Speaking of Encouragement - Here's an opportunity!

If yesterday's post "got to you"...and you are looking for those opportunities to encourage people, here is a great one!

Run over to Facebook and encourage this mama and her son. Friends for Cian is a group to support in prayer; verbally; and if possible, financially a family that was just handed a devastating diagnosis.

They've been struggling for years to figure out what was causing Cian's (pronounced "Key-an") debilitating pain, and learned only just last week that he has something called Pediatric Chiari, which you can read up on in the link, but the short version is that the brain is slipping down and causing compression on the spinal cord. There is no "cure". They are hoping that it will be able to be fixed in a single surgery, the fact is, it often takes several. There are very few surgeons that will even attempt this surgery. Nobody likes moving the brain around, and this particular situation involves both the brain and the spinal cord...which are both touchy parts of the body. Miraculously, the neurosurgeon that is probably going to be doing Cian's surgery is Dr. Jorge Lazareff, the same one that separated the Guatemalan twins a few years ago. (If you are a TLC junkie like me, you probably watched the special.)

But there are SO many stressors going on including thoughtless teachers, financial stress (their current insurance likes to encourage health, but they don't like paying much to help fix illnesses), and most importantly the pain and health of their boy! There is also an increasing concern that their youngest daughter may also have this.

I really hope that you will feel led to give the amount of a coffee (you can give it up for a day!) and most importantly, pray for this family!!! They need a miracle and peace. And if you can do either one, post up on their wall that they are in your prayers and thoughts, remind them that they are not alone!