Goal:
USD $20,000
Raised:
USD $2,655
Campaign funds will be received by Brandea Reed
This page has been set up to support the Reed family. They have had their share of financial struggles the last few months apart from their recent scares with their son Caleb.
To provide some background, this is an excerpt of Brandea’s testimony that she wrote on Caleb’s Caringbridge site in September 2011:
With our first son my husband and I did all of the research that new parents like to do and decided that after his birth our son would never leave our room to go to the nursery. At that time, as first time parents, we were blissfully unaware of the fact that once you brought your baby home, he would wake up and it would be about a year before he went back to sleep. With our second son we knew better, but still he stayed with us in our room 24 hours a day. Now the silence of this room was finally making me realize just how different the birth of our third son was. Caleb had been diagnosed with a heart defect at our first ultrasound. Since Caleb's health was otherwise normal while he was in the womb, the situation somehow just hadn't seemed real... until now. Sure, I had seen the ultrasound, which clearly showed that the left side of his heart had not developed. He was diagnosed with a very severe and rare congenital heart defect: hypoplastic left heart syndrome. If Caleb survived the first surgery he would need another surgery around 4-6 months of age, and then again as a toddler. Nobody could tell us what to expect as Caleb grew older because the medical advances are so new that the oldest children living with this heart defect are just entering their 20's. My husband, his parents, and our two young boys had relocated to Philadelphia so that Caleb could have the first two surgeries at the Children's Hospital there. Caleb was scheduled for his first surgery in the morning, just three days after his birth. The pain of the empty room was intensified by the excruciating pain running from my neck down into my shoulder. I had a C-section, and when Caleb was removed from my abdomen, a nerve was damaged. The nerve ran to my diaphragm, but it was referring pain to my shoulder and neck. The doctor told me it could take weeks to heal and had prescribed pain medication. The pain was incapacitating, and as the hours before Caleb's surgery dwindled away, I grew more desperate. I didn't want to be a hero and suffer needlessly, but I also knew how my body would respond to pain medication. I did not want to live with the regret of being unable to remember Caleb's face if tomorrow would be the last time I would ever see him. Yet, without the pain medication, I wouldn't be able to hold him or even tolerate sitting up. What's more, I couldn't deny the pain in my heart of God answering no to our petition for Caleb to have a miraculous healing and to be born with a 4 chamber heart. We prayed, our church prayed, this community prayed but each ultrasound confirmed that God's answer was no. All of my options seemed unbearable, and an overwhelming sense of despair started to take over. I knew if I just spoke a word, my husband would wake up and come sit at my side, but what could he do or say to ease the pain? I felt totally alone in my pain. But as my tears fell quietly, a verse filled my mind: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." And so, like Hannah, I poured out my heart in prayer: "God, this is my good work, that I should be able to be fully present and care for Caleb tomorrow. This pain is too much for me and only you can help me. I have no other hope but in you." I fell asleep. The next morning as I wrapped myself up in the fat pink robe they give all the mothers in the Special Delivery Unit at the Children's Hospital, I realized that the pain was totally gone. God had healed me completely. By God's grace alone, I was able to do my good work. I walked with Caleb as far as they would let me go. As Charles and I turned to walk back with Caleb's nurse she said, "I can't believe you did that walk, the new mothers never do that." But that was my good work, and God had healed me for that moment. When Caleb left for surgery that morning his Pod (made up of four beds) was full. By the time we saw him late that night the bed on either side of him was empty. The silence in the POD was so devastating, Charles and I did not stay long at Caleb's bedside. The staff commented that it was one of the worst nights they had ever had in the CICU. But we still had Caleb. "And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the LORD.” Though Samuel became a great prophet, God made sure that his mother's name was carefully recorded. I think Hannah would have been satisfied to be known simply as Samuel's mom.....but God wasn't. He knew her name and He knows your name too, it's written on his hand: "Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands" - Isaiah 49:16 Caleb is eight months old, and his world is starting to get bigger. He's on the verge of crawling, but there are still times when he is content to be cradled in my arms, and we just stare at each other. I'm absolutely in love with this joyful, blue-eyed boy. It's at those time when I know that loving Caleb may be the most radical and dangerous thing I do in my life. And I start to feel afraid. I wonder how Hannah felt, leaving little Samuel - maybe just three years old - to serve in God's house under the care of Eli the priest . At such times I have to remember that my son is in the care of the perfect priest, our high priest Jesus Christ. And like Hannah, my work is not done. Each year Hannah made Samuel a linen robe to wear as he served the Lord. I can only imagine the tenderness that went into each stitch. As for me I pray that Caleb will serve the Lord all the days of his life, and I ask God for grace to continue in the good work of being "Caleb's mom.”
This past November, Caleb started to have problems which lead to an ER visit, an ablation surgery, and a pacemaker replacement surgery. Financially, the family had to have hotel rooms as the surgeries were in Charlotte, meet their deductible twice, and are responsible for the ER visit. Prayerfully, we submit this effort to help them financially and pray that God will bless the efforts. Caleb is a blessing to everyone around him, and it is an honor to help on their behalf.
“If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be over powered two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:10-12
Praying for you guys!
Praying for your family.
May the good Lord bless you with healing, peace and restoration.
We are praying for Caleb and sending love to the entire Reed family!
Praying for you Caleb and the Reed family!
Heard about this through the Co-op. Praying for your situation and your son!
Love to your whole family!
Praying for you Caleb and the Reed family!
We love you! Keep pressing on.
Praying for Caleb (and all the Reed family)!
Praying for all of you!!!
Love you guys!
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