www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Prayer Prayer request fro Fr. Jason Charron's daughter, Martha

An updated prayer request for those of you who have been praying for Fr. Jason Charron's daughter, Martha. Fr. Charron is the pastor at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Carnegie, PA...

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!

Today, July 10th, has been a wonderful day for Martha's recovery and it is wondrous to see her compared to just a couple days ago. This is due to so many people praying and fasting for her. Thank you so much! Thank you to the medical team at Children's Hospital Pittsburgh for their great work!

Yesterday, the procedure to clean out her left femur went very well. It was cleaner than expected!

Today the drains were removed from her lung and pericardium as they were successfully drained and no excessive fluid has appeared. Also, since I hadn't been here for 24 hours (Halyna was here) it was amazing to come in and see her so beautifully changed. I was expected to see the swollen little girl with MRSA blisters. Instead I saw an image of my Martha of old! Her face is less swollen and her blisters are slowly disappearing.

Please, don't stop praying. She's still very ill. But, she is clearly moving into the light of life! I thank the many Sisters who have been praying for her in convents from California to Ohio to Bosnia to Ukraine. Martha's sister, Katya, decided to do a Black Fast for her yesterday. Mommy and daddy promptly followed suit. Three year old Natalia was not so excited about it, though! Martha is expected to be in the ICU for a couple weeks.

I will not overwhelm you with emails. I will send updates as the situation requires. Know this, though, that your prayers, you valuable and precious prayers to the Holy Trinity, and those through the intercession of Andrey Sheptytsky, have buoyed her up and given her a fighting chance.

In Christ,
Fr Jason, Halyna, Sophia, Maria, Katya, Daria, Martha and Natalia Charron

Update on Martha...

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!

It seems that Martha may be moving out of ICU in the coming days!

Her remarkable recovery within the past eight days has been impressive to the medical team and to her family. Halyna and I don't want to ignore the role that medicine has played in this, nor do we wish to downplay the talents of the doctors and nurses. But, the sheer outpouring of spiritual strength and love from people here in our parish, in Carnegie/Pittsburgh and from numerous lands has been marvelous to behold. My family and I have encountered the power of God's people and are in awe of this God whom we serve. No wonder He hides His glory, for if we were to see it fully unveiled we would not be able to withstand it. This gives me great courage as I observe the terrific troubles facing the Church on earth and our present world. Clearly, there is a power at hand which is invisible to the media and the powerful of this age: the power God's people have when they turn in prayer to the Holy Trinity.

Now, to the practical. Today, she was expected to eat for the first time in about nine days. Last night, she drank water for the first time since Wednesday afternoon (July 6th) and nothing brought her greater joy! Also, today her chest drain was removed, as was one of her antibiotics. Her pain medication has been increased. She is in a lot of pain and will be undergoing treatment for at least six months. Septic shock very often is lethal and it will take a lot of time for her little body to regain its strength. We do not yet know when she will be coming home.

I thank all bishops and priests who have offered the Divine Liturgy/Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for her. May God reward you richly. (My bishop, Bohdan Danylo, visited Martha just a few days ago for the second time, then took my other daughters out for ice cream!) I am indebted to the many Deacons, Sisters, Religious and God-fearing men and women who have taken Martha's cross as their own through prayer, sacrifice and penance. May God save and guard you! Do keep us in your prayers. I do not want to tell you not to pray for Martha and us. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and how beautiful it is. I believe Met. Andrey Sheptytsky is in that light.

In gratitude for prayers answered I will be journeying on a three day pilgrimage by foot to a monastery in western PA. I've not yet set upon a date or location, but it is my turn to carry you in prayer and I wish for you to send me your requests that when I embark on this pilgrimage I may carry your needs with me along with my prayer rope. I will take for this journey, neither staff, nor bag, neither bread, neither money; neither will I have two coats (Luke 9:3), just a heart of gratitude and your prayer requests.

When Martha is discharged from Children's Hospital I will send out a final email with her picture.

In Christ the Physician of Souls and Bodies,
Jason, priest and sinner

Lord, have mercy!

Another update on Fr. Jason CHarron's daughter, Martha...

Dear Friends,
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!

I don't wish to over-burden you with constant emails. At the same time folks have expressed interest in updates, so below are a summary of the positive and negative develops. If you don't have time to read this email please really keep her in your prayer intentions, specifically for the healing of her heart.

Positives

Martha is sitting up once a day, and with increased physiotherapy we're hoping she'll be taking steps
She has been drinking water (when permitted)
Yesterday, she ate apple sauce
The boils on her face are clearing up, her face is pink again
She speaks coherently and enjoys a good joke
She's acquired a lot of wisdom and incredible patience in these past two weeks, and the nurses are impressed by how polite and kind she is, despite her pain


Negatives

She has persistent fluid build up around her heart (pericardium) and this will require surgery
Also, her blood shows heightened inflammation indicators, which means that there may be another infection site in her body if it isn't her pericardium
She has horrible pain in her chest and sometimes often her whole back, other times it's everywhere


In other news, upon learning that so many people are praying for her, Martha was quiet for a while then asked me, "Daddy, how can I ever repay so many people for their kindness?" I told her to ask Jesus to send grace upon all those who pray for her; she said she would. A couple days ago amidst her pain she called me to her bedside and asked that I "say that prayer which helps me." I wasn't aware that one of the particular prayers helped her, so I asked her which prayer she meant. Martha said, "Daddy, it's the one on that card which has a picture of the bishop with the white beard." That's the prayer to Met. Andrew Sheptytsky (and she doesn't know that I've entrusted this to his intercession)...

In one of my previous emails I may have lead you to believe that prayers were not as needed anymore. I don't want to keep ringing the alarm bell, but please pray for her heart. The problem has moved away from her initial site of infection and away from her blood stream, but now her pericardium is facing serious problems. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

In Christ,

Fr Jason, Halyna and Family

PS: Pray for Rich Hurey, a dear parishioner who is also in hospital with sepsis.

Latest update on Fr. Charron's little girl, Martha...

Yesterday the ICU team decided Martha was doing well enough to be released from ICU into the care of the Acute ward at Children's Hospital Pittsburgh!

They're keeping a close eye on her femur, but everything else is going very, very well. No date on when the next leg surgery will be, but if the bone is revitalizing the doctor said they would probably sew her leg closed at that time. Presently, they are keeping it open with a wound vac and sponge in place. Her chest tube has been removed, her inflammation indicators in the blood are coming down, MRSA tests keep coming back negative. She does have intense stomach pains, but these are side-effects of large intestine-related issues from her numerous medicines.

Whenever I go on my "Pilgrimage of Thanksgiving and Supplication," please know that I will be carrying your intentions with me. Don't be shy, send them in. So many people have been praying for our daughter, the least I/we can do is carry your needs in prayer.

May God bless you all! I will send any new developments as they come in.

God's people are a mighty force!

Jason, priest and sinner

Christ have mercy. Prayers at this time.