crisis.

John's states in his blog entry dated November 21,

The complaint that was filed by Dr. Jeanne Lewandowski from Hospice of Henry Ford’s Kaleidoscope program was so full of misrepresentations and distortions (to put it mildly) that it appears to be intentionally fraudulent. Once again, we are willing to give Protective Services and Henry Ford Hospital the benefit of the doubt, assuming they provide a reasonable response and correct the injustice that occurred in their system. Anything short of that and we’ll be forced to pursue recourse, just to ensure that this outrageous misuse of the system doesn’t continue.

Your indication of support and request for an investigation to both organizations will help to expose the issue(s) and hopefully elicit cooperation.

Contact information for the parties involved:

Dr. Jeanne G. Lewandowski, MD
Henry Ford Kaleidoscope Kids
(313) 874-6400
Sue Wise
Michigan Child Protective Services
(248) 975-5645
wises2@michigan.gov

Link to View Chase’s News Story

2006-11-20T04:52:00.000-08:00

The news stories that aired last week about Chase and our recent battle with Protective Services were pretty favorable. Click here to view the most recent stories from last week.

We still haven’t received a valid explanation or the results of the investigation that the agency indicated would be conducted, so we intend to remain vigilant in our effort to prevent this kind of injustice from occurring again to other families in our situation.

We specifically indicated to the State of Michigan Department of Human Services that we weren’t intending to be litigious in our request for a follow-up investigation, just seeking answers to expose the medical practitioner who filed the complaint. However, after reading the transcript from the emergency trial that led to a court order being issued for the removal of our children, we are reconsidering.

The complaint that was filed by Dr. Jeanne Lewandowski from Hospice of Henry Ford’s Kaleidoscope program was so full of misrepresentations and distortions (to put it mildly) that it appears to be intentionally fraudulent. Once again, we are willing to give Protective Services and Henry Ford Hospital the benefit of the doubt, assuming they provide a reasonable response and correct the injustice that occurred in their system. Anything short of that and we’ll be forced to pursue recourse, just to ensure that this outrageous misuse of the system doesn’t continue.

Your indication of support and request for an investigation to both organizations will help to expose the issue(s) and hopefully elicit cooperation.

Contact information for Jeanne Lewandowski of Henry Ford Hospice and Sue Wise of Child Protective Services can be found here.

Our next step is to elevate the issue within both organizations, Henry Ford Hospital and the State of Michigan Department of Human Services, with our expectations for the results of the investigation.

Please forward this link to all of the Prayer Warriors as additional background on Chase’s case. Please also request that any Prayer Warriors who don’t currently receive the updates directly via e-mail, sign up on the mailing list by clicking on this option from right margin on Chase’s blog. It’s pretty easy to do and this will ensure that they receive the updates going forward.

We truly appreciate all the help and support, particularly with this recent infuriating challenge. All of your prayers are making a huge difference in Chase’s recovery. His breathing is continuing to improve every day – he’s virtually off the ventilator breathing 24/7 now and we’re continuing to slowly reduce the amount of pressure support that he needs. At this rate, it shouldn’t be long before he can be completely independent from the vent – hopefully by the holidays. This will be a great milestone in his continued recovery. Of course, the best vindication for the challenges we’ve overcome is Chase’s improvements – we’re keeping the faith with all your support and expecting our miracle to continue unfolding before our eyes.

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

The Schedule for Chase’s Story on the News has been Changed

2006-11-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

I just got an update from Channel 4 News to confirm that Chase’s story is going to run, but has been moved to Wed (11/15) during the 11 pm News. They are also planning to air an additional follow-up story (based upon their investigation) on the following day (Thurs 11/16) at 6 pm.

For those in the Detroit area, please spread the word to other Prayer Warriors and supporters. Expressing your feedback after this story airs is important to ensure that Protective Services understands our concerns and reviews / corrects their practices.

We’ll do what we can to obtain and circulate a link from the station’s archive (if it’s available) after the story is aired. Thanks again for all your support.

God Bless!

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase’s Story will be on the Local News Again

2006-11-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

The follow-up interview and investigation from our encounter with Social Services is going to be broadcasted on the local Channel 4 news at 11 pm on Monday night (Nov 13th). Apparently, after the first coverage, they got a lot of inquiries (mostly outraged citizens), so they conducted an investigation and another interview with us. We’re looking forward to the additional coverage, since they did a great job last time which resulted in even more support and Prayer Warriors for Chase.

After it’s aired, we’ll try to get a link from their archive and forward it for those who aren’t local; however, the last time their link was only active for a day or so. We invite all those who feel as strongly as we did about the misuse of taxpayer funds and Circuit Court resources to voice your concerns. While we’re not seeking retribution in any way (there is no counter suit on our behalf), and we’re not trying to be vindictive, we just want to prevent this kind of injustice from happening to other parents who pursue alternative therapies, particularly in cases where conventional medicine doesn’t have a cure. We realize that there are appropriate situations for Social Services to be brought in; however, they should be required to conduct a reasonable amount of investigation and diligence before being given a court order to take custody of children (especially when a child’s condition is fragile).

On a bright note, Chase is continuing to do great – Praise the Lord. He’s now had 5 days straight of breathing on his own (with pressure support from the vent). His vitals remain extremely stable and we’re slowly backing off the amount of pressure support required. As he continues to improve and gain strength, he’ll eventually be completely off the vent – God willing. We also had a good initial session using a brain-computer-interface to map his brainwaves and we’re encouraged that it could help with stimulating improvements in his motor skills as well as responsiveness. Any ability to communicate consistently would make a huge difference in lifting our spirits, as well as Chase’s. The best news was that the Neurofeedback practitioner was able to detect fairly normal brainwave activity on a portion of Chase’s head – another confirmation that the assessment done at the hospital was invalid (as we strongly suspected), or at least incorrectly interpreted.

Thanks again to all the Prayer Warriors for remaining vigilant with us in this battle. We’re keeping the faith and believing that our miracle is continuing to unfold in Divine Order.

God Bless!

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase’s Breathing Improvement is Incredible

2006-11-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

First of all, we’d like to thank everyone who joined us at the prayer service (in person or in spirit). It was really uplifting for our whole family, especially Chase. We truly appreciate all the support and prayers - we have no doubt that it’s making a huge difference in Chase’s recovery, as evidenced by his most recent improvements.

Over the past few days, Chase has continued to increase the amount of time that he’s been able to trigger his own breathing using the pressure support on our ventilator. We just hit a huge new milestone – Chase has gone 24 hours with this mode (with a few short breaks for breathing treatments to ensure his lungs remain clear). We’re ecstatic to say the least, although we were a bit tenuous on whether or not to let him keep going through the night. After talking it over with our Respiratory Therapist, he encouraged this as the next step in our progress, as long as we have fail safe measures in place (monitoring, automatic default of the vent, etc.). So we went ahead and did it last night and Chase pulled through with flying colors (no alarms triggered at all) – Alleluia, Praise the Lord!

The next step toward independence from the vent will be gradually reducing the amount of pressure support that Chase needs to maintain his oxygen saturation levels. We’ll be slowly reducing this during the day and increasing again at night to ensure that he sleeps deeply without any distress from the breathing.

We’ll be seeing the Neurosurgeon again tonight – I’m sure he’ll be interested to hear about this latest development to further support our conviction that Chase is certainly improving, despite their pessimistic outlook. The evidence is becoming overwhelming to the point that they will not be able to refute it any longer. We’re also researching the possible use of brain-computer-interface tools that will enable us to potentially communicate with Chase, or interpret his brain waves (so much for their contention that he was “brain dead”). This is very excited technology that could come in handy while we’re working through the next phase of his recovery.

Thanks again to all the Prayer Warriors for remaining vigilant with us in this battle. Chase is continuing to make us proud with his incredible determination to fight through these challenges.

God Bless!

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Stable enough for us to Move Him Around

2006-11-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

Over the past week, Chase’s vitals have been so stable that we’ve decided to start moving him around again. We started by transferring him to the family room, which enables him to get much more sunlight and to watch cartoons on the big TV. Chase used to love this and we’re hoping it helps to keep his spirits up. We’ve been doing this daily for a few hours and it’s going well.

Yesterday, we got the courage up to use his wheel chair for the first time. It’s actually a loaner from U of M, while we wait for the custom one that was ordered for Chase’s exact dimensions. The loaner worked out pretty good, once we figured out the various features and we were able to get Chase out on the deck for a couple of hours while we carved pumpkins. We had a great time and it was just therapeutic for all of us to be able to include Chase in a family function.

The Neurosurgeon came by again last night to drain the excess fluid from the shunt and he seems to be coming around in terms of acknowledging the fact that Chase is responding well. It’s hard to overlook his ability to trigger his own breathing throughout the day (he’s up to 8-10 hrs almost every day) and the fact that he continues to respond to our questions with leg movements. Chase’s spirits seem to be up as we find more ways to get him around and interact more with him. We’re anxiously awaiting every slight improvement to confirm that he has in fact turned the corner and on his way to complete recovery.

We’re looking forward to the upcoming monthly prayer service on November 5th, at 3 pm at the chapel of Holy Name Parish located at 630 Harmon St. in Birmingham, MI 48009. Please help us to spread the word so we can continue the momentum with Chase’s recovery. All your prayers are making a huge difference and we have no doubt they’re the main reason that Chase is still with us and winning his battle with this terrible disease. Thanks again!

God Bless!

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase has Continued to Make Progress with Breathing

2006-10-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days, Chase has continued to be able to breathe independent of his ventilator for several hours, including six hours today (Halleluiah!). Although the vent provides some pressure support to ensure that his lungs and airways remain open, he is triggering the breathing on his own and it seems to be getting better by the day. We’re very encouraged by his progress and hoping to slowly reduce the amount of pressure support so that he can soon be completely off the vent for periods of time.

Chase has also continued to be responsive lately, trying to communicate with leg movements from time to time. Some days he has more energy than others - today he picked out his movie by pulling his leg at the right time as Carol read the list of options. While we continue to get skepticism from the Neurosurgeon (who seems to think these are just reflex responses), we’re pretty certain this is cognitive, unless the movements just happen to be coincidentally timed repeatedly over several days. I guess Chase will just have to prove it himself someday, when he’s even more responsive and moving on command whenever he wants.

We are planning another prayers service on the first Sunday of the month, November 5th, at 3 pm. It will be held once again at the chapel of Holy Name Parish located at 630 Harmon St. in Birmingham, MI 48009. Please spread the word – we had about two-thirds of the chapel filled last time and we’d really like to keep the momentum going. We have no doubt that Chase’s Prayer Warriors are making a huge difference in his recovery and we are truly grateful for all your prayers and support!!

God Bless!

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase Rejected his Doctor and Defied Medical Logic

2006-10-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Chase’s Neurosurgeon came over to assess his shunt site and drain the excess fluid. We were anxious to show the doctor how much more responsiveness Chase has had lately but he didn’t seem to want to cooperate. Over the course of about an hour, Chase wouldn’t budge or indicate the slightest response. Even when we did the breathing test again, he barely took one shallow breath over a few minutes, which was really concerning.

Of course, the Neurosurgeon took the opportunity to remind us that he was pretty certain that Chase could not be responsive since he is essentially brain dead. Although this wasn’t surprising, it was nonetheless very frustrating because we know otherwise, particularly given Chase’s recent improvements.

After the doctor left, I went back to see Chase and told him I was worried about him. When I asked if he was OK, Chase pulled up his leg (as he has in the recent past to communicate). I was extremely relieved (although frustrated with his lack of cooperation – I can’t blame him for not liking the docs who are trying to convince us to “give it up”). Then, I noticed that Chase was breathing over his ventilator so I changed the settings to allow him to breathe on his own, with pressure support to ensure that his lungs remained full. He managed to tolerate this for about an hour – the longest in quite a while. The following day, Chase triggered his own breathing for about 8 hours – simply unbelievable, given what happened during the doctor’s visit the prior day.

I called the doctor back and explained that it seems Chase just doesn’t want to cooperate with him and if he wants to observe for himself how well Chase is doing, we’ll need to use a webcam. We set this up over the weekend and it’s working; we’re also video taping Chase’s movements and breathing, which is continuing to go well. However, the shunt site is accumulating fluid again and will probably need to be drained soon – this might actually be a good sign in that we will be able to provide additional pressure relief. We’re having the fluid tested to get more definitive information on what exactly it is and where it’s coming from (although we believe it’s debris from the dead tissue, along with spinal fluid). We also know that the removal of the dead tissue is our gating factor to get the tumor to shrink and relieve the pressure on the brainstem – this drainage might represent progress with this key issue.

During our collective prayer session tonight at 9 pm EST, we’ll be thanking God for the continued progress that we’re seeing, particularly with Chase’s breathing. We’re praying that this will soon enable Chase to breathe completely on his own once again. Thanks to all the Prayer Warriors for joining us in this intention and supporting Chase’s recovery.

God Bless!

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Continuing to Improve - Praise God!

2006-10-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days, Chase has had continued movements in both of his legs on command – he uses them to answer questions regularly (although sometimes it can be confusing and frustrating, at least it’s interaction again which we didn’t have until recently). Carol is finding creative ways to play games with him again – you can imagine what it’s like trying to play Uno with the little Trooper, but at least he seems to be enjoying it and hopefully it’s lightening his day.

Chase’s breathing has also improved significantly – we’ve been slowly reducing the amount of oxygen supplied by his concentrator through the ventilator. A couple of weeks ago, he had situations that required more than 30 liters to sustain his saturation level and now he’s below 3 regularly. Sometimes he maintains his saturation level so well that we completely shut off the concentrator and let him breathe room air. This is starting to become a pretty regular daily occurrence. We’re also starting to back off on the use of the ventilator for short periods of time – just providing pressure assist so that he can breathe on his own with a bit of a boost of pressure when he takes a breath. He’s been slowly working up the amount of time he can sustain this from 15 minutes a few days ago to about 45 minutes today.

These are all extremely encouraging signs that Chase is recovering. The Neurosurgeon is planning on stopping by in the next couple of days to check on Chase and see these miraculous improvements himself. We’re also hoping to get him to drain the fluid that is starting to accumulate around the shunt area. Hopefully, that will help to remove more pressure and enable Chase’s nerves to continue “waking up”.

We are more grateful every day for these encouraging improvements – Praise God! Thanks to all the Prayers Warriors for remaining vigilant in supporting Chase’s recovery. We believe we are being rewarded for our faith and patience.

Lots of love and gratitude - God Bless!

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Keep Believing in Miracles - They Happen Every Day!

2006-10-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Since returning from the hospital, over the past couple of days Chase has been more responsive and able to move his limbs and trunk. After we got such strong feedback from his doctors, including a Neurologist and Intensivist indicating their belief that Chase would never be responsive again (essentially “brain dead”), I was anxious to give them the great news.

According to the Neurologist, the movement of his trunk is considering “posturing” and an indication of brainstem function. Along with the movement of his legs, this is confirmation that he’s not “brain dead”, although he didn’t’ believe this was an indication of “higher function” from the cortex. Since his review of the MRI, which showed constricted blood flow to the cortex, he was convinced that the cortex was not functioning and irreparably damaged. He stated that any response of the cortex would be miraculous at this point.

I asked what kind of response we would need to see from Chase to confirm that his cortex was working and that he had cognitive ability. The Neurologist stated that this would require affirmative responses (not just limb movement, but on command repeatedly to specific requests). So yesterday we asked Chase to move his leg if he liked the movie we just played for him and he responded by pulling up his right leg (this is the one that had weakness first, several months ago). We then asked him several other questions and he used his right leg to respond. We reported all of this back to the Neurologist who was just amazed and astonished (this is truly a miracle in his medical opinion).

I reminded him of my comment from the previous day that despite whatever their tests showed, we were certain that Chase was still “with us” and that we believe he’s being healed by the grace of God. We pointed out that fortunately there’s no order of magnitude in miracles – anything is possible through faith and prayer. He understood our position and agreed to support us, although he certainly didn’t expect to see this kind of responsiveness so soon (if ever again).

Today, Chase continued to respond to questions – this time with his left leg. He seems to be regaining some strength slowly on both sides. The most important thing is that he’s demonstrated cortex functionality which means that once pressure is relieved on the brainstem from the tumor, he should regain the rest of his motor skills.

The other good news is that the tumor hasn’t increased in size at all over the past couple of months with more indications of the accumulation of dead tissue – this process is taking much longer than we’d like, but we’re committed to staying the course and supporting Chase’s recovery.

We believe that Chase deserves every opportunity for his body to overcome this illness. Thanks to all the Prayer Warriors for your support and continuing to believe in this miracle – it is unfolding before our eyes and the medical community will be gaining a deeper understanding and respect for the support Life when a patient is in this condition.

Lots of love and gratitude - God Bless!

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Going Home!

2006-10-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Chase is finally going to be returning home, after a week at the hospital since the “run-in” with Protective Services. All in all, everything seems to have worked out, but this was more grief than we needed at this point. We’re just happy to be getting him back home in a “safe” environment that he’s comfortable with.

It turned out that the concerns about his lungs were somewhat unfounded – the hazy x-rays were because Chase needed more pressure and volume to hold open his bronchials. Since the vent settings were changed, he’s been doing much better and the x-rays confirm this. His bloodwork has also remained pretty stable, with hemoglobin in the safe range and improvements across the board.

The biggest concern we had about going through another hospital admission was related to how long it would take to get discharged and whether we would get resistance with taking him home. Since Chase has been fairly unresponsive lately (although he’s been moving limbs and even moved his head for me the other day), they were compelled to conduct a “brain death” protocol test which we suspected they would do. Fortunately, we got through this latest hurdle again, since Chase demonstrated that he was able to take a breath without the vent (although it was only a very short test). This was enough to confirm that he has brain function and enable us to get back home – hopefully for long enough for Chase to demonstrate solid evidence of recovery so that any other encounters with conventional medical practitioners will be without resistance for the treatment protocol that he’s receiving.

As regularly scheduled, we’ll be praying collectively today at noon EST, with the intention that Chase’s transfer goes smoothly so that he can get settled back in at home and get some deep rest again. We truly appreciate all the prayers and support for Chase and our whole family.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Chase is Still in the Hospital but Getting Ready to Return Home

2006-10-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the previous update about the Protective Services debacle, “all’s well that ends well”... we’re almost there in terms of a happy ending to this latest episode, but not yet. It turns out that there have been many blessings as a result thus far. First of all, Chase got the transfusion that he needed and it’s making a big difference – his hemoglobin is back up to around 10 +/- and it seems to be stabilizing. He’s also getting a lot of close attention to the electrolyte imbalance issue that has continued on and off for the past couple of weeks – they still don’t have a good answer for this yet, but we’re continuing to investigate by process of elimination. Chase has also had several lung x-rays with varying indications of issues – once again, they still don’t have a good explanation, but his oxygen saturations have improved after changing some settings on his ventilator and administering an IV antibiotic (in case this is infection related, which they haven’t been able to confirm).

We were close to being able to take Chase home a couple of times over the weekend, but decided to continue allowing the monitoring so that they could reach a more clear assessment of these issues and hopefully prevent any recurrence. Another benefit of the dropped charges by Protective Services is that it has brought to light for many other people a situation that could wrongfully occur – with the recent publicity of our situation, hopefully an investigation will take place that will cause the agency to use more prudence going forward to avoid putting others through this unnecessarily. In addition, we’ve gotten even more Prayer Warriors for Chase as a result of the word getting out – we received many messages from people who were outraged and are praying for our family, especially Chase. Apparently, the news clip got a lot of feedback and they want to continue to follow our story going forward.

So although we were tempted to pursue some other recourse, we’re choosing to “forgive and forget” and remain focused on our primary objective of getting Chase healed. With the help of our thousands of Prayer Warriors, we’re keeping the faith and believing that we will be rewarded for remaining vigilant in this crusade for Chase. Thanks for all the support!

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

We Overcame Ludicrous Charges by Protective Services

2006-10-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was shocked to come to our front door to find a group of police officers along with two representatives from Protective Services claiming that they had a court order to remove our children due to allegations that we were conducted medical procedures that were endangering Chase. You can imagine my incredulous response – what?!, who?!, why?! The trumped up charges were so ludicrous that it was hard to believe they were serious – that we conducted unauthorized blood draws and gave him sea salt (when his sodium was dangerously low)?!

When I explained that everything that we’ve done has been under the supervision and guidance of licensed medical practitioners and provided documentation to substantiate this, their response was that “it doesn’t matter, we have a signed court order and we have to remove your children”... thank God I didn’t have weapons in the house, or I might be in big trouble right now. Instead, I had to swallow hard, showed them Chase’s accommodations, including his ventilator and explained that if this was to happen, we would need to use my back-up system (which they knew nothing about) and that he wasn’t in a condition to be safely transported anywhere. Eventually, they realized this and let me direct the transfer to Beaumont hospital, who I contacted and got them ready with pre-admission paperwork so that he could go right up to the Pediatric ICU unit that is familiar with his case. This actually went reasonably well, despite the fact that it certainly wasn’t necessary to have six officer escorts, a fire truck, ambulance, security guards, etc (including a security guard in our hospital room all night). I told them that if there was a legitimate concern, a simple phone call or meeting would have been sufficient to clear it all up – but that’s beside the point.

By Divine Intervention, Carol and Barbara were at a gymnastics class so they weren’t exposed to this madness, particularly since the warrant required the removal of Barbie as well. I just can’t imagine the needless trauma that would’ve caused her. We were able to get their approval to let her stay at her God Parents home (who are registered foster parents in the State of Michigan) while we worked to clear this ridiculous accusation up as soon as possible (another night with little sleep).

Well, as expected, when we provided our documentation to the court, the Prosecutors Office declined to even pursue any charges and requested immediate dismissal of the case, which the Circuit Judge agreed to do. In the meantime, we got more “excitement” than we needed with the situation that we’re going through. On the bright side (although it’s painful to overlook the gross negligence in their pursuing such a charge without doing the slightest reasonable diligence), Chase was able to get a transfusion, which he needed to pull up his hemoglobin and some help with balancing his electrolytes. Of course, we would have been happy to arrange all of this in an orderly fashion, if someone who had such a concern had the decency to discuss it with us.

It seems that the Henry Ford Hospice service, which we engaged for about a week and subsequently discharged from our case, started this ball rolling (probably feeling slighted by our dismissal). When they hinted a couple of weeks ago that they would be placing this call, we thought we had head off the issue by getting our Doctor’s orders reinstated and clearing the situation with them. Then when we went to follow-up with them about our arrangements for Chase’s ongoing care, they didn’t return our calls. Nevertheless, someone apparently went way out of their way to make things difficult for us and they are now protected under privacy privileges of the Protective Services agency. This is a real eye-opener and a nightmare that we wouldn’t wish upon anyone – fortunately, we got it resolved quickly and now it’s getting publicized – Channel 4 News will be featuring the story at 11 pm tonight. We’ll have to see what their “take-away” is, but in discussions with us they seemed just as flabbergasted as we were about this whole situation – just think about it, the medical establishment that was trying to convince us to “give it up and pull the plug” is now trying to protect Chase from being harmed by us since we’re administering medical care at our home?!?

Anyhow, as they say, “all’s well that ends well” and the final chapter of this crazy episode will hopefully be a safe discharge and return home tomorrow, or soon thereafter once Chase’s bloodwork stabilizes again. I’m just thanking God that he wasn’t harmed during this ridiculous sequence of events and we’re getting some help for a couple of days (although we can do without help under these kind of circumstances going forward). After digging some more into just what happened behind the scenes, we’ll need to find another way to get whatever assistance we need in a more practical way with trustworthy home service organizations – this is just another learning experience about our wonderful medical and administration system... Fortunately, Chase’s Prayer Warriors and Angels were there to protect him and our family once again. Thanks so much for all the prayers – they’re helping more than you’ll ever know...

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Chase is Slowly Coming Around

2006-10-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

We had another great prayer service for Chase this past weekend – it was extremely inspiring and uplifting for us, with about 70 people who joined us in holding Chase up in prayer to the Lord, as well as countless others who were there in spirit. We have no doubt that sessions like this are making a big difference for our whole family to get through this challenge. Although this process of supporting Chase’s recovery is requiring a huge commitment, it’s been worth every effort and we’re certain that it’ll pay off in the long run, regardless of the outcome. Another inspiring story that was recently forwarded to us can be seen on the following link http://cjcphoto.com/can/ - this helps to keep things in perspective….

Chase had a great weekend and has been fairly stable for a while now, other than a few isolated scary moments, which we’ve become pretty proficient at handling. He’s even started to move a bit lately – his right leg, trunk and head occasionally. He seems to be waking up a bit, which we’re sure will continue once he gets more energy as his hemoglobin rises again. We’re slowly making progress with a combination of nutritional supplements, epigen and IV albumin, all administered at home. We monitor Chase’s bloodwork ever other day and the recent results are very encouraging.

In the meantime, Chase is getting a lot of rest, which is what his body clearly needs to recharge the batteries and fight off this tumor. We’re doing our best to keep his spirits up by reading stories, playing music and movies, etc. Anyone is welcome to provide a compilation tape or CD that you think would be uplifting. Chase is probably getting tired of the ones we’ve been playing lately.

As regularly scheduled, we plan to pray collectively on Thursday at 12 noon EST for the miracle of Chase’s return to Divine Health. We’re also going to continue with the monthly prayer services on the first Sunday at 3 pm – the next one will be on November 5th. Thanks again for lifting Chase in prayer and helping us to keep the faith!

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Happy B-Day Carol

2006-09-25T14:36:00.000-07:00

Well, since it’s been over a year that Chase has been fighting this challenge, this is the second birthday that Carol is celebrating while pre-occupied with Chase’s condition. Needless to say, she’s been “through the ringer” a few times but fortunately, she’s keeping her spirits up, as well as Chase’s. Even now in his fairly unresponsive state, Carol is more effective than me at taking care of his needs. Every time we run into a tough situation with the ventilator and I’ve been struggling for an hour or so trying to get his saturation up, suctioning out whatever seems to be blocking his airway, etc. my last resort is to call in Carol to sit behind Chase and just hold him for a while. It works every time – his saturation goes right up, his heart rate stabilizes, etc. as if he’s communicating, “that’s just what I wanted mom”...

I’m not taking it personally this time – I’ll never have her connection with Chase, but I’m just glad to have her help in those situations and throughout this whole ordeal. Although Carol has had a few tough spots along this road, for the most part she’s been extremely uplifting for our whole family and the main reason we haven’t “cracked” yet. We’re still believing that Chase is effectively “turning the corner”, but he’s just getting the deep rest that he needs for his body to repair. Along the way, it seems that his favorite thing to do these days is just to cuddle and snuggle with Carol – I guess he’ll always be a momma’s boy...

Barbara and I picked out a special momento for Carol on behalf of Chase and celebrated her B-day on his bed while she opened the presents – we know he hears us and wants to remain “connected” with what’s going on. His latest struggle in terms of having the energy to get going again is a seriously low hemoglobin level (6.5 in today’s blood work). We believe a big contributor to this problem is a long-term side effect of the steroids that we just never got Chase completely off – it’s been a necessary evil for a long time, trying to reduce any possible swelling or other symptoms. He’s down to a low dose again and we’re finally going to make the switch back to a much milder version (Cortef) that we’re hoping will enable his adrenal glands to get repaired. In the meantime, we may have to do a transfusion at home to get a quick boost in his hemoglobin and energy level.

We had a good weekend reading books on Padre Pio and watching documentaries. We managed to find about a dozen movies and we watched most of them already. The more we learn about his life, the more amazed we are about having a saint like that who lived in our era. We have no doubt that he is praying with us and for us – the signs that he’s given us have inspired us along the way to keep on going during the most difficult moments along the way. Anyone interested in getting more info on Padre Pio, just let us know and we’ll forward some things. We’ll also have some of his info available at the prayer service this Sunday at 3 pm at the chapel of Holy Name at 630 Harmon St. in Birmingham, MI 48009.

As regularly scheduled, we also plan to pray collectively tonight at 9 pm EST for the miracle of Chase’s return to Divine Health. Thanks again for lifting Chase in prayer and helping us to keep the faith. Please say an extra prayer for Carol on her B-day to continue doing a great job with an extremely difficult challenge.

Thanks and God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Keeping the Faith and Believing in Miracles

2006-09-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Chase is continuing to hang in there, with relatively stable vitals over the past few days. We have had some scary moments here and there, particularly when his oxygen saturation drops and we have to figure out why (needing suctioning, mucus plug, some obstruction, etc.). Fortunately, we’ve had good training and support which is really paying off. Usually, we’re able to deal with the situation ourselves, sometimes with some guidance over the phone. We are so glad to not have to deal with the hospital during these situations – we’re all better off, particularly Chase.

Despite Chase’s difficult condition, we’re doing our best to keep the faith, expecting to ultimately be rewarded for witnessing to Jesus’ infinite mercy. We continue to get renewed strength from the support we receive from Chase’s Prayer Warriors, including the relative of St. Pio. Reading about the story of Padre Pio, who is saint from our era, is extremely inspiring. Some of his most profound counsels include:

• "Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer. Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God's heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips, but with your heart; in fact, on certain occasions, you should speak to Him only with your heart."

• "Do not tire yourself over things that cause anxiety, preoccupation and worry. Only one thing is necessary: to lift up your spirit and love God."

• "God provides for our transformation and growth; you give over your sufferings to the embrace of God and you will be given peace; you hand over your feelings of anguish and despair and you will find hope rising in your heart."

• "Walk cheerfully and with a sincere and open heart as much as you can, and when you cannot always maintain this holy joy, at least do not lose heart or your trust in God"

• "Be careful never to become discouraged when you are surrounded by difficulty or infirmity. If you are experiencing some weakness, God is not abandoning you, but offering you the opportunity to grow in humility and gratitude."

• And my personal favorite: "Be cheerful. Jesus will take care of everything. Let us pay no attention to people who do not know what they are talking about. Let us trust in Jesus and our heavenly Mother, and everything will work out well."

We hope you get as much of a lift from these words of advice from Padre Pio as we do. The feast day of his canonization as a saint is coming up – Sept. 23rd. We’ll be attending mass that day, which is being said for our petitions to heal Chase. As regularly scheduled, we will plan to pray collectively tomorrow (Thurs) at 12 noon EST for the miracle of Chase’s return to Divine Health.

We are also planning another prayer service on the first Sunday of the month – October 1st at 3:00 pm at the chapel of Holy Name at 630 Harmon St. in Birmingham, MI 48009; tel: (248) 646-2244. Please pass the word – anyone is welcome to join us (although this is a Catholic church, it will be a non-denominational service). Thanks again for lifting Chase in prayer and helping us to keep the faith.

God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Chase's Spirits were Lifted Today by Another Awesome Prayer Service after an Extremely Stessful Week

2006-09-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

This past week was another roller-coaster ride for Chase - unfortunately, not the fun kind. After the recent neurological changes, we've been told by the Burzynski Clinic that we need to stop treatments for a while until he has a higher score on a physical that is required by their FDA protocol. Since their treatment is high in sodium, stopping this threw Chase's electrolytes terribly out of balance (sort of a "rebound effect"). His sodium level got so low by Wed morning (118) that we were told by his Neurologist it would've put a healthy person in ER and most likely into a coma. We had to react quickly to pull it up and we found a product to do just that - Himalayan salt that is reportedly high in other minerals and good for his body.

Well, it certainly worked, but along this pulling his sodium back up (this time to the high end of the normal range), his Potassium also skyrocketed to 7.2 - this is way beyond the "safe zone" and typically would require emergency hospitalization. Once again, we jumped on it and adjusted his nutrition quickly with frequent monitoring (4 tests over the following 24 hours) until this got back in line as well. All of these swings clearly took a toll on Chase's body and by the end of the week, although his electrolytes were balanced again, his hemoglobin dropped significantly (7.8), most likely because of a combination of all the blood draws and giving him limited nutrition while we were working on the e-lytes.

Finally, we started getting concerned that Chase's digestive track and his bowels were really sluggish, with the obvious related concerns that this could be an indication of his bodily systems shutting down. Fortunately, Chase did have a bowel movement last night which alleviated a lot of our concerns (at least for now), but he's definitely very depleted at the moment. We're adjusting all of his meals and supplements with the help of our nutritionist to create a "low residue diet" so that it will be a lot easier on his digestive track for the near term and hopefully he'll be back on track soon.

With all of this going on over the past few days, we've been extremely depleted ourselves with concerns about the underlying implications regarding Chase's status and outlook. However, he never ceases to amaze us - he's just such a fighter and every time we hit a speedbump, he seems to get over it and then stabilize again. At the moment, his vitals are all stable and he seems to be hanging in there once again. We're certain it has a lot to do with the awesome prayer service that was held this afternoon. I'm terribly sorry for not getting the word out on the blog in advance - this was a pretty spontaneous event that was completely planned and organized by Kay Ponicall, Kathleen Lesnau and several of their friends. I only heard about the idea yesterday and expected perhaps a few people to come by for prayers but it turned out to be the most beautiful service we could've imagined. Around 150 people showed up and completely surrounded our house united in prayer and song for a couple of hours to lift Chase up to God in an effort to invoke His miraculous healing power. We were so incredibly moved by this overwhelming support that it's hard to express our gratitude in words.

Chase has obviously touched the lives of many people and he is accepting his mission of calling us all to strengthen and deeping our faith. He's our little angel - regardless of the final outcome, I feel he has saved my life by renewing my faith and spiritual calling, as well as countless others. There is no doubt that God is hearing our prayers and if it is His will, Chase will be healed. Fortunately, there is no order of magnitude in miracles, because we clearly need a big one to get Chase back to divine health. We're holding on to our hope and faith that this will happen and that we are being rewarded for our perseverence.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the prayer service today. We were deeply moved and incredibly lifted by this show of support. Our normally scheduled collective prayer time is once again Monday evening at 9 pm EST. We are continuing to pray for Chase's miracle recovery as well as the wisdom and guidance to know and accept God's will for us in this situation.

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Praise the Lord for His Infinite Mercy on 9/11

2006-09-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Chase is coming along as well as we could hope after being discharged with the expectation from conventional doctors that he wouldn’t improve. We’ve received excellent support from the home Respiratory Therapist and with his guidance, we’ve been able to keep Chase very stable. He’s breathing on his own, for the most part, with the with the help of the vent at night and whenever his vitals get a bit distressed. The RT is extremely impressed with Chase’s strength and perseverance – he just keeps bouncing back.

With all of this support and stability for Chase, he’s getting the right kind of rest and starting to respond a little bit more each day (still very limited, with movements of toes, arms and shoulders stretching regularly and occasional movement of his head from side to side). He does open his eyes for periods of time, which we take advantage of to read him stories and engage him in understanding that his body is using the deep rest to repair itself.

We are very grateful for this opportunity to administer to Chase’s needs at home and get him back on the road to recovery. We continue to receive more affirmations that our prayers are being heard and that we are receiving Divine Intervention and graces to support our whole family. We’re certain it is related to the innumerable Prayer Warriors who are holding Chase in the light and remaining vigilant in this collective intention for his healing miracle.

During our regularly scheduled group prayer tonight at 9 pm, we will be thanking the Lord for his Infinite Mercy on our family as well as all of the families affected by the tragedy of 9/11. We truly appreciate your continuous support throughout this challenge and we’re keeping the faith.

Love and gratitude,

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase's Prayer Service was just Amazing

2006-09-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long delay in posting an update. We had a very busy weekend, adjusting to our new ventilation equipment and all of the supporting monitoring systems. Getting the right settings in place as well as the tolerances on the alarms has been a really trying process. Several nights have been interrupted with various “nuisance alarms” that required us to get familiar with the features of the machine and how to adjust them so that we’re getting the right kind of support and notifications. It’s starting to get easier and we’re definitely seeing the benefits in terms of Chase’s rest and his vitals – his heart rate has been consistently lowering into the “safe” range at night, along with his respirations and he’s been maintaining high O2 saturation levels. These are things that we weren’t taking seriously enough after Chase’s tracheotomy in June and now, with the help of a home ventilator and a good respiratory therapist, we’re much better prepared to help Chase’s body get the rest and healing that it needs. In hindsight, it’s miraculous that Chase got this far without the kind of support that we should’ve had in place and without the knowledge that we’ve recently gained. We’re just continually counting our blessings and conveying our gratitude for the graces that we’ve received thus far.

The prayer service this past Sunday was just amazing – it really moved and lifted us along our journey. Thanks to all who attended in person and in spirit. The service was beautiful and extremely meaningful to us, particularly given the messages that were sent to us by the visionary (Gianna) who receives daily apparitions from Our Lady of Emmetsburgh. I am uploading the messages to a file on the Yahoo sight for anyone who is interested in reading them – we found them to be very profound and inspiring. We also plan to hold another prayer service like this one on the first Sunday of the month at 3 pm. We’re working on plans to find a convenient location for October, since Meg will be on traveling.

Although Chase’s vital signs have been relatively stable, he’s still not very responsive – some days more than others. During our routine blood work today, we discovered that his sodium was extremely low and this could be the cause of his recent issues (over the past 2 days he’s been less responsive again). We’re addressing the concern and praying that he’ll be better tomorrow and continue back on his climb up the tall mountain to a full recovery. Please join us with this intention tomorrow (Thursday) at 12:00 noon EST for 10-15 minutes of prayer with this intention followed by gratitude for the fact that Chase is still with us. In terms of the visualizations, we’re keeping it simple at the moment and after our prayers we’re just visualizing him in a completely healthy state as we praise the Lord for helping us get this far and hearing our prayers.

Thanks again for all the prayers and for joining us in this long journey that has been a true test of faith. We believe that there is a much bigger plan in all of this and that our Prayer Warriors are proving to be up for the challenge and passing the test! God Bless!!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

We Found a Happy Medium for Chase's Breathing Assistance

2006-08-31T20:47:00.000-07:00

Since Chase has been back at home, he’s been breathing unassisted and doing fine for the most part. However, while sleeping next to him last night (it was my rotation), he seemed to have some apnea incidences that were somewhat concerning. He would take a few shallow breaths and then stop for a few seconds (long enough to drop his O2 level about 10 pts) and then breath normally again. Of course, this situation means a terrible night of lost sleep for whoever is watching over Chase and listening for his pulse-ox in the background. This was enough of a concern for us to look into the options for better monitoring and breathing assistance options going forward.

Before Chase was discharged from the hospital earlier this week, we asked about options like using a BIPAP or a portable ventilator and monitor at home; however, the roadblock was that Beaumont didn’t have a pediatric home ventilation program. They kept pointing out the fact that with any of this kind of equipment, we would need a respiratory therapist and a Pulminologist to follow his case at home and provide the necessary ongoing support.

We finally found an agency (Advent) that specializes in this kind of service and they completely agreed that Chase would be an ideal candidate. They recommended the use of nocturnal ventilation to enable Chase’s body to get better rest and give us the benefit of the monitoring at night as well as ongoing assistance with proactive respiratory therapy in our home. We were told this should also reduce the stress on his heart and hopefully keep his heart-rate from fluctuating so much at night. This is exactly what we were trying to get in place, yet we couldn’t find anyone at the local hospital who knew how to go about it (without transferring our case to Detroit Children’s or U of M, which we didn’t want to do).

With enough persistence, we were able to get Beaumont to agree to allow Advent to manage our case at home, including setting us up with the equipment (ventilator with built-in BIPAP and all the necessary monitoring). The only catch was that they wanted to observe Chase utilizing this equipment for 24 hours before writing the order. Unfortunately, this meant having to get Chase admitted again for the night. We explained to him that we were only doing this so that we could avoid having further hospital stays in the future and so that he could get all the care he needs at home.

Well, so far so good – as I left the hospital tonight, Chase was doing great on the portable vent. He’s sleeping much more deeply and peacefully. This will also mean that Carol and I will be able to rest better, knowing that Chase is ok through the night. We are extremely grateful to have found this “happy medium” and hopefully everything will go well through the rest of the night so that Chase can be back home again tomorrow. Once they write the order (assuming everything goes according to plan), we’ll probably also be able to get more support with his care on a regular basis.

Clinically, Chase is also making good progress again. He’s responding more every day with limited movement of his fingers, toes, hands, etc and today he seemed to be able to open and move his right eye. We’re extremely excited to see each baby step in his recovery once again. He never ceases to amaze us with his courage and determination. We hope to see this continue through the weekend, leading up to the prayer service on Sunday, Sept 3rd at 3 pm.
Meg and Max Koss 6311 Walker Drive
Troy, MI 48085

mk3013@yahoo.com
megkoss@comcast.net
tel:
tel2:
mobile: (248)828-4419
(248)840-2433 Meg Cell
(248)709-1278 Max Cell

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In preparation for this service, we’re continuing to use the novena prayers www.padrepiodevotions.org/index.asp?pagename=prayers and http://www.latinmass.bravepages.com/infant_jesus_of_prague.htm While I was saying these prayers next to Chase today, I asked him if St. Padre Pio was praying with him and he responded – yes! Then I asked if Padre with him at night during his prayers and he again indicated yes (with a thumbs up). Some day, when Chase can communicate better, we’ll come to know the rest of the story...

Thanks again for all the prayers and support. Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend and God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Chase is Back Home Again!

2006-08-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

Chase continued to do well off the ventilator last night with stable vitals. This was simply amazing progress from the condition when he was admitted early Friday morning. Most of the medical staff were speechless (perhaps to avoid having to eat some words) particularly those who were so pessimistic on Friday afternoon. I’m sure this experience is another reminder to them that things aren’t in our control and in this case, Divine Intervention was certainly present.

Chase’s condition improved to the point that they were comfortable discharging him from the hospital this evening and allowing us to take him home with the training and experience that we’ve gained in caring for his trach, oxygenation, etc. Once again, the pace that we’ve been eased into this learning experience has been a real blessing – if it wasn’t for the last procedures we had done in late June (tracheotomy, shunt, etc.) this would’ve been a very difficult transition; however, we’re quite comfortable with it now and we’re very happy to have Chase back home.

Although he’s continuing to slowly respond and come out of his “deep sleep”, he still has a long way to go to even get back to where he was last week, before this hospitalization. Perhaps his body is slowly resorbing the fluid (including the recent tumor bleed) and this is enabling the pressure to gradually subside. Whether this is the case, or it’s simply Divine Intervention due to our faith and the multitude of Prayer Warriors who are staying vigilant in this cause, we’re extremely grateful to still have Chase with us and we remain hopeful that he will continue recovering.

We’ll keep you posted on Chase’s continued progress as we prepare for the prayer service next Sunday, Sept 3rd at 3 pm. The contact info is in the update from this past weekend. Anyone is welcome to attend and if not in person, you can join us in spirit as we continue to lift Chase in faith and light. In preparation for this service, we’ll be using the novena prayers below:

Infant Jesus of Prague Novena

Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

We plan to use these prayers during our group session on Thursday at 12 noon EST.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support – it really helped us through the toughest period we’ve had since Chase’s diagnosis. God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara

Keep Up the Great Work Prayer Warriors!

2006-08-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

Chase’s progress and ongoing recovery never ceases to amaze us. We were just discussing options with the local staff regarding ventilators and / or BiPAP machines that we could use for Chase at home so he can get discharged soon. In order to figure out what he would need, we decided to take him off the hospital ventilator to see how his body responds and perhaps get some clues as to what kind of help Chase really needs with his breathing.

Praise the Lord once again! When we took the vent off, Chase started breathing fine on his own and has continued to do so for the past hour. In some ways, this causes a bit of a dilemma since it would be hard to justify getting this equipment sent home with us, as well as the nursing support. However, we really don’t want to find ourselves in another acute situation at home. Quite fortunately, we had a nurse with us the last time (Carol’s sister Cathy) – without that, the situation would’ve been even more scary. It was stressful enough as it was, so this time we’d like to have the equipment we need and to be trained on it, as well as the support on hand so that we’re self-sufficient (without ER paramedics).

Ironically, the same folks that were giving us a doom and gloom speech 3 days ago about the prospect of ever getting Chase discharged (without hospice) are now telling us that we might not have a medical basis to support getting a ventilator or other equipment or even private duty nursing – just a regular discharge?! It’s a good thing we’ve learned from the beginning not to take the advice of conventional practitioners too seriously or we probably wouldn’t have gotten this far (I couldn’t help but take that shot)...

In any event, please continue your fervent prayers for Chase. We’ll be collectively praying tonight again at 9 pm EST and asking reverently for Divine Intervention to continue these improvements and to provide a complete spontaneous remission that will finally remove this burden from Chase altogether. Thanks so much once again for holding us all in prayer during this extremely challenging time. God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Where There is Life, There is Hope!

2006-08-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

Where There is Life, There is Hope! This comment, among many that we have received since Chase’s most recent setback rings continually in my mind. Despite the somewhat forceful suggestions that we received from the conventional medical practitioners that we are at the “end of the road” and should use the care of hospice, we’re keeping our faith as strong as ever that Chase will be healed and we’re already being rewarded.

Chase has started responding again, a little at a time. Yesterday he seemed to move a couple of his fingers ever so slightly and repeated it when I noticed and asked him to do it again. Today, he was even more responsive, moving his left toes and foot as well as the fingers on his left hand and his right shoulder and forearm (which is something he would’ve struggled to do a couple of weeks ago). Chase’s heartrate has remained stable for the past two days and he quickly got over his fever (within a day of it starting).

Although he hasn’t been able to open his eyes yet, he’s clearly indicating his cognition and presence. This is extremely encouraging since the improvements have happened so quickly after this setback due to the bleeding inside of his tumor. We are thrilled with our decision to stay the course and we’re pushing for the opportunity to take Chase back home with a ventilator so that he can get back on track with his recovery. We’re hoping that this can happen early this week, as soon as we can arrange for the ventilator to be provided and to be adequately trained on it.

Once again, we see some blessings in this recent turn of events. First of all, with the help of a ventilator, Chase’s body does not have to work so hard to maintain his O2 levels – prior to the vent, his respirations were extremely frequent and shallow (30-50 per minute), which meant that he was expending a lot of energy that we would prefer him to utilize in fighting the tumor. He was also very reluctant to get outside and around (probably due to embarrassment) – now we’ll be getting a specially designed wheelchair and a portable vent that will enable us to take him for walks to get fresh air, sunshine, etc. which we believe will help in his recovery.

The vent will also necessitate the help of a respiratory therapist, which is actually quite welcomed so that we can get some occasional breaks (we very rarely ever get to leave together and this should enable an occasional “date”). The additional set of hands will also be a big relief even when we are around to help with things like getting Chase washed up, exercised, etc.

One of the main sources of our inspiration through this most recent challenge is a relative of Saint Padre Pio. Over the past few months, we received several references to St. Pio (who we had never heard of) from various sources. One of the recent reference was a real eye-opener: in a book about the extraordinary life of Pope John Paul II, it mentioned that when he was asked to pray for someone back home in Poland who had a terminal condition that was very urgent, he sent the prayer request to Padre Pio who he had a very high regard for and the person had a very quick “spontaneous remission”. It struck me that if that’s who the Holy Father turned to for help with prayers in a time of need, we ought to consider it.

But even this wasn’t enough to keep our attention on accepting this help of intercession, until St. Pio’s relative contacted us after having heard about Chase and told us that she is praying for him (another Prayer Warrior) and sent us some St. Pio’s prayer cards. Then we began reading about the story of Padre Pio which is truly amazing, and the prayers that he suggests are incredibly moving, particularly the prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which he used incessantly to pray for anyone seeking his help. www.padrepiodevotions.org/index.asp?pagename=prayers

Ironically, this is essentially the same set of prayers that we were requested to use in preparation for our upcoming prayer healing service for Chase, http://www.latinmass.bravepages.com/infant_jesus_of_prague.htm Thus, we welcome any / all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors to join us in using these prayers, as we reverently ask for Divine Intervention to provide a spontaneous remission and finally remove this burden from Chase, who has bravely carried this cross for over a year. Thanks again for all your support and God Bless!

Love and gratitude,

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is in the Beaumont ECU Again

2006-08-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well with the grace of God we were able to get Chase back home safely last night, but it was a very stressful return trip. Fortunately, we had an oxygen tank with us during the flight because Chase was having difficulties maintaining his O2 levels (again, with the blessing of having a pulse oximeter with us, we were able to stay on top of his condition). It was particularly stressful because we knew we didn’t have enough oxygen to get through the entire flight and during the layover for re-fueling, we had to scramble to get another tank and refill the one we had. Then, in mid-flight when the first tank ran out, we struggled to get the second tank on-line because of course they required different fittings and it took a few tries to get it working, while Chases O2 was dropping again – we got it working just in time (again by the grace of God – a fatal situation at that point would have just been devastating to all of us in the plane).

After all that, we managed to get back home and I was praying next to Chase in bed as he has been less and less responsive over the past couple of days. During the prayers, I asked him if he was comfortable and he gave a thumbs-up, which was very heart-warming so I called Carol over to see him responding. Unfortunately, immediately after this, his O2 levels started dropping once again. Luckily Carol’s sister Cathy (the nurse practitioner) was on-site and quickly used her stethoscope to check his breathing. We were frantically alarmed to find out that he wasn’t breathing at all – once again, we had what we needed at his bedside and began using a breathing bag connected to the oxygen concentrator to keep him going while we called the paramedics. They quickly got us into the ER at Beaumont where Chase was admitted.

They did a quick CT scan and found a couple of indications of bleeding inside the tumor. According to Dr. Burzynski, this isn’t too surprising, particularly as a tumor begins to break down since it has less mass (more like a sponge or jello) and some blood vessels will break and bleed. However, the net result is more pressure on a very difficult and tenuous situation to start with. The slight additional pressure was enough to push against the Thalamus and nerves that control autonomic functions, such as breathing. With the use of a respirator, Chase’s vitals have been stable for the most part (some concerning fluctuations of his heart rate that seem to be getting under control). He also had a fever of 102 (the highest he’s had since his diagnosis) so they started him on some anti-biotics while doing some blood cultures to try and figure out what the issue is (they’re concerned that it may not be infection, just a reflection of his declining condition). The fever seems to have subsided at the moment but we won’t have the results of the blood cultures for another day or two.

With all of this taking place, we received a lot of counsel about worst case scenarios and conversations that we really didn’t want to have related to the degree of intervention we want utilized to support Chase. Since he’s not really responding at the moment, they’re fearing the worst and trying to prepare us. We just had another MRI done to be able to give Dr. Burzynski the benefit of the latest data before assessing what has been happening that led to Chase’s progression of symptoms. Hopefully, he continues to see signs of breakdown (although this is a very difficult balance at the moment because with the further breakdown comes inflammation and more symptoms). We’re really at the most critical juncture there could be – the effect of the tumor on Chase’s brainstem is at the “breaking point”. We need more guidance on the recent changes in the shape of the tumor and what is the recommended course of action once again.

At this point (as we’ve known all along), the situation is truly in God’s hands. We are continuing to pray for Chase’s recovery and the strength to accept God’s will with love in our hearts. We can’t help but relate to Jesus’ agony in the garden as he said, “My father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it”. This is extremely hard to accept at times, but we are comforted in knowing that no matter what happens, Chase is going to be in the good Lord’s hands.

Please pray for us to receive the right guidance on how to proceed and for our understanding and acceptance of God’s will for Chase. There is a prayer service being planned for September 3rd at 3 pm and the Koss family has asked us to invite anyone interested in attending at their home (this is a prayer group that is associated with some people who have done a pilgrimage to Medjugorje and are responding to a calling to continue spreading the messages of conversion). They will be collectively holding our intentions for Chase’s healing in prayer during the service.

Meg and Max Koss
6311 Walker Drive
Troy, MI 48085

mk3013@yahoo.com
megkoss@comcast.net
tel: (248)828-4419

Thanks so much once again for holding us all in prayer during this extremely challenging time. God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase Needs Our Prayers More Than Ever!

2006-08-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

We’ve been in Vancouver since last weekend – thanks once again to TMW and his extremely hospitable crew. Although Chase wasn’t doing great prior to our departure, we wanted to take the opportunity extended to us for more quantum healing sessions. Fortunately, the flight went well (no vomiting this time) and we were excited about the prospect of making some more progress at this critical juncture in Chase’s recovery.

Unfortunately, we don’t have much good news to report. The most positive thing that we’ve been able to ascertain is that the tumor hasn’t grown once again (which certainly isn’t bad news); however, the issue is that with the recent breakdown and fluid accumulation, the tumor is starting to change shape. Although this isn’t that surprising with the dynamic state of the tumor transition – the real issue is that with any change in shape comes cranial pressure on different nerves. Lately, that’s been affecting Chase’s left side even more (progressive weakness is continuing) and it has been making it more difficult for him to swallow again. Since he has a feeding tube, the swallowing isn’t critical (he’s still getting all the fluid he needs); however, all of this progression of symptoms is frustrating Chase even more (which is totally understandable) and making it harder to lift his spirits.

Over the past two days, Chase’s sodium level has been extremely elevated, which we caught through his blood tests. This is the first time we’ve run into this problem since our diet has been low in sodium all along, so it’s hard to figure out what this is attributable to. The net result is that all of his electrolytes are out of wack, we’ve had to stop the anti-neoplastons, and Chase’s system is completely run down. In addition, the increased cranial pressure has led to a lot more nausea and vomiting. Although this has happened in the past, this time around we have good monitoring equipment (including a pule-oximeter) and we’re seeing the detrimental effect it’s having on Chase’s heart rate – it’s been running dangerously low from time to time. We now have him on a consistent flow of fluids to balance out the electrolyte issue and hoping that everything will be back to normal soon (ideally by the morning).

The worst part of the trip is the final feedback that we’ve received after the quantum healing sessions. Since the situation is so precarious right now, due to the high cranial pressure, our quantum healer is not comfortable doing any treatments. He’s quite concerned about what could happen if more pressure is applied in the wrong place at the wrong time. After reflecting on this, we tend to agree and appreciate his candid feedback. Nevertheless, that takes away one more avenue for accelerating Chase’s recovery that we were hoping to continue using. This is still a possibility down the road, once things get stabilized again, but we really need this to happen soon. The affects of the recent progression of symptoms is very stressful on everyone, particularly Carol. Please keep her in your prayers as you continue to lift Chase on his way through this extremely challenging journey.

We’re sticking to the schedule of 12 noon EST on Thursday for our collective prayer / visualizations. We need all the help we can get right now – we’re planning on flying back home tomorrow (Thursday) at 11 am local (2 pm EST) and we’re very concerned about how the trip will be for Chase (especially the added atmospheric pressure). Please pray that our journey is safe and that Chase gets stable again and back on the road to recovery. Thanks so much for your ongoing support!

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Preparing for More Quantum Healing Sessions

2006-08-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

Chase seems to have stabilized again, although he has had some recent bouts with nausea and this has caused his feeding tube to get displaced and / or plugged a couple of times. Carol has stepped up, once again, to develop another nursing skill so that we can take care of this at home and have some more independence. Chase really likes having his mommy for a nurse, since it makes him the most comfortable and relaxed. We’re still debating about whether to get the stomach peg-tube since it would be easier to handle, but requires yet another surgery (which we’ve been hoping to be able to avoid with steady improvements in swallowing). However, the recent changes in Chase’s condition don’t seem to be moving in the right direction (at least in that area).

According to our energy practitioner and Neuro-modulation-technique (NMT) practitioners, the recent progression of symptoms aren’t related to tumor growth but the byproduct of breakdown and the reaction of Chase’s immune system in working feverishly to purge the liquid byproduct of the tumor. Our Naturopath also concurs with this assessment and is suggesting that we concentrate on helping Chase’s lymphatic system to filter out the “sludge” – we’re working with a masseuse specializing in lymph massage as well as adding some supplements to help with the circulation.

Please add these intentions to our Prayer / Visualization sessions (starting with today at noon EST). Thanks for supporting us all in Chase’s recovery. We’re keeping the faith and we believe it’s only a matter of time before he’s showing clear signs of significant improvement. We’re heading back to Vancouver this weekend for 4 days of quantum healing sessions and we look forward to reporting on Chase’s continued progress. Thanks again and God Bless!

Love and gratitude,

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase's Protocol

2006-08-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

The files containing Chase's protocol have been uploaded and can be accessed with the following links to the Yahoo group:

Chase's Protocol

Chase's Schedule of Supplements

What a Year it's Been!

2006-08-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we passed the one year mark of Chase’s diagnosis – what a bitter sweet milestone. Bitter of course because of how long this recovery is taking and how challenging it’s been; however, it’s sweet knowing that we’re continuing to defy the conventional medical wisdom. We were told on Aug 11th, 2005 that without radiation and / or chemo Chase had 4-6 months and that with these devastating treatments, the most we could hope for was 12-18 months.

Well, needless to say, they didn’t know much about the character of our little Trooper! He’s been quite a fighter and an inspiration the whole way. He’s done all we could ask to defeat this terrible condition. The files posted on his Yahoo group show what Chase’s current protocol entails, which tends to change on a weekly basis, with the input of his Nutritionist, Naturopath, Energy Practitioner, Homeopath, the Burzynski Clinic, etc.

We continue to see small but positive feedback signs that Chase is on the road to recovery. Nevertheless, it’s a continuous challenge. Lately, he’s had some involuntary nervous movement in his left leg, which is quite concerning and frustrating for him (it makes him shake and spill when he’s drinking, which is one of the things he still enjoys being able to do). Anyhow, he’s working through it and we continually remind him that all of this is just temporary.

We know that this entire situation has been full of blessings for us all and when we stop to consider them, we realize that more good is coming of this than we could’ve imagined. Of course, we never would’ve signed up for this situation, but we’re firm believers that whatever God has in store for us is in our highest good. Either He answers our prayers and Chase gets completely healed soon, or He has an even better plan in store for Chase and all of us – that’s essentially the “win-win” proposition that we have.

Thanks so much for supporting us through this difficult challenge and lifting Chase in prayer. We couldn’t have gotten this far without the tremendous outpouring of support! We’re continuing to stick with the schedule for our collective Prayer / Visualization Sessions on Monday evenings at 9 pm EST and Thursdays at 12 noon EST. During this next session, we’ll be visualizing the reduction in swelling, related to the removal of toxins in the necrosis “blisters”. Thanks for joining with us and we’ll soon have the webcast sessions set up so that those who are interested can follow the same visualization sequence that we do. Thanks again and God Bless!

Love and gratitude,

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Recovering from a Difficult Day

2006-08-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was just one of those days where just about everything goes wrong. First Chase’s foley catheter came out for some unknown reason. Then he had bouts of nausea again (vomited 3 different times) and after lunch his feeding tube came out. So he didn’t get any nutrition or supplements until this morning when we had a home care nurse get us set-up again.

Chase seemed to be “dragging” through most of the day, probably just recovering from all the stress and difficulty of the previous day. However, by the evening he was in better spirits and wanted to play Monopoly (his favorite lately). It must be something about the money and properties that fascinates him.

Anyhow, thanks to all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors who participated in the prayer / visualization session this afternoon as he seems to be getting back on track. We’re keeping the faith and lifting him up in light, hoping that he’ll have a good weekend and be back on the upward climb to a full recovery.

Love and gratitude,

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Dr. Burzynski Concurs with Chase's Progress

2006-08-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

The feedback from the Burzynski Clinic is that the changes in Chase’s tumor are consistent with what they would expect as it is going through the degradation process. Although the conventional doctors haven’t seen this before, Dr. Burzynski has and he’s confident that things are progressing in the right direction with Chase’s recovery. He is particularly pleased that there was no more mass in the lesion with an increase in the amount of fluid / necrosis.

Ironically, the changes in the tumor were precisely what was described during our Quantum Healing sessions. We truly believe that we’re finally gaining momentum with Chase’s recovery and we appreciate all the support from Chase’s Prayer Warriors who are devoutly participating in the prayer / visualization sessions!

We’ll be together in spirit again tonight at 9 pm EST as we put our collective intention to support Chase’s central nervous system in filtering out the liquid in the tumor. Our Nutritionist recently described how this is what Chase’s body will do through the spinal fluid once his neurological system recognizes the additional necrosis. This is very exciting as we continue to see a continuous stream of small steps forward in Chase’s recovery. Thanks for your ongoing support!

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase's MRI Reflected his Clinical Improvements

2006-08-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

We just got the info back from Chase’s MRI scan - overall not bad. There was certainly no more growth or increased size from the last scan (June 16th), which in itself is a relief, considering the previous two showed considerable growth and progression of symptoms.

The Radiologist was gracious enough to spend a lot of time going over the various slides. The changes seem to closely replicate what we’ve been seeing in terms of Chase’s improvements in clinical symptoms, including(1) reduced inflammation (2) considerably more liquid - necrosis / breakdown, particularly in the upper areas of the tumor, which is completely new from the previous scans (3) less overall density or mass in the tumor.

Of course, conventional medicine can't explain these changes and they grasp for some explanations - such as the fact that the recent shunt implant reduced the pressure in the upper areas of the brain so the fluid that was beginning accumulate in the lower part (near the Pons) migrated to the midbrain (i.e. this isn’t new fluid); however, we don’t “buy” this explanation, considering the changes in clinical symptoms.

We’re anxious to get the impression of the Radiologist from the Burzynski Clinic, since they’ve seen far more cases of regression and success in beating this condition than conventional Oncologists. We’re hoping to get their feedback tomorrow and we’ll post what we find out.

Overall, we’re very encouraged and keeping the faith, expecting Chase to continue his climb up the mountain of recovery, God willing! In our prayers / visualizations, please ask that Chase receive more strength and vitality in order to keep up the good work and accelerate his recovery. Thanks for your ongoing support!

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase has another MRI Tomorrow

2006-08-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

Chase is continuing to show signs of slow but steady progress. His sessions with the Physical Therapist for the past two days have been great. She has a small farm, so she brought a saddle to our house and put it over a large cushion to get Chase to try balancing himself. Although he was reluctant at first, once we got him going it was a great experience as it really worked a lot of the muscles that he hasn't used in a while. His spirits also continue to be much better - I think he's excited to see the improvements as well.

We have the MRI tomorrow afternoon - we're really looking forward to it and seeing the changes in the tumor. We'll fill you in as soon as we get the results. The Radiologist has been great to work with - he usually makes the time to sit down with us right away and go over the scan. Hopefully, he'll be available again tomorrow and we can get immediate feedback.

Please join us once again for 10-15 minutes of collective prayer and visualization for Chase’s healing tomorrow at 12 noon EST. This will be just before we take Chase in for the scan. We’re praying that all goes well and that the scan confirms the improvements that we’ve been seeing in his clinical symptoms. Thanks for lifting Chase in prayer and helping us to keep the faith that he is on the way to a complete recovery!

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

The Fruits of Quantum Healing

2006-07-31T12:52:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely back home yesterday evening from Vancouver – thanks again to TMW’s private plane – we couldn’t have done it without this. The trip worked out great overall and we’re continuing to see Chase’s improvements from the Quantum Healing sessions. He’s been rolling around from side to side with improved strength and more balance when he sits up.

We’ve received several inquiries and concerns about the use of Quantum Healing in Chase’s treatment plan in terms of how it relates to our faith in the healing power of God. We’ve thought a lot about this along the way and we want to reassure everyone that regardless of the method that He uses to heal Chase, all Praise, Glory and Honor goes to Our Lord for Chase’s return to Divine Health.

In our review of appropriate scripture, a story comes to mind when Jesus was approached to provide his opinion about the healing that others were doing at that time. Some were concerned that the power was coming from evil forces. His response was…

By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. For there is no good tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit; nor again a corrupt tree that bringeth forth good fruit… Mt 7:13-23; Lu 6:43-45

Thus, our belief is that the “gift” of those who practice Quantum Healing comes from God and that if they are producing good results, they also come from Our Lord as well. We are seeing these results and we are truly grateful. The most important thing is that our praise and gratitude be given to Him.

Please join us once again tonight at 9 pm EST for 10-15 minutes of collective prayer and visualization for Chase’s healing. We are looking into ways of conducting a webcast in the future so that we can all be using the same visualizations at the same time since we know that increases the power of this healing energy.

Praise God and thanks to all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Continuing to Show Signs of Gradual Improvements

2006-07-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

We got out to Vancouver last Friday safely - thanks again to Tom Wheeler for the use of his private plane. There was simply no other way we could’ve done this – we had so much medical gear with us that we completely filled it up (to the point of being somewhat unsafe). We had to bring the oxygen concentrator, pulse oximeter, trach suction machine and humidifier, all of the ANP medicines and supplies, etc. Much of this was needed to be by our sides during the trip, just in case Chase needed it, so commercial travel was completely out of the question. We can’t thank you enough for this help Tom – you’re truly one of Chase’s angels!

Anyhow, we’ve been continuing to do the visualizations, under the guidance and assistance of the person who developed this approach to quantum healing. We’re very excited about the progress that Chase is making. We’re continuing to see gradual but consistent signs of improvement that are actually pretty significant to Chase’s recovery. Yesterday, we noticed that Chase had better control and balance of his head (much like an infant who has to learn how to balance itself). Our physical therapist explained that he would have to go through the same learning curve he did as a baby once the pressure is relieved from the nerves and he regains this control. This is exactly what we’re seeing. Today, Chase had better control of his mouth muscles – he was able to open his mouth more widely than he has since the tracheotomy. He was also able to lift his tongue completely for the homeopathic remedy to be placed under it. These are very encouraging signs that he’s starting to get some relief from the tumor pressure on the nerves. We’re pretty confident that there isn’t any long-term damage (particularly given his age and his body’s ability to regenerate). It’s just a matter of time to get enough reduction of the tumor mass and for the nerves to repair.

Another insight that we gained during these treatments is that the blood supply to Chase’s tumor is still quite vigorous. While this is good from the standpoint of the ability to supply white blood cells to attack it, this still enables the nutrients and circulation for the tumor to survive. Thus, we would like to apply another metaphor during the next few visualizations which might help this situation, as follows:

• Visualize the blood vessels that supply nutrients to the tumor contracting to the point where there is no transfer of nutrients.
• Visualize the tumor drowning in its own toxins and waste products. See this happen until the cancer cells completely die.
• Visualize choking off what the cancer needs and simultaneously attacking it in order to weaken the tumor.
• Visualize the tumor shrinking and losing its life energy as it continues to become inactive.
• To remove the debris, visualize using a suction device (much like the one used at the dentist office) to draw out all the liquid and dead tissue.

Once again, we believe it’s the clear intention that we’re collectively putting out to heal Chase’s body that it is responding to – essentially a very focused prayer. At the end of the visualization / prayer session, continue to see Chase in his completely healthy state (extremely relieved to have this whole ordeal behind him, no doubt). It is important to end this prayer with gratitude for the “fait accompli”. We’ll try this approach during the session on Thursday at noon EST.

Thanks so much for joining us in this journey! We truly believe we’re finally gaining some momentum and seeing Chase get some relief from these symptoms brings us overwhelming joy! We know there’s a long way to go for his complete recovery, but as long as there are bright spots along the way, it helps a lot to keep our spirits up and remaining strong in our faith.

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Keep up the Great Work Prayer Warriors!

2006-07-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

We continue to see baby steps of improvement in Chase and our Physical Therapist as well as Respiratory Therapist are seeing them too. They’re fairly small improvements and hard to describe in detail, but nonetheless it’s the right direction of change which is the most important at this point.

We are heading to Vancouver to get some personal training and energy healing sessions over the course of the next week from a very renowned Quantum Healer. We are very excited about this opportunity and confident that we can accelerate Chase’s healing with the right guidance. We’ll be joining the next couple of group prayer and visualization sessions from there: Monday at 9 pm EST and Thursday at 12 noon EST.

We truly appreciate all the support and participation in Chase’s healing process. We know that the prayers and visualization are lifting him up. We can’t wait to report on his progress along the way!

Have a great weekend and God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase's Group Prayer / Visualization Session was Great!

2006-07-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who joined us in body or in spirit for Chase’s healing prayer and visualization session last night (sorry for any confusion on the date – there was a typo on the last post). Anyhow, it worked out great and we could truly feel the strength of the healing energy that was being sent to lift Chase on to recovery. We have absolutely no doubt about the powerful impact of this collective intention – we’re continuing to see small signs of Chase’s recovery on a daily basis. It’s never as rapid as we’d like, but at this point it’s all about the direction of his changes in symptoms. Anything positive is huge progress as an indication that Chase is “turning the corner”.

We want to especially thank Carol’s friends Dawn, Kathy and Laurie for their help in pulling together the prayer session. The powerpoint file from the service has been uploaded to the Yahoo group site for anyone interested in getting a copy. It was a really moving service – not only for Chase, but in continuing to lift our spirits as well. We can’t help but feel that we’re at a very critical juncture in this overall treatment plan and every little boost helps tremendously at this point.

This session also helped a lot in terms of conducting the visualization exercises together – hopefully it cleared up some things for it to be even more effective. We were also able to get DVDs into the hands of those who want to gain more insight on this technique. Adam’s book and video are self-explanatory and we’ve found them very helpful in applying the visualizations for just about any kind of illness. Anyone who wasn’t able to get a set that is interested, please e-mail me directly and we’ll forward a copy.

In going back through the materials from the book, I was reminded of some more techniques that might help us to refine our visualizations (now that more of Chase’s Prayer Warriors are becoming novices at this). This idea is related to the fact that the cells seem to communicate with each other. Energetically, cancer cells are able to replicate quickly using what seems to be a very sophisticated communication system. When doing the visualizations, imagine that the communication system of the cancer breaking down and falling apart – this will create disorganization and disharmony within the cells of the tumor. Once the communication links fail, visualize the tumor shrinking and losing its life energy as it becomes inactive. As the cancer cells continue to die, the communication between the cells slows down and eventually stops. The goal is to weaken the tumor even more and direct Chase’s immune system to take it out completely. Chase’s body must now physically remove this dead tissue. Visualize a garbage disposal system working 24-7 to remove the debris (even a “vague” intention like this works, since the body knows how to take it from there – the dead cells will be eliminated through his skin, urine, kidneys, etc.).

The next visualization session will be on Thursday (7/20) at noon. Hopefully we can continue to refine our visualization techniques and gain more momentum on Chase’s recovery. Every baby step in that direction is extremely exciting for us. This afternoon, Chase actually used his right hand to hold the humidification tube to his trach during his nap – that’s the first time he’s used it “functionally” in a couple of months. It’s still quit immobile, but the fact he was actually able to hold onto something was a huge improvement! Thanks for lifting Chase in prayer and visualizing his return to total health – this miracle is continuing to unfold before our eyes!

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Thanks for Your Healing Prayers and Visualizations!

2006-07-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

For those who caught the energy healing segment on Primetime tonight, it was a reasonably accurate assessment of the workshop setting that I attended last week. Of course, the show didn’t cover the number of healings that have continued to remain in remission (including many cases of cancer). Nevertheless, it didn’t have too much of a negative spin, other than the undertone of a “grand illusion” and money generator. I can say personally that the $100 Canadian admission for a 2 day seminar was quite reasonable and a heck of a lot less expensive than several of the “professional” medical consultations we obtained along our journey, many of which weren’t accurate or beneficial at all. So I don’t think it’s about the money, as they seem to imply – we’ve blown more than that on a bad dinner.

I also found Adam to be quite modest and down to earth. He recognizes that his “works” are a “gift” and is trying to help as many people as he can with the quantum healing approach. In the end, he also acknowledges that our faith is what is most important and probably the main reason for the healings, which is what we’ve known and embraced all along. This has just given us a framework to channel our collective faith in the same direction with a very clear intention for what we want to happen within Chase’s body.

The prayer and visualization session this afternoon was just incredible. We were at our appointment with the energy practitioner who does the scans using a type of Rife machine. She was picking up the fact that the tumor has more toxin debris from the dead cancer cells and she believes a significant part of this debris is bacterial. At exactly noon, when we all started to do our healing prayers and visualizations over Chase, he started swinging and kicking almost uncontrollably for about 10 minutes, after which we started doing the waterfall visualization and he immediately sat back and relaxed in a state of peaceful bliss. It was just amazing to see the change before our own eyes.

Chase has also continued to show signs of improvements. Last night, he had a BM in the middle of the night and in the course of trying to help him up, I noticed significant strength in his right arm that was just shocking. I pointed this out to him and he seemed to already know about this improvement – it was almost like he was flexing the muscle in his right arm (which he hasn’t been able to do for quite a while). He’s also continuing to make improvements in his swallowing so we’re holing off on the decision relative to putting the feeding tube directly in his stomach to see if it will even be necessary before long.

We’re planning another prayer service, much like the one that was held last fall, with the addition of collectively utilizing the visualizations at the back end of the session.

Date: Monday, July 7th
Time: 8 - 9:30
Place: William Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI - Spiritual Center (3rd Floor - Central Elevators)

Anyone who can make it is welcome to attend in person. We’re looking forward to the get together and harnessing the power of our collective prayers. For those who can’t be there in person, we’d like to continue getting the benefit of our collective prayers and visualizations at 9 pm EST again for about 10-15 minutes, or however long Chase’s Prayer Warriors can remain focused. There’s no doubt in our minds in the power of our collective prayers – the visualizations are just a means for very focused and clear intention in our prayers and it seems to be working. Keep up the great work! We truly appreciate all the help and support. We’re hoping to have even more good news to report at this prayer service. Thanks again and God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase's Next Group Prayer / Visualization Session - Thursday at Noon EST

2006-07-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

The group visualization / prayer session was a great help – thanks to all who participated. Chase was relaxing in deep sleep as we prayed over him and did the visualizations. He was breathing slowly and deeply as the flow of energy was rolling over him. During the seminar in Toronto, I spoke with Dr. Edgar Mitchell (Appolo 14 astronaut who landed on the moon) and he had a very similar experience. He was healed of prostate cancer by a large group that prayed over him while visualizing and he described feeling waves of energy rolling over him as he lay flat on the ground. He was “spacing out” for several days and then when he went back to his Oncologist, the scans were completely clear. Anyhow, he has been the mentor for Adam (the guy who put on the seminar on Quantum healing and developed the visualizations).

Adam has been fairly “low key” about his quantum healing work – other than in Canada. He is getting his first exposure in the US later this week – there will be a one hour feature on him this Thursday evening (7/13) on ABC Primetime. We don’t know what the “spin” will be, but I can say from having attended the workshop that it’s pretty powerful stuff. There were many testimonials of healings who we personally met and spoke with. His latest effort to substantiate what happens in the human body during these visualizations and quantum healing sessions is to conduct EEGs on the subjects. They showed several examples to demonstrate what happens to someone’s theta brain waves while this is taking place. It was pretty remarkable and we’re looking forward to seeing the segment on network television.

This morning Chase’s symptoms seemed to improve somewhat. He’s starting to regain a bit of strength on his right side – he’s able to squeeze my fingers with his right hand and pull down from that arm. He’s also kicking stronger and lifting his right leg and we’ve noticed significant improvements in his left eye lately (which was the first symptom of the tumor). We believe these are indications that the tumor regression is finally taking place. Over the next few weeks (until the next MRI on Aug 3rd) the best data that we’re going to get is based upon his clinical symptoms, which we’re monitoring very closely with the help of his Physical Therapist.

I want to stress that although some people may feel some physical sensations during the visualizations, you are not taking the problem into your body. Any feedback in your body may be some indication of the healing energy. It is also important to note that not everyone will feel something – this is just based on the sensitivity that a particular body has to this quantum energy.

We would like to conduct another prayer / visualization session this Thursday (7/13) at noon EST for around 15 minutes (or as long as people are comfortable). This will enable Chase’s Prayer Warriors who are living abroad to also participate with us. If these times end up working out well, we’re considering making this a standing schedule for the next couple of weeks to help us collectively accelerate Chase’s recovery process. In the short-term, one of our biggest challenges with Chase is emotional. Given all the added burdens (feeding tube, trach, catheter, etc.), he tends to get very frustrated from time to time. This afternoon, he pulled out his NG tube again and it was quite an ordeal getting a new one in. At least it’s been > a week since the last time that happened, but nonetheless we’re praying for Chase’s emotional stability as well. Thanks again for supporting us so faithfully during this challenge! We’re very excited about the momentum Chase appears to be gaining and we’re keeping the faith!!

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Please Support Chase's First Group Visualization - Monday Night

2006-07-09T20:49:00.000-07:00

Calling all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors who want to participate in a group visualization (wherever you are – this is a “virtual” session). I’m fresh out of the seminar on Quantum Healing in Toronto and this is very exciting stuff. It’s actually quite simple when you get right down to it. In many ways, this approach is just like using a very specific and focused intention for prayer. In fact, those who would like to support this effort but aren’t comfortable with using a visualization approach are welcome to join us in prayer at the same time.

The key is that we simply use clear, positive intention to visualize precisely what we want to have happen. The pictures that have been circulated and posted on the blog (www.chasesammut.blogspot.com ) make it fairly straight forward to follow. It’s important NOT to worry about whether you’re doing it right – just going through the visualization exercise collectively at the same time using our positive intention (or prayer) will enable it to work. The more people doing this at the same time, the more powerful it will be, so please forward a reminder along to anyone that is supporting Chase’s recovery but doesn’t receive the yahoo messages directly.

The idea is to just sit comfortably, deep breathe slowly and just relax with your hands on your lap (or however you feel the most comfortable). Start by visualizing Chase in his healthy state (from the “before” picture). Then see the tumor inside of his brainstem (from the series of visualization renditions) and follow the sequence of pictures in order – trying to focus on each one for a while and then close your eyes and see it through your “mind’s eye” for a couple of minutes. Try to make the visualizations as real as possible with all of your senses as you recall the image with its colors and all the details that you can, perhaps even hearing the white blood cells as they gobble up the tumor site and release substances that are poisonous to the tumor. See the tumor shriveling up from those toxins and from the white blood cells eating away at it.

If you have difficulty seeing the image with your eyes closed, then open your eyes and repeat the process again, trying to increase the amount of detail that you can recall. With this intention held in you mind, you will slowly expand your capacity to effectively visualize.

There is no set time limit for the length of the visualization – it varies from person to person. Some people are more skilled and can do this for long periods of time; however, for most people 10-15 minutes is pretty long. If you lose your focus and want to continue with the visualizations, just relax, re-focus and start over. Don’t push yourself – the idea is not to log a lot of time, but to make the visualizations as real as possible. If you find negative thoughts creeping in (like this isn’t working or I don’t believe this stuff) just kick them out and start over. This is an exercise of “training” the subconscious mind to believe and accept what we want it to – after a while, it will get tired of being beaten down and it will start to automatically go along with it and then this exercise will be even more powerful.

At the end of the visualizations, try to hold the thought and picture in your mind of Chase having been completely healed. Perhaps he will be standing in the waterfall with energy flowing over and through him or running off to play (soccer, swimming, baseball, etc.). Anyone who would like to get more detailed instructions (including a book and / or DVD) please send a message to me directly at john.sammut@epictech.com and I’ll send you more info.

Try to keep it simple and have fun with it – this is going to be an incredible experience if we just go with it and believe that it’s making a difference because it truly is. For the first weekly session, we plan to start on Monday (July 10th) at 9 pm EST. For Chase’s Prayer Warriors who are living abroad, we will set up another time later in the week that is earlier in the day so that we can all be in sink. Thanks for taking the initiative to support Chase’s recovery!! We are truly blessed to have so many Prayer Warriors pulling for Chase and this is helping us to strengthen our faith and resolve, knowing that our little Trooper is going to get through this challenge.

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase's Visualization for Healing

2006-07-07T16:04:00.000-07:00

Clearly visualize a hologram of Chase before you in his healthy state.

Now visualize the tumor in Chase's head. All of the blood vessels in the tumor are becoming permeable to white blood cells.

The white blood cells surround the tumor on every side. Every white blood cell in Chase's body is drawn toward the tumor, so many white blood cells surrounding the tumor that they form a colony, completely engulfing it.

The white blood cells are eating away at the tumor, they attach to the tumor cells, pull the cancer inside them and digest it. The tumor shrivels up as the white blood cells eat away at it and the white cells carry away the debris.

Eventually nothing is left but healthy cells.

Pure light energy flows over and through Chase, soothing and relaxing him as he is energized and cleansed.

Chase is Continuing to Improve but Very Lethargic

2006-07-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

Chase has continued to be in pretty good spirits since returning home and he seems to be adjusting to his new “normal”. It’s a major change, of course, dealing with a trach, feeding tube, and foley catheter to say the least. However, he hasn’t been resisting very much at least with the things that we are required to do (cleaning the trach, catheter, etc.) as well as the cupping and bagging to ensure his lungs are filling up to prevent any possible collapse. Once again, he’s been quite a trooper in terms of cooperating and tolerating all this stuff. In the process, he continues to “bargain” for what he wants in return (movies, money, etc.).

We’re appreciating the fact that the feeding tube is enabling us to control every aspect of his intake, including all of the supplements, without a fuss. Although he was pretty good about it, trying to stay on top of > 25 different pills a day was pretty stressful. In addition, we’re now able to increase the use of many of the antioxidants we wanted, including green tea and natural juicing (kale, broccoli, spinach, etc.). It’s a good thing he can’t taste this stuff because I’m sure we couldn’t pay him enough to drink it (at least in the quantities that we’re administering through the feeding tube throughout the day and night). We really believe this will make a big difference in the rate of his recovery.

We’re also getting back into the visualizations. I understand that many people had trouble accessing the files and pictures that were posted to the yahoo group. We believe we addressed the problem and it should be easier now with this link. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/chasesammut/files/Visualization%20Images/

I’m also going to be participating in a Quantum Healing seminar this weekend in Toronto that is being held by the person who developed these visualizations. Hopefully that will enable me to be even more effective and I’ll pass along any more insights that I gain through the seminar.

In the meantime, Chase has been more lethargic than usual. He’s taking long naps and sleeping in after having very deep sleep straight through the night (more than he’s been able to in a long time). We’re actually relieved that he can do this, with the catheter, feeding tube, etc and that his breathing isn’t belabored anymore. We believe this is what he’s needed to support his healing. All of your prayers and visualizations of the waterfall with healing energy is really working to recharge his systems. Thanks for lifting him up in your prayers and holding him in the light.

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Back Home and Adjusting Well

2006-07-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an extremely long and stressful day. In order to be able to discharge Chase, the Pediatric Ward had a long list of things that we needed to get done, such as training, obtaining the equipment for home (oxygen concentrator, suction machine, pulse oximeter, etc.) and we also had consultations with several doctors. The Neurosurgeon reviewed the shunt incisions and felt that Chase was recovering fine – most of the stitches are dissolvable (other than a few staples, which we’ll probably take out at home). The ENT specialist examined the trach and felt the site was also healing fine, so he could change the trach and then set the next appointment for another week out for us to change it ourselves under his supervision at his office. We also had a Urologist consultation who explained that Chase’s difficulty with urination lately is likely due to the fact that he’s been sedentary (based upon his right side paralysis) as well as the fact that the nerve center to control this function is in the Pons, which is right where his tumor is and it’s probably interfering with some of the signals. So we ended up going home with a foley catheter, which is actually a blessing in many ways since the ANP treatments require large volumes of fluid flushing and the frequent urination won’t be a problem (particularly at night).

We also met with an Eye Doctor who examined Chase and confirmed that there isn’t any issue or damage to his eye lenses or function – just the pressure on the 6th nerve which controls the lateral movement of his left eye. We were relieved that his inability to blink or completely close that eye hasn’t damaged it – we just need to use a better lubricant to continue protecting it. Then we met with a speech therapist who wanted to assess Chase’s ability to move his tongue, swallow, etc. He was still having a lot of difficulty with this, which isn’t clear if it’s due to the trach procedure and intubation for the previous few days, or nerve interference from the brain stem. We ended up not conducting a swallow test, because it really wasn’t going to change our short-term plan for his care – since he certainly can’t swallow very well yet, we’re going to have to use a feeding tube for a while. Once again, this is a real blessing since we can completely control his diet and ensure he’s getting all the supplements he needs with a great balance from the recommendations of his Nutritionist. We’re going to use this opportunity for the next few weeks to take his nutrition up a notch and barrage his system to see if that can help to accelerate his recovery from the tumor.

After all of that and getting the various doctors to sign off on the plan for his continuing care, we managed to get a homecare provider to set up all the equipment we need at home (including a hospital bed). We were finally getting released to take Chase home and he started to have one of his tantrums – as usual because we couldn’t understand or decipher what he wanted. In frustration, he pulled his feeding tube out and this caused another delay – we had to have a new one inserted and it wouldn’t go back in, probably due to swelling or other trauma to his nose and airway passage. After a few attempts, we ended up going to a smaller diameter and getting it to work through his other nostril – hopefully that was enough trauma to discourage Chase from doing that again. We certainly don’t want to be learning how to insert these ourselves since it’s a pretty gruesome procedure. If this feeding tube ends up being a prolonged part of his recovery, we may end up having a surgery to insert a tube directly into his stomach – but we’re hoping to avoid that, if possible, since we just had the shunt installed in the stomach and we don’t want to risk interfering with it or disturbing it’s recovery.

We finally got Chase home around 9 pm last night and then it took quite a while to settle in with all the equipment we have to keep with him. He ended the day in great spirits and was very happy to sleep with mommy in her bed – that was really therapeutic for him. Today he was better than we could’ve predicted or imagined – he was alert and in great spirits most of the time (no tantrums at all). We got him a picture book to be able to point out what he wanted and this really was encouraging to him to be able to communicate again. He took several small swallows of liquid and was sucking on ice chips most of the afternoon. We’re still a bit worried about the risk of aspiration, but he seems to have a very strong cough reflex and he’s been able to get used to clearing his trach himself.

The best part of our holiday was when Chase discovered how to talk with the trach and said several words, including “I love you mommy” – we were ecstatic as though they were his first words. I was thrilled to be by his side and realized that although I was too busy to be around much when he first learned to walk and talk, I’m extremely blessed to be there for him now. We’re holding firm in our belief that Chase is on his way up the mountain of recovery – ironically, during my prayers yesterday I had a vivid vision of Chase running up Apparition Hill at Medjugorje next summer as we celebrated his complete recovery with all of his cousins. He was so overjoyed – this vision was a true blessing in strengthening my faith as we prepare ourselves for the next difficult trek in his recovery climb.

We hope you all had as blessed 4th of July as we did. Thanks for lifting Chase in prayer and boosting him to a rapid recovery from these surgeries. He’s now settling in for the night and is breathing more peacefully than he has in a long time. The tracheotomy was a real success and a necessary part of his recovery - although it's a lot more work for us (hopefully, we'll settle into our new normal" soon). After a few more days of focusing on praying for and visualizing Chase's complete recovery from these surgeries, we’ll get back to attacking the tumor. Thanks again and God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Extremely Anxious to get Back Home!

2006-07-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

Things seem to be going fairly well in terms of Chase’s recovery from the surgeries. He’s been visited by both surgeons that past two days and they don’t see any issues. Nevertheless, the hospital administration is insisting that he needs to stay at least until Monday (actually they’re trying to push us to stay until Wed). We reluctantly agreed to Monday, so that we can let the ENT specialist change the trach and train us on that procedure, but assuming that goes well we’re pushing to get out that day.

Once the ICU staff realized we weren’t going to accept anything else, they had a patient advocate come and meet with us to try to convince us it would be in Chase's best interest. We responded that of course, if something concerning should come up with Chase’s condition, we would reconsider. But as far as we’re concerned, those chances just increase the longer we stay in the hospital. We really need to get him back to his familiar surroundings with some stability and on the treatment plan that is working to heal him.

Yesterday, Chase was just beside himself most of the day – lots of anger, revolting against the nurses again, etc. It turned out that they had stopped giving him pain meds (except regular Tylenol) only 28 hours after his procedures. Once I realized this and raised some heck as his advocate, he got some relief and sure enough he felt fine and was able to calm down. This was just another timely reminder that we need to get on the road ASAP. This situation is NOT good for Chase’s spirits and this is the critical thing for his complete recovery.

Chase isn’t able to speak yet, which is also very frustrating for him, as his entire mouth and throat is extremely sore. Please join us in continuing to use the waterfall visualization and pray for him to receive healing / soothing energy and love. We are also continuing to visualize the drainage of the blisters in his tumor site, which will naturally enable it to start shrinking and relieving the pressure on his nerves.

Thanks again God Bless! We hope Chase's Prayer Warriors have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Recoverying from his Surgeries

2006-06-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

Whatever prayers or visualizations all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors are using, keep up the great work! He’s really doing as well as we could hope and we’re sure it’s because of all the prayerful support. He came off the anesthesia last night with no problems and he’s pretty alert today. He’s very relieved to have the breathing tube removed and is anxious to start swallowing and healing his throat.

He just had a couple of spoons of pudding, which tasted great in his mouth and felt good going down, but we’re taking it slow as he continues to recover. We’re really hoping and praying that his throat gets soothed and back to normal swallowing as soon as possible. We’ll have to conduct a swallow test in the next few days, just to make sure everything is working ok before being discharged. If there are concerns or problems with Chase’s swallowing, he may end up using the feeding for a longer period. Although this would certainly be disappointing and uncomfortable, the positive side of this is that we would be able to better control his nutrition and get him to take whatever we want to help boost his systems.

We appreciate all the prayers, particularly during this most critical juncture in Chase’s recovery process. This week has been the most grief Chase has had to endure since his diagnosis last August and the biopsy surgery. We’re just anxious to get him back home, stabilize and back on the treatment plan to continue purging this tumor from his body. But first things first – we need Chase to continue recovering well from these surgeries so he can be discharged as soon as possible.

You are all truly awesome Prayer Warriors and we can’t express our appreciation enough! The soothing visualizations of the waterfall with healing energy and love seems to really be working well - he looks blissful at the moment - Praise God!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase's Prayer Warriors are Truly Awesome!

2006-06-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

We knew there was power in those visualizations and I almost hesitated to send them last night, since I had a strong feeling that many people would be using them at the same time. Well, this is a case of “be careful what you ask for”. We monitor Chase’s white blood count (WBC) quite regularly – every other day since he’s been on antineoplastons, and every day while he’s been in the hospital. Typically, his WBC is in the 4-7 range and out of the blue today his count jumped to 13.9. Chase’s Prayers Warriors are truly AWESOME – this is certainly not a coincidence. While normally this would be great (although at the upper end of “normal”), on the day that he was planning to go in for surgery we were somewhat concerned that it could be an indication that there was an underlying infection or other issue. Fortunately, we took another blood test about an hour before the surgery and his WBC was back to 8.5 so we concerns were alleviated.

Just as a side note, the first time we used this visualization technique ourselves over the course of a weekend, his count jumped from 4 to 8, so we got pretty excited about the fact that it was working. Then we started to concentrate on two specific areas of the tumor that we wanted to see start breaking-up. In the following MRI, precisely those two areas that we had been focused on is where the necrosis “blisters’ showed up. Thus, our confidence in this approach increased even further and we started to branch out to involve others in this technique.

In terms of the surgeries today, we were very blessed to coordinate the schedules of two surgeons extremely well so that the shunt and tracheotomy procedures were timed one after the other (with essentially no notice – that’s a real miracle with hospital administration). This meant that Chase would only need one round of anesthesia, recovery, etc. and it pretty much ensures that we’ll be able to get him back home by Monday (possibly sooner). There is a bit more risk relative to the possibility of infection, since Chase will be recovering from multiple wounds at the same time, but our underlying concern is getting him back on his tumor treatments, which we can’t administer in this hospital (since it’s not one of their protocols). We’re now hoping and praying that Chase recovers quickly and smoothly so that he can be discharged and get back on the ANP and Homeopathy treatments.

This brings us back to the visualizations – - in the short-term, we want to back off on fighting the tumor and focus on his recovery from the surgeries. We truly believe the visualizations are effective, as a very focused intention for our prayers, so we would like to continue using this approach as it’s even more effective with large numbers of participants. We would just like to focus on using the waterfall for Chase with healing energy and love to boost his systems in overcoming the surgery wounds for the next few days. Once he’s discharged and back on track with the treatments, we can get back to collectively attacking the tumor. In the meantime, the only thing we want to consider relative to the tumor is gratitude for it’s response to our collective prayers and the continued purging of dead cells (no more attacks at the moment).

Thanks again for all the prayers and support! The past few days has been another amazing ride on this roller-coaster and so far we’ve been able to collectively lift Chase to safety passed all the obstacles we’ve come across. Our little trooper was a bit wound up tonight as we were waiting for this procedure to start – he started swinging and kicking at the nurses who were preparing to take him down to the operating room (he was probably just about at his limit of being poked and prodded with their tests, blood draws, etc.). Fortunately, he’s a strong boy (or unfortunately for them), because he’s been through a lot and just keeps on going. We know someday he’ll look back and just be amazed at everything that he endured. It’ll be an inspiration and uplifting tale for his friends and family down the road. Thanks for participating in this miracle journey – you are truly awesome Prayer Warriors!

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Going into Surgery Tomorrow

2006-06-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

After another long day of evaluations we are stuck with some hard decisions. We tried like heck to support Chase’s removal from the intubation today, including a long stint on CPAP. We thought that with a decent amount of pressure, his airway would remain open and Chase would be able to breath fine, particularly since all of his vitals continued to look good as long as the airway is held open. Our little Trooper was very compliant and cooperative once again – he worked for quite a while with the CPAP, even though we know it was very uncomfortable with the mask. He tried his best to keep his lungs filled and was able to do so for almost an hour, but it was quite a struggle.

In the end, we realized that it wouldn’t be worth Chase expending all of his energy to breathe when we need his systems to continue fighting off and shrinking the tumor. Thus, our only real option is to have a tracheotomy, which is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Fortunately, this will be a reversible procedure and as soon as he’s over the hump with the nerve repair, we can have it removed, leaving a small wrinkle of a scar near his throat.

We also decided to go with a permanent shunt so that he can get the cranial pressure relief as we continue to work on shrinking the tumor. What we’ve learned about how this process is likely to continue to evolve is that as the tumor breaks down, it will become necrosis and liquidy in more areas, which will again cause further swelling before it shrinks. Thus, any additional pressure relief will become even more critical from here on out as we work diligently to get the tumor drained and purged from his body. We’re waiting to confirm the timing, but this procedure will likely take place on Friday and with any luck we are hoping to take Chase home again on Monday.

With these very important procedures behind us, we will continue to focus all efforts on fighting the tumor and getting it shrink as quickly as possible. The following link is to a file of images that are useful in visualizing with us Chase’s body succeeding in this battle of purging the dead tumor cells from his body. The sequence that we use is to clearly visualize a hologram of Chase before you in his healthy state (like the picture on his website). Then to imagine all the blood vessels inn the vicinity of his tumor becoming permeable to white blood cells – one illustration depicts the tumor and then in the next one, it is surrounded by white blood cells. Visualize every white blood cell in his body being drawn to the tumor and eventually there are so many surrounding it that they form a colony around it, completely engulfing it. Picture the white blood cells eating away at the tumor – they grab to tumor cells, pull them inside of them and then digest the cancer. Visualize the tumor shriveling up as the white blood cells eat away at it and then they carry away the debris. At the end of this sequence, use the waterfall picture to visualize pure light energy flowing over and through Chase, which is soothing and relaxing as it energizes and cleanses him.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/chasesammut/files/Visualization%20Images/

Hopefully you find these images helpful. We like to think of them as clearly focused and specific intentions for our prayers. If it helps, you can also use the image of Jesus from the Divine Mercy Novena file on the Yahoo group site as standing behind or next to Chase during the visualization, as the source of his healing energy. We’re getting through this critical week and hopefully he’ll soon be back home on his way toward a more rapid recovery. Thanks again for all the prayers and support!

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Praying for Strength in Chase's Vocal Cords

2006-06-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

After another long day at the hospital, we finally were able to get Chase in for a late “add-on” appointment in the OR to re-evaluate his airway passage. The good news was that they detected movement in both sides of the vocal cords (although the previous endoscopy indicated paralysis of at least one side). Unfortunately, the movement in the vocal cords was described as paradoxical – moving in the opposite direction that is needed for proper air passage. The ENT specialist isn’t sure if this indicates the first sign that the nerves are recovering (based upon the ongoing movement on both sides) and that perhaps with a little more time this will get corrected. We certainly hope so, since this would enable us to avoid the tracheotomy.

We’re hoping and praying that things improve further quickly with Chase’s vocal cords – we need the nerves to recover and correct their signals as soon as possible. The ENT is willing to try using a CPAP for a while as a less invasive way of treating the airway obstruction (versus intubation) and this could get us enough time for things to recover without the trach. We’re going to try the CPAP tomorrow morning and hopefully Chase will tolerate it – this is certainly better than the breathing tube, since he will be able to eat, drink, etc. Please keep that intention in your prayers.

We’re also anxious to get Chase back on his Antineopaston treatments. Technically, we’re not allowed to administer this at the hospital, since they don’t participate in the FDA phase II trial from the Clinic where get the medicine; however, our Oncologist is kind enough to pursue a deviation and hopefully we can get these treatments going again tomorrow. We also have some other decisions to make regarding the shunt after getting another opinion tomorrow. It seems that the temporary one has provided some relief, which could be important as we work aggressively to get the tumor to shrink over the next several weeks and months.

After consulting directly with Dr. Burzynski today once again, we understand that the tumor is likely to continue to swell as other areas breakdown and become liquid / necrosis. This means that the shrinkage / resorbtion of the tumor debris is more critical than ever. We’re continuing to visualize Chase’s white blood cells doing what is needed to get the debris away from the tumor as soon as possible through whatever means available. We’ve also come across some very effective visualization tools - we’re trying to find a way to post these on the blog or on the yahoo group page for anyone interested in using them.

Thanks for all the prayers and support! We’re very blessed to be able to keep Chase lifted in his battle to recover from this tragic challenge. We’re continuing to believe that Chase will eventually prevail and that this is an excellent opportunity to strengthen our faith and bring glory to God for his infinite mercy.

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Keep the Faith

2006-06-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

Carol
I usually don't send these things on but I couldn't stop thinking of Chase after I read this. Just a reminder God is with all of you through these very tough times.
KEEP THE FAITH! We will continue to pray for Chases recovery and for the strength you all need to get you through.
Love
Chris Grifka

At the end of this story, it gives you two options. I think you will figure out what option I chose.

As the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing, she was still groggy from surgery. Her husband, David held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver the couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing.

At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. "I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could. "There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one". Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived.

She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on. "No! No!" was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away. But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana.

Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.

There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there. At last, when Dana turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, "Do you smell that?"

Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain." Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?" Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain." Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him.

It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest." Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

You now have 1 of 2 choices. You can either pass this on and let other people catch the chills like you did or you can delete this and act like it didn't touch your heart like it did mine. IT'S YOUR CALL! "I can do all things in Him who strengthens me." This morning when the Lord opened a window to Heaven, He saw me, and He asked: "My child, what is your greatest wish for today?" I responded:

"Lord please, take care of the person who is reading this message, their family and their special friends. They deserve it and I love them very much" The love of God is like the ocean, you can see its beginning, but not its end.
__________________

This message works on the day you receive it. Let us see if it is true. ANGELS EXIST but some times, since they don't all have wings, we call them FRIENDS.

Urgent Call to Chase's Prayer Warriors

2006-06-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

Since Chase’s vital signs were good throughout the past day, the ER crew decided to try to remove the breathing tube and see if he was ok without assistance. Unfortunately, his heart rate immediately dropped to concerning levels and caused them to have to intubate Chase again right away. This was a pretty traumatic experience for him, particularly since with the tube in he can’t talk or eat and it’s extremely uncomfortable. They believe that the vocal cord paralysis may be blocking his airway too much for normal breathing to continue without a tube (or possibly CPAP, which I suggested as a short-term measure to support his recovery non-invasively). We’re hoping and praying that this is just a short-term issue and with the pressure relief from the temporary shunt and with some shrinkage of the tumor, the nerves will quickly recover so that his airway will stay open for normal breathing.

Fortunately, the chest X-rays today were clear and they no longer have any concerns about his lungs. His oxygen level has been fine as well, so the only thing we need to get back on track with his recovery is an open airway. They are going to try again tomorrow to remove the breathing tube and check his vital signs. If this doesn’t improve fairly soon, they may have to do a tracheostomy, which we would desperately like to avoid, if at all possible.

We are also continuing to pray that the necrosis areas in the tumor will dry up enabling the pressure to be reduced further and the whole lesion to shrink. This is the key to his long-term full recovery. Please join us in seeing Chase’s complete response and visualize his white blood cells rapidly carrying off the debris from the tumor. We truly appreciate all your prayers – they mean the world to us as we support Chase in getting over this latest speedbump as quickly as possible.

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is in the Hospital with a "Healing Crisis"

2006-06-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days, Chase developed an acute case of Stridor – a raspy snoring noise as he breathes, which became much worse as he sleeps. We took him to see and ENT specialist this past week, who determined that his airway was fine and his lungs sounded good, but the pressure on his nerves has resulted in paralysis of one of his vocal cords. This combined with his large tonsils and adenoids seemed to contribute to the stridor and the ENT doctor wasn’t too concerned about it – he felt it was essentially a “nuisance” at this point.

After the last MRI, the Radiologist also mentioned that he saw some hydrocephalus (fluid backing up in upper areas of the brain). This is apparently due once again to the pressure in the brainstem area, constricting the normal flow of spinal fluid. He described it as stepping on a hose (constricting the flow) and thus some of the fluid that would normally drain into the spinal cord is collecting in other areas of the brain, causing additional cranial pressure. He felt that we might get some relief from some of cranial pressure by having a shunt inserted into his neck to allow more free flow of the fluid. We were continuing to evaluate this option although his physical therapist (who is also an energy healer) felt that the symptoms weren’t acute (nausea, headaches, seizures, etc.) and that we might continue to work with his body to alleviate the pressure by slowly shifting the plates in his skull to stimulate the flow of his spinal fluid.

However, his breathing over the past couple of nights was more even labored, which was quite concerning and last night he vomited several times from 3-6 am. He was also quite lethargic yesterday evening and less responsive this morning (particularly after the bouts of nausea). We got quite concerned and checked with his doctor from the Burzynski Clinic, who recommended that we call emergency paramedics, which we did this morning and he was taken to ER. They were concerned that Chase might have aspirated a bit from some of his difficulty swallowing which could have resulted in fluid accumulating in his lungs.

He ended up being admitted at Beaumont this morning and they did a battery of tests. The chest X-ray showed the possibility of a small amount of fluid in his right lung, although not too concerning (he’s taking some antibiotics for this, just in case). Chase’s heart rate was irregular, with several dips to very low levels intermittently. They did a quick CT scan of the brain again, to check the status of the hydrocephalus. It did appear to be a concern and they conducted a quick procedure to insert a temporary shunt to monitor how much pressure was alleviated. This immediately regulated his breathing and heart rate and they are evaluating further the possibility of implanting a permanent shunt, after they see his condition over the next day or two. In some ways, this urgent procedure is enabling us to do what we were considering anyhow, in a much more rapid way with less inconvenience, since the ER crew was able to rush through all the steps that we otherwise would’ve had to schedule over several days.

The CT Scan once again showed large pockets of necrosis, which the Neurosurgeon thought almost looked like cysts containing either fluid or possibly just air at this point (they seem to be even larger than they were in the last MRI, which is pretty good news). He wants to consult with his colleagues about options that could further alleviate the cranial pressure by somehow opening the cysts (although this would require another craniotomy, which we would certainly like to avoid). All indications are that this tumor is indeed breaking down; however, until it actually shrinks, the pressure that is building-up is extremely concerning since it is affecting Chase’s vitals. This is essentially the “healing crisis” – the tumor is breaking down at a rate faster than his body can resorb the fluid or byproduct of the dead tumor.

We are praying that this miracle will accelerate so that by drying up the necrosis areas in the tumor, the pressure will be alleviated quickly and Chase can get on with the rest of his healing process. We’re keeping the faith and continuing to visualize his white blood cells rapidly carrying off the debris from the tumor. We truly appreciate all your prayers for the best possible outcome once again at this critical juncture! We are really at the crux of Chase’s recovery as the slightest amount of relief is what he needs at the moment to get beyond of this healing crisis.

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

God is Good and Chase's PET Scan was Great!

2006-06-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

Chase made us proud once again - he went through an urgently-scheduled PET scan w/o anesthesia so that we could determine if the recent change in the characteristics of his tumor are attributed to necrosis (breakdown / dead tissue) or increased metabolic activity. This is a critical distinction that has huge ramifications on our outlook and approach to his overall treatment plan.

We just got the results we were praying for - NEGATIVE PET -- no metabolic activity once again, which confirms that the "blisters" which recently appeared in his tumor are signs that it is finally starting to breakdown. God is having mercy on our little Champ!! According to the feedback of the Burzynski Clinic, based upon their previous experience, we can expect that the fluid to eventually dry out (hopefully in a matter of weeks, not months) and once this happens, the tumor will start to shrink. With this development we will get the long awaited relief of the pressure on Chase's brainstem and associated nerves.

Fortunately, we're also blessed with an outstanding physical therapist who does energy and cranial work as well, and she has excellent maternal instincts which Chase is starting to respond to. This is going to make a huge difference in the rate of his improvement as we progress through the recovery stages. Following her guidance, we decided to hold off on pursuing a shunt implant, even though his last MRI showed some signs of hydrocephalus (fluid backup in other areas of the brain), since it isn’t acute and she's confident that we can get Chase's system to respond non-invasively with our energy work - this appears to be making a real difference already.

We're also starting to see some continued improvement in the strength of Chase's right side. He did > 100 revolutions in his mini exercise bike during both of the past two days (after having struggled to do 30 for the first few days). He's also continuing to be able to lift his right arm - very slowly and methodically (clearly with strong willpower and effort) but nonetheless extremely encouraging progress.

Once again, we're keeping the faith and we believe more than ever that Chase moving in the right direction toward his complete recovery. This will be a truly amazing and sweet victory for the power of faith (all Glory to God!), particularly considering the prognosis we were given last August. Thanks for continuing to support us in prayer during this extremely trying time. I've also been extremely blessed with very understanding colleagues who are enabling me to take the time I need to focus on my family and support Chase's recovery full-time. Thanks to the EPIC team and Board (especially Randy Haight) - keep up the great work! I have no doubt that everything will continue to progress well there as they are on the home front in accordance with Divine Order.

Thanks and God Bless!

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase's Mixed MRI Results - Major Crossroads

2006-06-19T14:07:00.001-07:00

Chase cooperated really well for his MRI on Friday – this was a real concern because it had to be done without anesthesia, since the lead-time was a couple of months due to one of the MRI machines being down. We decided to do whatever we could to get earlier feedback, since we’ve been seeing significant neurological symptoms lately (paralysis, nausea, etc.). Normally, the hospital’s policy is that children under 10 years old aren’t allowed to do this kind of scan w/o anesthesia, since any movement would negate the results and this is a costly procedure; however, we were pretty confident that Chase could pull this off and, once again, he made us proud. He was extremely cooperative, even though their headphones were broken and the system was extremely loud for about 30 minutes of scanning.

We were fortunate to be able to meet with the Radiologist right away and get his impressions. Unfortunately, the tumor was somewhat larger, which is quite concerning and obviously the reason for the increased neurological symptoms; however, there was a very significant change in its characteristics. We had been told after the previous scans that there seemed to be some necrosis (accumulation of dead tissue) but this time it was extremely obvious – there were two quite large “blisters” or pockets of fluid inside the tumor. The Radiologist described these as pretty clearly necrosis, but wasn’t sure this would be good news, since he’s not familiar with the results to expect from anti-neoplastons and the other treatments that we’re doing.

We got the feedback from the Burzynski Clinic today, after they reviewed the CD of the MRI as well. Dr. Burzynski was gracious enough to give us a direct consultation to discuss his impressions. He seems to think this is very likely good news – indicating that the tumor is starting to break down and typically the next step would be that the liquid in the blisters would dry up and eventually collapse or shrink. However, there were some areas of enhancement in the scans around these blisters which could also be an indication of higher grade activity (i.e. malignancy). If this is the case, we would need to stop antineoplastons right away and quickly develop an alternative plan (such as radiation or immunotherapy targeting this cell type). Alternatively, this enhancement could just be confirmation of the blood supply being cut off to these areas of the tumor which would be great news.

The only way for us to distinguish this critical crossroad is to conduct another PET scan. Since we have a negative baseline, if there is any change in metabolic activity, it would be an indication of aggressive activity in the tumor. If we don’t see any activity again, then we’re pretty confident that Chase’s tumor is on the way to breaking down soon. In the meantime, his physical activity lately seems to be pointing in the right direction – he lifted his right arm yesterday for the first time in quite a while and he’s been able to continue to do this (whether just strong will or the nerves having less pressure). He also lifted his right leg a few times and is now starting to do pedaling exercises recommended by our physical therapist, who is also seeing signs of encouragement. This could also mean that the tumor is getting soft and alleviating some of the pressure.

We’re hoping to get another PET scan in the next few days which should really be a major fork in our road to Chase’s recovery. We’re continuing to visualize and pray for the best possible outcome and we truly appreciate everyone’s support at this critical juncture!

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase

2006-06-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

Chase is Being Lifted Up on Eagles Wings...

2006-06-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

Eagles In A Storm

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long
before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for
the winds to come. When the storm hits, the eagle sets its wings so
that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the
storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.

The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift
it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. When the
storms of life come upon us, and all of us will experience them, we
can rise above them by setting our minds and our faith toward God.
The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God's power to
lift us above them.

God enables us to rise on the winds of the storm that bring sickness,
tragedy, failure, and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above
the storm. Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us
down; it is how we handle them. Isaiah 40:31

Chase is continuing to do his best to remain compliant, although it’s a continuous challenge. We have been getting additional guidance recently from his Homeopath (Dr. Banerji), which is providing some tweaks to his treatment plan to deal with the necrosis and we’re researching into the potential use of hyperbaric oxygen chambers. He recently started physical therapy, which is a long road given his condition, but a necessary one. Although Chase didn’t cooperate too well with the first couple of sessions, he’s coming around lately.

He realizes that he’ll need to be able to walk in order to take his long-awaited trip to the Bahamas, so that’s giving him the motivation to cooperate with the therapy exercises. We’re also continuing to use the visualizations / quantum healing approach (focused mainly on seeing Chase’s white blood cells attacking and breaking down the tumor). We have another MRI scheduled for next Friday (6/16) which will provide another very important update on our progress, followed by consultations with his Oncologist and the Burzynski Clinic to determine the next course of action. Thanks for lifting up Chase in prayer and helping the whole family get through this challenge!

Love and gratitude,

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Receiving Quantum Healing

2006-06-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

We’re continuing to research and follow-up on everything we can to help support Chase in purging his body of this tumor. All indications are that the presence of cancer is negligible (if any at all), but the symptoms will continue until the tumor is resorbed by his body, shrinks, or otherwise breaks up and is disbursed. Through our continual focus on inflammation reduction (including the reluctant use of steroids), we’ve at least got the nausea back under control. However, he still has occasional issues with this which are very frustrating and upsetting (especially after we’ve gotten him to eat a decent meal). We’re doing our best to keep our heads up as we get over this latest speedbump on the way to his full recovery.

Chase is still extremely difficult to care for. Considering the circumstances, we’re trying to balance an approach of discipline and appeasing him which is always a challenge. It’s just so hard to restrict him or set limits, knowing what he’s going through, but we realize that if we don’t get this under control he’ll become a real “monster”. So we’re trying to lovingly set restrictions on how he can react to frustrating situations (which tend to occur throughout the day, given his limited abilities at the moment). He seems to be coming around though and hopefully he’s adjusting to this new temporary condition of paralysis. We also believe that the steroids are a major contributor to his emotional instability and we’re hoping to taper them off again soon.

The latest approach we’ve come across to help accelerate Chase’s progress of purging the residual tumor is Quantum Healing. This is essentially the use of very vivid visualizations with specific intention on the exact process we’re trying to bring about. We’re just getting into this and it’s very exciting and encouraging. We’ll share more details as we learn about it and the various techniques that we’re applying. We’re also continuing with the detox foot baths and applying the rife frequencies to stimulate the breakdown. Of course, the most important constant aspect of his well-being is the continual prayer. This is helping us all to strengthen our faith as we just know in our hearts and firmly believe that everything is working out perfectly, according to His plan.

Thanks for the continued prayers and support!

God Bless!

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase had a very Memorable 6th Birthday

2006-05-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Well, Chase managed to hang in there during his Birthday party last Friday, although he wasn’t as much in the spirit as we had hoped. It’s easy to understand with all his symptoms and limitations at the moment. The part that really seemed to get him down was one of his perpetual favorites – the piñata. He just didn’t want to participate since he couldn’t use his right hand to hit it and couldn’t stand on his own. We’re not sure how much of this is due to frustration or just embarrassment in front of his friends and classmates. Anyhow, he eventually got over it and did enjoy the movie – Over the Hedge. It was a hit with all the kids and made us realize that this is probably a good outlet or distraction for Chase to forget about things for a while – we’ll probably be taking him to the theatre more often.

Then on his Birthday yesterday, we took him to school to bring cupcakes to his class, which was a big hit. He really enjoyed the visit and the warm reception. That seemed to get his spirits up again. We also got him the main present he was asking for - a large blow up water slide for the yard (the size of a moonwalk). Although he couldn’t really use it, he was able to roll around on the air mattress part and play a bit of catch with his left hand. He got a big kick out of this and enjoyed being on it so much that he wanted to have a camp-out in the yard and sleep on the air mattress part of it. After we thought about it, we said “why not” and made a real memorable experience out of it – dinner in the garden, roasted marshmallows over a fire pit, etc. It was great fun for all – especially Barbara, who could use all the features of the structure and slept on the upper level.

There was just one catch – we forgot to shut off the sprinkler system, so we all got woken up at 5 am in the cold and got soaked. Oh well, that just added to the fondness of our collective memory. Barbara was too excited to go back to school and tell all her friends about the camp out she had. Overall, Chase really enjoyed it too, even though he got nauseas again after dinner and vomited. He’s a real trooper and just tries to get over things quickly while looking on the bright side. He seemed really saddened at times, though, for example when he mentioned that he thought he wasn’t going to be on this medicine anymore after his birthday (of course, that’s what we had hoped too). We just keep reminding him that this will happen soon enough and that someday he’ll understand all of this and why he’s such a special kid – he’ll be able to help many others in this situation as well.

Thanks to all of Chase’s Prayer Warriors for helping to lift his spirits and make his 6th Birthday memorable!

Love,

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is Extremely High Maintenance at the Moment

2006-05-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Although we truly believe we’re at the turning point in Chase’s condition, he’s extremely needy at the moment – he doesn’t want to be left alone for a moment. This means that everything on the home front is “on edge”, with extremely high levels of stress at almost every moment. Since he can’t use his right hand and leg, Chase gets very frustrated often which quickly escalates to anger when he can’t do what he wants. This is of course understandable, but nonetheless unbearable when we’re hopeless to relieve him. All we can do in those situations is surrender to God and retreat in prayer (when we can remain calm enough to remember this) which is very hard with a yelling and crying child to deal with. Needless to say, we’re really learning the meaning of “handing it over to God” in this situation, because there’s simply nothing more we can do.

Fortunately, there are still some happy times. Chase went and picked out a hamster yesterday for his 6th Birthday and was really enjoying his company. He was giggling and chuckling for hours until Carol heard a loud scream and came running to find Chase vomiting violently. When he finally calmed down and was able to relay what happened, it turned out that something set him off laughing so hard that he got a head rush which led to the nausea. This little story clearly exemplifies the tenuous situation as well as the range of emotions that fluctuate at any moment. Add to this the fact that in those circumstances Chase only wants his mommy to be there, and it means that the pressure on Carol is almost unimaginable. Even more frustrating for me is being rejected many times when I try to console Chase, can’t understand what he wants, and ultimately nothing will do until Carol is back by his side….

I’m only relaying this background to convey the fact that more than ever we’re being challenged and having to turn to our faith as we’re clearly being put to the test. We know that we’re doing everything possible to support Chase’s recovery and that the ultimate outcome is up to God. However, complete surrender is never easy, especially when the “tests” occur on a daily basis, often hourly. We’re finding ourselves stumbling more often than we’d like and being brought back to our knees – which is the only place that is “safe” at the moment.

This afternoon, Chase is having some of his friends and classmates over to celebrate his B-day. We’re making sure he gets a good nap while hoping and praying that he can keep it together to enjoy himself. After organic pizza, cake and soy ice cream, we’ll be taking the gang to see the grand opening of Over the Hedge. Please lift Chase in your prayers today and throughout the weekend as we hope his recovery accelerates so that his pain can soon come to an end.

Thanks for all the prayers and support! With lots of love and gratitude,

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase is on the Rebound

2006-05-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Since receiving the great news about the PET scan results, we’ve had a renewed positive outlook about Chase’s recovery. The Radiologist at the Burzynski Clinic reviewed the scan and concurred with the first read – no metabolic activity, which is a great sign. They want us to continue with their treatments for a while, since there could be microscopic cells that didn’t get picked up on the PET and we would want to knock those out to prevent a relapse. We’re still waiting on the second opinion from the Proton Beam Radiation center in Indiana – hopefully they will agree as well and provide some insight on strategies to help remove the necrosis tissue.

We’re also following up with our Nutritionist next week who has some specific ideas on ways to stimulate the body to absorb or process this tissue, including oxygen chamber therapy. We recently started giving Chase special foot baths that are intended to provide a detoxification benefit – what an eye-opener. You wouldn’t believe the kinds of gunk that this 20 minute footbath draws out of the body, which seems to confirm that detox is our real issue at the moment.

We’re extremely excited and anxious to see the results of these treatments to provide relief for the Chase’s symptoms. He’s still very nauseous (typical neurological symptoms with inflammation) - vomiting daily, and having headaches. We’re doing everything we can to reduce the swelling, but it may just have to take its course. We’re praying and visualizing the lesion breaking up into small pieces and being disbursed throughout his body to be flushed out. We can’t wait to see this happen!

I just received a link from a story that was on the Pittsburgh news a couple of days ago about Medjugorje http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/actionnewsextras/9187210/detail.html . This is a very accurate description and shows what the place is like, including Apparition Hill that we climbed. I also received a link to a really special song that my friend Tom Nawrocki recorded about the pilgrimage http://www.septacom.com/chase.mp3. Just waned to pass these moving pieces along…

We truly believe that Chase’s miracle is unfolding before our eyes and we’re excited to share it with all of his Prayer Warriors - thanks for helping us keep the faith!

Love,

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Praise the Lord for Chase's Miraculous PET Scan!

2006-05-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Chase had a pretty rough weekend (didn’t keep anything down since the lunch he had on Fri), so we were pretty concerned about his PET scan this morning. Luckily, he really cooperated like the good trooper that he’s been throughout this whole ordeal.

The results were just miraculous – no metabolic activity at all in a full body scan!! First the Radiologist sent the nurse to assure us that everything looked “good”, but of course we wanted to understand in more detail what exactly he meant. When I met with him, he said that the PET scan was “clean”. I asked what precisely does this mean and he said “weren’t you looking for a recurrent tumor after the radiation and chemo – well, there isn’t any”? When I explained that Chase has been on antineoplastons and other alternative therapies, but his MRI still showed a mass, the Radiologist responded, “I don’t know about that but the PET is negative”. He then clarified that it could mean either the tumor is “inactive”, or it is just an accumulation of necrosis (dead tissue) or both.

I immediately called the Burzynski Clinic in Houston and they too were elated, but cautious. Of course they want us to Fed Ex a copy of the CD scan to review it, but they feel it is what they were hoping – the tumor is dying off but needs time to be absorbed and processed by Chase’s body. After reviewing the scan, they plan to make recommendations for the treatment plan going forward. They feel it will just be a matter of time for the symptoms to subside and the tumor to shrink or ideally go away.

Chase’s Oncologist (Dr. Main) was also extremely pleased and just congratulated us. He doesn’t have any experience with this so he was also somewhat cautious and suggested that we get another opinion from the Midwest Proton Center in Bloomingdale Indiana – he feels that the Radiologist there is one of the best in the industry.

So for now, we’re just taking this as the glorious sign that it is – something seems to be working and we’re certain it has to do with all the prayers and support from Chase’s Warriors! This is the best news we’ve received since the start of this whole process and we’re keeping our eye on the prize. We believe more than ever that God has great plans for Chase and for all of us to bear witness to His healing power and infinite mercy! We’ll convey more as we learn it, but until then thanks for helping us keep the faith!

Love,

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase will have a PET Scan on Monday

2006-05-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

Chase has had a rough time for the past few days – very symptomatic with neurological issues due to the cranial pressure from the increased swelling. We’ve started putting a much greater emphasis on the detoxification aspect of his overall treatment plan and we’re hoping that will help soon. We also had another round of consultations this week with his Oncologist, Nutritionist, the Burzynski Clinic, Endocrinologist, etc. Our focus in the short term is to address his immediate symptoms so that he’s not so miserable with regular headaches and vomiting. We think that some of the adjustments we made are working because he didn’t have a headache this morning and he had a good lunch today (actually held it down for the first time in > 2 days).

We still need to determine whether the recent increase in the size of Chase’s tumor is related to actual cancer growth or necrosis (dead tissue that is accumulating because our treatments have been effective and his body just needs to “process” or absorb it). This is the most important information that we need to figure out how to proceed, and we should get this insight through the PET scan that is scheduled for Monday morning at 7 am EST. While we’re working on plans A, B, and C based upon what we learn from the PET scan, we’re hoping and praying that it comes back negative, indicating that there isn’t much metabolic activity in the tumor. The good thing about his antineoplaston treatments with the IV and pump is that it actually helps to slowly convert the tissue to normal over time and enable his body to absorb it with the volume of flushing that takes place on a daily basis.

So Monday will be another big day for Chase and we’re hoping that between now and then the adjustments we made will enable him to have a good weekend without too much discomfort. It’ll be nice to hear him laugh again and enjoy watching his favorite programs or reading his favorite books (Captain Underpants), which is about all he can do these days. We’re doing our best to remain positive, keep the faith and expect the best. All the support of Chase’s Prayer Warriers is certainly helping keep us all stay lifted along the way. We sincerely appreciate all the thoughts and prayers!

Love,

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Miracles Don't Come Easy

2006-05-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

We wish we had better news to report on Chase’s MRI from Friday, but unfortunately it showed an increase in size by about 25%. This is resulting in additional symptoms lately with more weakness on his right side – he is unable to use his right hand and his imbalance is preventing him from getting around much.

This was of course pretty devastating news and it took a while to pick ourselves back up again, but just like the resurrection, within 3 days we returned to full faith and confidence that everything is working out perfectly. We actually believe that there is significant breakdown occurring within the tumor but that it can only be purged from Chase’s body at the pace of its detoxification, which is becoming our gating factor. When you travel (particularly long international trips), the body tends to get dehydrated and this prevents the purging that is needed for detoxification. He also hasn’t been drinking enough fluids lately and he was constipated for a few days upon our return. All of this is leading us to conclude that our focus in the short-term needs to be as many aspects of detoxification as possible and we’re going to be adding a regular detox foot bath for the next few weeks.

On a positive note, Chase’s Naturopath did an updated frequency scan (advanced Rife technology) which seemed to indicate a significant reduction in the presence of cancer in his system. She believes the increased size is also either dead cells swelling or bacteria. Hopefully this is the case and with enough purging we can get the tumor to shrink so that his symptoms can subside. The swelling is causing nausea once again, headaches, fatigue and feeling bad in general.

Thus, we have chosen to keep Chase home from school – there’s only a few weeks of kindergarten left and he’s not in any condition to participate (he’s actually somewhat miserable when pushed to participate in things). The positive side of this is that he’ll get a lot of quality time with Carol, which is what he probably really needs for the TLC to get healed. He’ll also be able to take more naps, which again should help his body repair itself, and being home around the clock will enable us to monitor more closely his meds and make adjustment, if necessary. Of course, this means a lot more work on the home front in the short term, but perhaps this is a blessing to keep us all focused and grounded in devout prayer.

In short, we think this is just another test of faith. Sometimes it’s darkest before the light – we just have to remain positive and pray that His will be done, believing that whatever that may be, it’s Divine Order and in our best interest. One last positive note – I received an e-mail update over the weekend about another patient (6 yrs old) with the exact same condition as Chase, diagnosed 2 wks after him and her MRI last was essentially clear (a vague shadow of the old tumor). They were using the same homeopathic remedy we are and a lot of prayer – God is good!

Thanks for all the prayers and support! With lots of love and gratitude,

John & Carol Sammut
Chase & Barbara Ann

Chase’s Miracle Pilgrimage

2006-04-23T18:36:00.000-07:00

Our entire journey was better than we could have imagined, although it was incredibly exhausting. Despite the fact that we only had a few days in Medjugorje and hadn’t planned out the itinerary in detail, everything fell into Divine Order thanks for the most part to our gracious host family. They were simply amazing – they escorted us around to all the main sites that are a must see for any pilgrimage to Medjugorje, such as the neighboring parish where the priest (Fr. Jozo) presided over St. James parish in their village when the apparitions started and was persecuted by the Communist government, the local orphanage caring for children of the war victims, the rehab center, and our climbs up mount Krucevek and Apparition Hill.

We were very fortunate to be able to take Chase on this journey before his condition had progressed such that it was too much of burden for him – his condition is just beginning to limit and really frustrate him. Over the past few weeks, the muscle weakness on his right side has begun to affect his ability to walk and use his right hand. We were able to get him around in a stroller most of the time, except for the mountain climbs – I actually carried him on my back up cross mountain through the stations of the cross and it must have been with the help of many angels because it wasn’t nearly as hard as I would’ve thought. Actually some of the others on the climb had a harder time than I did even with Chase on my shoulders.

On Friday morning, we attended a talk by one of the local Franciscan priests from the Parish of St. James. Afterwards, his translator (Ivanka) stopped to talk with Sister Carmela, having recognized her from the pilgrimage she took in October when she “carried” Chase is prayer. Ivanka had been with her and remembered the experience as well as the message / calling that Sister received for us. Ivanka was very pleased to see us there with Chase. Her message to me was that we needed to let God know that we are willing to carry our cross and then he will have access to be able to help us remove it… this stuck with me and that afternoon, when we attended a Divine Mercy service, I was moved in a very deep way. I felt like Abraham lifting his son up to God, willing to take his life for Him if it was God’s will. Although it was something that I knew intuitively needed to happen, I was still unwilling and resistant. This was quite a release and it was no coincidence to me that I received a reminder that morning on the day we were preparing ourselves for a miraculous experience.

The highlight of the pilgrimage was on Friday afternoon - our personal meeting with one of the visionaries that Our Lady has been appearing to. Ironically, she had this illness in common with Chase. Several years ago, she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and had daily headaches as well as other painful complications. Nevertheless, she “carried her cross” with love in her heart, never complaining about this condition. The Blessed Mother dictated letters to be delivered to the local priest and bishop with instructions that they were not to be opened for 9 months until September 25th (coincidentally, Carol’s B-day). On that day several years ago, the letters were opened in front of witnesses – they included an explanation of the fact that this obedient servant wanted to carry this burden for the sake of lost souls and that as of the date the letters were opened, her journey would be completed. She then went to her doctor who conducted scans confirming that the tumor was completely gone without a trace.

Obviously she could empathize with us and she willingly prayed over Chase at length. When she was done, she said that during her apparition that evening she would be asking for Our Lady’s intercession. Her words of advice to us were “the Lord knows when to give us a cross to carry, which we are to do lovingly, and He knows when to take it away”….

Friday evening, during the exact time of the daily apparition (which now takes place wherever the visionary is which on this day would be at her home), we were all together praying on Apparition Hill (the site of the first appearances). Chase was in great spirits, even though he had a rough time earlier that day and we weren’t sure he was going to join us since he was so tired. Somehow he came to life just as we were getting ready to head to Apparition Hill and insisted that he wanted to come with us. We had a beautiful prayer service for Chase at the blue cross (where the appearances have been occurring) and we were joined by several other pilgrims who knew nothing of our situation but were eager to join us. We all prayed and sang songs for about an hour which was the most moving experience you can imagine.

We returned for a peaceful evening where Chase and Barbara slept really well. On Saturday, we went to the morning mass and then head back to Dubrovnik so that we could stay closer to the airport to catch our early flight back home. That night, Chase was murmuring and mumbling in his sleep for a while which woke us up. Carol went to lay with him when he started shaking and shivering (almost in convulsions), although he was not awake or conscious. I came over to join them and prayed over Chase, forcibly holding him down as we prayed to prevent his muscle jerking. Eventually he woke up as if nothing happened and he realized we were laying next to him – he was almost surprised and said he wanted to sleep by himself, so we gave him space and went back to our beds.

Then he called me back to his bed teary eyed and asked me if it hurts when you die. I replied, “no Chase it’s a joyful time when you join Jesus in heaven” – of course I was concerned about what would lead to such as question so I said, why do you ask. His shocking response was that he was dreaming that he was still a little boy and after a couple of years I had died….how’s that for a turn of events. I assured him that was just a bad dream (unlike the miracle dream he had with Jesus a couple of weeks ago) - I truly believe he was being “cleansed” by our Lord during his sleep, while an evil spirit was scaring him in the process. Chase woke up fine once again (although he did remember the dream and was still sad when he talked with me about it).

Although his physical condition hasn’t seemed to change yet, that doesn’t deter our belief that he is / was healed. We know that the real key now is to continue to pray with deep faith in gratitude to God and Jesus for his healing miracle. Ironically, Sister Carmela pulled me aside on Sunday morning to tell me that she also received a message for me (sort of related to the Abraham story) and conveyed that the reason God stopped his hand was because of the depth / strength of his faith. I know from the discussions I had with the Homeopath that even after his patients had their tumors completely regressed, it took some time for the nerve damage to be repaired, but ultimately they regained full faculties with no long-term deficits. This is what we are expecting to be the case for Chase and we’re excited about his next MRI which is scheduled for this Friday.

In the meantime, we’ll be praying our hearts out in gratitude for an amazing experience, including our safe return and the fact that we got two first class upgrades once again. There’s a lot more to our experience than I could possibly convey in this update - suffice it to say that this was a glorious and memorable pilgrimage for Chase and out entire family. We appreciate all your prayerful support along the way – this has been an incredible ride and we feel truly blessed by the experience.

Love,

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann

Incredible Pilgrimage

2006-04-21T00:26:00.000-07:00

This has been just the most amazing / moving experience that it's hard to put in words. We are truly feeling the presence of Our Lady, Jesus, and the uplifting prayers of all Chase's Prayer Warriers!

We are all very excited for the climb up Apparition Hill this afternoon and we really appreciate all who are planning to join us in prayer at 12:30 pm Eastern Standard Time. Today is a big day leading up to the end of the Divine Mercy Novena (by the way, Pope John Paul passed away on the final day of the Novena last year - during the Saturday vigil and there's no doubt it was divine intervention).

Since there's so much power in prayer and we have countless Warriers that will be joining us today, we would like to include the intentions that we received for this pilgrimage:

Drew Baggett, James Burgess, Naomi Reisler, James Neubauer, Alicia , Dylan Jeskey, Alex Kline, Diane Radle, Kathy Lovelady, Baby Megan and our beloved Chaser Boy...

We believe this pilgrimage will make a significant difference for all of these special people and we wish they could all join us in person, but we know they are with us in spirit as we've carried them with us in our hearts and that they will feel the power of our collective prayers today to lift them out of their condition.

Thanks again to everyone for spreading the word and uniting with us in faith. Anyone who is so inclined is welcome to join us in fasting and praying the Novena today. We truly appreciate all your prayers and support!

Love,

John & Carol
Chase & Barbara Ann