Momma’s Update from June 12th & 13th
Sunday June 17th is Chris 23rd Birthday.We have told him people all over the world are praying for him and God has listened and is answering prayer. Thank you for being part of why Chris is having his 23rd Birthday. For those who have been praying and standing with us and those who have been following Chris’ progress and want to send Chris a happy Birthday message we would print it out and take it into him on his birthday. You can either leave it in the comments or send an e-mail to patti@xangelle.com.
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Tuesday June 12th, 2007Â (two months today was the accident)
What great things God has done!
Patti and I met Aunty Sherry for coffee and then headed off to the hospital. Where… we all went to visit Chris. It is so wonderful having someone who knows Nurse things to help. We were not there very long and I needed to go to work.
He has been keeping a journal, of who visits and what has happened at what times during the day. This is to help him with short-term memory stuff. It also helps us to check on how he is progressing. Patti stayed and it wasn’t very long until someone was there to take him for Xrays.  This is to tell how the bones are healing in his arm, leg and foot. As he was going to be gone half an hour or more.. Patti was thinking of leaving.Â
Nina arrived and they were able to spend some time together. I think that even though this has been a difficult time there are so many wonderful things we are reaping out of it. Some of them are the renewed, strengthened, and new relationships, with each other and with others God has put in our path, For which we are thankful. Nina stayed and Patti left.
Later Mark arrived and He and Nina had time with Chris. After I was finished work I went back to the hospital. We had a wonderful time with Nina and Chris. A Doctor came in and did an assessment of Chris. He check out how everything was coming along… He tested all the leg, foot ,arm and hand muscles for movement and for strength. He said Chris was doing very well and was coming along. He told him he would have to be patient and do what he could until they were able to put weight on the leg with the plastic surgery and the bones that were healing. He talked a little of G.F. Strong Rehab. It was very encouraging.  Mark and I stayed a little after Nina left.. Then said good night.
Wednesday, June 13th 2007
Today I had an very emotional day. Funny how as things start to improve and get better… then I seem to melt down.
Chris had a good day. His sister Debbie was in to see him bright and early. As I was driving in I got a phone call and it was Chris…on Debbie’s cell phone… wanting to know if I was coming in and when. What a neat thing to get a call… just when you are not expecting it….
His voice is getting stronger and yet it is still not the ‘old’ Chris yet…
Physio came today; they were very impressed with how well he was doing. The physio said the last time they tried to get him out of bed… it took Three physio people with maximum help and effort to get him to the side of the bed and standing briefly on his right leg… today all three arrived to help….
She told me that it took one physio-therapist with minimum help to get him sitting on the side of the bed and then standing. They were very impressed with how strong he is getting. They said even his left arm was able to let hang freely without having to support it.  Nina came and he was so glad to see her. He always tells me how much he loves her.
They were having a nice conversation when a Steve Kennedy ( a Doctor from “plastic?â€) came to check out his plastics sites and the donor sites…..they joked about maybe being relatives…
Mark and I went for supper and we phoned to see if his supper was edible. He didn’t think so…We brought him a highly nutritional milkshake and a side of fries. He got a wonderful basket of fresh fruit and has been working on that each day. If we cut it up, he is able to eat it.Â
When we came back… Marja and Jyrki were there to visit. It is so wonderful how everyone is supporting Chris. They said there was so much improvement since they were last there.
We are Praising God for all the wonderful blessings he has given us. For the wonderful work, He is doing in Chris body and his mind. We are so thankful for all that the nurses and doctors have done and are doing to help him each day. We are so thankful for all your prayers and thoughts toward Chris, Nina and the family. We give thanks with grateful hearts.Â
June 14th, 2007 @ 8:35 pm
Hey Chris!
I was going to give my mom a note to give you but she’s going to be in Kelowna on your birthday so she won’t be able to see you on the special day. I thought I’d post a comment so the family could print it out and bring it to you.
Just wanted to say you’re an amazing man of God and I am so proud of you. Thank you for being such a sport for my mom and waving and smiling in the pictures she took. She’s sent them all to me and I saved them on my phone. It makes me so happy to see you smile and I wish I could be there to hang out more.
Happy Birthday big guy! I’ll be celebrating with you in Spirit and thinking of you always.
Love you so much, see you soon!
Love Courtney
June 14th, 2007 @ 9:25 pm
Chris!
Have an amazing birthday! I’ve been praying for you since the accident, you’ve become such a blessing to everyone praying: your family, friends, and complete strangers! Thank You Lord for all you’ve done and continue to do in Chris!
June 15th, 2007 @ 4:50 pm
Just a quick update…yesterday when I went back in the afternoon to see Chris I was determined to find out why he had just been left lying in his bed…didn’t they know he needed to get up and get going….as I came around the corner to his room I heard alot of voices and wondered who had come in…I pulled back the curtain to see a whole team of physios getting Chris in a wheelchair!!! God had gone ahead of me… I was able to wheel Chris right outside in the sunshine for a half hour or so…He was so thrilled to be out. His memory is getting so much better and he asked how Courtney was liking Kelowna!! Most of you may have no idea how great that was to hear but believe me, it is!The physios were amazed how well he tolerated it and said he would need to be up for 4 hours to be able to meet the criteria to transfer to GF Strong. Well today, one day later, he met that criteria!! Chris was up from 1130 until just after 3:30…in that time he sat out in the rain with his momma, had lunch, played a zillion hands of some dumb card game(sorry Chris), called Grampa K, Aunty Ruth and Uncle Dan and had a shower with me…well I did get almost as wet as he did…Karen and I wheeled him into the bathroom and as she stood OUTSIDE(giving orders, i mean directions) I was washing his hair(and his wheelchair and my shoes,the walls, etc) I sent a picture to courtney with soap all in his hair and she called me excitedly asking when he got his “faux hawk”…I explained I was just fooling around with the shampoo and she was quite disappointed Chris that it hadn’t been cut in that style…she was thrilled with how happy you looked. Anyway, everyone was impressed with how well he did today ..and they promised he would be off isolation restrictions for his birthday and up in his chair. I’m sorry I won’t be there to wish you a happy birthday but I thank God that you are hear to celebrate another year…I love you dear Chris. xox
June 15th, 2007 @ 6:31 pm
Hey Chris
Happy 23rd birthday.
God has done amazing things and will continue.
Jeanette
June 16th, 2007 @ 7:46 am
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!!
It has been some time since i have dropped you a line but i have been watching the progress and PRAISING GOD for His healing hand on your life. When you had your accident it was God who really laid you on my heart prompting me to be actively involved in prayer and encouraging many here in the Kootenays(and around the world) to pray as well.
I just wanted to say hi, Happy Birthday and to let you know that we will not let up praying for you until complete healing is accomplished in your’s and Nina’s battle.
You have a wonderful Christian heritage Chris that i am sure you no doubt realize. I am connected to you through my sister Sherry…( isn’t she an angel from God?!) but also from my early years growing up in North Van and knowing your Grandma and Grampa Kennedy. They were always so kind and caring of me as a young teen… and to meet the four boys Mark, Dan, Rick and Wayne( i loved skiing with them and playing ball)… i was always so welcomed whenever i was around. They made me feel like part of the family. And what a cool family!! So much fun… so much togetherness… it was God’s Love and Life shining through them.I believe i was one of your Mom and Dad’s first house guests after they were married and living in an apartment in Calgary(remember i was on my way home from a farm in Alta to the coast). What a happy couple they were… Also your Gramma and Grampa Rathjen have been a big influence in my life. From being baptised in water by your Grandpa at Elim in North Van to his many words of wisdom and encouragement when they were here in the Kootenays.
As i look at the pics on Patti’s site and hear many stories from your aunty Sherry i see that same Love shining through that big beautiful family God has blessed you with. So Chris i tell you all this to just remind you of something you may not need reminding… God has blessed you with an awesome heritage and He will continue to bless you as you honor Him with your life. I know that God has great things in store for you and Nina.
One last thing .. i have used your testimony of the last two months to share God with many individuals that need Christ.
You see Chris…. God is using you right now!!
Happy Birthday Chris
Randy
(Aunty Sherry’s big brother)
June 16th, 2007 @ 9:26 am
Happy Birthday Chris! Just read Aunty Sherri!s report and it is so wonderful to hear how well you are doing.P.T.L.Hope we will get to see you before we leave for Fiji Will be praying for you and Nina and believeing God for even greater things for you Both as God continues to work in your lives. We love you Grandpa and Grandma Rathjen
June 16th, 2007 @ 9:27 am
Happy Birthday Chris! Just read Aunty Sherri!s report and it is so wonderful to hear how well you are doing.P.T.L.Hope we will get to see you before we leave for Fiji Will be praying for you and Nina and believeing God for even greater things for you Both as God continues to work in your lives. We love you Grandpa and Grandma Rathjen
June 16th, 2007 @ 10:34 am
Hi there!
I believe Steve Kennedy was the doctor who attended the birth of my Charis 3 years ago. the Steve Kennedy who attended my birth was a student doctor and mine was the first birth he witnesses. He was from Vancouver also. I wonder if this is the same Steven Kennedy?
Bonnie Moody
June 16th, 2007 @ 10:34 am
Hi there!
I believe Steve Kennedy was the doctor who attended the birth of my Charis 3 years ago. the Steve Kennedy who attended my birth was a student doctor and mine was the first birth he witnessed. He was from Vancouver also. I wonder if this is the same Steven Kennedy?
Bonnie Moody
June 16th, 2007 @ 10:34 am
Hi there!
I believe Steve Kennedy was the doctor who attended the birth of my Charis 3 years ago. the Steve Kennedy who attended my birth was a student doctor and mine was the first birth he witnessed. He was from Vancouver also. I wonder if this is the same Steven Kennedy?
Bonnie Moody
June 16th, 2007 @ 10:37 am
Hmm.. somehow my post landed on here 3 times. It kept stalling out. Anyways, I wanted to also say “Happy Birthday, Chris!” It has been a week since I had time to check in and see how you are doing on this site, and I am so pleased to see such an improvement. We hope you have a great Birthday! It is my mom’s birthday that day also – Millie Kennedy.
Bye for now,
Bonnie Moody
June 16th, 2007 @ 11:55 pm
What a wonderful gift you have received for your twenty third birthday. The gift of continuous life. Not only that but a wonderful gift for your father on Father’s Day. I bet this is the best Father’s Day gift he has ever received.
When I think about how far you have come in such a short time, I realize that the Lord has put you on quite a fast track. You must be very loved. You are a man of strength in your physical being and of your faith in the Lord. Patience is a virtue. I have been told that many times. I have no doubt that you will come through this sooner than anyone could ever expect. The proof is in all the stories above. Now, take June 17th and celebrate your birthday knowing there are so many people out there that have created this amazing miracle through the power of prayer. I will be thinking of you.
Please tell Mark to have a Happy Father’s Day. I know he will.
Happy Birthday Chris.