Our Miracle Child

This is the last post on the "Believing for Aubrey" blog.  It is, however, the first post written by her mother, Ashleigh Gallo.  Please read through to the end, where Ashleigh makes a very small, but meaningful, request of all of you who have supported little Aubrey during this time.

____________________

Aubrey's Third Birthday Party

Our miracle child - Aubrey is just that!  When I describe this adventure to other people who are just finding out what happened to Aubrey, I simply cannot tell this story without talking about the healing power of God.

Aubrey has indeed made a full recovery, making it hard for most people to believe that just six months ago, Aubrey was so close to dying from a critical case of West Nile encephalitis.  But she has no evidence of brain damage, and she is thriving despite all she went through.

When she came home from the hospital, she only had two therapy appointments before it was clear she did not need any more therapy.  She was testing at or above a three-year-old level in all physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy only three weeks after she came home!  Unfortunately, she was waking several times a night, crying - but now, even that is a distant memory.  Our daughter is healed.

____________________

Dad and Mom at the Party

This week marks the six-month anniversary since she got sick, and - more importantly - it marks her third birthday. This coming Tuesday we venture to the neurologist in hopes that they will begin weaning her off the seizure medication.  Andy and I thought this milestone would be the perfect ending to her recovery updates on the blog.

I am still amazed at the number of people from all over the world who visited this blog during the first week - around 19,000!  Thousands more continued to visit afterward.

We thank each of you for praying, fighting, forwarding her story to others, and holding us up during this amazing testimony of FAITH.  We have had the remarkable opportunity to see Christ's Church in action during a tremendous trial.  Standing at her bedside in the ICU, we knew this experience would make us stronger, but we had no idea that it would be largely due to all of your prayers.

And so we say thank you for the part you played in her healing.  We know that Aubrey is marked for God's kingdom, and we look forward to seeing the godly woman she will become.

____________________

Lilly, Aubrey's Sister

We invite you all to write Aubrey a message, a prayer, or your thoughts on how her story has affected your life. We are going to leave the blog up for two weeks so you have time to write.  Afterward, we will be printing out this entire blog and all your messages into a book for her to have when she is older.

Psalm 91 was given to us by a number of you.  It became a our prayer during this journey, and it is a testimony of what God can do.

Please take a moment to read through it and be encouraged.

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Aubrey with Grandma

2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Little Piano Player

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, 
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”

The Royal Partygoers

   and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

Alive and Well

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

____________________

God bless you, and thanks for leaving a message for Aubrey.