Donovan had a much better day today that included eating food and walking laps. He did receive a couple of blood transfusions which also seemed to help him look and feel better. Currently Donovan is in what's considered the neutropenic phase which means his immune system is nearly nonexistent so right now it is pretty much just close family visiting but this should only last 1 more week. Please be praying for Monday because Donovan will be receiving 3 different Chemotherapys, 1 of which is known for bad side effects plus they do a bone marrow aspiration so it is looking like a hectic day. Because Donovan's treatment is a clinical trial through Memorial Sloan Kettering (#1 cancer research hospital in America) located New York they will also be sending off for an extra test on Monday which is called the MRD test. It checks for microscopic pieces of Leukemia in the bone marrow. Normally this test would only be on day 29 if at all but for research they are testing his on day 15. The doctors do not expect it to come back negative yet but I am believing it will. Jesus has conquered the grave, he has conquered cancer, he has conquered chemotherapy side effects and I am sure this MRD test is no big deal either. I look forward to sharing the results next week. Also today a family friend asked us what the name Donovan means. Unknowing, his mom looked it up. The meaning is strong fighter, that was good timing to find out.
Barry's comments: Donovan was indeed looking really good last night. From the night before there was a 100% improvement in every aspect. Thank you God for your restoring power.
May I ask you to continue to pray for Donovan? We believe that he is healed and is being healed everyday. After two weeks of treatment, Donovan's fighting spirit is showing strongly. His faith in God is unwavering. At his lowest times physically, through all the pain he remains a gentle loving son, father and husband. As parents, Debs and I are very humbled by your example son.
I will be posting again a little later today to update you on the financial needs that they are facing, so that you can be better informed.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
Donovan's update from his wife Morgan as of May 8th
Update on Donovan: he has had no leukemia related symptoms in over a week but now he is experiencing a lot of the terrible side effects of chemotherapy. Today his throat was so sore he could not even swallow water. Our main doctor for this week was thrilled as this is a good sign from patients who typically end up in remission. She said the chemo attacks all rapidly reproducing cells, including the entire GI tract which means:
1. His body is responding well to the treatment
2. He is in a lot of pain.
His blast count is still zero which is great and they will do a bone marrow test on Monday to get a better idea of progress. In my opinion, he is healed. It is done and finished. I am just excited to see the lab test line up with what we know has already happened. We fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen because what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.
Please continue to pray for Donovan, Morgan their daughters Maddy and Irelyn
Thank you
1. His body is responding well to the treatment
2. He is in a lot of pain.
His blast count is still zero which is great and they will do a bone marrow test on Monday to get a better idea of progress. In my opinion, he is healed. It is done and finished. I am just excited to see the lab test line up with what we know has already happened. We fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen because what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.
Please continue to pray for Donovan, Morgan their daughters Maddy and Irelyn
Thank you
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Contempalting healing on this Sunday, May 4th 2014
This is the Lord's day, a day to have our eyes focused on the God who created the heavens & the earth, in a instant. To me, God has displayed His wonder in creation, and His love to me as a son. I am always overwhelmed by His generous and lavish love towards me.
In the comfort of knowing who I am in God, my heart is nevertheless very tender as I consider my son Donovan Engelbrecht ,being cared for at Duke hospital for leukemia.
Both my wife Debbie Engelbrecht & I would have willingly swopped places for our boy, so that he could be healed and home with his wife & children. What is there left to do then? We cannot take his place & he remains in the fight for his life.
Again my heart cries out to my heavenly Father, heal our boy & may Donovan return to complete health and may he fulfill everything that he had hoped to achieve in his life.
In my anguish of heart, I am still at peace, we will come through this time of travail. Donovan will recover.
Yet in the deepest part of my inner being, I feel and have the desire to worship God with all of heart. God is not the author of sickness. God is the giver of life.
Our eyes remain fixed on you Jesus!
In the comfort of knowing who I am in God, my heart is nevertheless very tender as I consider my son Donovan Engelbrecht ,being cared for at Duke hospital for leukemia.
Both my wife Debbie Engelbrecht & I would have willingly swopped places for our boy, so that he could be healed and home with his wife & children. What is there left to do then? We cannot take his place & he remains in the fight for his life.
Again my heart cries out to my heavenly Father, heal our boy & may Donovan return to complete health and may he fulfill everything that he had hoped to achieve in his life.
In my anguish of heart, I am still at peace, we will come through this time of travail. Donovan will recover.
Yet in the deepest part of my inner being, I feel and have the desire to worship God with all of heart. God is not the author of sickness. God is the giver of life.
Our eyes remain fixed on you Jesus!
Friday, May 2, 2014
Navigating by faith
Here is my wife's post from yesterday, it is very good indeed:
Faith in Action - Hebrews 11:1-3 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Everything that is a current tangible was conceived as an intangible; everything that today is visibly seen was birthed in the unseen. Everything that is worth spending your life on and giving every waking breath for was forged as an invisible dream, an intangible word, and as an unseen, yet vital, prayer. Just because you don’t see something in reality today does not mean you won’t get it or that it will not happen tomorrow. Just because you don’t see something in reality today does not mean God won’t do it. God specializes in the unseen, yet promised. God is focused on the call of your life toward His Kingdom of faith. This is an extraordinary way to do life!
We are a people who build our lives on the strong foundation of that which we do not see in the natural. We construct an abundant life on the invisible and unshakable goodness of God. We create a life of rich and rare resources on the faithfulness of God. We marvel not at what we are able to do, but on what He is able to do through us. We are more aware of the blessings of God than we are of the ground upon which we walk.
If you long for more than an ordinary and comfortable life, then you will be more aware of God’s unseen presence and outrageous kindness than you are of your loud, demanding, and mountainous circumstances. When God places a word of hope or faith in the spirit of a human being concerning their impossible circumstances, He seals it with the promise of His Word. When God gives you a dream, ask Him for the accompanying Scripture to seal it. God’s Word always prepares the way for the miraculous during our tenure on Earth. What you see with your eyes is the untruth, and what is viewed only with your eyes of faith is the ultimate and resounding truth.
Faith in Action - Hebrews 11:1-3 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Everything that is a current tangible was conceived as an intangible; everything that today is visibly seen was birthed in the unseen. Everything that is worth spending your life on and giving every waking breath for was forged as an invisible dream, an intangible word, and as an unseen, yet vital, prayer. Just because you don’t see something in reality today does not mean you won’t get it or that it will not happen tomorrow. Just because you don’t see something in reality today does not mean God won’t do it. God specializes in the unseen, yet promised. God is focused on the call of your life toward His Kingdom of faith. This is an extraordinary way to do life!
We are a people who build our lives on the strong foundation of that which we do not see in the natural. We construct an abundant life on the invisible and unshakable goodness of God. We create a life of rich and rare resources on the faithfulness of God. We marvel not at what we are able to do, but on what He is able to do through us. We are more aware of the blessings of God than we are of the ground upon which we walk.
If you long for more than an ordinary and comfortable life, then you will be more aware of God’s unseen presence and outrageous kindness than you are of your loud, demanding, and mountainous circumstances. When God places a word of hope or faith in the spirit of a human being concerning their impossible circumstances, He seals it with the promise of His Word. When God gives you a dream, ask Him for the accompanying Scripture to seal it. God’s Word always prepares the way for the miraculous during our tenure on Earth. What you see with your eyes is the untruth, and what is viewed only with your eyes of faith is the ultimate and resounding truth.
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