Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013

Sunday, March 31

Before going to the clinic I wrote my thoughts on Easter for my family and friends in the United States. I had thought a lot about the resurrection and the power of Jesus Christ. For me the most important thing of the day was my desire to accept the will of God:

Today the world remembers the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  For me today is also a time to remember Lazarus, to remember that Jesus Christ is a God of Miracles with power to heal us in life and in death, with power to know our needs and love us in spite of our weaknesses.  He is strong enough to teach us hard lessons that hurt us, a difficult thing for a parent to do.

People often remember the last week of Christ’s earthly ministry, from the joy and hallelujahs of Palm Sunday through the betrayals and trials and smiting that led to the crucifixion and suffering of the cross.  And then remembering Gethsemane, He died so that we could follow Him to resurrection.

Last Sunday [before the meningitis] was a happy day and Monday we committed to make Monday nights more of a time for us together, a recommitment to Family Home Evening

Then I gave a description of the events of March 26 and continued:

Easter is a happy day, a day of rejoicing.  I rejoice with you and feel the love of my Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ.  I am grateful for life and for family and for my dear sweet loving companion. I have been blessed with friends and support in this hard time.  I pray that you will also feel loved and blessed.  

This morning I got to the hospital about 8:45 and the elders were already there.  They had stayed to talk with the doctor last night and couldn’t understand all the medical Spanish.  What they did catch was understand was something about a thrombosis.  The doctors were still analyzing the report.  

I was able to see Ken from 9 until 9:30. He moved his head around quite a few times and opened his mouth and moved the tube around. This afternoon he moved his shoulders and breathed/snorted a bit.  Then he moved his left shoulder and arm.  It was so different from the heavy dying body of so few days ago.  

It was hard to leave him to go to church with the Elders.  We visited a ward that is about three blocks away.  During the meeting a messenger from the Bishop came down to where I was sitting and asked if I would be willing to say the closing prayer.  It was a sweet privilege to pray on Easter Sunday in Spanish and thank Heavenly Father for his love and for the blessing of the resurrection and that we can also be healed physically and spiritually in this life.  

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Saturday, March 30

For our family it was a difficult time accepting the death of their father and grandfather.

For each of them, it was a test of faith. One daughter, Luanna, asked: Is it possible that the Lord can heal my father with a body so ill? The Spirit told her “Yes”. Another daughter, Deborah, read in the Book of Mormon of the nine disciples of Jesus Christ in 3 Nephi 28: 3.

And he said unto them: Blessed are ye because ye desired this thing of me; therefore, after that ye are seventy and two years old ye shall come unto me in my kingdom; and with me ye shall find rest.

Deborah realized that her father was seventy-two years old. This verse was a help for me too. The plaque on Elder Babcock’s door in ICU said “Kenneth 72 years”. I realized that my husband had lived a full life.

For me, Saturday March 30th was the first day of hope. I wrote a letter to my family. I spoke of my joy that Elder Babcock’s body was improving since the mission fast. The faith and the dreams of President Martinez helped me to have more faith in the possibility of a miracle of recovery:

It has been a busy morning and oddly joyful.  Elder Babcock’s body has been getting stronger and more stable.  90% of his breathing is on his own, a change from total respirator yesterday.  His kidneys are doing better and his liver is more stable.  Much less swelling in his hands.  The doctors are suddenly more hopeful and willing and able to do more tests and procedures.  The ear drainage yesterday extracted a lot of pus.  They will consider surgery if tests indicate it could be helpful.  The neurological diagnosis is still a wait and see situation.

I explained President Martinez’ dreams to my family and continued:

The doctors here speak of miracles and believe in them. Two of the nurses stayed to witness the blessing President Martinez gave Elder Babcock today with two young elders, a second blessing.

We don't know what kind of miracle will come, but I have a firm faith that every act of God is a miracle and that He is responding to our prayers with miracles which we will someday recognize as great blessings, regardless of our current preferences.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Friday, March 29

Elder Babcock’s body was dying. He had infection throughout his body: in the brain, ears, bones and blood. The liver and kidneys were not working well. Near the end of the mission fast, Dr. Carla Concha Fuentes, a medical specialist in infectious diseases, came and told me about his condition. She was bilingual and could explain everything that was happening. I felt that the doctor was a gift from God. I gave her a copy of Elder Babcock’s medical history that the doctors had ignored because they could not understand English. I also gave her a copy of Elder Babcock’s living will containing his desire not to have artificial life support if his body and mind were not working. I explained to the doctor the importance to Elder Babcock of his mission and that death is not as bad as living without the mind and the ability to be a missionary. I also explained to her about our eternal marriage and the Spirit World.

On Friday afternoon, March 29, I wrote a letter to my family and to the missionaries about my faith in the wisdom and love of God, and that I was willing to accept His will without fear. It was very important to me that no one have less faith because of the death of Elder Babcock. Sister Martinez and the assistant to the president helped me translate my message into Spanish for the missionaries and sent it to everyone in both Spanish and in English with the following introduction.

Queridos élderes y hermanas. Les agradezco por su ayuno y sus oraciones para mi compañero. He sentido las bendiciones del Señor. A veces la respuesta a una oración no es lo que queremos que sea. Pero sé que el Señor escucha nuestras oraciones y nos ayuda a sentirnos en paz con Su voluntad. He pedido a la Hermana Martinez que les enviará a los misioneros una copia de mi carta a mis hijos.  Es difícil escribir de eso, pero importante que ustedes mantengan su fe y confianza en el Señor.

Hermana Babcock

The letter:

Querida Familia:

Esta es una carta muy difícil de escribir. Me gustaría hacerlo en persona. Agradezco su fe y sus oraciones en nombre de Elder Babcock. Yo he sentido el poder de la fe y bendiciones por sus oraciones.

Este es un tiempo de transferencia para Elder Babcock. El recibirá un nuevo compañero de misión. No sabemos cuan pronto sea o como será este cambio pero confío en que las decisiones están siendo realizadas por Nuestro Padre Celestial con gran amor y perfecto entendimiento de sus necesidades y las mías.

Hemos sido bendecidos con médicos competentes y preocupados. Cada cosa se está realizando como podría o como sería hecho en Lago Salado. Ayer en respuesta a muchas oraciones, una Infectóloga vino. Ella comenzó a coordinar la comunicación conmigo y otros doctores. Esto ayudó para saber lo que está pasando. Porque es muy difícil, especialmente para los doctores.

Elder Babcock y yo hemos escuchado el discurso de Elder Bednar acerca de Que no tengamos “que… desmayar”. Yo espero que quienes no hayan leído o escuchado el discurso, puedan hacerlo. El Señor ha estado preparándome para aceptar esta experiencia, con fe y confianza en Su voluntad y en su amor. Nuestro Dios es un Dios paciente. A menudo soy lenta para entender y aceptar. Yo espero que eso no sea duro para ustedes y que de alguna manera ustedes serán bendecidos al entender que ésta es una buena experiencia misional.

Les amo,

Su madre, abuela, amiga, hermana Babcock.

And for the missionaries who speak English:

Dear family,

This is a hard letter to write.  I would rather talk with all of you in person.  I thank you for your faith and prayers on behalf of Elder Babcock.  I have felt the power of that faith and the blessings from your prayers.

It is transfer time for Elder Babcock.  He will be getting a new missionary companion.  We don’t know how soon or exactly how the transfer will take place, but I trust that the decisions are being made by our Heavenly Father with great love and a perfect understanding of his needs and mine.

We have been blessed with competent and concerned doctors. Everything is being done that could or would be done in Salt Lake City. Yesterday, in answer to many prayers, a bilingual doctor of infectious diseases came and has taken over coordinating communication with me and the other doctors  It helps to understand what is happening.  Why is more difficult, especially for the doctors.

Elder Babcock and I both listened to Elder Bednar’s talk about having the faith to not be healed.  I hope that those of you, who have not heard or read his talk, will read it. The Lord has been preparing me to accept this experience, with faith and trust in His will and in His love.  Our God is a patient God.  I am often slow to understand and accept.  I hope that it will not be hard for you, and that in some way you will all be blessed to understand that this is a good missionary experience.

I love you,

Your mother, grandma and friend, Jane, Sister Hermana Babcock

When I checked into the hostel at night, they asked me, how is your husband, I said,

”He is dying.”

Elder Wood wrote his impressions of a blessing President Martinez gave Elder Babcock earlier on Friday:

My companion and I came here for the first time on March 29. We did not know what to expect, but when I saw Elder Babcock connected to all [the] machines that almost broke my heart. We were able to give a blessing to the sick with President Martinez, the only time that has happened to me. I remember his words of blessing: “We rebuke the virus,” something I had not heard said in any blessing.  And the virus was rebuked.

On the evening of Friday March 29th, my daughter-in-law Sarah Babcock shared with me a story of her father, a doctor, who had the experience of giving nourishment to a six year old girl who was in a coma for a long time. Other doctors had said it was a useless effort.. After that girl’s graduation from college, she and her mother came to thank the doctor for his faith in her recovery.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Thursday, March 28

I drove back to Temuco early in the morning and again met with President Martinez in the clinic. He said that during the night he had a dream of Elder Babcock in the clinic with many doctors in the room. The doctors removed the tubes, and Elder Babcock sat up in bed. For me, the dream was a promise that Elder Babcock would be able to leave his mortal body and his spirit would be able to enter the Spirit World and be a missionary there. In this difficult time I felt the Lord was telling me that I should have faith in His will. I had felt a strong impression during our previous mission that my next mission would be without Elder Babcock. I thought maybe I was going to die before we arrived in Concepcion, but had not even considered that Elder Babcock might die on our mission.

Thursday was also a very difficult day. Dr. Rivas said that the antibiotics were not working and Elder Babcock was worse, with more ear infection and infection in the bone near the ear.

Missionaries began to fast for Elder Babcock. Assistants to the President remained in the clinic at night with instructions to call me with any changes. The President said that missionaries should be at the clinic all the time, all day and all night, especially when I was not there.

The Sisters of the branch in Tolhuaca accompanied me to my house in Victoria for a second night. Dr. Mikesell, the mission doctor in Santiago, called me while we were traveling and said they were on their way to Temuco and would arrive in the morning of March 28. That night in Victoria I prepared to stay in Temuco for three days. I did not know if Elder Babcock would live or die. In my thoughts and prayers I was preparing for his death.

On the morning of the 28th, when the President returned to the clinic, he told me of another dream, for the second consecutive night. It was rare for him to have clear and realistic dreams. He said that in this second dream Elder Babcock not only sat up in bed, but he stood and greeted him with an abrazo (a big hug). His skin was transparent, but he seemed to have a physical body. In the dream the President was very happy and decided to take a picture of him with his cell phone to show Sister Babcock that all was well with Elder Babcock. He picked up his phone, but then he woke up.

My son suggested that I stay in Temuco. He had found a hostel on the Internet, Pewman Ruka, only two blocks away from the clinic.

On Thursday Dr. Mikesell came with his wife and spoke with the doctors. He told me the situation was very serious, but he had confidence in the clinic and treatments.  If he were to die, Elder Babcock would not die for lack of good care.

Sister Mikesell told me that sometimes it is better if a person dies, because it would be worse to live without his personality and with mental disability. She offered to fly to Salt Lake with me and Elder Babcock's body. My sister Betty also volunteered to fly to Chile with her son Kirk, who had served a mission in Chile, to help me.

Wednesday, March 27

Wednesday, March 27

Élder Townsend Y Élder Tavernier

President Martinez and his assistants came to the clinic, and the ICU allowed all of them to visit Elder Babcock despite its regulation of only two visitors at a time. They gave Elder Babcock a priesthood blessing. Elder Babcock's mind was not working, but his body was very agitated. He was tied to the bed and on a breathing machine. The assistants to the President remained in the clinic overnight, replacing Elder Badger and Elder Gallarreta and I went back to Victoria to sleep. It was my first night in Chile alone. The house was familiar but empty without my companion.

I received a phone call from my son Michael in Idaho, but most of my communication with the family was through the computer. I felt a lot of connection with the family in the United States and much support from friends and church members on Facebook and email. The Elders helped me learn the clinic’s Internet password.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

We had planned a trip to Curacautín to teach the next-to-last temple class and to help the new sister missionaries with their furniture.  Elder Babcock wanted to identify street names in the new housing districts and was very eager to prepare a complete map for the missionaries in Curacautín. He thought about working late into the night on Tuesday to finish the map prior to the district meeting on Wednesday, so the new missionaries could begin with the resources they needed for planning. Our plan did not include going to the hospital.

Elder Babcock woke up in the night with an earache and got up early on Tuesday. He had wanted to leave for Curacautín at 8:00 A.M. to have time before the meeting with the Elders to move the furniture. He took some pain pills and drove halfway to Curacautín, then stopped the car and asked me to drive. After our investigation of streets in three housing areas, Elder Babcock  felt nauseated and wanted to back to the Mormon chapel.

The Mormon Chapel in Curacautin

There we found the Elders. By that time Elder Babcock had a lot of pain and fever and nausea. He stayed in the chapel in a warm classroom, and the Elders and I moved the furniture. Elder Babcock was obviously very sick, and Elders Medina and Soltelo gave him a blessing.

Élder Medina y Élder Soltelo

Elder Babcock didn’t want to leave Curacautín, because we were supposed to teach the Temple Preparation Class at 5:30 P.M. He realized that would be impossible and was almost unable to speak, but managed to ask Elder Medina to cancel the class for us.

The Elders suggested that I take him to the hospital. Elder Babcock was not communicating well, but I could tell that he did not want to go to a doctor.

I understood that he needed medication, and we returned to our house in Victoria. I thought that with Tylenol and sleep everything would be okay.

While I was searching the Internet for information about adults with fever and ear pain, I thought that Elder Babcock was sleeping. When I tried to talk to him he spoke of back pain. He stayed in bed, but after a little while, he got up. In his confusion went to the garage instead of the bathroom. He couldn’t talk to me and was very disoriented. I called the zone leaders to help me take Elder Babcock to the hospital. I called the mission office and President and Sister Martinez to ask them what I should do, then called the zone leaders to help me take Elder Babcock to the hospital

Élder Badger y Élder Gallarreta

The Hospital near our home in Victoria

Elder Babcock couldn’t talk, but he could walk and follow instructions to make it easier for us to get him in the car. Elder Badger told me he could see fluid and pus in Elder Babcock’s left ear. At the hospital Elder Badger spoke with the doctors as I spoke to people in admissions. The doctors examined him and took blood and did other tests, thinking that Elder Babcock had meningitis.

He was given sedatives to calm him down so they could examine him. Elder Babcock had been trying to get out of bed, but he was still confused and disoriented and unable to explain any pain.

The doctors told us we needed to go to the hospital in Temuco and spoke of an ambulance. But the hospital had no ambulance available. Following the instructions of the mission president, Elder Badger drove us an hour south to Temuco. I sent a message to my children about the situation, asking for their prayers. It was a dark and difficult night, a long journey, with many prayers. We arrived at Clinica Alemana, a good hospital for Elder Babcock, the best in Chile outside of Santiago.

Clínica Alemana in Temuco

The Elders helped me with the challenge of admission. Another great blessing was the support of the mission in the payment guarantee. The doctors said that meningitis is highly contagious, and that the two Elders and I should be vaccinated. We were all tense and concerned about the situation. Medical terminology was very difficult to understand. Elders Badger and Gallarreta stayed with me in the clinic overnight in the waiting room outside the ICU to talk to doctors and translate for me. I could understand enough Spanish to know that the news was not good.

It was a difficult night.  After a while we tried to sleep on the couches outside the ICU. It was almost impossible.  Noisy alarms sounded when the door of the ICU was not closed completely and people were constantly coming and going.

Dr. Rivas, the neurologist, came out and explained that the lumbar puncture confirmed infection.  Elder Babcock had pneumococcal meningitis which was a very serious but not very common. The bacteria had entered the brain through Elder Babcock’s ear. He would need a very specific intravenous antibiotic and would have to stay at the clinic a few days. I did not know then that it would be many days.

I understood that Elder Babcock was very ill but stable, meaning that he wouldn’t die during the night.  He had been given sleep medications. I was hoping he would soon wake up, but he had been given medication to make him sleep. Since the ICU allowed visitors from only nine in the morning to nine at night, I thought to travel between Temuco and Victoria every night while he was in the clinic. I didn’t know that the doctor expected that he might die.

I continued communicating with my family, using the Internet at the clinic, and we began to receive the great blessing of family prayers and also the prayers of members of our ward and stake.