Chase Hits Another Speed Bump

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!

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

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

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

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.commegkoss@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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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