The Power of Prayer

"Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings." (from the Bible dictionary)

A few weeks ago I posted about my friend's daughter, Kenley (Pray for Kenley). After all that poor Kenley went through, I will admit that I was feeling gloomy about her recovery. Here is a 20-month-old child who had 3 brain surgeries and a stroke. I knew that many, many people were praying for her, and I do believe that through prayer, miracles are possible. But I also know that sometimes the answer to a prayer is No. And I was so worried that this would be one of those times.

But I see this incident now as a wonderful testament to the power of prayer. Kenley has made wonderful progress in her recovery. From her mother:

"Kenley is able to drink a bit with a sippy cup, and she has been eating some pureed type foods, although only around 6 ounces a day, and she still refuses food a lot. She also clearly favors the left side of her mouth for eating, and was able to try a few gerber dissolvable snacks today. {Most of Kenley's nutrition comes from a feeding tube right now, but they are hopeful that it can be removed eventually as Kenley's ability to eat improves.}
She is really starting to babble. Mostly just jibberish, but she did say "neigh" to a horse and we think she is saying Minnie. Occasional movements from her right side, very sporadic and extremely weak, the foot movements seem to be purposeful, but I'm not sure about the hand. Her neck control is much better, almost back to normal which is great considering the floppy newborn she was a few days ago. We have been trying to get her to sit up, but she still ends up slowly falling to her right side."

So a huge improvement from the non-responsive child she was for the first week or so!! She is doing well enough that she was already transferred from the PICU to the regular children's floor. And now she has reached the point that she can leave the hospital and move to a rehab facility. She still has a ways to go:

"We are expecting to be at the rehab center for 4-6 weeks. In order for Kenley to leave, she either has to reach all of the goals they set for her, or she has to reach a point where she is no longer to accomplish anymore goals. Doug and I will also have goals that we will have to meet, in the areas of being able to care for whatever her needs are once we go home (such as her feedings, if she is still on a feeding tube)."

But compared to what the outcome could have been, this is wonderful. I am so thankful that Kenley's recovery is going so well thus far and know that it is in answer to all the prayers that have been uttered in her behalf.