Update May 7, 2012 by Paul Bogenrief ---
Dear Friends,
We apologize for long delay between our last update about Melissa, in November, 2010, and this one. In sum, Melissa has been doing wonderfully since the repair of her heart valve.
In November, 2010, Melissa went through a week with several tests, and finally enrolled Coastline Community College special program call ABI – Acquired Brain Injury. She has worked very hard in this program, and has made very good progress. She enjoys participating in the ABI program very much which she attends Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. school time. When she finishes this two-year program at end of 2012 she will transfer to Irvine Valley College. She has completed her enrollment at IVC so pray for her future study there.
She is still regularly received physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. She has shown marked improvement in every area, so for that we praise the Lord. As a result she is able to take care of 90% of her daily needs.
Just a few weeks ago, Danny Mawuenyega was visiting California from Ghana. He had read about Melissa and God put it on his heart to ask his prayer group in Ghana to pray for her. On his visit, for the first time they were face to face. We stood around the living room and thanked God for His blessings upon Melissa. When we finished praying, Melissa reached up, put her arms around Danny's big, tall black shoulders, gently kissed his cheek and said, "Thank you, Danny, for praying for me."
We just celebrated her 20th birthday on Saturday, April 28th. After a family luncheon, Marlene and Melissa went shopping. Melissa was rolling her wheelchair up our van’s wheelchair ramp when a piece of hardwood fell and hit her on the top of her head. Though she complained about the pain that evening, everything seemed all right. A quiet week went by, but on Sunday, May 6 in the early morning, Melissa experienced a severe headache and nausea. Marlene took her for an exam and a CT scan showed bleeding in her left brain. She was immediately admitted in ICU at Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach.
Today (5/7), she was transferred from ICU to neurology. While we can’t confirm the cause of the brain bleeding, the good news is that it may stop by itself. Even if it does not, surgery to correct it is not considered a major operation.
Melissa has endured so much in the last four years since her first hospitalization, and so many people have prayed so earnestly for Melissa.
Please, lift up Melissa in your prayers again today.
Thank you; God bless you,
In HIM,
Michael, Marlene, Maurice, Melodie, and Mildred Yu
