Giving Hope

I have emailed many of you about the Skinner children, but felt like my blog was another way of getting the word out. Please visit the site to the right, entitled Give Hope to Benson and Claire.

Both of these sweet children are in need of kidney and liver transplants. Benson's body has not reached that point yet, but Claire currently awaits at the top of the transplant list. And Benson may not necessarily need the kidney transplant if the liver transplant is done in time. His body is doing really well at the moment. Claire just had open heart surgery in the last week. Please pray for this sweet family.

We have known Jared and Natalie Skinner and their children since they moved into my mom and dad's ward in CO just a year and a half or so ago. They have recently moved to Rochester, MN, to be near the Mayo Clinic, where Claire will receive and recover from her transplants.

This is a wonderful and dear family. Their children are precious. I've learned so much about facing adversity with courage, faith, and a smile from them. Natalie is one of a kind--much like Ruth Bryan in nature--an optimist, happy, submissive, meek, humble, patient in everything that has been inflicted upon her. She and Jared are a team, and they have worked together, united in purpose to care for their little family. Much of their life over the past year and a half or so has been spent in hospitals, giving their daughter dialysis, and then, in their home, giving their daughter dialysis. They don't complain. And I don't want to paint this picture that they are perfect, but I've definitely witnessed first hand their unwaivering, perfect faith. I have seen them become perfected in Christ through Claire's adversity. I love them.

And Claire. What could be said about this innocent, sweet-natured, and precious little girl? She too has taken on this attitude of not complaining. I know that she's so little that she probably doesn't even know what complaining is, but seriously, what child would leave all of these tubes alone when they are bugging and annoying and sometimes painful? Claire does and has for her daily dialysis for quite some time. She simply turns and lets them do what they need to. This girl has made such an impact and touched so many lives in her short sojourn.

Benson is a great support to his parents and sister. Watching some of the videos, you will see what a sweet brother he is. Grab tissue. You'll need it.