Today, we’d like to ask your prayers for some friends and supporters of OnePeterFive, Mike and Annie Norton, and their son Isaac. Annie writes:
Friends and dear ones. I know that many are off FB today for Lent but asking for any and all prayers for our Isaac. [Yesterday] morning we heard a thud from his room and came in to find him having a seizure. He remained unresponsive so paramedics took him to Howard County hospital. Despite meds he continued to seize for 3 hours. He is now sedated and on a ventilator and was airlifted to Johns Hopkins PICU. A team of neurologists are currently working on him to determine the cause and keep him stable. He has no history of seizures prior to this. We are asking for prayers for Isaac, his doctors and his mom dad and sibs who are worried for him. Hold us all up in prayer please?
She updated the story last night, and again today:
Preliminary tests are pointing to the likelihood of a viral infection causing the prolonged seizure activity. Waiting on MRI to confirm/ this and rule out anything more scary. Still sedated and on vent but the hope is to wean him off both and get him extubated if MRI looks clean. Mike has gone home to be with the other kids and I’m camped out next to his bed. Still not out of the woods but I’m more hopeful than I’ve been since 4am this morning.
A special thank you to Fr. Albert Scharbach who came to anoint Isaac with the Sacrament of the Sick. As a bonus, he brought ashes for Mike and I and Dad Norton. Never before have the words, “Remember man that you are dust” meant quite so much as they did today as they were uttered at our son’s bedside.
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Isaac had a restful night (and thankfully so did his mama.) Initial MRI reports look good/normal. They have turned off the sedation and he opened his eyes around 4am but he is still too sleepy to squeeze my hand or breathe on his own. Hoping over the next few hours that will change…
Your prayers are being felt and continue to hold us up. I am so grateful for each and every one of you, for each and every share, for each and every comment you’ve left on my wall, for each private message, email and text. I haven’t been able to respond to them all but they have kept us bouyed these past 24 hours. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
In another story, a troubled young woman who formerly attended Seton Catholic in Manassas, Virginia (associated with Seton Homeschool) has been missing for a week. A local news story gives the details:
I realize as I post this that I see so many requests for prayers that there’s simply no way to post them all. Please pray for Isaac and his family, for the safe return of Rose Ditoro, and also for all of our other readers and friends who are in great need at this time.
Just prayed a Memorare [http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/BVM/Memorare.html] for them.
Remembering Isaac and all the family in my prayers. Our Lady -, our perfect Mother, please put your arms around them and give them comfort and blessings during this stressful time.
Prayers up!
Sending prayers for Isaac. I hope that mom or dad sees this website. I learned years ago the fabulous things John Hopkins has done for children/adults/epilepsy. Seems one of their nutritionists years ago discovered that a high fat diet halted the seizures. so pls read. Have a few members in my family tree with history of epilepsy..hope this helps.
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/centers_clinics/epilepsy/pediatric_epilepsy/ketogenic_diet.html
Be assured of our prayers for complete healing for Isaac. We also have a grand daughter who is urgently in need of prayer – she is currently in hospital – had an MRI done today, waiting for the results, Prayers are requested for Rachael.
Memorare for Rachael. In turn, if Rachel and family can offer a option of their suffering for us.
Yes, I have been praying for Isaac’s complete recovery.
Rachael is home now, but her legs are still numb and the docs cannot figure out the sources of the problem despite the fact that the MRI and all other test results have come back clear.
While the family is still very concerned, I am encouraging more prayer and trust in the Lord both for Rachael and her doctors, and less dependence on only human remedies. When we visited her in hospital 2 days ago, along with the rest of her family we prayed the Memorare and entrusted her to the Blessed Mother.
Maybe this is God’s way of bringing Rachael and her family closer to God.
Thanks for keeping Rachael in prayer.