Monica Johnston here.  Thought I would let you know how my precious little boy, Caden Jeremiah, three, is doing ...

Things remain about the same.  Caden is holding his own, but nothing much has changed.  Doctors still have him knocked out so he doesn't pull out all the tubes, lines, and wires that have invaded his flaccid little body.  He remains hooked up to a ventilator, which breathes for him, so his body can rest and conserve the energy it needs to beat this thing, this monster called MRSA.

I have been camped out here at Gulfland, while my husband, his mother (Mother, we call her), and our two daughters Carolina and Cristina remain behind at home in Santa Fe, which is where we happen to live.  (We, meaning Caden and myself, are here in Galveston, but all we have seen of Galveston is the four walls of a hospital.  We haven't seen the Gulf of Mexico or the beaches.)

I haven't been home since all this drama began several weeks ago.  I have had several baths, so that has helped my mood tremendously, but I can't rejoice just yet: Caden remains as sick as ever.  Anything can still happen; it's out of my hands and completely in God's.  What He wants for our son is what's important now at the current time.

While I wish Caden would wake up and open his eyes, maybe it's for the best that he is knocked out.  I know he would cry when he would see that he is in the hospital, with bad doctors and nurses who want nothing more than to use his little body as target practice or do terrible things that cause him pain.  So I sit by his bedside, listening to the hiss-click! of the ventilator and watch his vital life signs dance on the monitor screens, praying for a miracle.

God must be listening because Caden is still alive.  He is still critical, but at least Caden is still with us, so that's a huge answer to prayer!

Our church family has been lifting up Caden in their prayers.  I feel their warm, healing balm upon my spirit and for the first time in as many weeks, I have a sense of peace.  I know deep in my spirit that Caden is going to be okay; he HAS to be.  God has already reassured me of that and I plan on hanging on to that promise with every strength of my being!

Well, I am going to go to the chapel and offer some more prayers for my son, so I will go.  I will keep you updated in a few days; hopefully things will finally start turning around for Caden Jeremiah! Oh, Lord, I sure hope so!!

~To be continued.~