First of all, I wanted to thank all of you for both coming and supporting our family with your presence and prayers last night, or for supporting and praying for us from afar. I will have Samuel's final DVD on here in the coming week.
There was a recurring theme last night that our family should write a book on Samuel’s life. None of you who made reference too this, or asked me to never stop writing, could have known the burden the Lord had already laid on my heart the night before.
We’ve been urged from very early on in our journey with Samuel to write about our experiences as a family. My parents have been urged time and again. There isn’t really anything from the perspective of siblings available for families in similar circumstances. There isn’t really much from the parent’s perspective either. While there is some material about getting through hard situations like the ones we have faced over the past 16 months, there is rarely anything that encourages people to see the possibilities these special children like Samuel have.
My family and I believe that Samuel’s story doesn’t end here. I don’t think the Lord intends for Samuel’s ministry, or even ours, to end in his death. There is still a story that needs to be told, and I believe the primary story that should be told is how a little boy whose life was expected to be meaningless would go on to impact the world from his home and hospital, never even uttering a word.
Most of you don’t realize that I am an unpublished writer of fiction (hoping to soon be published). I’ve been culminating and honing my love for words and writing for years, but especially in the last four. The Lord doesn’t do anything arbitrarily. I believe the Lord placed me in the family He did for a reason. I believe he gave me the gifts that He did for a purpose. I don’t think it is coincidence that He has blessed me with the ability to touch lives through the words He gives me, or that He just happened to placed me as a central part of Samuel’s life to use that gift for His ultimate glory.
So, we are beginning to exploring the possibilities, and the burden laid on my heart, and that of my family. What I’d really like from all of you is your personal input. We are asking now, while the memories are still fresh, to encourage each of you to tell us any and all of your memories. Tell us your thoughts, interactions, conversations, and anything else that struck you or impacted your life through Samuel. Please remind us of things that occurred, this has been 16 long months and we are likely to have forgotten some things, help jog our memory. We would like this to not be directed to us personally, but more of story stand alone format. They can be simple statements, I’m not asking or expecting you to be elaborate (you can leave that to me).
Give us bullet points if you want. How did Samuel impact you? Bullet point. How did the Glennon staff impact you? Bullet point. How did the family impact you? Bullet point. This may turn into several different works, depending on how the Lord leads, or be one complete book.
I may use the things you say as quotes, so please be sure to include whatever name you would prefer to be known by. If you are a Joe to us, but would prefer to be called Joseph in the book, then let us know. And for any of you who feel uncomfortable with your name being in print then just let me know you would rather be title as anonymous.
I might take the things you say and interweave them as a part of the story, or I might take your e-mails and use them in their letter format. Please give me as much information as you can. This is something that will go out to families all over if the Lord blesses this work (which I believe He will). My desire is that this book will change the thinking and lives of those whose hands it falls into.
There are two things that happened at Glennon that I will never forget. Each of them has a rippling effect that cannot be measured.
The first is something that I shared with some of you last night. I will never forget when a young medical student came up to me and said “I just wanted you to know that Samuel’s life has impacted me so much that I have decided to change my major to become a brain trauma specialist to help other children in Samuel’s situation.”
The second story is one that I couldn’t stop thinking about the night before Samuel’s Celebration when I felt overwhelmed with these thoughts. One of the most tragic things that happened while we were at Glennon was very early on in our stay. I remember being in the hospital and another family down the hall from us was pressured to end their newborn’s life. They were a young couple and bought into the lies the doctors were telling them. They pulled the plug and watched their little girl struggle for her last breaths. As soon as her life was over the Father ran from the room and came into the parent’s lounge where I was sitting. I will never forget the look on his face or the words he said. “I will never forgive myself for being persuaded to end her life because it was the “right” thing to do!” I later heard what had gone on from another family who was staying at the Ronald McDonald House with us. They were room buddies with the family.
I couldn’t stop thinking the night before Samuel’s 2nd Celebration of life, ‘What if we had done that to Samuel?’ What if we had pulled the plug? How many lives would we have impacted negatively by that one choice? How many lives would have been affected? If not for Samuel, how many children and families would miss out on the impact that that young medical student would one day have on them?
Would it have been easier? Some say it would. But I hope no family will ever go through what this young couple did, because the anguish I saw on that Father’s face has haunted me ever since. So please, seriously search your hearts and share with us and the world how Samuel impacted you personally, or those you know. May the Lord bless each and every one of us who will join together to further the message the Lord has given.
In Christ,
Kaitlyn
P.S. Please take your time, you don’t have to rush. However, keep in mind the sooner we compile everything, the earlier (Lord willing) this will be delivered into the hands of families in need. Even if something comes to your attention later, even after you have submitted your e-mail (submissions can be sent to kaitlyn@contractcallers.com ), please send it anyway. You may never know the impact that one sentence may have on someone down the road.
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