An article for www.goodnewsdaily.com written by Heidi Meyer in hopes of winning a writing contest and donating the prize (a trip to Hawaii) to John and Susan Langager. Following is the final, published draft:
For some people, finding the right person takes a very long time. For those of us who have experienced this, it feels as if life has almost passed us by. My friend Susan and I found our wonderful husbands and began trying to have families late in life, Susan even later than I.
After two miscarriages my husband and I had our first son John. We endured two more miscarriages before we finally became pregnant again. Even though we received blood work that indicated that there were serious problems, God answered our prayers and brought our son Joshua into the world healthy and whole.
My friend Susan became pregnant halfway through my pregnancy with Joshua. Days after my son was born, Susan’s water broke at 19 weeks, putting her into pre-term labor. She was rushed to the hospital, but because she was only halfway through her pregnancy, they sent her home knowing that the child had approximately 48 hours to live. They gave her the option to abort, but Susan decided to go the distance, however far that meant and however hard it might be. After I received the news of her situation, I began to pray. I stood in the wee hours of the night, holding our new precious son in my arms, crying out to God for a miracle for Susan and her husband John.
One week passed. Susan prayerfully returned to the doctor to determine the status of the baby through an ultrasound. The fluid around the baby was still completely gone, but miraculously the baby was still alive. Susan was put on complete bed rest. We continued to pray and hurt for her plight. For five weeks Susan lay in bed, praying around the clock for the tiny life inside to make it. Many prayed and at each appointment the news was the same: no fluid, but the baby was growing and was still alive!
At 24 weeks Susan was admitted into a special unit at a nearby hospital for monitoring. It was at this point that baby David was considered “viable” by the medical professionals. At 26 weeks Susan delivered baby David, who weighed a mere 2 pounds, 1 ounce. Immediately, Susan’s friends and family set up a website with pictures and updates to encourage fervent prayer. People from all over the world volunteered to pray around the clock. There were many challenges, from swelling on his brain to a serious staph infection, but with each setback came specific answers to prayers. David came through it completely healthy. A whole community rejoiced as two grateful parents were able to bring “little” David home. David did so well he weighed 7 pounds 5.9 ounces when he left the hospital. Miracles still do happen, and God still hears people when they pray.
Although I have always wanted to go to Hawaii, I would like to submit this story on behalf of Susan, John, and baby David (who would not require a ticket to travel for some time). I have experienced difficulties and heart-rending hours in prayer for my child, but I cannot imagine lying in bed for hours on end, not knowing if the heart inside has stopped beating or if the news I receive next will break my heart.
Susan and her husband have had great courage. They have been through so much and have spent countless hours traveling and living out of suitcases to be beside David as he struggled, not only to breathe, but simply to live, developing outside the womb in an Isolette for three long months. Now that David is healthy, I would love nothing more than to see them holding their little guy in a beach hat and just enjoying the beautiful gift of life in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
David's Story, written by Heidi Meyer
A little explanation of the story to come:
On February 29, I received an e-mail from Heidi Meyer, the sister-in-law of one of Susan's dearest friends, Rachel Hall. Rather than explain, I'll simply copy and paste a portion of what she wrote:
*****
Hi Lori and Rachel,
I am Heidi Meyer, Basil Hall's sister (which Rachel already knows!), I live in Kansas and have been praying for David.
. . . I am writing for an unusual reason. I got tired of the regular news sites like CNN some time ago and so I found a site called: "Good News Daily" - http://www.goodnewsdaily.com/. They are a great site and it has seemed to hint that the founders are Christians. They give great press to Christian things.
They are having a Good News Daily.Com “Creative Writing Contest”: "Win 7 nights on the Big Island of Hawaii Free All Expense Paid Vacation for two!" Good News Daily.Com is looking for the very best positive news story of the year! The winner and a guest will receive a 7 day all expense paid vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii and dinner with the Founders. They will also receive a trophy called the “Gerstenberger Prize.”
. . . I think it would be such an awesome thing if we could win this for them. I welcome any input. Thank you so much for your help.
In Him,
Heidi Meyer
*****
We think it would be awesome if everyone reading this could pray for John and Susan and David to win the trip to Hawaii (assuming they're OK with the story being submitted).
If you're a good proofreader, please let us know if you notice anything that needs help. I'm going to post the story separately so anyone wanting to read it doesn't have to wade through the explanation. I just figured you might want to know who wrote it, as well as the motivation behind it.
This is such a beautiful picture--and single example representing countless others--of the love of Jesus reaching across hundreds of miles to touch our dear friends, the Langagers.
On February 29, I received an e-mail from Heidi Meyer, the sister-in-law of one of Susan's dearest friends, Rachel Hall. Rather than explain, I'll simply copy and paste a portion of what she wrote:
*****
Hi Lori and Rachel,
I am Heidi Meyer, Basil Hall's sister (which Rachel already knows!), I live in Kansas and have been praying for David.
. . . I am writing for an unusual reason. I got tired of the regular news sites like CNN some time ago and so I found a site called: "Good News Daily" - http://www.goodnewsdaily.com/. They are a great site and it has seemed to hint that the founders are Christians. They give great press to Christian things.
They are having a Good News Daily.Com “Creative Writing Contest”: "Win 7 nights on the Big Island of Hawaii Free All Expense Paid Vacation for two!" Good News Daily.Com is looking for the very best positive news story of the year! The winner and a guest will receive a 7 day all expense paid vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii and dinner with the Founders. They will also receive a trophy called the “Gerstenberger Prize.”
. . . I think it would be such an awesome thing if we could win this for them. I welcome any input. Thank you so much for your help.
In Him,
Heidi Meyer
*****
We think it would be awesome if everyone reading this could pray for John and Susan and David to win the trip to Hawaii (assuming they're OK with the story being submitted).
If you're a good proofreader, please let us know if you notice anything that needs help. I'm going to post the story separately so anyone wanting to read it doesn't have to wade through the explanation. I just figured you might want to know who wrote it, as well as the motivation behind it.
This is such a beautiful picture--and single example representing countless others--of the love of Jesus reaching across hundreds of miles to touch our dear friends, the Langagers.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
David's Coming Home Pics
What a little cutie pie!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
David is HOME!
2:15 p.m.
Wonderful News!
David came off the nasal canula at 2:00 a.m. and never went back on it. Susan called to say that they are out of the hospital, in the car, headed to the Interstate on their way HOME!
David will go back for his one month checkup, which is when they'll do the circumcision.
Please pray for his complete healing.
You all are AWESOME!
Wonderful News!
David came off the nasal canula at 2:00 a.m. and never went back on it. Susan called to say that they are out of the hospital, in the car, headed to the Interstate on their way HOME!
David will go back for his one month checkup, which is when they'll do the circumcision.
Please pray for his complete healing.
You all are AWESOME!
Monday, March 10, 2008
David's Surgery Successful
6:30 p.m.
Ginny King called with a report on David while she and Susan were in the recovery room together with David at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital (Ginny is a friend of Susan's who just completed her nursing degree and is now working at the hospital). John came up to visit for a little while, but he had to leave early to go study for his tests tomorrow. Please pray that his exams go well.
David came out of surgery at around 3:30 p.m. Everything went well.
They found two hernias and repaired them both. He came off the ventilator great in O.R. even before they pulled him out to recovery. Mom's been holding him the whole time.
David has taken some fluids already in the form of Pedialyte. Please pray that he's able to maintain the fluids.
He's on zero oxygen right now. He's holding his oxygen levels great on his own with no support at all, not even a nasal canula.
Please pray that the night goes smoothly with no dips in his vitals. Pray that he maintains his own oxygen all night on his own.
At 6:30 they wanted us to pray for them to get a room soon since they were still waiting on one. I don't know if they're in a room now or not. I guess it never hurts to pray retro-active prayers. :0)
6:45 p.m.
Susan called with an addendum to the report:
David was put on a nasal canula for a little while because his stats were on the low side. Please pray that he gets off oxygen as soon as possible but not sooner than he can handle it.
Thank you!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Prayer Update for David's Surgery
Susan says, "Thank you for the prayers since the last posting. He's gotten a little more regular, and we haven't had to use any more suppositories. Praise God!"
Susan has to have David at the hospital at noon, so she's guessing that the surgery will be around 2 p.m. on Monday. Please pray for a steady hand for the doctor, that they'll be able to take care of everything, and that he will
come off of the ventilator and off of oxygen and and heal perfectly.
Please pray for John, too. He's under a lot of stress this week with work and school. He's taking two courses at TSU this semester. Pray that he'll have stamina and endurance to make it through rest of semester and pray for
favor with his professor. Thank you!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Update to Thursday's Prayer Request
Susan and Baby David are back home now, Praise God. David is doing well. He's sleeping peacefully now that he's finally soiled a diaper (a somewhat runny diaper, but a soiled one nonetheless) due to a little Karo syrup in this afternoon's bottle. Last night, during a stretch of a couple hours, he would pass gass every five minutes or so and wake himself up. He doesn't like to sleep on his back--especially when he's gassy. With the new "Back to Sleep" marketing campaign, parents are encouraged (read: barraged with fear-based messages) to place their newborns on their backs to try to avoid SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). David would have much preferred to be born during the tummy era.
The urologist today told Susan that he could fit David in on Monday for his hernia surgery, so she will find out tomorrow what time they need to be there. She thinks it will be 11:00 a.m. The nurse told her that they typically do baby surgeries in the morning, but since the doctor is fitting David in after his other scheduled procedures, Susan thinks the need to do the surgery was rather pressing.
On the night before the surgery (Sunday), David will need to drink Pedialyte instead of formula--he would normally need to fast, but because he's so tiny they want to ward against dehydration. Please pray that David will be willing to take the Pedialyte even though the taste and consistency is different from what he's used to getting in his bottle.
Since John will be teaching on Monday (he has mid-terms to administer next week as well as his own mid-term to take at TSU) Susan will be meeting Rachel Hall at Vanderbilt. The doctor recommended waiting on the circumcision until the swelling from the surgery subsides, which could take as long as two months. They're willing to do the circumcision up to four months adjusted age--they go by his due date rather than his birth date.
One of the primary concerns the doctors have about David's hernia surgery is how long it will take to get him off the oxygen once he's put back on it. Since he's a preemie, his situation is different from that of a typical newborn. He will be put back on a ventilator for the surgery. We need to pray that he will want to be off of it and breathe on his own. David (and Susan) will be spending at least Monday night in the hospital. We'll keep you posted as to how long they will actually need to stay.
While I'm thinking of breathing and hospitals . . . before John and Susan left Centennial with David, they were required to watch a CPR video that showed them all sorts of horrific images and planted a myriad of fearful thoughts in their heads. All the way to the doctor's office today, nearly an hour's drive, Susan was plagued with thoughts like: "What if he stops breathing in his carseat? He's so quiet when he's sleeping. He could stop breathing and I wouldn't even know it." PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pray for angels to be released over David, that the burden of worry would be lifted from Susan and John, that fear would FLEE in Jesus' name, and that God would flood their home and their minds with PEACE.
Let me encourage you to pray for the Langagers this weekend and throughout the week. The hospital experience could turn out to be heavily emotional and exhausting, or God could carry them all the way through. Let's pray for God's favor and peace at every turn, for his anointing on every aspect of the procedure, for a miraculous recovery, and for rest in the midst of it all. Bless you!
The urologist today told Susan that he could fit David in on Monday for his hernia surgery, so she will find out tomorrow what time they need to be there. She thinks it will be 11:00 a.m. The nurse told her that they typically do baby surgeries in the morning, but since the doctor is fitting David in after his other scheduled procedures, Susan thinks the need to do the surgery was rather pressing.
On the night before the surgery (Sunday), David will need to drink Pedialyte instead of formula--he would normally need to fast, but because he's so tiny they want to ward against dehydration. Please pray that David will be willing to take the Pedialyte even though the taste and consistency is different from what he's used to getting in his bottle.
Since John will be teaching on Monday (he has mid-terms to administer next week as well as his own mid-term to take at TSU) Susan will be meeting Rachel Hall at Vanderbilt. The doctor recommended waiting on the circumcision until the swelling from the surgery subsides, which could take as long as two months. They're willing to do the circumcision up to four months adjusted age--they go by his due date rather than his birth date.
One of the primary concerns the doctors have about David's hernia surgery is how long it will take to get him off the oxygen once he's put back on it. Since he's a preemie, his situation is different from that of a typical newborn. He will be put back on a ventilator for the surgery. We need to pray that he will want to be off of it and breathe on his own. David (and Susan) will be spending at least Monday night in the hospital. We'll keep you posted as to how long they will actually need to stay.
While I'm thinking of breathing and hospitals . . . before John and Susan left Centennial with David, they were required to watch a CPR video that showed them all sorts of horrific images and planted a myriad of fearful thoughts in their heads. All the way to the doctor's office today, nearly an hour's drive, Susan was plagued with thoughts like: "What if he stops breathing in his carseat? He's so quiet when he's sleeping. He could stop breathing and I wouldn't even know it." PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pray for angels to be released over David, that the burden of worry would be lifted from Susan and John, that fear would FLEE in Jesus' name, and that God would flood their home and their minds with PEACE.
Let me encourage you to pray for the Langagers this weekend and throughout the week. The hospital experience could turn out to be heavily emotional and exhausting, or God could carry them all the way through. Let's pray for God's favor and peace at every turn, for his anointing on every aspect of the procedure, for a miraculous recovery, and for rest in the midst of it all. Bless you!
Thursday's Prayer Request
2:15 p.m.
Please pray. . .
Susan is really stressed out right now. She has been concerned about David's hernia, and he hasn't been able to poop since yesterday even though
she's given him two suppositories. He's uncomfortable and fussy and not sleeping well. The hernia's getting darker and a little bigger.
David had an appointment set for tomorrow with the urologist, but since Susan was concerned about it, she called and he said he could work David in today. Susan was in her pajamas with David asleep on her chest when she had to throw everything together and get out the door really fast to drive downtown by herself.
She had to pack the diaper bag, but she didn't know what to put in it since this is the first time out she's been out by herself with David. She had planned to be able to sit back with him tomorrow and watch and take care of him, but now she's got to figure out where doctor's office is in downtown Nashville, navigate through the parking garages, meet David's needs . . . all of which are stressful on their own. If you've ever had to do any of the above, you can imagine how stressful it is with all the variables converging at once.
So Susan is asking for prayer today. She needs prayer for peace and clarity for her and prayer for David as well. He's not sleeping well (which means neither is she), he's uncomfortable and gassy, he hasn't been able to poop (which is, of course, no fun), and the hernia seems to be getting worse.
Thank you for continuing to pray!
Please pray. . .
Susan is really stressed out right now. She has been concerned about David's hernia, and he hasn't been able to poop since yesterday even though
she's given him two suppositories. He's uncomfortable and fussy and not sleeping well. The hernia's getting darker and a little bigger.
David had an appointment set for tomorrow with the urologist, but since Susan was concerned about it, she called and he said he could work David in today. Susan was in her pajamas with David asleep on her chest when she had to throw everything together and get out the door really fast to drive downtown by herself.
She had to pack the diaper bag, but she didn't know what to put in it since this is the first time out she's been out by herself with David. She had planned to be able to sit back with him tomorrow and watch and take care of him, but now she's got to figure out where doctor's office is in downtown Nashville, navigate through the parking garages, meet David's needs . . . all of which are stressful on their own. If you've ever had to do any of the above, you can imagine how stressful it is with all the variables converging at once.
So Susan is asking for prayer today. She needs prayer for peace and clarity for her and prayer for David as well. He's not sleeping well (which means neither is she), he's uncomfortable and gassy, he hasn't been able to poop (which is, of course, no fun), and the hernia seems to be getting worse.
Thank you for continuing to pray!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Quick Update
The most recent pictures I have of Baby David:
Tummy Time
Valentine's Day
Looking at Mommy
Meals are going well so far. We're still looking for meal volunteers for the last two weeks of March, so if you'd like to help, just send an e-mail to Lori Todd at loritoddis@yahoo.com. Thanks!
Tummy Time
Valentine's Day
Looking at MommyDavid weighs 7 lbs 5.9 oz and measures just over 20 in. long.
Please pray for Susan's dad. Her mom and dad were planning to drive to TN tomorrow, but her dad has been experiencing major back pain and hasn't been able to move.
Meals are going well so far. We're still looking for meal volunteers for the last two weeks of March, so if you'd like to help, just send an e-mail to Lori Todd at loritoddis@yahoo.com. Thanks!
Monday, March 3, 2008
David is HOME!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Susan and John brought sweet baby David home yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. Susan said he did great on the ride home and when she called, he was fast asleep in her arms while she enjoyed her comfortable new rocker/glider. She sounded exhausted but full of joy.
My husband pointed out that for most new parents, the first three months feels like running a marathon. John and Susan have already run a three-month marathon, and the newborn stretch at home has just begun. Please continue to pray for them. They still need our love, support, and prayer.
If you'd like to make a meal for the Langagers (breakfast, lunch, or supper), bring a frozen meal to the Firehouse at Grace Center, pick up take-out from a local restaurant, bring groceries, donate a grocery or restaurant gift-certificate, or deliver meals that someone else has prepared, please call me or send an e-mail so I can get some meals scheduled for them in these first few weeks at home. Thanks!
Lori Todd
(615) 496-8079
OR
You could mail cards (whether it's a gift card or a card of encouragement) directly to the Langager family:
John, Susan, and Baby David Langager
1738 Dryden Drive
Spring Hill, TN 37174
Saturday, March 1, 2008
One more night
David and his mommy and daddy will be spending one more night in the hospital to be sure David's lungs are strong enough to come home.
Susan said she didn't get any sleep last night, so please pray for grace and strength as Susan and John transition into being full-time with David. Even though he's been with us for three months, little David is still a newborn who wakes in the middle of the night for feedings (he woke up every two hours last night and shifted enough to wake Susan every five minutes). Since John and Susan have day jobs, so they definitely need deep, refreshing sleep when they can get it.
Please pray that their sleep would be multiplied. Pray for David to be as a full-term, healthy, perfectly formed newborn whose parents can rest and enjoy him (and not be worried about every little sound and movement throughout the night). It's hard enough trying to sleep when you're in the same room with your first baby; it's even harder when your sweet baby has been relying on oxygen and tubes to breathe. Lift them up, prayer warriors. They need us to pray now as much as ever.
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