To read our story from the beginning click here.
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” – John 11:40
It was two years of pain, suffering, helplessness, and agony watching my child become sicker each day. Two years of unceasing prayer, faith, surrender, obedience, and hope. God promised I would see His glory if I persevered in faith and so it was—and for all to see.
Lucas’ Hospitalization
It had been a week since our son was hospitalized against our will (read part 9). At the time Lucas was admitted, he had no vomiting, no diarrhea, and his skin was white with no inflammation. Throughout the week, the symptoms we had worked so hard to heal began to reappear. First worsening of his eczema, then diarrhea, and finally vomiting. As parents, this was heartbreaking to watch but even more distressing was the fact that we could not advocate for our child for fear of losing custody. In my pain and hopelessness, God reassured me and said: “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today… The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:13-14
God filled me with peace, hope, and meekness as his symptoms became worse with each passing day. The climax of his deterioration came on Sunday, when for the first time ever he began wheezing and having trouble breathing. It was clear that he was reacting to the procedures that had been introduced, which included EleCare formula, two blood transfusion, TPN solution, and a diuretic. The nurse became concerned that the allergic reaction may worsen and called the rapid response team. Calling the medical emergency team was the fastest way to ensure Lucas was safe. It was the weekend and getting hold of the primary physician might have taken more time than we had.
God Sends Deliverance
Within minutes, our room was packed with medical staff. The nurse gave a quick summary of the events and the head emergency physician made an assessment to ensure Lucas’ immediate wellbeing. By this time, Lucas was calm and in my arms breastfeeding. The allergic reaction seemed to not advance any further. The doctor kneeled at the bedside to ask me questions. She wanted to know my account of the events and what I thought as his mom. Finally, I felt at liberty to speak up.
I informed the physician that I believed that Lucas was experiencing a severe allergic reaction to the formula and the different procedures. I explained that Lucas was very sensitive and reacted to most things. The doctor asked me a series of questions, and she came to the conclusion that Lucas may have also reacted to the diuretic. She took a look at his arm where the PICC line was placed and saw that it was not safe. The swelling was also a concern and an indication that something was not right. I expressed that we had been having serious trouble with the PICC line and I believed it was causing Lucas more harm than good. The nurse also began advocating for us and voiced her concerns about the situation. The physician showed remarkable knowledge, care, and empathy. She expressed she had personal experience with allergic reactions in children. She understood the struggle moms go through to protect their children from allergies.
The emergency physician ordered to stop giving Lucas the formula, take out the PICC line, and consider my expertise as his mom before doing anything. The nurse could not have been happier! We could not believe it!
As soon as the emergency team left, the nurse began working on removing the PICC line from Lucas. As she opened the bandage, we realized that the PICC line was almost fully out! Because it was so hard to tape it down and keep it in position, the line had been pulling out with every movement Lucas made. This could have been so dangerous for Lucas and may have been the cause of his swelling (a PICC line needs to stay near the heart).
We were very relieved to have the PICC line out and have the authorization to stop giving him formula. It is as though God had sent the emergency doctor. Nevertheless, we questioned how Lucas could be stabilized now. It had taken us months to see him begin to recover. How long would it take now? When would physicians discharge Lucas?
New Medical Guidance
We were starting another week at the hospital and a new lead physician was assigned to us. Unlike the doctor from the previous week, she was very caring of the concerns I expressed. She valued my opinion and considered it at every stage. She went out of her way to check in on us and make sure Lucas was OK. Furthermore, she agreed with the emergency doctor assessment to remove the PICC line and stop the formula feeding.
The lead physician assigned the attending physician with the task to research what formula Lucas could tolerate and she asked for a nutritionist to meet with us. There were very few options doctors could offer us. The protocol had failed, and the only thing they continued was finding ways to get more calories in him. When the nutritionist met with us, she was amazed at all we had done and knew. In fact, she started asking me questions about recipes, foods, and nutrition. She had no further advice for us.
The next day, the attending physician came back with a proposed formula, Neocate Splash. This time, the physician asked me to read through the ingredients and get my opinion on it. The ingredients definitely sounded much better than the EleCare formula which contains 55 percent corn syrup and has soy oil. Although I had my doubts about some ingredients such as maltodextrin and the fact that it was still a highly processed food, it looked like a viable option to try. Furthermore, it was clear that we could not leave the hospital without a clear feeding plan.
Physicians were so earnest to have Lucas gain weight quickly that they wanted him to drink the formula during the day and have a nasogastric (NG) tube to feed him at night. I expressed my concern that Lucas might vomit from having a full tummy since he breastfed at night. Furthermore, although they never suggested that I stop breastfeeding Lucas, it was clear that the medical team preferred to have a tangible way to count how many calories Lucas was taking in. My breast milk was not considered in his calorie count because they did not know how much nutrition he was receiving from it. Lucas also ate solid food, but the only thing that mattered to physicians was how much formula he drank a day. In our desperation for Lucas to be discharged from the hospital, we stopped feeding Lucas solids and focused mainly on having him drink the formula.
We tried the NG tube for two nights. The first night he woke up vomiting because his tummy was full. They had to reduce the dose. The next day his cheeks were already getting irritated from the tape holding the NG tube in place. The following morning, the tape no longer held in place and Lucas pulled the tube out. I now had confidence to speak up and advocate for my son, so I requested that the NG tube not be placed back.
Miraculous Recovery
During the second week in the hospital, something truly miraculous occurred. In the past, when Lucas had severe allergic reactions, it would take him two weeks to recover. However, we had never seen him react as severely as he did in the hospital. We feared that it would be months before his skin and digestive track recovered.
Nevertheless, this time was different. Lucas began recovering the moment they removed the PICC line and stopped using the EleCare formula. In just a few days, Lucas’ skin inflammation went away, his stools normalized, and he stopped vomiting. Consequently, he began gaining weight again. Lucas quickly regained energy and strength. He even began crawling around the bed—something he could not do before. Lucas had experienced short moments of healing before, but we had never witnessed such a remarkable recovery. There was no explanation other than the healing power of God working in him. The hospital protocol had weakened our child to the core, but now, God alone was restoring him back to health. We were in awe.
Many other events occurred that I cannot detail, or I would have to write a book. However, I can testify that the hand of the Lord was over Lucas, my husband, and I at every step of the way. As we were nearing the end of the third week in the hospital, the medical team felt Lucas was safe to be discharged.
Lucas left the hospital with no drug prescription and no treatment. The doctors had more questions than answers. However, all that mattered was that Lucas was certainly recovering. All glory to God!
Child Protective Services Charges
We were free to go home and treat Lucas as we had done before the hospitalization (read part 7). At home, we performed enemas for a few days to rebalance his microbiome and to further reduce the inflammation caused by the hospitalization. However, we still had to face the Child Protective Services (CPS) charges. We had weekly weigh ins with the primary care physician and weekly doctor’s appointments with different specialists.
CPS followed up with the hospital nurses and physicians. I am confident the report was positive. The nurses advocated for us and saw how dedicated we were to Lucas. The last day at the hospital, I remember asking the attending who was discharging us if it was clear on Lucas’ chart that there was no medical neglect on our part. He assured me that this was the case, and added that it was a very difficult case that perplexed all of Lucas’ physicians.
After a few weeks at home, a police officer knocked on our door. He was there to investigate charges on child abuse and asked if he could come in. The officer was very kind and asked us a couple questions. We explained Lucas’ medical condition and that now he was finally on the road to recovery. After a few minutes, he said that it was clear there was no case of child abuse and that he would dismiss his side of the investigation.
The last time we heard from CPS, was about a month after being discharged from the hospital. A public health nurse came to our house to weigh Lucas and do an in-home assessment. She was amazed at Lucas’ fast recovery. She could not believe it was the same boy. We explained what the physicians had tested for and how we were still seeing many specialists. It was clear that Lucas was on his way to healing. Yet, she made sure we understood that if we refused any medical treatment or missed any appointment, we would be in trouble.
New Homemade Formula
Lucas enjoyed drinking the Neocate Splash formula and at first it appeared to not cause him any harm. Yet, I never felt at ease with it. I researched one of the main ingredients in the formula, maltodextrin, and discovered that it was linked to digestive issues and an imbalance of the microbiota. By now, we had learned that the root cause of Lucas’ health issues was leaky gut and dysbiosis. I had a feeling this formula was disrupting his gut healing. I desperately wanted to change the formula but feared it would affect his weight. We were still required to do weekly weigh ins and could not take the risk of him not gaining weight one week.
Before Lucas was hospitalized, Mercy from Years Restored had talked to me about creating a homemade, high calorie formula for Lucas to drink to catch up on weight. We were about to implement it when Lucas was sent to the hospital. Now Lucas was fixed on Neocate Splash and I did not know how we could make the change. Then, a month after being on this formula, Lucas began having diarrhea again. I knew Neocate Splash was responsible for it and it would only get worse if we did not replace it soon.
We began planning to make the shift to a homemade formula. We had a few obstacles to think about. I suspected Lucas wouldn’t like the change at first and would deny drinking the new formula until he forgot about Neocate Splash. Lucas could also not lose weight by his next weigh in appointment. We prayed and left it in God’s hands as we thought about how we could do it.
At the next weigh in, the physician suggested to start weighing Lucas every two weeks instead of weekly. This gave us a two-week window to make the formula change and pray that if Lucas lost any weight, he would have enough time to recover it. The next day, we stopped giving Lucas Neocate Splash and I made the homemade formula.
As expected, Lucas refused to drink it. We tried in all kinds of ways to get him to drink some, but he just wouldn’t. The second day, same thing happened. On the third day, I weighed him, and he was already losing weight. As I had always done, I kneeled and asked God for wisdom and guidance.
My mom suggested mixing the homemade made formula with the Neocate Splash. I thought it was worth the try. We poured half of the homemade formula without Lucas seeing and then we had him pour the other half with Neocate Splash. It worked! He drank it all!! Over the next three days, we added less Neocate Splash each time until Lucas was only drinking the homemade formula.
The result? Lucas’ diarrhea stopped and, at his next weigh in, he had surpassed his previous weight gains! We informed the physician of the change in formula and she was fine with it as long as Lucas continued to gain weight.
Lucas Begins to Thrive
Over the next few months Lucas began thriving and catching up on everything he had missed. An essential part to Lucas’ recovery was Occupational Therapy (OT). Lucas had sensory issues that caused him to not want to eat certain foods or vomit them due to the texture. He refused to touch food and would scream any time food or certain textures touched him. He could not tolerate sand, for example. OT gave us the tools to explore new textures and overcome his sensory issues so that he could continue to thrive in all areas.
Lucas’ weight gain and growth were remarkably fast. With each passing day his muscles gained strength and he was readily learning to use them. On September 18, 2018, at 2 years and 10 months, Lucas finally learned to walk.
We were blessed with the opportunity to again take Lucas to the Avène Hydrotherapy Center where his skin healed further and we were able to testify of the miracle of Lucas’ healing. He was one of the most severe cases ever treated at Avène and they could not believe the healing that had taken place. We repeatedly gave all glory to God.
As Lucas began eating more solids and drinking more of the homemade formula, his body no longer needed my breast milk, and at nearly three years old, he weaned himself. I will never forget the last time I breastfed him. I knew it was the end of a long, painful, yet, beautiful journey. Lucas was finally healthy and independent to thrive on his own.
God’s Glory Revealed
In the months after the hospitalization, it became clear why God had allowed Lucas to be hospitalized. Everyone was to know that conventional medicine could not heal Lucas. It was God alone, through His natural means, who restored Lucas.
God spoke to me. We obeyed in faith at all cost. He delivered.
Today, Lucas is about to turn five years old. He still has some scars from the battle he fought, but you would never know that he was on the verge of death at one point. Every time you see Lucas, you see a miracle of God. You see the power of faith and the assurance that God still heals today. But above all, you see the glory of God.
A Call to the Reader
We all need healing. We have all fallen short of the glory of God and need deliverance. Healing is just as available to you as it was for me and my son. Jesus, the Great Physician, is willing to heal you today. Will you accept Him? Will you believe His word above all? Surrender to Christ fully today and He will lead you to complete healing.
The answer from God to my desperate call was, “I will heal your son, but not yet.” This promise lifted my spirits and filled me with hope. However, the natural question that would follow was, “What do I do meanwhile? How will you provide healing?” Over the next few months, I spent much time claiming the second part of Jeremiah 33:3, that God will “show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”