Update after Ami's Surgery

08-26-2008

Because many of you are praying for Ami Ortiz, his parents and siblings, we wanted you to have the latest updates and prayer needs. Below is an update from a friend of the family:

Ami had the operation on his left arm today. The purpose of the operation was to restore the nerves in his left arm.

The operation was supposed to take three hours or longer, but after an hour, the surgeon came out to let us know they were closing up the 12-inch incision.

Originally, they thought they might have needed to do a nerve graft if the nerve had been severed, but they had to wait until they opened up his arm to know. Praise the Lord, the nerve was not severed!

But the doctor said part of the nerve was very damaged -- the part that controls his pinky and ring fingers -- and it will take about a year's time to heal. They did not want to operate on the nerve so as not to cause any scarring or further damage. They want the nerve to heal naturally.

They separated the scar tissue that was building up around the nerve. They believe that the scar tissue may have been causing the severe pain he was having. They were also able to remove foreign objects that were lodged in his arm from the blast.

After the operation, Ami was responsive, able to eat and drink.

But he is having a lot of pain in his arm where the operation took place. The medical staff is giving him the equivalent of Extra Strength Tylenol, and it seems to bring down the pain.

Ami went into the operation a little nervous, but with high spirits. The last thing he did as they administered the sleeping gas was point and laugh at his dad because he was wearing a hairnet.

And as he came through after the operation, he had a smile on his face. We thank the Lord for the peace that He gave him throughout this whole procedure.

Leah's last update was a sobering heart cry for many of those who do not know the daily ordeals the family goes through. She wanted to be honest in sharing the behind-the-scenes battles and not just the fruits. Although there is milk and honey, there are also giants before them.

Leah, with the exception of a few nights since the incident, has been by Ami's bedside day and night. David is always on the phone dealing with the legal matters and the battles the believers are facing while handling the needs of the congregation.

Ami's brothers, sister, and brother-in-law put their lives on hold to be next to their brother, whom they love very much. Ami is very appreciative of this, the prayers of the believers, and the postcards and letters he receives. But it can still be overwhelming for anyone to go through what this 15-year-old went through. All of a sudden, his basketball dreams and normal life are put on hold indefinitely.

I say all of this to encourage all of you to continue to pray. Your prayers are being answered as this operation testifies, and we praise the Lord for it. To Him be all the glory!

Prayer Points:

  • Please pray for strength for David and Leah, who as parents have to see their youngest son go through such painful ordeals - all of this while dealing with extraordinary loads in their lives. We trust the Lord for more grace.
  • Please pray for Ami's siblings that the Lord would deal with the struggles of their hearts, speak to them, and give them direction in life as they need to start new chapters.
  • Please pray for vision, faith, and hope for Ami's life. He has heard many encourage him by saying, 'The Lord will use your life for His glory,' but the immediate circumstances are tough to see beyond. He is still looking to regain his normal life back. So pray that the Lord will speak to his heart even at this young age as to how He will use him.
  • Please pray that Ami's recovery period will be much shorter than what the doctors predict.
  • Please pray that the Lord will give him the strength to endure the pain he is going through.
  • Please pray for the future operations that are supposed to take place. He is facing four or five more operations.
  • Please pray that the Lord will strengthen the body of believers in Israel and give them victory in all their battles.

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