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Message sent from Mike Demos
Send replies to: mdemos@oconee.rms.slb.com


Dear Prayer Friends:

Below is a prayer request from my sister-in-law for her 21 month old son
who is scheduled for heart surgery on 1/5/99.  Please read this letter and
pray for Preston and his family!  If you would like to see a picture of
him, I have put
one on the web:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Cottage/4927/PrestonPraye.html

        Prayer Request from Susan Kern

        On March 1, 1997, Michael Preston Kern was born.
        This was no ordinary baby; he had Down syndrome.
        I did not realize what an impact this little boy would
        have on my life.

        His birth was a rocky one, as with most babies with
        Down syndrome. He had an extremely elevated
        white blood cell count, and he could not retain
        oxygen. He had severe reflux that eventually led to
        pneumonia. Above all, he was diagnosed with a
        ventricular septal defect of the heart. He went into
        congestive heart failure at ten weeks of age. At that
        time he was scheduled for open heart surgery. But
        God answered many prayers, and the surgery was
        postponed.

        My devastation of having a child with Down
        syndrome soon faded when faced with the fact that I
        may not have a child at all. I began thanking God for
        the precious baby that He had given me. Through
        much love and prayers from people worldwide,
        Preston's health began to turn around.

        Preston is now 21 months old. He is again
        scheduled for open heart surgery on January 5th,
        1999 at the Medical University of South Carolina in
        Charleston. He is much stronger now than he was
        at ten weeks of age. I am once again asking for
        prayers. If it is not God's will to heal the hole, then
        pray for the wisdom and steadiness of his surgeons.

        Preston has made me a better person and has
        changed my perspective about what's important in
        life. Down syndrome is a part of who Preston is, but
        it is only a small part. He is a vivacious, loving little
        boy that can teach the world a lot. He has certainly
        taught me a lot. I can't imagine life without him.

        Susan Kern
        Greenville, South Carolina.