The following is a letter from Steve and Carla, Executive and Associate Directors of Shepherd’s Gate. To follow Steve’s recovery progress you can log on to his Caring Bridge site by clicking HERE.
“We thank God for you, our faithful friends and supporters! As you may have heard, Steve had an accidental fall in the middle of the night a few days before Christmas. The fall was so sudden he could not brace himself and he fell against the wall, breaking a vertebra and becoming paralyzed from the neck down.
But God was already at work in his body and by the time he arrived at the Emergency Room, he could move both of his arms and was communicating to the doctors and nurses, all of whom were so kind and caring through this horrific trauma. Emergency surgery was conducted immediately on his neck and the affected vertebra. The on-call doctor ended up being the best in the area, and Carla got the opportunity to pray for him and his team before surgery! The surgery went well, even better than the doctor expected!
The calls for prayer were summoned and Steve has been lifted up in prayer daily. We (Steve and Carla) want you to know, as we sit in Steve’s hospital room and write this note to you, that Steve is already getting feeling back in his toes and legs! He continues to be able to move his arms, though the fine motor skills in his hands have yet to return. The doctor said that he feels confident Steve will recover. We praise God for this news!
Steve is now in a premier acute care facility for spinal cord injuries, where he will undergo several weeks of intense therapy. We again feel very blessed that he is obtaining the best care in the area!
We have received an outpouring of care and concern from our Shepherd’s Gate family and friends. We don’t know how to express our gratefulness for you all except to say, “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!” We are also grateful for our amazing and capable Shepherd’s Gate staff and Board of Directors who carry on with excellence, in making sure that the ministry does not miss a single beat and that the women and children continue to receive the same quality of care and life-changing programs.
At times like this it is hard to know what to do and we know so many of you want to help. The best way for you to help is to continue your support of Shepherd’s Gate and be in prayer for us. Here are some specifics:
Steve- For strength and courage for a full recovery. This will be a long journey with hard work and at times it can seem daunting and scary, but we are confident in God’s healing and in the great medical care he is receiving.
Carla- For strength and perseverance as she cares for Steve, their home life, and continues her work as Associate Director.
The Shepherd’s Gate women, children and staff- For continued hope and strength.
We so appreciate not only your faithful support of Steve in prayer, but also your continued championing of our precious women and children who need you now more than ever! We can’t tell you what it means to have such trusted friends during this difficult time. Your ongoing support of us, and the ministry of Shepherd’s Gate, is so encouraging. We are very appreciative of you! And can we just say it again–THANK YOU!” God Bless! Love,
Steve and Carla