ONE FAMILY’S STORY

ABOUT THE FAMILY

When Mom and Dad met and married they came from different paths.  Mom was an only child and did not have any experience with taking care of children.  Dad had a brother and, by most accounts, got along well with young children and babies.  They didn’t have children for several years, but God was working in the background.  

Mom learned quickly about caring for young children when friends in Alabama were blessed with a set of twins.  Through a church connection, Mom and Dad also befriended a family with eleven children.  The mother of this family inspired Mom with her vitality. God was stirring the plan in Mom and Dad’s heart.

A minister friend politely questioned Mom and Dad about why they did not have children.  Mom admitted to some fear, while Dad stated he wasn’t really sure.  The minister encouraged Mom and Dad that God had a plan for their family and suggested it was time to start trying for babies!

Mom and Dad began having children and were challenged with the idea of God as the ultimate provider.  Additionally, their belief in His authorship of all life was cemented.  As each child came along, Mom and Dad were blessed by the abundance they brought to the family.

The youngest child, Evangeline Faith, has pushed Mom, Dad, and the whole family to a new level of reliance on God.  At five months of age, Evangeline began to have strange spasms that were unrecognizable to Mom and Dad.  After some quick internet sleuthing, Dad discovered what he thought was the malady – infantile spasms.

Long story short – Evangeline was diagnosed with severe epilepsy and, eventually, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome.  This website will contain our family’s journey down the path of caring for Evangeline.  

Our hope is two-fold:

(1) To help our family process the events and emotions associated with living daily life with a child who has severe epilepsy, and

(2) To share our experience with others who may face similar challenges in hopes of providing perspective and hope.

We may impress people by our strengths, but we connect with them through our vulnerabilities.

Nicky Gumbel