|
|
In February 12, 2007, our 5 year
old son, Stephen Fulo, who is very well known as Mico in the church visited the pediatrician. The doctor noticed his
paleness and ordered a CBC (complete blood count), and that night I received a phone call from the doctor telling me the scary
news to rush Mico to the Emergency room of the Sick Kids Hospital due to the very abnormal blood count results.
Confused
and scared, we rushed Mico to the hospital. At the emergency room, nurses panic about the CBC results. They found
out that Mico’s Red blood cells which help transport oxygen to your tissues, platelets which help to form blood
clots and white blood cells which are the soldiers in your immune system have all dropped from the normal level. This
is why he looks pale but there were no other symptoms other than this. Due to these, it is now called Pancytopenia,
which means: an abnormal reduction in the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and blood platelets in the blood;
and Neutropenia, a part of white blood cells that helps kill the bacteria in our body. With all these, the only treatment
can be given to Mico is Red Blood cells or platelets transfusion. He was in and out of the hospital since February 12,
2007. Series of tests has been done from his brain down to his feet. He had X-rays; CT scan on his brain, nostrils,
stomach; Gallium scan on his entire body; Ultra sound on his stomach, spleen, liver; 2D echo; 4 times of Bone Marrow Biopsy,
Skin Biopsy; Total body bone scan; Even his teeth was all checked to look for any virus or infection that may be causing this.
Bone density scan and most of all numerous blood works everyday which lead for him to have PICC line on his right arm (implanted
on his right arm straight closed to his heart), to avoid poking him everyday. Glory to God because God is a miracle healing
God and all these results are normal. Several types of medicines were tried on him to treat the symptoms but nothing
worked. Basically, doctors did their research through my son to find the answers to all their questions. One medication
cost him to have a great pain on his stomach which lasted for 5 days every time this is administered. He’d be
in great pain for at least 2 hours. Screaming in pain, yelling or singing unusual words. We helplessly embraced him
and sing song of praises to God until the pain goes away. He would ask to be prayed for, while we rubbed oil on his
tummy. He also needed to be drugged down thru morphine. Thank God that later it was found out that my son was
only having an adverse reaction to this medication called Tazocin and this was the effect on him.
On April 4, 2007 during
his follow-up visit, while waiting for the blood, he caught a high fever and started coughing. He was shaking because
of the fever 40 degrees, his blood pressure started to dropped, his heart beat went down. Since his neutrophils was zero (normal
is 1.5). This condition called the attention of the Critical Care Unit and the Intensive Care unit doctors. Immediately
they put on another I.V line on his other arm which made both arms filled with I.V’s. It was one of the scariest
moment. While 8 months pregnant to my second child and as a mother, fear came to me but as God says in Jeremiah 30:17
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD.” And we started declaring
this promise of the Lord. After a few days he got better until his both feet got swollen, painful and developed an early
childhood arthritis which cost him not to be able to move and walk. For several days he was bedridden. Back to
diapers as we cannot even carry him due to unbearable pain when we moved him. This time bedsore is what we worry about.
No one knows what and why this happened.
In April 11 while watching Mico going through all this hardships my husband
Marco said “Mico, don’t worry Jesus will heal you”. Mico said a few seconds later “Daddy, Mommy,
when is Jesus coming?” Then he looked by the door and waiting for an answer. We surrendered him to the Lord that night
and we hold on to Jesus promises and stayed faithful to His words for we believed that only Jesus can help us go through this
tough moment.
During that time he was already so skinny, his stomach is almost rejecting foods, he’s in critical
shape, could not drink fluids due to his low level of Sodium that can lead to brain seizure if we give him more fluids; Needed
to have blood work every 4 hours to monitor his body and organ functions; Bruised all over his both arms, after a week they
decided to put on the PICC line. Later, things started to get better when one evening, Mico was picking on his nose
when blood started dripping and vomiting blood, like he lost more than a cup of blood within an hour. Platelets and
red blood cells transfusion were both needed. Few hours later, he sneezed with so much blood which again lasted for
an hour of continuous flow of blood from his nose. In between, Mico kept saying “I am healed now, wait look, I
am healed now” while we hold on to his nose. Mico himself asked me and his Dad to pray for him while his Dad is
holding his nose to stop it from bleeding. He followed me in prayer saying “Lord Jesus please stop my nose from
bleeding, in Jesus name, Amen.” And HALLELUJA! The blood stopped from bleeding totally….We started
praising God and Mico shouted, while raising his hands up high reaching for God “HALLELUJA, PRAISE THE LORD, THANK YOU
LORD, I’M HEALED NOW.” Mico said. Doctors and nurses could not believe what we’ve told them what happened.
Miracle healing of the Lord is no ordinary; our God is mighty and powerful. Despite of this affliction, Mico’s
passionate love and faith in God never failed. Before he sleeps, his lullaby song is “God will make a way”
and we read Psalms 91 to him. When he will be poke to get blood from, his song is “Jesus loves me”. He thanks
God for everything he has even for the doctors who are looking after him. He asked God’s blessing for all his
medicine before taking it, even laid his own hands on the blood that will be transfused to him. He maybe sick but he
never failed to pray for his family, and say “I missed my family” which he meant family in the church, his friends,
cell group members and other playmates.
For me and my husband, we used to take advantage of sleeping in our own
bedroom, taking a shower in our own bathroom, eating on our dining table and do not pay much attention on what a wonderful
feeling we have when we go to church as a family. We meditated on these things while we lived in the hospital for 2
months. Whenever one of us gets the chance to go to Sunday service, our only prayer is “may the Lord God’s
healing power be upon Mico, so we can all go back to church as one family, to serve God, sing praises and to glorify His name
alone”. God spoke to my husband in prayer through Psalms 41:2-3 “The LORD will protect him and preserve
his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The LORD will sustain him on his
sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.” God reminded us to be faithful in many ways. In Exodus
14:14 “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Mico was discharged from the hospital
in May 14, 2007. Welcomed by family and friends from the church, seeing him happy to be back home is an answered prayer
from our Almighty God. Several sessions of Physical therapy got him back to walking, running, jumping and also had an
Occupational therapist help for his arms, hands and all the muscles that was lost. Mico was back on track. Public
nurse would come every single day to flush Mico’s PICC line. We wouldn’t be here if not for God’s
goodness, His grace, His faithfulness to all His promises. It would have been easy to give up, loose hope and carry
this entire burden in our heart. But instead, we chose to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ who is our divine protector,
our healer, our strength and our deliverer who is the only answer to all our prayers. Time came when we ran out of food
in the hospital and even at home. But even before we say our prayer, God had already answered and bags of groceries
started coming like it was sent from the heaven above. I called it “express delivery from the Lord”.
May it be financial, emotional blessings, specially “PRAYERS” from every JIL churches in Canada. God gave
us the support for our family, friends and church family.
In May 25th, 2007 a new bundle of joy was born.
Mico’s baby brother, Titus Joshua Fulo who is now 6 months old, very healthy, perky and sweet. God’s blessing
again was poured out to us, while Mico is on his road to recovery God is using Titus to be Mico’s companion, strength
and joy.
Today as I write this letter, Mico is doing great in school. Walking, running, playing, singing
praises to the Lord. We are embracing the opportunity to go to church as a family, enjoying eating dinner together,
sleeping on our own bed. Most of all, happy to see our son praising the Lord singing, dancing and jumping with joy.
He was on steroid for 3 months which helped his body to recover. His last blood transfusion was in July 3rd, 2007.
All his blood counts are normal, no need to worry about anything. ALPS (AutoImmune Lymphoproliferative syndrome) remain
as a preliminary diagnosis. Doctors won’t stop until they found the answers. Mico is still going through
some more tests but God is the only answer. We will rest in God’s presence and His greatness and power will continually
be upon our lives. For in God’s presence there is healing, peace, joy and harmony. Psalms 121:1-2 says “I
lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
God also reminded us in 1 Peter 5:7-11 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and
alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in
the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God
of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore
you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
By Bro. Mark &
Sis. Sheela Fulo
JIL Scarborough Church
|
|
