Dareen Willis-Oliver writing.  Sorry for not writing until now, but I have enough trouble trying to keep up with how things are going for Caden Drew Bollinger, the young burn victim I have been informing you about.

One day, he is doing fantastic, and the next:  not so well.  Just when I think he is going to make it he suffers yet another setback, and his family (as well as myself) are past the point of exhaustion.  It seems all we have done for the past few months is cry, worry, and pray for a miracle in this young man's life.

At this moment, Caden is out of Intensive Care, but he isn't the same little boy.  It is clear that he's suffered some lasting brain damage from his last crisis, which was back in March.  He can see and hear well enough, but he hasn't made any effort to talk, and there's the distinct possibility that he might have suffered a small stroke because he isn't moving his left side so well. 

My heart breaks for Caden and his family.  Hasn't this poor little boy been through enough as it is?  He has lived with spastic cerebral palsy for all his nearly twelve years; then last year, some teenaged punks who had been teasing him burned him alive, over 80% of his body, and now he has been in the hospital, fighting for every ounce of his little life.  He now has to live with scars on top of everything else ... that, and ongoing pain.

I feel sorry for his parents:  they have been home for only a few hours every few days, where they can get some rest, do some chores, gather some clean clothes, check the mail and pay their bills, and take care of their other two children, Eagan and Ashlynn, who are probably wondering if their older brother is ever going to get out of the hospital or come home.

My church, Christ Community Assembly of God, has been lifting this family in our prayers; we are grateful he is still alive, but we are hoping for a miracle.  This family is long overdue for one; it's been far too long ever since this incident happened.

I have been praying for the child's tormentors who did this to him, but I find it hard sometimes.  I mean, how can people even think of doing this to a helpless little disabled boy who has no means to be able to defend himself??  I just can't understand the motive behind this, and now, because of their prank (crime?), a little boy must suffer even more physical pain on top of everything else he has had to go through in his short life!

I also haven't written because back in May, we had some bad flooding (lost my house; just got it repaired to where it's liveable, but there's still more work to be done), and I had to stay with friends for a while.  It has been a bad summer for a lot of us here in the Nashville metropolitan area.  Our church even had damage, and for the past few months, we had been meeting at an old warehouse. 

We will be returning to our buidling probably in the next month, month and a half, but until then, the warehouse is where we have been holding our services.  We are looking forward to having church in our building again!!

Well, I am going to get ready and go to the hospital to see Caden.  Hopefully he is continuing to make progress in his (long) recovery.  Just keep him, his family, and myself in your prayers; we could all use a break from all this drama that's been going on for far too long!  Thanks in advance!  May God bless you always!

~With best regards, Dareen Willis-Oliver.

*to be continued.*