An Overdue Update (once again…)

Okay, let’s fast forward ahead, from my last blog update on April 10…

First, our good friend, Ashraf…

It’s now May 30 and so much has taken place regarding Ashraf since my past update… Ashraf was first scheduled to have his orthopedic surgery with Dr. Loveless on April 25. We were all set for the surgery that day…Ashraf had taken his antiseptic shower the night before; none of us had slept all night; and Sara, Ashraf and Abed had all shown up at the hospital that day at the crack of dawn. But, ultimately the surgery was postponed, to give Dr. Loveless more time to consider the absolute best approach to Ashraf’s condition. This delay was initially quite disappointing for all of us, but ultimately we respected and appreciated Dr. Loveless’s cautious and thorough style. However, we were then back in the waiting pattern, hoping to soon hear about a new surgery date…

As time passed, we began to think about the upcoming Summer 2011 Solace Hosting Program. Ashraf was scheduled to stay with another host family, the Bartons, for the Summer program. And we (the Cokers) had already committed to keeping Soman, a young girl with a serious cardiac condition for the summer program. Ashraf finally received a new surgery date, which was to be May 20. After lots of thought, discussions, and prayer, we decided it would be best for Ashraf to go ahead and move in with the Bartons prior to his surgery. Though it was really tough for us to see him go after two months, we knew it was best for him to go through the surgery with the family with whom he would be staying for the summer. And, the good news is the surgery did happen on May 20th. Sara still spent a good deal of time with Ashraf on the day of his surgery, and in the hospital afterwards. His surgery seems to have been quite successful. Ashraf now has a frame around his formerly clubbed foot which is gradually straightening his foot, and there is a plate in his other leg regulating the leg’s growth. The days following his surgery were, understandably, rough for him with the pain and the hospital stay, and I missed seeing that happy, kind-hearted guy who we had grown to care for so much. But, today (May 30) he came by our house for awhile and that happy guy was back – it was so good to see him doing well.

Next up – Soman…

Now, to the Summer 2011 Hosting Program – it’s almost here – the children arrive from Afghanistan on the morning of Wednesday June 1!! As I previously mentioned, we are hosting Soman, a cute little girl who we believe is eight or nine years old, and has a cardiac condition. Treatment for her will begin almost immediately, with a heart cath on Friday, just two days after her arrival. We have no idea about the true gravity of her condition but are, of course, hoping for the best. Our prayer is that Soman can be successfully treated by our doctors here, thereby providing her with the foundation for a healthy and fulfilling future. The information we have thus far on Soman’s background tears at our hearts – we understand that her father is deceased, and her mother abandoned her and her sisters to raise another family – she reportedly lives with an aunt, and the family is desperately poor. Thus, we look forward to doing all we can to provide her with a life-changing experience and making a true, positive difference in her life.

We are all looking forward to welcoming all of the children from Afghanistan, as they arrive on Wednesday morning. At times over the past week their arrival looked truly “iffy”, with some substantial visa processing delays at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. However, thanks to many prayers, phone calls, and e-mails, everything has come together and the children should be en route from Kabul to Dubai now.

More to come soon –

Bryan