My faith in Christ was confirmed through a serious medical situation with my son, Craig.

Like many of us, I was fortunate to be raised in a Christian home.  Our family attended church regularly and I always believed in God.  My wife, Kris, and I were married at St. Andrew’s in 1986 and we were blessed to have two sons, Craig and Keith. 

Everything was going fine until Craig started to experience walking and balance difficulties in 1996 when he was six.  After Craig underwent seven months of testing at area hospitals, a blood test revealed adrenoleukodystrophy, a degenerative neurological condition that ends in a vegetative state.  The only treatment proposed was an experimental bone marrow transplant surgery; half of the children who underwent the procedure to that point did not survive. 

Our dear friends, Cathy and Craig Campbell, planned a healing service for our son in the Great Hall.  Pastor John Keller led the service, we all prayed for Craig and we could feel the Holy Spirit strongly present.  The support of our Christian friends and family was incredibly important and comforting.  From that point onward, we knew that whatever happened, God would be with us through it.
Kris and I asked for a second blood test, and Craig’s vial was sent to John’s Hopkins Institute.  Kris, Keith and I prayed that the test would come back negative. I drew inspiration from Isaiah 40:31 – But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed.  They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.  This is also the theme of the song “On the Wings of an Eagle” which is sung at St. Andrew’s and also played during Cursillo Christian weekends.  I felt God’s love when I was running one day and this verse was going through my head.  I looked to the sky just as an eagle swooped over my head.  Coincidence?  Not to me.  I felt God’s presence and was reassured that he loved this little boy and would not abandon him.
           
The second blood test came back negative.  We were elated that Craig did not have this horrible disease, but we still had to determine the cause since his condition was worsening.  He had lost a heel-toe stride and was falling down with increasing frequency. School personnel were worried for his safety.

Fortunately, we got a referral to Mayo Clinic two days before Thanksgiving.  An Australian doctor there suggested there was an off-chance it was a rare neurological condition called dopa-responsive dystonia which is caused by a lack of dopamine production in the brain.  Also known as Segawa’s Disease, it was discovered by a Japanese doctor in 1978. Prior to his discovery, patients were presumed to have cerebral palsy and most were bed-ridden for their entire lives. When oral doses of synthetic dopamine were initially given to patients with the condition, they were able to begin walking within a few days; it truly was a miracle drug.

We left the Mayo Clinic with a prescription for Sinemet (levidopa-carbidopa) and Craig started taking it immediately.  Two days later, Thanksgiving, Craig was walking normally again.  We had found the remedy and our family truly had a reason to be thankful to God.

Now, 12 years later, Craig still takes his little blue pills twice a day. He will for the rest of his life.  If he misses a dose, his ability to walk deteriorates within hours.  Craig is now undergoing a challenging transition to life as a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  However, we know that God is with him in every situation, just as he was when Craig was a little boy.

The lesson I’ve learned: our kids are God’s children.  He loves them more than we possibly could.  God wants the best for them and will always pursue them.  We, as adults and parents, are God’s children, too.  No matter how sinful we are, God loves us and wants the best for us and our lives.  This is comforting and strengthening. Don’t take any day for granted.  Give thanks to Jesus Christ and open your eyes to the blessings. And when (not if), the hard times hit, he will be an unfailing source of strength and healing.