Joel's Journey: Joel's Journey Wins Again !!!!!!!

Monday, January 14, 2008

Joel's Journey Wins Again !!!!!!!

Joel's Journey won the "Best Oklahoma Documentary" in the 2008 Trail Dance Festival! Once again we are very grateful to the Lord for allowing this. Terry and the four oldest traveled to Duncan, OK for the awards ceremony Sunday evening. John-Clay has posted how the evening went on his blog with a few pictures if you would like to read it. Click here to visit his blog.

Josiah has a new friend, "Charlie Brown." A beautiful blue Beta fish. He is very excited about this new "finned friend."

Thank you for your prayers as we approach the one year anniversary for Joel. As I look at all the pictures we have around, it is still so shocking that all this has come and gone. Like I read from anothers sorrows, the way to Joel is to move forward. It is so hard to press on, I feel like I am leaving him behind. With the Lord's help, I am seeking to trust him with plans that I can not see at this time.

If you are willing, do not forget to give a review to the DVD on the post before this one with the CBD site.

Cindy

1 comment:

LJR said...: Well I am just so jealous of Josiah, Charlie Brown is the cutiest little fish ever. We used to have a red one named Sponge Bob (funny what kids name their fish) but he had to go to fishy heaven, after 3 years or happiness with our family. I hope Charlie Brown brings a little enjoyment into your lives.

I know the anniversary is coming up and as always you are in our prayers.

Congrats on the win! That is not shocking news to me at all, the dvd is amazing, and is truly deserving of the win. Its just such a testimony to your love for God and your family

Lori; January 14, 2008 at 10:13 PM

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Joel's Story

Joel, our 11th of 13 and a twin of Josiah, at age 3 was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer, on December 6th, 2006. Joel had three perfect years of health and he and Josiah celebrated their 3rd birthday Sept. 13th, 2006. The first of Oct. Joel started having unexplained fevers for a few days and would return to active play. After the fourth round of fevers we took him to our family Dr. which they said his iron was low, so we treated that for a few weeks and took him back only to have his hemo. showing lower than before. We were referred to a hematologists and saw him a few weeks with blood checks twice a week. At a visit on Dec. 4th we showed the Dr. the bumps, (which were tumors but we did not know at the time) on Joel's head and he was very concerned and we were told we needed to admit him immediately and start extensive tests the following day. Joel went through rigorous testing and then the dreaded results were given. Joel was at a stage IV the most extensive stage, but we were hopeful that the Lord would use the means of Chemotherapy treatments to restore Joel's body. Joel endured 8 1/2 days in the hospital, came home for Christmas, and returned for his second round of chemo Jan. 3, 2007. Joel had a seizure that night after midnight and went into a coma due to a tumor bleeding in his head area and causing his brain to swell. After tests the following days, the Dr. declared Joel "brain dead" and took us to court to force us to take Joel off life support, as we did not agree with the medical field's definition of death. Our family sought to stand with the scripture, "life is in the blood,"and until Joel's heart quit beating naturally, he was living. We were making arrangements to bring him home and on January 23, 2007 his little heart stopped beating and he went to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven. Our lives are changed forever. God is faithful in the midst of this trial and we look with great hope to be with him someday.