9 lb. 10-1.2 oz. baby boy was born. Little did
we know the rough road this baby would have to
travel. We named him, Bobby after his grandfather
and uncle. He brought joy and delight to all our hearts.
However, at age 4 he began having seizures. Why?
No one could tell us. Maybe, the doctors said,
it was the forceps used at birth or perhaps the
time he was accidently hit in the head in the
playground by a bat. Either way, the seizures
were there — and medications did little to help.
Trips to doctors, hospitals, clinics all over
the state of Ohio offered no help. Side effects
of the medications included behavior problems.
Thankfully, help finally was found at the
Medical College of Ohio hospital in Toledo.
At age 16, Bobby underwent a special surgery
where the doctors drilled holes in the head
and sunk electrodes in each hole. He was then
connected to a EEG machine in Intensive Care. The
purpose of this was to find the exact location
where the seizures were originating. Doctors
could then remove or freeze this area and the
seizures would hopefully stop. BUT, the
unexpected happened ... Bobby had a stroke on
the surgery table paralyzing his entire left side.
Unable to eat, speak, swallow, or move his left
side, he laid there day after day. We read
to him from the book of Job in the Bible and he
listened to Christian music. And he was strengthened.
The test results from the special EEG showed damage
in the frontal lobe in exactly the same area on
both sides of the brain ... thus corrective surgery
could not be done. After a long rehabilitation,
he finally came home.
Seizures became more frequent and more severe.
Tests showed he had several hundred a night while
sleeping and more during the day. At age 27, he
underwent a corpus collosum (splitting the front part
of the brain in two). Good results occurred for
a couple of years. But then they began to increase
again in severity and frequency. Experimental drug
programs did little to help him.
Then on May 30, 1996, while I was away from the house,
Bobby went into seizures ... and died!
During Bobby's entire life, he never once asked ...
"Why me?" nor did he ever blame God. Always, he
knew it was for God's glory. He felt secure and
confident that his life was in God's hands ...
therefore, only good could come of it. He was happy.
And always anxious to go on home to heaven. He spent
many hours in his Bible, listening to music, sharing
his faith and just helping others in his own way.
I was surprised at all the many, many people who
came to the funeral home ... people I did not know,
but people who knew Bobby.
I once asked him to write a short paragraph of what
he would like to say to people if he could be at
his own funeral. He wrote it and I put it away.
What he wrote is on the first page of Bobby web site.
God loves us and wants only the best for each of us.
I know Bobby is receiving his BEST right now in
heaven ... seeing his Savior face to face.
What a glorious day for him.
Bobby's body was donated to Life Banc to help others.
His brain went to MCO for scientific research to help
seizure victims. He never wanted money spent on
an elaborate funeral. Instead he wanted it given
to missions so others could hear the Good News
of Jesus Christ ... and one day join him
in heaven. That was done.
Beautiful background from Heavenly Creations.
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