Author Archive: 'Carrow McClendon

Our first full day at home was as low key as we could make it. We are still unpacking, settling in, and trying to find our rhythm. Kayleigh is still more reserved than I would like. Our conversations are often about what happens when you die. It’s so hard to have those conversations. I want her to be talking about kid things, not these heavy things. Thankfully, God is good and He continues to give me the words to comfort Kayleigh.

I am also noticing the progression of symptoms. She is struggling more with balance, her eye is drooping, and her arms and face are drawing up. I think she too is aware of these things which is what is triggering the conversations. Would you please start praying now for clear s and when we go back in a week? Please also pray that the symptoms will subside and Kayleigh will feel more like herself.

It would be easy to start asking God why or to be upset, but I refuse to allow fear to cover a single minute God is good and God plan is perfect. So thankfully Jesus for another beautiful!!

Until tomorrow,
‘Carrow 💜

We are home! Thank you Jesus for traveling mercies. We had lightning and storms come close that threatened our flight, but the Lord did not let that stop us. We were able to reroute around the storm and get to Birmingham. We had multiple traffic jams once we landed in Birmingham but each time God provided an alternate route to get us home without delay. It was a long day of travel but we weathered it pretty well. And nothing is better than being all together and at home!

We are continuing to watch Kayleigh carefully. She is still having headaches, mostly at the incision site which makes sense but some are not which make us a little nervous. Her balance is also off and her right eye is drooping a bit. We are scheduled to see the St. Jude affiliate office in Huntsville Monday morning. We will feel a little better once they have a chance to check her out.

Kayleigh is still struggling with difficult thoughts. Satan is working hard to disrupt her peace using worry, doubt, and general bad thoughts. We are praying often and trying to reiterate to her that God is good, that He has a plan, and His plan is to help Kayleigh, not hurt her. Please pray specifically for peace and good thoughts for Kayleigh both day and night. Please also pray for improving balance and motor skills along with complete healing this side of heaven.

We are looking forward to a weekend of rest. I hope that being home with her family will help perk Kayleigh up. Thank you for your prayers!

Until tomorrow,
‘Carrow 💜

Isaiah 40:31
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

What a day!

Kayleigh was feeling much better his morning. She was able to get up, shower, get dressed and be ready to go. She is SO ready to be home. She is especially missing Grace and Cole.

Her neurosurgeon came in around lunch time to check her out one more time. We love that man. You can tell his priority is the children and that he loves what he does. He seems to very much enjoy Kayleigh’s spunk and his team loves her too. They keep asking if hey can just keep her. Kayleigh like them but she is quite adamant that they may not keep her!

We were finally ready to go and discharged by 2:00 this afternoon. We decided we wanted somewhere low key to rest tonight with good food. We wound up driving a little ways down the keys. Not too far, we need to be able to get back to be hospital if necessary but it is still beautiful.

Our biggest hurdle today was Kayleigh herself. She has been quiet and pensive since the second hospital visit. She is beginning to understand a bit about he severity of her condition. This afternoon it really bubbled over to the surface. From 4:00-10:00 tonight Kayleigh cried and cried. She had moments where she would calm down and then Satan would give her another bad thought and she would tailspin out again. She is worried about school, getting home, keeping our family together and dying. I cannot tel you how badly my heart hurts for her. I don’t have the answers that’s he is looking for because I don’t know what is going to happen. I just have sat here and rocked her and held her. Praying, praying and praying some more that God would grant her peace.

Finally, at 10:00 pm after I had prayed over Kayleigh again she quietly asked me – “Mommy, could we make sure I have Jesus in my heart?” Oh, such joy and sadness at the same time. Joy that she realized her need all on her own but sadness that this nasty disease was the catalyst. We sat on this hotel bed and I had the joy of leading my precious girl to a relationship with Jesus, and as always, Jesus is good. Kayleigh’s hysteria calmed immediately. The holy spirit eased her fears as I could not and she was finally able to sleep.

So tonight we would appreciate your prayers for peace and protection. Protection of Kayleigh’s heart and mind, that she will have a spirit of peace. Prayers that Tim and I will have the right words to always be truthful yet positive and encouraging, no matter the circumstance. Our prayer is that we will be able to continue to point Kayleigh to Jesus every day. That we can teach her to find peace in Him even during the storm. And finally prayers for safe travels home.

Even though today has been a hard day, God is good. We are so thankful that our hope is in Him and that Kayleigh has that precious hope now too. If for any reason you are reading this and you don’t have Jesus, that is and easy thing to fix. Salvation is a free gift. We cannot earn it, we just have to accept it.

John 3:16
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:10-13
10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

I pray to peace of the Lord will be with each of you.

Until tomorrow,
‘Carrow 💜

We are coming home!!

Thank you Jesus for opening the doors to allow us to leave the hospital and return home. Kayleigh will be discharged his afternoon. We are going to get a hotel room tonight, hopefully somewhere she can watch the water, and then fly home tomorrow afternoon. She is feeling good and is full of spunk – just the way we like her.

Please pray she continues to feel well, that we nail down the precise hotel room, and that God grants us traveling mercies on our journey home. We are so very thankful for the wonderful care Kayleigh has received but we are ready to be home. This mommy misses her other babies!

Until later,
‘Carrow💜

Today has been a lazy day. We slept extremely late, even though they were coming in every 2 hours for pain meds we all still made it to 11:00 this morning! But considering we had no sleep in the previous 48 hours it was much needed rest! We spent the rest of the day enjoying friends that came to visit, playing with therapy dogs and watching movies.

Kayleigh is doing well. She is SO ready to leave his hospital! She is telling everyone she sees that she just needs to get out of here. We are hopeful that she will be discharged tomorrow and that we will be able to fly home on Friday. Would you please pray that nothing gets in the way of that plan? Also please pray for good scans results in a few days at St. Jude and clear direction for phase 2 of treatment. We realize that God is Good and he is Good all the time. God uses Kayleigh to show us that on a daily basis.

Until tomorrow
💜’Carrow