Mary Payton's Miracle

If you read my blog, you know that I believe in miracles. With God, anything is possible. Anything. I wondered if we would ever be able to have children, but now have 2 miracles, Libby and Drew. Plus a wonderful husband to complete the entire package! ;) I'm blessed, truly blessed.


In my spiritual journey, I have asked God for all kinds of things - guidance, clarity, healing, calming. The hardest thing for me in my walk is to be able to put my complete trust in Him. Why is that? I mean, He did create the world and everything in it, so why do I doubt that He can handle things? For me, I need to be "in the know" and have the plan all mapped out for me. But God doesn't work that way. I am reading a wonderful book by Beth Moore called Believing God. She is an excellent writer and a few friends and I got together a few times this summer to talk about how we can not only believe in God, but to believe the God we believe in. Confused? Take a look at some notes I jotted down from Chapters 1 and 2. 


I need to keep remembering one of my favorite (and most pertinent verses of my life right now) to let go and trust Him:


Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV-1984)


So now I'm going to ask for another favor, God... one only YOU can provide... a miracle. My good friend from high school, Joe, still lives in Mandeville where I grew up. He has an adorable family with a beautiful wife and 2 daughters. His older daughter, Mary Payton, is fighting an extremely rare disease known as Late-Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (LINCL) or Batten's Disease. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with onset usually between age 2 and 4 years. Mary Payton started having seizures near her 3rd birthday and has since developed irregular muscular jerks (myoclonic jerks), cognitive deficits, motor deficits, and vision problems with occular atrophy. 

Maison, Joe, Mary Payton, and Nikki Vigil

Fortunately, progress has been made and researchers at Cornell University in NY have worked diligently for a cure. There is hope since the FDA has approved a treatment called Gene Therapy to cure Mary Payton and other children with the disease. This treatment has proven to stop the progression of the disease and in some cases has shown children regaining function they have lost. The team at Cornell has been approved for funding through the NINDS (National Institute for Neurology Disease and Strokes). The funding will take up to 1 year to receive. However, Mary Payton and other children like her do not have 1 year - the disease progresses too quickly! Once a child reaches a certain point of regression, they no longer qualify for treatment. The researchers have agreed to provide treatment for these children when private funds can be raised. This is wonderful news, but a down payment of $500,000 must be made in the next few months. The clock is ticking and there is simply no time to waste to help Mary Payton. 


On September 23, the 3rd Annual Benefit "Miracles Can Happen" (Black & White Night) for Mary Payton's Miracle is being held in my hometown of Mandeville to raise money for treatment. There will be a silent auction, live music, delicious food, and to top it all off... the Lombardi Trophy from the Saints' Super Bowl win will be on display! If you are in town, I hope you will attend this wonderful event to help cure Mary Payton. If you are out of town or cannot attend, please join me in donating to this wonderful cause to save a beautiful little girl and her family. She needs you! If you are unable to donate, I hope you will join me in prayer for Mary Payton and her family. I know what the power of prayer can do and am making a promise to put my trust in God to provide for Mary Payton and her family.