Inspiration

Here are some of my favorite inspirational quotes to think about as the we ring in the New Year!

We pray everybody we know will be blessed in this New Year, God be with you ALL!

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."
(Corrie ten Boom)

"Feed your fears and your faith will starve, feed your faith and your fears will."
(Max Lucado, Author)

"Most people who succeed in the face of seemingly impossible conditions are people who simply don't know how to quit."
(Robert Schuller)

Our Family

Even though it is a little past Christmas we would like to share this slideshow with everyone and tell everybody we hope you all have a BLESSED New Year!

(when you get to the 3rd slide, DO NOT CLICK ON THE ARROW, just wait and the slideshow will continue; also, there are buttons at the bottom of the show so you can pause if needed) 

Slideshow design generated with Smilebox

One Request

   Dylan's Hands Holding the Candle  

 
Cancer is a strange cell.
You can go along for years in remission...................
and then one day it pops its head up again.
If you ever have it you will never be free of it.
Pray for the day there will be a permanent cure. 

  

A SMALL REQUEST...

93% won't pass to others, but 

I'm Sure You Will.  

A small request.....Just one line........

Dear God,
I pray that You will guide someone to find a 
cure for cancer in 2012 .
In Jesus Name,  

Amen

All you are asked to do is keep this circulating,

By passing it on to others.
Even if it's only to one more person.
In memory of anyone you know who has been
struck down by cancer or is still living with it.
A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle.

Please Keep This Candle Going!

May God Bless You All!

MUCH NEEDED AWARENESS!

This video is AWESOME....GREAT JOB! 

Portrays ALL THE RIGHT words, 

maybe people will start LISTENING!

Heartfelt!!

ALL I CAN SAY ABOUT THIS VIDEO IS WOW!!!!!

I know EXACTLY how this family feels, our family was in this same position last year in November with our son Dylan having his second brain surgery for brain cancer.......we were not sure he would make it through the 7 hour surgery and if he did would he still be the same child????? 

This is a FEAR like NO OTHER, indescribable......not being able to help or protect your child, and UNABLE TO control the horrible disease of CHILDHOOD CANCER!  It REALLY puts things in perspective, suddenly all the little trivial things in life no longer matter!  I wish it on NO ONE!

I THANK GOD every day for his hand in keeping our son alive and with us!  Children are the most precious gift from God and it is absolutely HORRIBLE to watch them suffer through cancer!

Miracle??????

This poem made me cry and gave me chill bumps at the same time!  We are so so thankful for an amazing GOD who truly works miracles!  

Please share this with others today.

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jam jar from its hiding place in the  closet.  She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even.. The total had to be exactly perfect.............. No chance here for mistakes.
 

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment.  Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good.  Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone.  'He's really, really sick....and I want to buy a miracle.'

'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.

'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?'

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl.
I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little.

'Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.'

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?'

' I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money..'

'How much do you have?' asked the man from  Chicago.  'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audible.

'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'

'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.'

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.'

That well-dressed man was Dr.  Carlton  Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. 

The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.

'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?'

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost....one dollar and eleven cents...plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.  A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.  I know you'll keep the ball moving!

Here it goes. Throw it back to someone who means something to you!

A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end. It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends. 

But the treasure inside for you to see is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.

Today I pass the friendship ball to you.  Pass it on to someone who is a friend to you.

MY OATH TO YOU...

When you are sad.....I will dry your tears.

When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.

When you are worried......I will give you hope.

When you are confused.....I will help you cope.

And when you are lost...and can't see the light, I shall be your beacon...shining ever so bright.

This is my oath.....I pledge till the end.

Why you may ask?....Because you're my friend.

Signed: GOD

THANKGIVING, 2011

Free collage made with Smilebox ON THIS DAY LAST YEAR............................................ We were sitting in the waiting room at Duke Children's Hospital wondering the outcome  of our son's life! Dylan underwent his second brain surgery in less than a year to remove the cancerous  brain tumor.  We sat and prayed along with thousands of others for the life of our son, for 7 hours during his surgery!  God guided the surgeons hands and got Dylan through that surgery alive and helped the neurosurgeon remove the cancerous tumor! THIS DAY and everyday we have SO MUCH to be thankful for............because of our trials we have become closer to God, a closer family, and MUCH MORE THANKFUL AND APPRECIATIVE of all the LITTLE things that we used to take for granted!  What we have been through and continue to endure as a family puts things in perspective for us.  We are thankful for food to eat, clothes to wear, food on the table, vehicles to drive, a house to live in, my husband's good job, and even though we don't know from month to month how we will pay all of our bills, GOD ALWAYS PROVIDES A WAY for us to get by!  I praise GOD everyday for providing for our family, there are a lot of other families that we have met along our journey to different hospitals and treatments for Dylan, that tell us their personal stories and we have been very fortunate to have been BLESSED with such loving and caring people, churches, organizations, and community that continue to help us get through. WHY..........because when childhood cancer hits a family, a lot of families end up LOSING THEIR house, cars, jobs, EVERYTHING, because they can't afford to keep up with all their normal bills and finances and PAY for the treatments and travel that their cancer afflicted children require so they can stay alive!  WE THANK GOD and EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL that has and continue to help our family! YOU ARE ALL A BLESSING FROM GOD! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A little update about Dylan......................... He is doing very well, we have not had any incidents of concern lately.  He is doing well in school, and he made A/B honor roll on this past report card, and he is adjusting very well to middle school.  The best part for him, is he has started playing basketball, the doctor sent a letter saying it is ok, (supposedly it is NOT considered a contact sport.)  Well, we all know it can be, however, Mike and I decided that we would go ahead and let Dylan play, even though we are a bit nervous, because Dylan could get injured anywhere and he can't live in a bubble for the rest of his life.  We know that Dylan is in God's hands and we will continue to pray for his good health and safety with basketball. We will be making another trip to Duke in March for his next 6month check up.  Dylan will be seen by the neurosurgeon, oncologist, and neuro-opthalmologist, and have his MRI scans.  Once again at this follow-up the doctors will be checking to see if any cancer has come back in his brain or elsewhere in his body. They will also be checking for any possible side affects from the radiation.  He will have his eyes checked again by the neuro-opthalmologist to make sure everything is ok in his brain/eye area since the surgery. I just want people to know that this will be a continuous thing for our family and Dylan, because of the rarity and minimal case studies of the cancer that Dylan had removed, the doctors do not know what to expect for Dylan's future.  The 46 case studies that exist show recurrence of the cancer in 100% of the cases, and of those, all the people had surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.  Also, because Dylan had radiation, there is a whole other list of possible side effects that can occur from that.  So, our family, and Dylan will continue to go for follow-up visits with his team of doctors at Duke's Preston Tisch Brain Tumor Center for the rest of his life.   So please continue to pray for our family and Dylan's continued good health, and that GOD continues to sustain our family through all of our trials, as well as, provide for our family........physically, spiritually, and financially. PLEASE GIVE YOUR THANKS TO GOD AND LOVED ONES TODAY! Dylan at Duke getting IV put in for MRI Sept, 2011 Have a Happy, Safe, and Blessed THANKSGIVING LOVE The Prater Family Dylan BBALL tryouts NOV, 2011                                                                                                          Dylan BBALL tryouts NOV, 2011

The Beginning

A SPLIT SECOND............

1 little boy, 1 family

CHANGED FOREVER!!!!

Dylan Prater April, 2010

Dylan is our 10-year-old son, he has

always been very healthy and active in sports.

On Saturday 6/5/10 our world got

turned upside down......

It was a hot sweltering Saturday, and my kids kept whining because they were bored and it was too hot to play outside.  So, I thought we would play together by spinning each other around in my computer chair.
I spun my 7yr old daughter Jada first and she got up walking all crooked and being silly.  Then it was Dylan's turn, as I spun him around in the chair, he yelled STOP, I want to get up, like he was in pain!!!


I stopped the chair but Dylan could not get up, and I thought he was playing.  When he did not get up I put my hand under his arm to help him, however, he could not stand on his own and fell to floor.  He did not fall very far, and the floor was carpeted, however, he started crying saying his head hurt.  When I bent down to look at him, my heart jumped into my throat........when I looked at him the left side of his face was paralyzed and twitching for a couple of minutes!  It looked as if he was having a stroke!


I helped him get off the floor and made our way to the sofa where he laid down.  That's when I noticed his pupils got huge, he continued crying about his head hurting and wanted to go to sleep.
 

So I took him to local ER thinking worst case scenario would be seizures.  The doc did a CT scan and when he got the results he called me into the hall and gave me horrible news!  Dylan had excessive fluid in his brain called (hydrocephalus) and a tumor with a cyst in his brain......these were pinching off the 3rd ventricle in his brain,
which allows the fluid to flow properly!


So the doc told me their hospital did not have the facilities to treat this and that he consulted with a neurologist who recommended that we get Dylan transported to University of Virginia Med. Center immediately,

(which was 2hours away from our home!)

Thus our journey begins!!!!!!! 

Sept., 2011 posts

Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 12:24pm Hi Friends, Just a little update on Dylan: Well I had a meeting with Dylan’s new teachers at the middle school on Thursday, then we walked Dylan’s daily schedule a couple of times, and then I recorded him walking through from the time he gets off the bus, until he leaves the school, on my cell phone, so he can watch it everyday to refresh his memory and hopefully not get lost. There is one thing that happened that concerns me though, we were sitting in the guidance office and Dylan started hollering that his head hurt, I looked at him and he was grabbing the right side of his head saying he was getting shooting pains that started from the bottom- middle back of his head and come up the side of his head to his temporal area. The pains did not last very long, however, he had these same pains 3 times, 3 different days, on the Disney Cruise, but I just figured it was from all the plane rides and the motion of the ship. So I emailed his neurosurgeon at Duke to let him know and ask him if this is normal, because the pain he had this week was a lot bigger and more painful that the other ones. The doctor said he was not sure what the pains are, but that it sounds like post radiation side affects and that they will take a close look on his updated MRI during his appts. on Sept. 14-16th. So I would like to ask for PRAYERS for Dylan, that the pains will  go away and that there are NO NEW CANCER or problems. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT! We would like everybody to know we really appreciate ANY help, and that we understand that times are very difficult for everyone right now. Please PRAY for Dylan and our family. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!  THE PRATER FAMILY _________________________________________________________________ Newest Happenings Posted on Sunday, September 04, 2011 10:58 PM Hi Friends, Just a little update on Dylan and the FUNDRAISERS: Well I had a meeting with Dylan’s new teachers at the middle school on Thursday, then we walked Dylan’s daily schedule a couple of times, and then I recorded him walking through from the time he gets off the bus, until he leaves the school, on my cell phone, so he can watch it everyday to refresh his memory and hopefully  not get lost. There is one thing that happened that concerns me though, we were sitting in the guidance office and Dylan started hollering that his head hurt, I looked at him and he was grabbing the right side of his head saying he was getting shooting pains that started from the bottom-middle back of his head and come up the side of his head to his temporal area. The pains did not last very long, however, he had these same pains 3 times, 3 different days, on the Disney Cruise, but I just figured it was from all the plane rides and the motion  of the ship.  So I emailed his neurosurgeon at Duke to let him know and ask him if this is normal, because the pain he had this week was a lot bigger and more painful that the other ones. The doctor said he was not sure what the pains are, but that it sounds like post radiation side affects and that they will take a close look on his updated MRI during his appts. on Sept. 14-16th. So I would like to ask for PRAYERS for Dylan, that the pains will go away and that there are  NO NEW CANCER or problems. I sent out an email last week about some  FUNDRAISERS TO HELP US PAY FOR OUR TRIP TO DUKE,  these are a couple updates about those:                           Style For aCause                          Get Styled for Dylan 20% of retail sales will be donated to the Prater Family                               Shop Online  Spice up your fall wardrobe and help support Dylan's Upcoming trip to Duke. Date:August 25-September 10, 2011 Visit:http://www.stelladot.com/amandalawrence Choose“Kerry Prater” as your hostess Choose to have your purchase delivered directly to you       Amanda Lawrence alawrence@inbox.com  www.stelladot.com/amandalawrenceStylist ID#122566 We have two awesome specials going on this month. The first special only lasts for a few days and you can do yourself. For the Trunk Show Treasure  I will have to place your order. Give me a call and I can get your order put in online for you. This  is a great way to get more for your money and still help a great cause. Again, start shopping today  and don't hesitate to ask my any questions. The Style for a Steal items are the sale items, just click  on the "sale" tab. Labor Day Sale! September 1st-5th FREE Pyramid Double Wrap bracelet (either cognac or green) for customers who spend $125. Simply place $125 into your cart add a Pyramid Double Wrap Bracelet of your choice. The discount  will be automatically applied. Plus, an extra 20% off Style For A Steal items! Trunk Show Treasures Are Back!! Guests can get a Pyramid Double Wrap bracelet for $39 with a $50+ Trunk Show order. Discounted prices are valid only with a $50 retail Trunk Show purchase from September 1-30, 2011.  One choice per customer. Good while supplies last. B175CO Pyramid Double Wrap Cognac B175GR Pyramid Double Wrap Green Shop http:///www.stelladot.com/amandalawrence ________________________________________________________________ I also have another friend that wants to do a FUNDRAISER with SCENTSY CANDLES  to help us pay for Duke, here is her information: ATTENTION: I am doing a fundraiser for a friend of mines son……. Dylan Prater.  He was diagnosed with Cancer. Although they were able to remove the tumor  there are still Dr. visits and tests he continues to have to have. The fundraiser  is to help with all the expenses this family is incurring. Please visit my web page: Enjoymentaroma.Scentsy.Us To place an order — with Debbie Bacchus THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT! We would like everybody to know we really appreciate ANY help,  and that we understand that times are very difficult for everyone right now.  Please PRAY for Dylan and our family. GOD BLESS YOU ALL! THE PRATER FAMILY _________________________________________________________________ Dylan update   Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 9:37pm Well we arrived at Duke about 30minutes before Dylan's first appt...Dylan's MRI's lasted over an hour today, then we waited at the hospital for 2 1/2 hrs for our second appt., but we finally saw Dylan's oncologist, and so far things look good for Dylan, the doc said his scans look good, PRAISE GOD! Tomorrow we have 2 appts, one at 945am and one at 1245pm. The first appt Dylan will see the endocrinologist, blood will be drawn and various tests will be done to check Dylan's glands in his body to check for any other cancers and any other possible side affects. I will send another update tomorrow as I can. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers! Thanks, Kerry Prater _________________________________________________________________ Latest news Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 8:03pm Hi everybody, Dylan saw the endocrinologist this morning, she asked us a bunch of questions, said he is growing very well, And ordered blood drawn and an xray. Dylan had 8viles of blood drawn for a whole panel of tests of various glands in his body, and the xray was of his hand to check the aging/growth of the bones in his body. She told us if there is anything abnormal in the bloodwork, she will call us. Then we saw Dr. Grant (neurosurgeon), he said the brain scans look great, we also saw them, there is NO NEW GROWTH, YEAH, GOD IS GREAT! Then we asked about sports and the doc said it's ok for Dylan to play basketball, but still no football or heavy contact sports. Dylan is SO EXCITED  that he gets  o play basketball! Dylan also told Dr. G that he is worried about the cancer coming back, and the doc told him that's why we (Duke hospital) will continue to monitor and check him, probably for the rest of his life, and we will return in March (6 months). He also told Dylan he looks GREAT, is doing very well, to continue with what he is doing, and stay healthy. We feel like we are FINALLY tip-toeing a little bit forward now, and with God's help and ALL our prayer warriors behind us, we will continue to move forward. THANK YOU ALL for your support and prayers, we GREATLY APPRECIATE them! Kerry Prater

August, 2011 posts

Update on Dylan

Posted on Friday, August 26, 2011 10:44 PM

Hi everybody,

Just want to let everybody know how Dylan is doing.................

We just returned from our Disney cruise a couple weeks ago, it was a BLAST!

First off, the ship was HUGE, there were 4000 people on there and 3 different sets of elevators, in other words, it is very easy to get confused or lost!

This may be nothing, but it is concerning, Dylan kept getting lost on the ship. The first day on the ship we walked all over, and found all the areas we liked, Dylan had a room just for kids aged 11-13, called The Edge, that they could go and hang out to play video games, dance, play games, etc.  Well, on the 2nd day, Dylan wanted to go there and hang out, we asked him if he remembered how to get there, he told us yes.  The state room that we stayed in had cell phones that we could call/text each other while on board with no fees, so we explained how to use the phone to Dylan and went over the # for him to call us if he needs us. 

Well, that did not work out to well......Dylan got lost going to The Edge, he could not remember how to get back to the room, he could not remember the correct way to call us, and he could not find Guest Services.  He ended up crying and an older couple found him and took him to the Guest Services, who called me.  Once he got back to the room, he was so upset.......he was crying, scared, and frustrated, he said he did not know where he was or where to go!!!!  This continued to happen throughout the entire cruise, I felt so bad for him, and he would just get frustrated, shut down, and then not want to go anywhere. 

I went to our Make-A-Wish representative and explained the situation to her, the only thing she offered was to write down the phone# for Dylan to call us or her at guest services, and she said Dylan can always come to guest services and they will help him there.  I explained to her that he does not remember how to get there or anywhere else!  She did not offer any other help. 

Overall, we had a great time, it was just very frustrating for Dylan.  : (

We did take LOTS of pictures, in fact, we took so many that I am still editing them!  I hope to have them all done and posted this weekend for everybody to see. : )

When we returned, I emailed Dylan's doctors at Duke just to let them know about him getting lost, and that he also had some pains on the side of his head in the temporal area, but they only happened for a few days.  The doctor asked me if I thought his memory and cognition were getting worse, or if it is just more noticeable; I told him that it is very hard for us to answer that because we "notice" everything, and he also told us, just to let him know if Dylan has any headaches.  I also discussed the idea of getting a speech therapist to evaluate Dylan to see about treating him and giving him various memory exercises to try, especially since school is right around the corner!  The doctor agreed with me on this, and he thought it would be better to get an evaluation done here in case he needs to be seen a lot for treatments.  So, with the help of a few of my fellow therapists, we found a lady that understands and works with brain injury conditions, and Dylan has an appt. to see the Speech Therapist here in Salem this Tuesday the 30th.  Once she does the evaluation, I am going to keep a copy of it to take to Duke for the doctors to look at next month, as well as, the updated testing that I had the school complete with him at the end of the school year, that way the doctors at Duke will have more to compare with.

Speaking of Duke, we return with Dylan next month, Sept. 14-16th.

During these appointments, Dylan will be seen by several specialists and have a multitude of testing done on him, to see if the cancer has come back in his brain and/or the rest of his body, and to check all his glands and organs for any possible side effects from the radiation that was done last summer. We ask that you all please add Dylan and our family to your prayer list, forward this to your family/friends, and their church families and pray for a good healthy outcome for Dylan.

One more thing................
One of my friends offered to do a fundraiser for us, to help us pay for the expenses of the upcoming trip.  I have just started working part time, when scheduling and Dylan's health permits, however, we still need some help because I am not making anywhere near the amount of money I used to.  Anyways, my friend set up an online fundraiser and sent me the flyer with all the information on it to send to everybody.  She will be donating 100% of her commission to our family for the trip.  Everything is done ONLINE, no party to attend, and once you place an order, there is no waiting, it comes directly to you.  If anybody is interested in this please look at the FUNDRAISER LINK on this site for details.

Thank you ALL for your Support and Prayers!

The Prater's

July, 2011 posts

Dylan's latest happenings Posted on Saturday, July 16, 2011 10:12 PM Hello, Just keeping everybody informed about Dylan.  He had a hard time with some SOL’s at the end of the year, so he is now receiving tutoring every week, to help him refresh what he missed during the school year, and to help him retain the information for 6th grade. As you all know, he is not allowed to play contact sports until cleared by his doctor at Duke, well when he learned about football sign-ups and practices starting, he started crying.  We tried to explain to him that if he were to sustain an injury to his head, things could get much worse for him as far as his memory and processing issues.  However, it still breaks his heart that he can’t play…………it tears me up inside to see him this way, I just want fix everything for him and make things better!  (I guess it’s the mamma bear in me)  He still practices basketball at home and plays outside, I told him if he gets cleared by the doctor, when we go to Duke in September, then he will be able to play basketball, and that may just be his sport anyways, we tried to cheer him up, but it did not help much.  We will continue to pray about this and for God to help Dylan be able to cope with all his emotions/feelings about this while situation. We were able to go camping for a weekend, and we went with another family.  We all had a BLAST, especially for the first time ever going as a family.  It was very relaxing and we had fun swimming, playing, and sitting around the camp fire at night just talking.  We have also been swimming at least once a week, it gets Dylan some exercise and we all get to have fun in the water. We will be going on our Disney Cruise in about 3 weeks; we are all REALLY excited about this!  Hopefully it will help Dylan feel happy!  Please continue to pray for our son and family, we go to Duke Sept. 14-16 for Dylan’s appointments, and he will have to receive ongoing tests and treatments, probably every 6 months, unless something changes. Thanks for all your support! GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU! Kerry Prater __________________________________________________________   INSPIRATION Posted on Saturday, July 30, 2011 8:40 PM Here are some inspirational/biblical quotes and videos to hopefully help others. 1) God will make a way, IF YOU LET GO AND TRUST IN HIM! ‎"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. ...In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6Sometimes we all need this reminder - put all of your trust in the Lord! He will carry you through. By: GodVine http://www.facebook.com/GodVine 2) On this day, God wants you to know............ that when you feel down, look at yourself through God's eyes. There are times when no matter how hard you try, you just cannot accept yourself as you are. During such times, think of how you look to God's eyes. In God's eyes, there is no judgment, there is only acceptance. God sees your light when all that you can see are your shadows. God loves you more than anyone could ever love you as you really are. http://apps.facebook.com/godwantsyouprod/index.php?source=news110_action_img7_msg108&ref=nf 3) This story and GOD'S WORK IS TRULY AMAZING!!!!!! Don't Believe in Miracles? Watch What Happens to this Little Boy - Amazing Video! www.godvine.com When this 2 year old boy fell out of his 2nd floor window, no one gave him a chance. But just when all hope was nearly lost, the amazing happened. You have to see this!

June, 2011 posts

One Year Ago Posted on 06/06/2011 Hi All, It was one year ago yesterday, (6-5-10) around 2p.m. that Dylan was taken to the ER and then RUSHED to UVA in an ambulance with excessive fliud, a cyst, and a tumor in his BRAIN!  According to the doctors there was SO MUCH fluid in his brain he could have died.............they do not know how the fluid was still moving through his ventricles! They also said that he had SO MUCH fluid in his brain that it was pushing on his optic nerves so hard that he was close to going BLIND!  Since last June Dylan has been hospitalized countless times, had 2 brain surgeries and 8 weeks of radiation!   DYLAN IS ALIVE AND BREATHING BY THE GRACE OF GOD’S HAND!!!  GOD has been MOVING throughout our community, churches, family and friends during this past year, and continuously, to help our family get through what has been the MOST DIFFICULT, and TRYING time of our lives. Here are just a few bible verses that BARELY express how we, as a family feel, for what GOD has done for us.                                PRAISES unto GOD! ~~"I will praise the LORD God with a song and a thankful heart." Psalm 69:30 (CEV) ~~“You have rescued me! I will celebrate and shout, singing praises to you with all       my heart."  Psalm 71:23 (CEV) ~~"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the       fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Hebrews 13:15 (KJV) ~~"Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy       name. Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he       does for me."  Psalm 103:1-2 (NLT)  ~~"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My       soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be       glad.  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together."       Psalm 34:1-3 (KJV) We are MORE GRATEFUL to GOD, our community, churches, family and friends than words can express! We FEEL very HUMBLED by GOD’S wondrous works, he continues to amaze us everyday! TO GOD BE THE GLORY we thank him and praise him! We also THANK our community, churches, family and friends, and we hope that GOD continues to work in each of your hearts & lives for he TRULY IS AMAZING!                              THANKSGIVING unto GOD! ~~"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."       Psalm 107:1 (NIV) ~~"Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with       joy about your righteousness." Psalm 145:7 (NLT) ~~"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the       fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Hebrews 13:15 (KJV) THANK YOU ALL, The Prater Family  __________________________________________________________________________________ Prayer Please! Posted on 06/08/2011  Hi everybody, PRAYERS PLEASE! We are sitting in ER with Dylan b/c a few things have been happening with him.  He was at a school picnic this past Friday and he fell, head first on to the ground, had a headache for about 20 mins, the nurse checked his pupils and said they were fine.   Today he was playing at school, running, tripped over his own feet and fell on the cement on the right side of his head, the RN was not at school, so they called me.  I picked him up at school, and decided to bring him to the local ER for CT scan, to make sure everything is ok in his brain. Also, on 5-24-11, I contacted his doc at Duke b/c his pupils were 2 different sizes, one large, one small, and at that time the doc said no worries if no other symptoms. We are in a room now waiting for the CT scan to be done, will keep you posted. Thanks, Kerry Prater __________________________________________________________ CT Results Posted on 06/08/2011  Hi All, Sorry about the late reply........... The doctor did a CT scan without contrast (IV) and it came back normal, however, Dylan's doctor at Duke requested copies of the radiology report, b/c he suspects a possible small concussion, so I faxed him the documents and we will see what he thinks, probably tomorrow, will keep you updated.  Thanks for all the prayers! Kerry Prater ________________________________________________________________________ Good News Posted on 06/08/2011  Hi Everybody,   I just talked with Dylan’s doctor at Duke, he looked over the CT results and agreed that everything is ok, that his falls did not have anything to do with his brain.  Thank God!  I am glad I took him anyways because based on his history we need to be safe. Thank you all for your support and prayers!   Kerry ________________________________________________________________________ Chance Crawford Award Posted on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 10:04 PM We are SO GRATEFUL for the AWARD we received today from  The Chance Crawford Fund!    GOD IS AMAZING, and with his help through others we will continue to make ends meet!http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?t=a.10150200005869504.319488.90816329503

May, 2011 posts

05/23/2011 

Hi everybody,

Just want to let you all know what Dylan is up to these days.  He still struggles with things at school, the short-term memory loss, and processing skills.  However, he only has a few more weeks left, YEAH!
We will either have to get a tutor or I will work with him this summer at home, to help him retain what he has learned and hopefully not forget everything when he starts 6th grade.

He still gets scared about little things because he does not have much of a sense of security, since everything happened, we continue to pray about that!  
(He is in GOD'S HANDS)  

He still cannot play contact sports, but he stays entertained with his games, playing outside, shooting hoops at home and playing with sisters.

Hopefully this summer he will be able to get some swimming in, and we are going to attempt camping with the kids too!  Some of you may remember that Dylan got approved through Make-A-Wish Foundation last year for a wish, however, he was not able to do his wish because he had his second brain surgery.  Well, he was approved for another wish, and he chose a DISNEY CRUISE!  So, Make-A-Wish Foundation will be sending our whole family on a 6 day, 5 night cruise to the Bahamas this August!  We are ALL VERY EXCITED because we have not been on a vacation in 4 years, and last summer we spent 8 weeks at The University of Virginia hospital.  This will be the highlight of our summer!
 
We received our next doctors appointments, they are all in September, the week after he starts school!  He will get an MRI, and be seen by the cancer doctor, neuro-surgeon, and a new doctor called an endocrinologist.  The endocrinologist will be testing all of the glands in Dylan's body to check for any secondary cancers that may show up from the radiation that he had last summer.  So, we will be at Duke for 2 days of appointments.

Please continue to pray for our son and family, Dylan will have to receive ongoing tests and treatments, probably every 6 minths, unless something changes.

Thanks for all your support!  


GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU!

Kerry