Miracles

Last night, Max survived a five hour very delicate surgery with the help of two fantastic surgeons. Here is the miracle. Stay alert, it is a little complicated.

Three weeks ago my parents took their kids and spouses on a dream vacation to Israel. This was a serious "learning vacation" as we traced the steps of our Savior and many of the prophets and other characters in the Bible. My husband, David could not go because he had a new job, so Max went -- the only teenager on a trip of old farts.

We had premier, educated and experienced Jewish, Christian (LDS/Mormon) and Muslim guides with more lectures and learnings than Max was particularly enthused about. On this trip we bonded spiritually and personally with the people on our tour. One of those was a Dr. Griffin, an ear, nose and throat surgeon.

Two weeks after returning home from our trip, Max was attacked with a baseball bat in our home by a former friend. They had to life flight him to Grand Junction, Colorado - one of the top ten trauma hospitals in the nation.

Who was there to meet that helicopter? None other than Dr. Griffin, who just happens to live and work in Grand Junction at St. Mary's Hospital. For the past nine days he has worked closely with our brain surgeon, Dr. Whitwer.

We have been privileged over the past 9 days to have found worthy priesthood holders in the LDS faith who have given Max many blessings. Dr. Griffin is one of them. Last night Max had regressed enough to require a second surgery. They were surprised that the spinal fluid leak did not seem to be leaking from the skull fracture or a tear in the derma (lining around brain) as Dr. Whitwer had prediceted -- but after further investigation, Dr. Griffin found that when he went into the middle ear, there was a rush of fluid - and he was able to create a "dam" made of Max's own tissues layered with a type of glue to seal the leak.

So, if you were a statistician, what would you say would be the odds of a random family meeting another family on vacation -- then two weeks later one family has a medical emergency, life flights a child to one of the top trauma centers in the US and is met at the helipad by someone they just met half way across the world who just happens to have the exact skill needed to save the life of the child?

Dr. Griffin holds the priesthood and the authority to assist in healing both spiritually and medically. He was an angel supported in that operating by other angels (visible and not) who saved Max's life. God works in mysterious ways. Never has my faith been stronger.

We are so grateful for our Heavenly Father and his love and great plans for us here and after this life. Yup, it is a long road ahead, but we will find lots of new angels and we'll also find many great learnings and blessings that will help us be better, kinder, more compassionate and honorable people.