United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Maia and I will be visiting Saint Katharine Drexel's shrine to pray for a miracle. This woman was devoted to children - she gave her life to God and to children - especially to underpriviledged children. She created schools around the country that are still in existence today. Her order- the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament is right here in Bucks County, PA as is her shrine. The last 20 years of her life were spent at the convent completely in prayer. After she died, two miracles were noted. And just a couple of years ago, she was canonized by the Pope.

The miracles that occurred were to local residents. One boy had a very serious ear infection that ate away the two (out of three) bones in his ear that left him deaf and after praying at her shrine the two bones reappeared. Then years later (and more recent) there was a little girl who was born with nerve damage to her ears making her deaf also. After praying at the shrine and one week later, the child had perfectly normal hearing.

They research it a lot to make sure it's truly a miracle and it took a very long time for the research to be completed and they found that indeed two miracles had occurred.

Well I figure - bones and nerves - let's go! Actually, if you want to know the truth, I've been praying to Saint Katharine for years now -ever since I heard about her.

So Monday-Tuesday or Wednesday, Maia and I will be going to the shrine to pray for a miracle. There is a basket there and you can put your information in the basket and the Sisters will continue to pray for your child.

Soooo... please feel welcome to email me your information and I will drop your little note in the basket as well. And if you want me to buy you a prayer card with a medal on it, I will do that, too. The prayer cards are $2.80 and with tax and a stamp it'll be $3.50. And if you want to send a donation to the convent with your prayer note, you can do that, too.

francine@injurednewborn.com

Email me and I will give you my address if you need it.

-francine

yes...I am Jewish..but so what, prayer is prayer!

Francine its so funny you mention this saint. My youngest has been having some ear problems and I was giving this saints name to pray to her for his recovery. Though he has some relief from the ear problems it was an ongoing problem. Just about 3 weeks ago we had tubes put in his ear. (I have been resisting for over a year). I dont know why I was resisting, but my sons words after the surgery was all I needed to hear and I knew I did the right thing. He told me and my husband that everything was so loud now and when we asked what it was like before he said "soft". He's been having lots of fluid in his ears which made it difficult for him to hear anything. Now he makes comments about how loud his toys are. Though the prayers and the chiropractor gave his some type of relief, he really needed the surgery to get rid of all the fluid in his ears. I am glad we did it. It was a really quick surgery--10 minutes. The shrine sounds beautiful--have fun.

Francine

You are so right - a prayer is a prayer....

I was taught that a pray was the lifting of our minds and heart to God...

I was told to pray for our Kathryn's ears and then my daughter made the decision for surgery... she was so against having the surgery... Kathryn talks more hates loud nosie now and is just doing great - no more ear infections...

I will e-mail you with my requests...
Thanks for sharing....
Kath

I'm really sorry but this is going to sound really rude and arrogant but I have been thinking about the healing for the past hour or so.

I can see why you want your daughter healed because it would mean not having to answer questions about your daughters arm but how does you child feel?

It's jut I'm a Christian and 17 and in August and October it was mentioned about healing with the nerve damage. But I wouldn't want to be cause it is more scary having two "normal" arms, I've learnt to adapt and I accept God has given this to me to make me the way I am and that he loves me the way I am. God created me to be this way.

I'm sorry to be blunt but at this time of Easter when God did his biggest miracle I just wondered how your child feels.

Anna...
I don't want to be rude either....God does love you the way you are. Adapting and accepting are a big part of this life..but each of us will be healed either in this life or in the next..God will not love you less if you desire or seek a miracle. When you are a mother..you will understand ...mothers will do ANYTHING to benefit her children. Being a Christian, you will understand healing us is what Christ is all about. It may be an arm, it may be something much less visable. We pray for our children in every respect probably more often in regards to things not seen than otherwise. What better place to turn..than to God?

Anna, I don't think I "hear" rudeness or arrogance but fear. One blessing of a child who is "healed" is that s/he is young and may not be cognizant of the difference before/after...or grow up remembering the "before."

I seek healing for my child (and have prayed for our miracle at the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Ohio) because I worry about the impact of this injury on her general health and well-being more than I worry about what other people think of her arm. I worry about residual pain, scoliosis, future dislocations and general symmetry problems. We've pursued surgical intervention because of the severity of the injury and I've prayed that God guide the surgeon's hand; I think He has. Since my child is so young I make decisions for her that affect her overall life: diet, health care, education, religion, morals, values and surgeries for her bpi. I also pray for peace of mind--for me--that I make the right decisions. I think a miracle to heal my daughter's arm completely would improve her general quality of life: freedom from pain, freedom from therapy, freedom from residual health problems. Since she cannot make these decisions because she lacks the age and wisdom, I am entrusted with her care.

Thanks, Francine, for your offer to extend our prayers to Saint Katherine Drexel. God bless you, Lou and Maia.

Dear Anna,

I am going to this shrine because my heart is heavy right now in trying to make a decision for what to do with Maia. I am not asking for a miracle but I am asking for guidance to help me make a very important decision for her. Maia has already made the decision to go ahead and have this next surgery because she really wants her arm straightened out (it's bent) and she has jumped for joy just thinking about it and that is one part of what is planned but I need help with the other end - her shoulder.

I'm not looking for miracles. I'm not looking for physical perfection. Nor am I looking for functional perfection. Nor is it about being tired of answering questions which I love to do anyway because everytime I answer someone's question about her arm, I educate them and they in turn might educate someone else and so forth. I am just looking for strength to carry on to be the best mommy to maia that I can be.

If there was any miracle I would ask for Maia - it would be for her to have less pain. Quite honestly I don't care one bit about function... but I worry about her self esteem, I worry about her own self acceptance and I worry about future pain. My goal is and has always been about doing whatever I can for her, to her and with her to prevent pain as she ages.

I love her no matter what she looks like, what works and what doesn't in her physical body, or how smart or dumb she is- I love her unconditionally now and forever. It is a love so deep that maybe this is the very lesson I needed to learn as a result of her injury. But I do pray to God every single day for her inner happiness, inner peace and a physically pain-free life.

God bless you and Happy Easter,
francine

Dear Anna
I understand your train of thought because I have never asked God to give me a miracle or heal me... I never even thought of it. I am who I am and the way God allowed me to be...
You were not being rude - but asking an honest and good question and one I might have asked when I was your age. I think anyone your age and who is so adjusted might see this post the same way. Thank you for asking.
I am OBPI but I am also a Mother and now I see this injury from both sides. Not exactly because my babies were not injured but I understand my Mom better because of the sharing on this board.

Mothers pray for many reasons. My mother was constantly praying for all of us. I pray for my children and grandchildren all the time. I know pray works ( In fact there was a Harvard study that proved it) almost two years ago when my granddaughter was born so premature and tiny everyone's prayers gave us a miracle. She is happy, healthy, and all the things they did not expect her to be. Thank you Lord.

I have prayed constantly for my children. My daughter has severe chronic vertigo and the doctors can’t seem to heal her or alleviate the symptoms. I would love a miracle for her she has three children. My other daughter has to be monitored for Chronic Leukemia I pray this never develops and I am grateful each time the report comes back that it is just an exceptional high white count. We discovered this when she was only 7 years of age and is now 36 - I always pray for my children, the children on the boards... those I love and those I find difficult to deal with...

I pray now that Francine will get the peace she so desires. That her heart will be healed and that she will be granted the wisdom to make all the necessary decisions for Maia and her family.

OK Francine now you know what I need prayers for.
Kath