Please pray for little Sam Klear

While I served overseas, I had the privilege to work with two Southeastern graduates, Bill & Teesa Klear. They are career missionaries with the IMB in East Asia, and currently here in Raleigh on stateside assignment. Their son, Sam, had two seizures about two weeks ago.

Sam and Laney playing together during our trip to the mountains with the Klears in July.

Doctors determined that the seizures were the result of a viral infection. However, the doctors discovered something abnormal with Sam's heart unrelated to the seizures. They found that he has a condition called Brugada Syndrome in which the lower heart chambers (ventricles) beat faster than the upper (atria) which prevents proper blood flow. V Tac is a very serious condition and is often deadly. Wednesday, Sam had surgery to have a defibrillator attached to his heart so that it would shock his heart back into rhythm if he goes into V Tac. The defibrillator is necessary to save his life.

I spoke with Bill on Wed afternoon and the doctors said the surgery went as well as it possibly could have. They said the most difficult part of the operation was trying to test the unit by putting him into V Tac. Finally they were able to confirm the unit was functioning properly. A couple hours later Bill and Teesa were told that they could see Sam in the recovery room. When they arrived, they found a team of nurses working around Sam. His defibrillator had discharged and they thought that he had gone into V Tac. That wasn't the case, though. The problem was in the settings of the defibrillator. Over the course of 24 minutes, Sam was shocked 20 times each time causing his body to go rigid. The doctors cannot figure out why the device isn't working properly. They have also consulted the company that makes the device, and they don't know either.

On top of all this, Teesa has viral meningitis. For several days she has been suffering through horrible headaches. She has been unable to do more than lie down because of the incredible pain.

Bill has asked for a few specific things to be prayed for.

1. Sam's recovery and proper adjustment of the defibrillator w/o having to operate again

2. For Teesa's symptoms of the meningitis to go away

3. For insight for the doctors

4. For rest and energy for Bill and Teesa so that they can face these difficult days

You can visit http://www.klearlife.blogspot.com/ for more updates. Please pray for Bill, Teesa, & Sam that the Lord would do something incredible in this situation.