This past July 29th was Rebekah's first day at the Scoliosis Care Centers. While we were confident in the LORD's leading, and humbled by his provision, our hopes were tempered by the doctor's assessment that her case was more difficult than anticipated. He would know in the next few days whether or not the program would work for Rebekah. Praise the LORD, that by the end of that first afternoon, after seeing Rebekah's tenacity, pain tolerance and the response of her spine, the doctor was hopeful! 

She finished the initial 3 weeks of treatment and we headed home with the equipment for her therapy, including her brace, unlovingly nicknamed Bertha. The next weeks were challenging as she adjusted to life in a full-torso brace, but once again, Rebekah showed her strong will and the LORD showed his faithfulness. A pressure sore sent us back to the clinic in October for an unexpected trip, but the attentive staff made the necessary changes to Rebekah's brace to alleviate the sore. In November, we returned for Rebekah's scheduled, 3 month check-up, this time, to evaluate her progress. Praise the LORD, the MRI images proved her spine was correcting! The scheduled, 6 month check up showed more of the same. Praise the LORD!

Rebekah is now 7 months into her daily therapy, bracing, and supplementation. Her lumbar curves are significantly reduced. Her thoracic curves have not worsened. Her visual rib humps have decreased to almost nothing. Her spine is over an inch longer. In short, she is out of surgery range. Praise the LORD! We will return in April for her 9 month check up.

In order for the progress to be long lasting, Rebekah will continue full treatment until she is done growing. The treatment is undoubtedly hard. It requires Rebekah wear her two braces almost every hour of the day. It requires about 1.5 to 2 hours of daily therapy. It requires she choose to do what is painful. Our lives have changed, especially hers. As Rebekah's daily schedule revolves around therapy, and a typical in-class school day is more exhausting in a brace, we withdrew her from her beloved high school in order to do online school. Blessedly, she has remained close to her friends and we pray she will be able to return to school in the fall.

Sometimes the LORD ordains dark and difficult trials. This is certainly one of those. Early on, in a moment of honesty, Rebekah shared she was angry with the LORD. Yet, in the same sentence, she said, "But I see how he is providing for us." We have all wrestled with the Lord, but the more we learn of his steadfast love and power, the more our trust in his sovereignty has grown. There are good days and there are hard days. Regardless, we all can definitively say that the LORD has used your prayers, love, and generosity to see us through. Thank you! Our Heavenly Father's love for us all, you included, is deep. "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."