history13.page

Happy 2nd Birthday!! Life keeps going!!

Thursday, March 30, 2000 at 10:22 PM (CST)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR JORDYN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! YOU'RE NOW THE BIG TWO!!!
Today is Jordyns' birthday! It has been an amazing 2 years, I can for one tell you that as her Mommy! Jordyn is more than a little 2 year old girl, she is an amazing person! She has the strength of a healthy 25 year old man! She has the mind that amazes everyone who meets her! She is such a sweet little girl, and I have yet to meet a person who comes across Jordyn who does not just fall in love immediately!
I am the honored chosen one! I got to give birth to her almost exactly 2 years ago! Jordyn came into this world, on her own! She was a few days late, but early enough that we didn't have to go ahead with the "scheduled" induction, even though eventually she was inducted! But that is a story all in itself! :)
I am not one for physical pain, like oh, labor! But let me tell you this, 2 years later, I would do it all over again, to have Jordyn! She is such an amazing little girl and we are so blessed to have her in our life!!!
Having a child with leukemia, is a struggle! Those who have a child who has a serious illness, know what I mean, yet I have to say, the disease is not the important thing. Leukemia is not our daughter, it is in our daughters' body, but it is not what makes her who she is! Jordyn was who she was long before she got leukemia, and so many loved her long before her body was ill! Do not feel sorry for us, feel sorry for those who have not been blessed to have met Jordyn, either through the net, or in real life!
So many of you only know Jordyn by the words I type here, let me tell you, she is amazing!!!!!!!!
I am going to THANK GOD right here and in my prayers for Jordyn! I thank him everyday for her! He blessed me with her, I pray to him that I am allowed to keep her in my arms until she is 80 or so years old! Ok, so hopefully I will be with our father by then but I want her to be held by someone, at that time!
Today is Jordyns' day, please all as soon as you read this praise our Lord for Jordyn, for your loved ones, and thank him for your life!
Continue to thank the Lord everyday for all those you love! Don't quit!
Jordyn is the sunshine in my life and for many who meet her! THANK YOU GOD, THANK YOU JESUS! Thank you for dying for us, for loving us so much! THANK YOU!
Send up your prayers for Jordyn and keep sending her your love! We feel the love.
Also don't forget to go to:
www.makeachildsmile.org
and see Jordyn until tomorrow, March 31, 2000. Alex will be posting the new kids up around midnight or so, so read Jordyns' story or else you will lose out!
Also if you are supporting, MACS, please continue to even after Jordyn is off the Featured Kids for the month! It means a lot to the kids and parents! :)
Have a blesses day! And don't forget to PRAISE our FATHER!

Tuesday, April 04, 2000 at 07:45 PM (CDT)

Hi everyone! We went to Walter Reed today and here are Jordyns' counts!
WBC-4.3
H-20.9
H-6.9
Plateletts- below 10!
Jordyn is doing very well, she is still eating very well, anf in a pretty good mood!We are planning on planting some flowers on Thursday! Yesterday, Jordyn and I went to WAL-MART and bought 6 different kinds of flowers! Jordyn picked them out herself!!!
She is excited about it!! We also purchased a garden ornament! It's a cow that "moo's" when you walk past him! Jordyn saw him and it was LOVE!!So we walked through WAL-MART and the cow moo'd at everyone we passed, we got laughs, smiles, and a dirty look from an older woman!I don't know if she thought we moo'd at her or what!! :)
Jordyn is still getting cards and gifts from MACS! Yesterday she recieved a Pooh Bear, a Pooh outfit, matching socks, and hat! Two coloring books, and Pooh and Telletubbies stickers! That is all from opne person!! :) She recieved quite a few cards and packs of stickers from people!! She is so loved!
We want you all to know how much we love all of you, and apperciate your support. I know that some people wonder if we know how loved we are, we do! I know we don't always acknowledge all of you, but please know that we are so greatful!
Please continue to pray for Jordyn and continue to pray for her!!
GOD BLESSAL OF YOU!!!
I would also like for you to continue to support MAKE A CHILD SMILE!, please go to:
www.makeachildsmile.org
also visit these sites:
www.squirreltales.com
www.One Voice Foundation,Inc
if you have problems getting to these sites, e-mail me personally and i will make sure you get there!! These are 3 wonderful sites, and I think you will all enjoy them!
GOD BLESS AND HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

Friday, April 07, 2000 at 03:00 PM (CDT)

Hi we took Jordyn into Walter Reed today, she needed plateletts! Here are her counts as of today.
WBC-6.9
Crit-17
Hemoglobin-5.9
Plateletts-6

She is doing well still, it's a day to day process! We have decided along with her oncologist to try something that will give Jordyn more comfort! Jordyns' eyes have been bulging, the reason is that the leukemia is settling behind them and expanding, in non-medical terms! So we are going to radiate them. There is no side effects to worry about, in the future there could always be things that may pop up, but for now, we have to live in the present! Jordyn has already gone through total body irradiation, so we will only be doing her eye area!
Chad and I feel very postive about this. We believe that this will make her so much better, her outer eyes are actually starting to tear a little, and we know that is hurting her, so we will do this and I believe it will work to kill those evil cells that are behind her eyes!
We are praying for a miracle always, and I believe that God will do what is right for all of us. He loves us, he loves Jordyn so very much and I know that he loves me. That is sometimes the thing I have to remind myself of!
Jordyn is such an amazing child.She is a child of GOD! There is no doubt about that. We know that he holds her tight and loves her so very much.
I ask that you pray for Jordyn.
1. pray that the radiation works for her, that it gives her more pain-free days!
2. pray for a miracle, that the leukemia is lifted from her body!
3. Pray for strength for Jordyn
4. Pray for strength for ME, Christy, mommy
5. Pray for strength for Chad, daddy
6. Pray for strength for her grandparents
7. Pray for strength for her aunts and uncles
8. Pray for strength for all of you!
9. Pray that there is a cure for this disease and that no more children have to suffer from this disease or any other!
10. Pray for the doctors to have not only the knowledge to treat Jordyn and all these children, but to have a heart when they are treating our children.

We have been blessed with having wonderful doctors. We are still in contact with her wonderful, talented German doctor. Dr. Graf and the staff of K-5, WE LOVE AND MISS YOU!
I was just thinking today about where we were a year ago! It seems like so long ago, amazing!! So much has happened!
We love our drs and the staff at Walter Reed! We know that you all love Jordyn, hard not to! :)
To the staff at Childrens' National: Thank you for taking such wonderful care of Jordyn while she was there! Thank you!! Don't give up on Jordyn, don't count her out!! She is a strong and powerful little girl. She is an amazing child, with amazing abilities!!!
We are blessed to have ever had Jordyn in our life, and we thank GOD and praise Jesus, for loving us so much, to allowing us to have Jordyn. Thank you for dying for our sins and loving us that much.

Lord, I don't know how you did it, when you saw your child in pain. Your strength and love is so unimaginable to the human mind. We are of so little compared to you. I look forward to the day that I can meet you.

We all need to take a moment everyday and just look around and see our life for what it is, a preperation for HEAVEN! What a time we will have then!!!

We know that everyday is precious, to those who have sick children, loved ones, or are sick themselves, you know just how precious everyday is. Take that day and grab hold! To those who do not have a sick one directly in your life, look at your life and praise GOD that you do not have to see a loved one sick. Praise GOD for the health of you and all the loved ones in your life!!!! PRAISE GOD for everyday that you are alive.
Remember that the bills will be there later on in the day, the chance to tell someone you love that you do LOVE them or to give them a hug, that moment may pass, so take hold of that moment and just do it!! Hold nothing back, nothing!!
I am claiming a quote right now, and I try to live by it! Take note please!!

"Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed." Corita Kent

Live each moment to the fullest!!
God Bless all of you.

Oh I think I forgot to tell you, Jordyn will be having an MRI on Tuesday, April 11, to prep for the radiation. We do not have an official starting day yet for the radiation, it should start by the end of next week!

Have a wonderful week, and don't buy gas until Monday, it is the NATIONAL GAS OUT!! Make a difference, we all can if we stand together!
Love to all

Monday, April 10, 2000 at 07:56 PM (CDT)

Hi all! We took Jordyn to Walter Reed today for her to get red-packed blood cells! Here are her counts:
WBC-7.4
HGB-7.4
Crit-15.1
Plateletts-43

She is doing ok, she is sleeping a little more and she doesn't walk a lot, because the leukemia has pretty well taken over her bone marrow. We are taking it one day at a time and just enjoying the time we have with her.

We take her in tomorrow morning at 6:45 am for her MRI, which is scheduled at 7:30! Fun, Fun, Fun!!! But, I am not complaining, because it is the first step towards starting the radiation! They told us today that she will start the radiation before the end of the week! That is great news for us, that means relief for our sweet girl! I hate having her in any kind of pain. We are giving her Tylenol 3 more often now, which is what Hospice advises to do. We give it to her between every 2 to 3 hours, one tablespoon! She often asks for it right about the time it is time for the next dose, so she knows what it does for her. Sad that a 2 year old has to be so smart about such a horrible thing....

Well, we had a good weekend. We really didn't do anything, we are just trying to spend as much time we have with Jordyn. We don't know if she will only be with us for a few more weeks, or many many years. We know it is up to God what happens with Jordyn, she is in his capable hands. We turn her over to God, and pray that we get to keep her. I know that what ever happens I love her and that she will be taken care of wherever she goes, or stays!

I will give another update tomorrow once we get home from her MRI and let you all know how it went and tell you any new news!
Send up praise to our Lord and never look down, unless it is into the eyes of your child!

"Life is a succession of moments. to live each one is to succeed." Corita Kent

Please keep Jordyn in your prayers, lift her up to God and give him your all! We know that God hears our prayers, Jordyn is still here, and they predicted she would not make it to March! Never give up praying!! May the Lord be with you!!!

All our love prayers

Tuesday, April 11, 2000 at 08:29 PM (CDT)

Hi everyone,
Well we took Jordyn to Walter Reed today for her MRI. It took a lot to knock her out, I think she was overly tired and she was fighting it, so they had to give her quite a bit of sedation! They began attempting to get her asleep at 730 and she didn't fall asleep soundly until about 9 am!!! Once we took her back upstairs to the sedation room, which was about 9:40 she didn't wake up until after 1 pm!
We did find out that the leukemia is definately behind her eyes, and we found out it is in her sinuses! So they will radiate her sinuses too! This should all make her feel so much better!!!!
She may start radiation tomorrow, we don't know and won't until tomorrow. They will measure her and if they can fit her in then we will begin tomorrow. Otherwise we will start it Thursday! I will update you tomorrow and let you all know!

Please conitinue to pray for Jordyn. Pray for the radiation to work, pray that the Lord continues to give Jordyn and us, her parents strength! Thank you for your continous love and support!

Until tomorrow...
"Life is a succession of moments. to live each one is to succeed." Corita Kent

God Bless all of you and have a wonderful day. All of our love to you all

Wednesday, April 12, 2000 at 03:25 PM (CDT)

Hi everyone, as promised here is the update about Jordyn and our new adventures in radiation! Jordyn began RADIATION today! HORRAY!!! She will recieve two more doses, one Thursday and the last one on Friday! We ask that you all keep Jordyn, the radiologists , anistigiologist, and us her parents in your prayers.
The radiation is actually quite quick it is only a 5 to 10 minute ordeal! Knocking her out actually takes longer and getting her to wake up!! But they each only take between 10-15 minutes, so it's all pretty quick!
We believe this will bring down the pressure on Jordyns' eyes and sinuses. We know that more than likely she's been having headaches, with the leukemia being packed behind her eyes and in her sinuses! For those of you who get sinus pressure, can you imagine having almost a tumor back there! That is what Jordyn has!! YUCK!!
Well, that is really about all we will return to Walter Reed tomorrow morning for radiation and Friday morning, they will be drawing labs on her tomorrow, so I should be updating tomorrow with news of her counts.
We plan on having a wonderful weekend, my friend from high school, Regina and her little boy, Corbin will be coming up from North Carolina to visit, and I am very excited!
Well, I will talk to you later!! Please continue to pray for a full cancer free recovery for Jordyn. For her to have a long cancer free life. We ask that you all pray for a long EARTHLY life cancer free for Jordyn!
"Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed." Corita Kent
"It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else." Erma Bombeck
May the Lord be with all of you and don't forget to send up not only prayers to our Lord, but also praises! We all have much to be thankful for! We are thankful for having Jordyn in our lives, for being blessed to have delivered her into this world and see her beautiful smile, hear her wonderful laugh!! Smile God loves you!!
Love to all of you!

Thursday, April 13, 2000 at 04:50 PM (CDT)

Hi well today we took Jordyn in for her radiation which went very well! She then was taken up to the hem-onc clinic and they drew her labs! We knew that she needed plateletts when she was getting ready for radiation;because she bit her tongue and she bled so much!! She got plateletts, and then she broke out in HIVES!!!! She had a pretty bad break out! We finally got home around 4 pm! It was a long day, but we are home now!! HORRAY!!! Well, here are Jordyns' counts for today!
WBC-7.4
Crit-23.6
HGB-8.0
Plateletts-10
Things are going well this evening. She ate a buritto, from TACO BELL! She has also ate yogurt! And is drinking very well!
She is still pretty tired, between the sedation for the radiation and the benedryl for the hives, she is just wanting to sleep and lay around.
Well, we have her last treatment of radiation tomorrow! We have noticed some reduction of her eyelids!!! YEAH!!!!!! So it is working!! We were told we may not see any progress until this weekend, so I think this is a good sign! Please pray that we see a large reduction, and that she starts feeling quite a bit better.
We are planning on a nice weekend, Mommys' freind Regina and her little boy are coming to see us from North Carolina, we are quite anxious and excited to see them. We have never met Corbin and haven't seen Regina since Regina's wedding! Jordyn was only a few months old!
Continue to pray for strength for Jordyn, Me and Chad. Pray for strength for Jordyns' grandparents and uncles' and aunts, who are far away: In Kansas and Ohio. To all the family and friends who are there, pray for them too! Pray that we are allowed to keep Jordyn here on this earth for many decades to come!!
Well, I will go and update over the weekend, who knows maybe I will even update the Pictures!! Look and see.
Also, please if you are here please sign the the guestbook! That way we know you were here and thinking of Jordyn!
We love all of you, and thank all of you for your continuous prayers and love. Don't give up on Jordyn, we aren't!!

"Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed." Corita Kent

"It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else." Erma Bombeck

Sending you love and asking for your prayers!

Wednesday, April 19, 2000 at 01:41 AM (CDT)

Hi all, sorry it's been a while since the last update! Well great news! The radiation did a great job on Jordyn! The swelling has gone down a good 50%!!! HURRAY! She seems to be feeling better too! She does sleep quite a bit, but she has happier moments!
Here are Jordyns' counts as of Monday April 17, 2000.
WBC-3.9
HGB-8.1
Crit-24.6
Plateletts-17
ANC-128
Continue to pray for Jordyn! Her ANC should be above 500 for it to be safe, she has a high chance of getting an infection, fever, or worse. We do not want to have to be admitted to the hospital. So pray that her ANC rises, to 500 or more,please!

OK on a different note, we want to send out a special hello to Mommys' friend Melissa! I love you and miss you!!! Also, to "AUNT" Michelle, LOVE YOU, Mamma and Pappa, LOVE YOU! Unlce Phil (Fool) and Aunt Misty, LOVE YOU!
We would like to ask you to pray for a new friend of ours, her name is Callie, she has MM, and she is in pain pretty well all the time, she has nerve pain and there is nothing they can give her for that. She is also having some financial difficutly, she is a Christian and helped a friend out finicially and now she can find no help on the other end, like promised she would. So please pray for her! Also, please pray for our friend Beth, give her son guidance and her strength! Thank you, Beth!
We were honored to have met Beth and her wonderful family this past Sunday, at a picinic near their home in Maryland! Thank you for inviting us!!!
Please pray for Rena, she is going through a BMT as we speak she is on day +7! She is having a hard time, this is her 2 or 3 BMT! Lets all pray that it's the last one and that it is successful! Her brother is the donor!!
Pray that the chicken pox and this ugly stomach virus leaves our area so that we can feel safe to take Jordyn back to church.

Ok now on to JORDYN! :)
Last night Jordyn broke through!! She was wanting CANDY at midnight and then was just being a wonderfully silly little 2 year old girl! We are so thankful for the break of scariness we have been expericencing!
On Monday, we were visited by the Hospice Nurse and Social Worker, they seem very nice and we think they will work out wonderfully, well as wonderfully as possible.
Jordyn had a good day today. She isn't very active, but this evening she decided that she wanted to play the "Reader Rabbit" game that Sonia and Gary are letting her use! She wanted to play it while Sonia and Gary were here for dinner tonight, ( thank you for coming out and eating with us!), so after they left she played on it for about 10 minutes or so!!! :) YEAH!!!!!!!!!
She has been caught smiling a little more often these past couple of days! We are greatful for every smile we get, they are few and far between these days, and for those who know Jordyn, you know how much she has always LOVED to SMILE! She has such a beautiful smile, we have missed it so!

Jordyn won't go into WR until Friday, and I predict that she will need plateletts, I will let you know about that one! We are greatful that Jordyn is still at the stage to get to go to Walter Reed, at some point she may not be able to. We are greatful that she feels up to leaving the house, she asks to go, "BYE-BYE" at least once a day! :)

I would also like to ask all of you to pray for a 15 year old boy with ALL leukemia, he has recently relapsed and needs a bone marrow transplant. They are going to take him to Duke and they will be exploring thier options there. Pray for remission and for the money to put him through a transplant. They are looking into a cord-blood transplant. To find more information on Pedro, go to :
http://OneVoiceAcrossAmerica.com
if you can't get into it, let me know and I will send you the link!

There are many children out there that need your prayers and I have asked for you to pray for only a few today, I ask that you continue to have all these people in your prayers!

Please conitnue to keep Jordyn in your prayers, we are greatful for each day, and we do not have the feeling to go ahead and let her go, I think if we get to that point the Lord will tell us it is time to let her go, so for now pray for her conitnued fight, healing of the body, to allow her to stay here on Earth with us. For the leukemia to be lifted out of her body, for Satan to not have any control in her life/body. Pray for Chad and I, for conitnued strength and love for each other. Pray for our families, they are far from us, Ohio (Chads') and Kansas (mine) and friends. We know it must be very very hard on them and they need the prayers too!

I will keep you all updated on Jordyn and thank you all for your continued prayers and love. Please if you are a close friend and have our phone number, address, or e-mail address, I know I personally could use some extra support right now. This is a long and hard journey, I am need of some extra support! Thank you!! And I am sure teh same goes for Chad!

I would also like to thank the MDW engineers, for giving Chad time off from work. You really don't know how much that means to him or us as a family. Jordyn is really a Daddy's firl fight now, and if he is out of her sight for even a few minutes she is crying for him1 So thank you for allowing our daughter to have her daddy! WE greatly apperciate it and the meals you have been supplying! THANK YOU!

To our family in Homburg, we love and miss you and thank you for your continued love,prayers, and support!

Walter Reed: WE LOVE ALL OF YOU! THANK YOU for loving Jordyn so much, don't count this one out yet, ok!?! She is a fighter, as you have seen and she isn't giving up yet!

Childrens' thank you for her great care during the BMT!

To the chruches that have been praying for Jordyn and all the members, you know who you are, thank you! WE feel your love and support! God Bless you!

To all our friends here in VA and throughout the rest of the world, thank you for loving us, espicially Jordyn! WE feel your love often!!!

Well, I have made this a long update, and i am sure you are tired of reading now! Teh next one will be shorter! I promise.
One last prayer request, we are wanting to set up a new website for Jordyn, one that has unlimited picture space, music ability and just a little larger! Please pray that between Chad and I we can get it set up!

God bless all of you. And if you are reading this please sign the guestbook so I know you were here!
Ps I am not proof reading this because of the length, so if there are spelling and typing errors, you know why! :)