Please Pray for Meredith

On Wednesday, September 30, Meredith (the daughter of my cousin Jeff and his wife Jennifer) will be having surgery at Arkansas Children's Hospital. This surgery has been specifically planned since the beginning of September, but has been known for over four years. This is an excerpt from their email earlier this month:

On July 7, 2005, we took our daughter Meredith to the NWA Pediatric Clinic for her 4-year-old well-child check-up. The visit resulted in Meredith's first helicopter ride (compliments of ACH's Angel One) and an 8 day visit to the Cardio Vascular Intensive Care Unit at Arkansas Children's Hospital. Meredith was diagnosed with Atrial Ectopic Tachycardia. AET affects approximately 1 in 10,000 children. The condition is basically a heart that beats too fast.

Meredith, now 8, is in third grade; she has now been taking an oral medicine twice a day for over four years.

We have been going back to ACH to see her electrophysiologist several times a year. Her doctor has now decided it is time to go in and try to fix the problem. She is scheduled to have the heart surgery on September 30th at Arkansas Children's Hospital.

Please pray specifically for Meredith to have peace, strength to endure the procedure, and a speedy recovery; for the doctor to be well-rested, have steady hands and a clear mind; for the team who will operate on her to be on their "A game," and for the equipment to function properly. Thank you for all of your prayers!

The email ended with my personal favorite Bible verse, Romans 8:28:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him"

Although we rarely get to see any of our family having moved often and not in close proximity, it's still a privilege to lift them up in prayer. Please remember Meredith and her family tomorrow and following the surgery during her recovery.

Thank you. I know this precious family appreciates it too (picture from 2006).

Jeff and Jennifer are my two cousins, and yes, Jeff married a Jennifer. I have a sister, so there were just four cousins. I'm the oldest, Jennifer is four years younger than me, my sister five years younger, and Jeff is 10 years younger. My cousin Jennifer blogs here.