She Has Fought A Good Fight and Has Won The Race

2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith ..."
At 1:00 PM, Lindsay "Bear" Groen closed her eyes on this side of heaven and opened them in the presence of Jesus. She now has a brand new heart -- one better than any Berlin Heart or transplant could ever give her.

The entire family had the opportunity to be with Laura, Jon and Tanner as she slipped into eternity.

We want to thank the hundreds of thousands of the new family that Lindsay brought together because of her time at Children's Hospital Boston. The outpouring of love, prayers, cards, gifts, and encouragement has been overwhelming.

We also want to thank the doctor's, nurses, and technicians, for the amazing care that they provided to Lindsay and our family. We are most grateful for their love and compassion even up until her very last breath.

Please watch the blog for details and where to direct any Memorial Gifts. I know that the kids would love to hear from you, so don't stop blogging.

Friday Morning

Lindsay did not have a good night. Her condition from what the nurses have said has turned in the wrong direction. Dr. Mayer was called in the middle of the night and the attending physician called to talk with Laura and Jon. There are blood pressure, breathing and output issues.

The big question now is the next step. My guess is that there will be much discussion as to whether or not they will be able to proceed with the surgery.

Year's ago, Jan's Mom wrote a daily devotional. Laura had the devotion opened to today's reading: GOD IS MY ROCK ... Mom Toms wrote: "God is my ROCK. Praise be to MY ROCK. He is my fortress, I will never be shaken. He is my mighty ROCK, my refuge. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, HE set my feet on a ROCK and gave me a firm foundation ... All these precious verses, and there are lots more, that tell me that my God is a sure foundation. My feet are standing on the Rock of my salvation not any longer on the mud and mire of my sin. He picked me up and set me firmly in HIM. Since my house is on a foundation of ROCK, it matters not what winds and waves blow on it, it WILL NOT FALL. I am secure, safe, protected, and above all, LOVED. Praise the Lord!"

Please pray that God's WILL will prevail today. Pray for Laura, Jon and Tanner as they face this new day of trusting Him for Lindsay's life.

Thursday Evening Update

Urgent Prayer Request

Dr. Mayer has scheduled surgery for 1:00 PM tomorrow afternoon pending no complications tonight and several equipment pieces that need to arrive by tomorrow. This will be open heart surgery and obviously has major risks.

Lindsay has been very stable throughout the day and has rested comfortably. Please pray for Heather as she cares for her tonight, and that nurse Auntie Moira will get a good night rest for tomorrow.

Please pray that Laura, Jon and Tanner will have a good night of rest as well as an infusion of Philippians 4:6-8 "peace" and Duet. 31:8 trust.

Laura just shared with me the passage that the Lord gave her today: John 4:46-54 "And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." 49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50 Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour." 53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed. 54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee." By the way -- Laura looked at the foot note and the seventh hour is 1:00 PM!!!

Again we thank you for your prayers and for your partnership.

Like a river glorious, is God’s perfect peace,
Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth, fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper all the way.
Refrain
Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.

Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do.
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

Mid-morning update

Thanks for praying and writing on the blog. The encouragement is needed and helpful.

The good news is that they had to insert a new pic line which resolved the bleeding issues in the left hand. The new line is in her right hand and went in very smoothly.

Moira was pleased that she urinated this morning. Her blood pressures seem to have come under control. The chest xray showed improvement as well.

The Berlin Heart and devices have arrived. That is a huge answer to prayer.
Right now the team has begun their assessments. Pray for wisdom.

Moira shared very openly with Laura that they are reaching a point with some of the meds where there is no further place to go. The medication to control the heart rhythms is at the max point. She shared that if Lindsay were not a Children's Hospital Boston, the medical profession would have probably recommended giving up. We are thankful that God has led us here.

The Lord has reminded me over and over again this morning that Lindsay's life is in HIS hands. While He is using the doctors and nurses as HIS instruments, ultimately Lindsay can't be in a better place. The God who created her in Laura's womb is the God who is giving her breath today.


Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Refrain
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.

Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.

Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.

Thursday morning update

Good morning, prayer partners. Auntie Moira reported that Lindsay had a very hard night. She had some issues with heart rythmns and blood pressure that were a great concern. She is stable this morning, but Moira said, "It's time for the Berlin Heart!"

Today is a critical day in terms of the assessment of whether or not they will the procedure. We are asking our thousands of prayer partners, comprised of family and friends from all over the world, to join us in praying that God would allow us to move forward.

Please pray for peace for Laura and Jon today. I know that today is one of those days when your comments on the blog will be most appreciated.

Thanks for partnering with us at the throne of grace ...

Wednesday Night Update

Tomorrow will be a very important day as the transplant team will be meeting to assess if they are able to proceed with the Berlin Heart. Depending on the assessment, it could happen as early as Friday.

Tonight they are putting her on the larger ventilator to get the lungs functioning better.

Please pray that the Lord will flood Laura and Jon's heart and minds with peace tonight. I can't even begin to fathom how difficult the weight of the decisions must be for them. Please pray that we will be able to move forward with the Berlin heart.

Praise the Lord that Warren and Phyllis made it home safely and were able to get to the hospital tonight.

We thank the Lord often throughout the day for the thousands of people now around the globe who are praying along with us.

Please pray for Dr.'s Mayer, Emani, Brown, Lawson and Dr. John (not sure of his last name) and for the ECMO nurses as well as the nurses who provide care for Lindsay around the clock. We are glad that Auntie Moira (Meow) is on duty tomorrow and Friday.

Wednesday afternoon update

Dr Mayer was just in and updated us. Lindsay's lungs are a wee bit better and the infection is under control (not gone). He is still very concerned about the kidneys. She had her 2nd treatment of dialysis through the Ecmo circuit and handled it well. He explained the frustrations of not having an idea as to when the drivers for the Berlin heart will be available.

Her CVP numbers are now down, but need to come up a little. Pray that the people working on these problems will have guidance from the Lord so that the numbers will be right where they need to be.

Continue to pray for the lungs, infection, kidneys and drivers. Pray that the Lord will do what He wants for Lindsay in His time, not ours. He knows the tomorrows and when and what needs to be here. Continue to pray for clarity for Dr Mayer and all his team as they sort through what to do next.

Dr Mayer said that Lindsay was the longest child on Ecmo in this hospital. She is making medical history and perhaps helping other children in the future. God is awesome and we PRAISE HIM for He is good. Thanks for all your prayers. We love you all.

Wednesday Morning Update

Good morning. Lindsay had a peaceful night. Dr. Emani has asked us to specifically pray for her kidneys and that the Berlin VAD would arrive. The heart is here, but we need to have the two machines arrive. Thanks for your ongoing prayers.

Tuesday Evening

God blessed Laura, Jon and Tanner with a wonderful day for Lindsay. What a turn around since yesterday afternoon!

Her CVP numbers continued to improve. Her urine output was good. She was very responsive today with eyes open at times and hands and feet moving!!! At one point Jon walked away and she lifted up her hand.

They did dialysis for 16 minutes today which was a big asset to her kidneys. They will do it again tomorrow for 20 minutes. It is hooked up through Miss ECMO!

The bottom line is that her doctors and nurses were very pleased with her progress today. Praise the Lord for HIS goodness and for what HE is accomplishing in Lindsay's life. This is only traceable to HIS hand of blessing and healing of Lindsay's body.

It was good to have Brian, Donna, Jesslyn and Julia Bitler here today. They were a big encouragement to the kids. We also had the joy of seeing long-time family friend, Chuck Heidel, who served with us at Sandy Cove.

PS -- A special thanks to Lindsay's nurse Stacey, and the ECMO nurse, Melissa! They were a HUGE help to Lindsay. (For our Keswick family, Stacey looks like Kim Murawski and talks like Marilyn Jalinski!!!)

We appreciate your prayers! Pray for Grandpa (Warren) and Grama (Phyllis) Groen as they drive back tonight from Missouri.

Tuesday Afternoon Update

Lindsay is having a good day. Good output. Much more responsive with open eyes and moving her hands. She is taking some breaths on her own which is good.

Dr. Emani asked you to continue to pray about the infections, the lungs and kidneys, and for all those things to be functioning properly.

Dr. Emani also expressed his appreciation for the number of encouragement cards sent to him! Way to go.

It sounds like the hospital staff don't receive notes and cards. Would you add Heather and Moira (nurses) to your list? You can send their notes to Children's Hospital Boston -- CICU 8th Floor South.

Thanks for your encouragement! This is really cool!

Good morning from Children's Hospital Boston

Well Zach and I arrived at 3:00 AM and it is good to be here writing to you from Lindsay's room. So much has happened since we jumped in the car to head to Boston.

First of all, thank you for praying!!! God is at work, and we are excited this morning to see what this new day holds.

The CT Scan showed that everything neurologically is fine! Praise the Lord. Her CVP's have been stable, hovering around 9.

The Chief of Cardiology called Jon last night to tell him that Dr. Mayer was not in favor of doing surgery today, and wants to try and insert an additional cannula some time today.

The one doctor who popped in this morning said that while we don't know the plan for today, she is in a much better way this morning than she has been!!!

This morning devotional reading from DAILY LIGHT (just Scripture) was filled with messages of hope. I will not list all the references, but included the link ...

Pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting ... Then you shall cry, and He will say, "Here I am!" Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to Him must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder to them that diligently seek Him. Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind ... He my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is OVERWHELMED; lead me to the rock that is higher than I ... He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. When I am weak, then I am strong ... O you of little faith, why did you doubt? If you faint in the day of adveristy your strength is small. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. The eternal God IS your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Be strengthened will all might, according to HIS glorious power."
http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/daily.light/ -- Check it out!

Special Update

Well here is your prayer assignment for tonight. Surgery is tentatively scheduled for 1:00 PM tomorrow. HOWEVER -- The kids and Jan asked the Lord for a clear direction if God was up to something different.

The reason for the surgery is that Lindsay's CVP numbers have been very high. This is why they want to get in and relieve the pressures. However, the numbers have been dropping significantly tonight and if they get down from 11 to 3-5 ... no surgery!!!

Now I think you know how to pray???

I will keep you posted.

Monday afternoon Update

I am going to do my best to explain what is happening, if I missed something or got it out of sequence, I will get Jon to revise it.

My guess is that Lindsay's condition is a bit baffling to the medical team. There are issues with the kidneys, liver and lungs.

What they are suggesting is to do another open heart surgery in the next two days to remove the cannulas from the groin and reopen the chest so that they can further decompress her heart. While they are in there, they would clean out the chest and check for infection and any pockets of fluid, and possibly replace the mitral valve. All of this is very risky and they have no guarentee that she would survive the surgery (humanly speaking) because of all the risks. I am going to make an assumption based on the last surgery, that bleeding is another major risk with this surgery as well.

The Berlin Heart pump is there, but they need two drivers in place to make that happen. They do not come from Germany, but would need to be there in order to proceed with doing the Berlin Heart.

They are going to do a CT Scan to see if there is any concerns neurologically, and also another Echo cardiogram to see what is going on with her heart. I cannot imagine the tremendous weight on Jon and Laura's shoulders right now in making the decision to sign off on this surgery.

I think I can safely say for all of us that we are trusting the Lord for HIS plan and purpose for Lindsay's life. It doesn't take the hurt away. We don't necessarily understand why, but we can say "blessed be the name of the Lord." We know that whether by life or Lindsay's going home to be with Jesus with her NEW heart, He will be glorified.

Words cannot adquately express how proud the Groen's and Welte's are of Jon and Laura's courage and confidence in God through this trial. As family and friends, we stand with them now as they face a huge decision.

Let the kids know by writing on the blog that you are standing with them.

Monday Morning Update

Lindsay' sugar levels are still under control. She is still "peeing," and in answer to your prayers, the nurse happily reported that there was only one special "package!"

Please pray for the family meeting today which will be sometime this afternoon.

Thanks again for your prayers and blog comments. Keep praying and posting!

Sunday Night Update

God blessed Laura with a wonderful Mother's Day. Lindsay's eyes were open several times during the day!!! That was the greatest gift she could have been given.

Lindsay's blood sugars are back in the normal range! Praise the Lord. Her nurse Ann Marie asked that we specifically pray for her to urinate tonight. Last night we asked for output and not only did she urinate well ... well their were many messy diapers. The good news is that helped with the swelling in the stomach and showed that other parts of her body are working! You go ... Lindsay.

Tomorrow a family meeting has been scheduled with all the doctors. Pray that God will lead and guide the team. We are grateful the Lord gave Lindsay another day!

Have a good night.

Happy Mommy's Day to all

I wanted to send along my wishes for all of our praying Mom's out there today (along with the many praying Dad's) on this Mother's Day. Phyllis (Jon's mom), we miss you and pray that you have a good day spending time with your other children and grandbabies. Thanks for your many prayers and blogs for Lindsay and the entire family. We love you all. God IS, has been, and will be so good to us.
Lindsay did well overnight with her output. PopPop put it so nicely, but Granny and Mommy were so glad that she "pooped" last night. I have never been so glad to hear that news. Her sugars are still high and the chest xray doesn't seem to be any better. We are praising God, though, for the small things.
Praise the Lord for great moms. I had a great and godly mom and mother-in-law who both taught me the love of God and to love His Word. What strength and comfort we have gotten from God's Word, not just in our own devotions and reading but from what you all have been writing on the blogs. Keep it coming. We look forward to hearing from you and what God is teaching you. Below is a poem my mom wrote many years ago when my brother, sister and I were young. Thanks, mom, for your love for us and God. You left us a great legacy and it is being passed on. Love to all, Jan/Granny
MOTHER, I'M HOME
Every afternoon about a quarter to four, the peace and quiet ends with the slamming of the door. And then I hear familiar words in the same familiar tone, "Mother, Oh Mother, Hey Mom, I'm home."
It's "Mother, I got an "A" in Math, and was Mrs. Green a grouch. Hey, can I have a bite to eat." As the coat gets thrown on the couch.
Then there's "Where's my shirt or where's my shoes?" And I just shake my head. "There wherever you last put them before you went to bed.
But the day will come when they'll be gone and have children of their own. To hear the same familiar words,"Mother, Hey Mom, I'm home."
And to me the words will be memories, but one day when God calls His own, I KNOW I will hear my children calling, "Mother, Mother I'm home."
For God gave me the privilege of telling my children the way, and hearing them ask Him to save them and wash all their sins away.
So since each of them KNOW the Master, if first He should call me home, One by one I'll wait for their voices, calling, "Mother, Hey mom, I'm HOME."
Happy Mother's Day, mom, I miss you.

Sunday Morning

Good morning. Lindsay had a very peaceful night
and apparently had a better night with her "output." Her sugarh are still high, so pray that they will be able to get them under control.

I was up a good bit of the night praying for Laura, Jon and the kids last night, and thought maybe you'd all like to see the whole family. Thousands of you have seen the pictures of Lindsay, but now you have a picture of Jon, Laura and Tanner.

Today is Mother's Day and I wanted to tell Laura how much I love her and how proud we are of her. It is hard to believe that this year she will be 30! Where does the time go? We have watched her grow into a woman who loves the Lord and loves her family. She is a woman who is trusting God and who is not afraid to go to the Lord with boldness and confidence. Laura, I know that Nan in particular, would be so proud of your walk with God. I know that is a direct answer to her prayer for all of her grandkids.

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates." Proverbs 30:30-31

Laura, today is your day, baby! You are a woman who fears the Lord, and your family is the evidence of how God is using you to bring glory to Him. We love you.

I would also like to tell Jan and Phyllis -- Happy Mother's Day. Our kids are what they are because of the examples of godly living that has been modeled for them by both of you. "Your children rise up and bless both of you, and your husbands also, and we praise you, saying, 'Many daughters have done nobly, but Phyllis and Jan, you excell them all." (Proverbs 30:28-29)

Peace

Laura, Tanner and I would like to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Your prayers and notes of encouragement have been a big blessing the last few weeks. We have really enjoyed reading cards, letters and the comments here on the blog. We are so grateful for our huge network of family, friends and many who we don't even know but hope to meeet some day- who are interceding on our and Lindsay's behalf.
The power of prayer is amazing, we can attest to this! Laura and I have felt the peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. Peace that surpasses all comprehension, and a comfort that could only come from the One who created us and loves us more than we love our own precious children. We place Lindsay before God every day and trust him to do what he knows is best. We boldly ask him to heal Lindsay and restore her little body to health, but pray that His will be done, and that He continue to be our refuge and strength, the everlasting arms beneath the entire family.
We covet your continued prayer for Lindsay bear, that His will be done and that He will be glorified through her
Daddy's heart aches for you Lindsay -sleep tight honey bear! Daddy loves you!

Saturday Evening Update

Thank you for your prayers today. The nurses have asked that we pray that Lindsay's sugar levels will come down and that her kidneys will begin to eliminate more fluid.

Please be praying for Laura tomorrow with it being Mother's Day.

Have a blessed night.

Late Saturday Afternoon Update

The kids met with the head of the Cardiology department and he is still holding on to the premise that Lindsay is very critical, but not hopeless. There was talk about putting a stomach tube in to help with drainage from the stomach, but he was not recommending that because of the risk of infection. Should the kidneys become and issue, they could do dialysis right off of the ECMO machine. They are also still contemplating moving forward with the Berline Heart.

We asked for clarity, and God has been answering those prayers. We will keep you posted.