Update from Sierra Thursday 8/27
Please keep praying for Parker especially in the next 5 hr while he’s in surgery

UPDATE: Parker is in the very best hands with Dr. Xu and the Neuro ICU team at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. God has our boy, and we are trusting Him with Parker every second. Please, please pray fervently with us over these next five hours — over his surgery that he is having right now , his surgeons and medical team, his spinal cord, and his recovery. Pray for God to guide every hand in that operating room and protect Parker completely.

Today has been a hard day for P. He is sad. He is angry. He misses his life. He misses his siblings, his brothers, his field, his friends, our dog. He misses school — something I never thought I would hear him say. Yesterday he said he wished he could just go outside.

And instantly I could hear that little 18-month-old voice saying, “Outside.” He has always wanted to be outside, running around with the neighbor kids, playing ball, living life. Our neighbors all know, he spends his life outside.

We lose so much perspective in the daily grind. What an incredible gift it is to walk around freely. To breathe fresh air. To laugh with our friends. To hug our family. To scratch our own head when it itches. To brush our teeth. To go outside. To do the things we love.

Today, during stretching and all the little things Gary and I now help him with — brushing his teeth, washing his face, scratching his head, helping with every itch and discomfort — he was hurting so badly and became so discouraged. With tears rolling down his cheeks, he said, “I just don’t know if I can do this.”

So we read.

We read the paper chain that so many of you made for him — link after link of inspiration, Scripture, encouragement and love from our community. He absolutely LOVES having us read them to him. Today, when he desperately needed strength, your words gave him comfort.

And we prayed.

I sang the responsorial psalm a friend had texted me:

“Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.”

And that became our prayer.

Lord, Your love IS eternal. Please do not forsake Parker, the work of Your hands. Continue to heal him. Strengthen his body, but also strengthen his mind and his spirit. Give him the courage for another hour, another therapy session, another hard day.

Please pray specifically right now for Parker’s mental strength, his emotional health and his peace. Pray that when he feels like he cannot do this, God gives him what he needs to take the next step.

And now, we are taking another big step.

Like I said, Parker has been transferred to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, where he is undergoing spinal surgery so that he can safely begin more intensive rehabilitation at Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital.

As we leave Dayton Children’s, I don’t even have adequate words for the gratitude we feel. The doctors, nurses, therapists and staff at Dayton Children’s cared for our son — and for us — through some of the most terrifying minutes, hours and days of our lives.

You were truly the hands and feet of Jesus to our family when we had no idea what the next minute would hold. You helped Parker reach a more stable place so that he can move into this next phase of recovery. We praise God for you. We pray His blessings over you, and I hope you know the incredible impact you have on the lives and families you care for. Thank you.

And to everyone who has visited Parker — thank you. There is nothing like watching your son light up when familiar faces walk into his room. He LOVES seeing his coaches, teammates, friends, girlfriend and family. He talks and laughs and, for a little while, gets to just be Parker.

We have been overwhelmed by encouragement — a text from Coach Jim Tressel, an email from Coach Ryan Day, videos from Carter with the Bengals and Olympian/former NFL player Johnny Quinn — things that have absolutely meant so much to him and brought smiles to his face.

But what has overwhelmed us most is you.

Our family. Our community. His teammates. His coaches. His friends. His school. Other teams and communities throughout our area. People who know Parker and people who have never met him. You have wrapped our son in prayer, encouragement and love at a time when he desperately needs all three. And you have been incredibly generous in supporting our family.

Tomorrow, I hope to be there supporting our Bulldogs at the tailgate and for as long as I can sit there at the game without crying my eyes out. I love those kids so much. I know they are hurting too. I pray they play with the same fire they played with last week, and that they know how much Parker loves them and misses being out there with them.

Please keep praying.
Pray for the surgery.
Pray for his spinal cord to continue healing.
Pray for movement and function to continue returning.
Pray for his doctors and surgeons.
Pray for the transition to Dodd and the hard work of rehabilitation ahead.
Pray for his teammates and friends, and please pray for the St. Henry player who was in the collision as well.

And today, especially, please pray for Parker’s mind, his strength and his peace.

When he says, “I don’t know if I can do this,” pray that God reminds him that he doesn’t have to find the strength for the whole journey today.

Just enough for the next step.

“Lord, Your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of Your hands.”

We believe You are still working, Lord.