Monday Morning, August 25, 2008 from St. E Hospital in Beaumont

Mother continues to fight her battle, but is losing ground hourly. She has been 12 days today in a severely non-responsive state from a massive stroke following prayer meeting on Wednesday evening, August 13. The stroke, heart attack, and the 12-14 seizures she suffered were all caused by a large cancerous brain tumor that no one had any idea she had. Her doctors have now told us that it is a GBM, Stage 4, very aggressive tumor that could likely not have been stopped in a much younger person. The first large tumor has also spawned a second smaller growth and no surgery could be done because of age and various complications. Every system in her once lively body were shut down by the massive stroke.

Tomorrow is her 87th birthday and she does love to celebrate any occasion, so I have personally come to believe she might be waiting for that day to come. She has been 12 days without one bite of food, not one drop of water and no one here has any idea of how she is still breathing.

She had very clear DNR instructions, a good living will and all of her family had been told numerous times she did not want to be kept alive by machines, so we have done our very best to honor her wishes. It is very difficult to stand by and watch while fighting feelings of extreme helplessness. It is hard on the children who simply feel she should be fed and given water. Her medical team has stated clearly that either would kill her immediately because her brain can no longer tell her body how to process intake, so we wait.

Thanks to each of you for your heartfelt expressions of love and support. We appreciate the food, cards, emails, calls and visits and have once again felt the value of friendship and love. Today, we have created the John and Flo Davis Education Scholarship to help deserving students obtain funding for school. Mother loved young people and was very busy helping several students at the time of her illness. We are asking that family and friends kindly help the children and grandchildren with that project in lieu of flowers now or in the coming days. More information will be posted with complete details.

Thank you for your interest and concern.

Until the next page turns,
Brenda