Our Mexican Camino: Ending MS and Finding New Life: March 5, 2017: Day 106

Sunday, March 5, 2017

March 5, 2017: Day 106

Today was such a nice day for Doug and I. We had the opportunity to visit with so many people we love. Today I served at both morning services at St. Stephen's. It was so nice to be able to worship in church and to see so many friends. When I got to the hospital, Doug had visitors, the Blackburns and Mae, friends from Nampa. Then Fr. Dave brought communion and visited with us for awhile. Then we both had a little nap followed by a video chat with our son Dan and his family from Carlsbad. It is always so nice to see each other. Grandson Graham played "Stairway to Heaven" for us on the guitar and he is only 8! Tonight our friends Heidi and Gary from New Plymouth dropped in.

It was so nice for visit with Heidi and Gary. They have been through some diffcult journeys in their life, similar to us. Gary was one of the school psychologists when I was the Director of Special Education in Emmett. Gary at only 42 years old had a stroke while out jogging with his wife Heidi. We were all shocked when it happened. With the damage that was done to Gary's brain with the stroke, Gary lost the ability to talk. That was 7 years ago. The year before Gary's stroke, Doug was diagnosed with MS. Tonight it was great to share our life journeys together. Heidi said something rather profound tonight. She said Gary so wants to be able to talk. Doug so much wants to be able to walk. And then she said, you do learn to be happy again and to enjoy life. Life does go on.

I think that is the thing with learning to deal with big unexpected changes in your life. You have to learn to live in the moment, not getting to far ahead and also not getting overwhelmed with what is lost. We all agreed it is a faith walk. We have to trust that all will be well. It is a grand adventure. We get the opportunity to explore life on a different path than we had planned. Gary is living a full life. Doug is on his way to living a full life too.

And so we pray:

God of Promise, we give you thanks for the blessing of community, friends and your presence with us and for all who are walking this journey with us. We thank you for the reminder that we are not alone and that there are many ways to live a full life. Be with us in the week to come. We pray that Doug will make great moves forward as he continues to get stronger and we pray that he will be able to come home before long. In your name we ask it. Amen

2 comments:

Sherry K-BarrettMarch 6, 2017 at 12:25 AM
Many days, many talks and much learning! Thank you for sharing, it always speaks inspecial ways. Faith, smiles and daily blessings...these are the foundation to normal ! Thank you dear one for all you share. Love, hugs and thanks for the walk you allow us all to be part of.
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karinfranceMarch 6, 2017 at 7:48 AM
i am with you too !
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About Doug

Fr. Doug Yarbrough was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2008. Although judging from his MRI scans he probably had it for many years prior to his diagnosis. Since the diagnosis he has experienced continuous progression of the disease resulting in more and more disability.

Today he is dependent on an electric wheelchair to get around outside of his home. At home he uses a walker to walk short distances. His eyes loose focus easily and he cannot read. This is difficult for someone who has always been a voracious reader and life long learner. He experiences extreme fatigue. Most days it is all he can do to just take care of his own personal needs. We are grateful he can do that and fear the day that he will loose these skills. But with the progression of this disease that day may not be far off.

This is not the person Fr. Doug has always been. Many will remember him as an active member of his family, church, community and state. He is an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. As a priest and community leader he has been a passionate crusader working on behalf of the poor, the abused, the homeless and minorities. He has been a husband, a father and a grandfather. He has always been the person who helps others.

Fr. Doug is a learner and believes in education to serve the common good. He has a B.A. in Education and Philosophy, a Master's in Counseling and a Master's in Religion. He has a doctorate in Educational Psychology. His education nurtured his thirst for learning, to make God known to the world and to serve others in the example of Christ. His favorite Bible passage is from Micah 6:8. In the New English Language Version of the Bible it reads "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" These words have framed his work in the church and the world.

In 2005 he was awarded the Canyon County Humanitarian Award for his contributions, care and concern for the most needy and marginalized people in Canyon County. He chaired the Nampa Shelter Coalition board and was on this board for many years. He also served for many years on the Nampa Family Justice Center and the Idaho State Domestic Violence Boards. He founded the Open Arms Baby Boutique in Nampa. This is a resource center for low-income women. The women earn points for prenatal and postnatal check-ups. They may then trade the points in for diapers, baby clothes, furniture, etc. He was on the "Success by Six" Treasure Valley committee. Fr. Doug served on the Mercy Hospital Ethics Board. All this he did while pastoring a church and serving on many church boards and committees.

After many years of service, Fr. Doug is now in need of your help. He is in the fight of his life to stop the progression of this horribly debilitating disease. Up until now, there has been little hope, but upon returning from a pilgrimage of prayer for healing we learned of a new stem cell treatment that some are calling a cure. This treatment is HSCT (Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant). Using this treatment the patient's own stem cells are harvested, then the patient's immune system is killed using chemotherapy and then the patient's own stem cells are transplanted back into their body. It works similarly to a reboot of a computer. The immune system is being rebooted. This treatment is in Clinical Trials in the United States, but in other places in the world it is being used as a treatment for MS. Worldwide data shows that more than 80% of MS patients receiving this treatment see an end to the progression of the disease and many see a reversal in disability. The brain is able to heal from the bodies own attacks on the myelin insulating sheath around that surrounds nerve fibers

Unfortunately HSCT treatment is expensive and not yet covered by insurance. To get this treatment he will have to travel outside of the country. To help pay for this treatment family and friends of Father Doug are raising money to help pay for uninsured medical expenses associated with HSCT (HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANT) to halt the progression of his Multiple Sclerosis. We don’t have time to wait for Clinical Trials in the US. Fr. Doug is rapidly progressing in disability from this disease. We have to act now if we are to save and hopefully improve the quality of Fr. Doug’s life. We have a goal of October 15, 2016 to raise all the money needed. This is the earliest possible date that the treatment may be available.

Fr. Doug has chosen to fund-raise with HelpHOPELive in part because HelpHOPELive assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for donors. Donors can be sure that funds donated will be used only to pay for unreimbursed medically related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Donate Now button.

For more information, please contact HelpHOPELive at 800.642.8399.

Thank you and God Bless you for your help!

Sunday, March 5, 2017

March 5, 2017: Day 106

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