The Gant Girls are quite some funny girls. Hannah, the oldest is 12 and even though she looks girlie she is anything BUT!! Or so she says. Hannah loves to play soccer, softball hang out with friends, go to church and absolutely LOVES church camp! Hannah loves getting involved and helping others. Two years ago, she raised over 16,000 dollars for Hike For Heroes and had the Hannah Turner Barefoot Race put on at the Crosby High School. There along with Crosby, Texas, she broke the Guiness Book of Records for the most people to run a race barefoot across a football field. Having fun all the while, not realizing the full extent of what it meant to military families across the country to be recieving money raised from one small town girl. Hannah has a heart of gold and has suffered and gave alot not only for others but for her sisters Sam and Olivia who have medical conditions which limit us from everyday things like the mall, church, the favorite pizza place or the local hangout with friends. She not only understands their conditions, but she makes sure that everyone around her does as well. I have truly been blessed to have someone so young be so grown up....
Samantha is a 4 year old BALL OF FIRE!!! She LOVES everyone and lets you know that she loves you and you should love her because God says so.....Two years ago, Sam became sick with an infection in her ear that led us to a hospital stay for a week and the diagnosis of Osteomyletis in the bone in her ear. Since then, it has been an uphill battle to keep her well. Another diagnoses of immune disorder, IVIG treatments and still not up to par. In the process of surgery for tubes, surgery to replace a busted eardrum, constant pain in the legs and numerous tests she was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma a year ago. Easy fix? You would think...Thhis type of cancer is very common in children, very common in children with immune disorders YET we are still today battling treatments and cure. We have lived through horrible days and absolutely heavenly days. But regardless, each day is a blessing and I thank God he chose me..
Little Miss Olivia...she may be small in stature but boy does she fight like the LSU Tiger!!! Olivia was born premature and was other than little, healthy....or so we thought. At around 9 month checkup, her pediatrician noticed that she was not developing mentally, physically and that her head was growing off the chart. After a trip to the orthotics place, and a referral to the neurologist we thought we would simply get a helmet to reshape her skull and all would be well.....Don't ever count your chickens before they hatch.....MRI of the brain at the neuro office showed that Olivia had a vascular malformation of the brain. Further testing determined that it is inoperable. What came with that.....Possibility of seizures, blindness, aneurism, stroke or death....It was decided that she would be monitored every few months...Routine MRI..NOT...The next MRI led them to do an ultrasound because something in her neck looked different so we now have discovered that there is a tumor on the paratiod gland in her neck...what comes with that you may wonder...deafness in the right ear, trouble swallowing,trouble chewing,. So in the course of from the time Olivia began seeing dr for specific things in her short life, we have now turned 2 in June have extended our diagnosis list, have been to several drs before we found one actually able to TEST and TREAT Olivia and we found them in Denver, Colorado. Olivia at the age of 2 is an autistic child with an inoperable vasuclar malformation, a tumor on the paratiod gland, external hydrocephalus(too much water on outside of brain),developmental delay,L-Carnatine Deficiency,Seizure Disorder,and Celiacs disease...
So in the course of almost two years, and numerous drs., we have become patients now at National Jewish Hospital and Denver Children's Hospital in Colorado. The drs there work with our drs here to make sure that the girls are getting the treatments they need, the meds, the care and most of all....answers. We can do nothing but thank God everyday that we were blessed to have been sent to Colorado, to have had the drs with not only love and compassion but with knowledge, understanding and wisdom from God be able to treat these precious girls and not only give them chance at life but give them happiness in the process. We never know what tomorrow holds. We are so humbled when our children become sick or when things become tough but it seems that we should be humbled from the beginning...God GAVE up his son.....He DIED so that we may live, so then why is it that we as "children of God" we cannot find it in ourselves to let God take care of all the daily mess, trials and tribulations and we just sit back in AWE of his works and miracles...
One of my dearest friends said the other day to me...."I wish I could just cure Sam' I thought the same thing....ME TOO!!! But I know we can cure Sam, and all the other sick children, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles..We cure them by claiming it in the name of Jesus, setting the burden at his feet and LEAVING it there...My babies are whole, my babies are cured...in Heaven..whether I get to see that miracle in person on this earth or not, I believe it already exists..who am I to take away God's marvelous works all because I want an instant fix....How dare I try to do God's job, I know i can't hang on my own and He knows that as well..
Thank you to all who continously pray for my family, who show support whether it be monitary, physically or spiritually. Your generousity will never be forgotten and I know that your riches await you beyond the pearly gates. You have touched me and my family in a way that can never be forgotten and I will forever cherish every moment of everyday. I will forever thank the many that I know and that I don't for being the light of God in this dark world. I am so glad that this world is not my HOME!!! Love to you all and God Bless you and yours!
Kelly Gant
