Bathed in the prayers of family, friends and strangers, Lucy Guldaman is miraculously recovering from the burns that covered nearly half of her body. Photo by Sarah Guldaman.
On Dec. 29, 2015, we rush our sweet little Lucy to the ER with second-degree burns covering 46 percent of her body. Upon arrival a fellow church member, who is also an ER nurse, greets my husband immediately. This is where God’s series of perfectly orchestrated events start to unfold.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19).
From the second I can get it together enough to stop running around in circles trying to pack a bag, to the first step in the Life Flight plane, I pray. And pray. And pray!
Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear (Isa. 65:24).
Terrified, my daughter and I are flown from Rapid City, South Dakota to Denver, Colorado, then transported to the Children’s Hospital in Aurora. Upon arrival in the ER at 2:30 am, she is whisked away by a team of medical staff including nurses, doctors, surgeons, dietitians and anesthesiologists. After heavy sedation and a heart wrenching three hours of assessing her wounds, cleaning and bandaging her entire body, I am briefed on the likelihood of skin grafts, possible blood transfusions, a four-to six-week hospital stay, and the need of compression garments for two years after that. Shortly thereafter, Lucy is brought to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
The first 24 hours are rough. No sleep, extremely high amounts of cortisol running through my body, and waiting patiently for her dad and little brother’s safe arrival leaves me feeling almost completely defeated. The only thing I have to hang on to at this moment to give me strength and a sense of security is my faith.
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist and discharge all the duties of your ministry (2 Tim. 4:5).
Jason finally arrives safely, with our youngest son, Tucker, whom I am nursing, and we are greeted by a case worker who shares necessary information to help us be as comfortable as possible so far from home, friends and family. Soon the team of surgical nurses arrives to examine Lucy’s wounds. After their evaluation, we are informed that Lucy’s wounds have drastically gone down in surface coverage since her initial examination upon arrival in the ER. At this point her little body is 30 percent wounded—16 percent less than the initial evaluation.
Only three days later, since Lucy’s wounds are healing so well, she is moved from PICU to a regular room on the surgical floor. This means that she will be able to spend New Year’s Eve with her mother, father, baby brother and Grandma Janet, who has just arrived. While Lucy is resting, we are informed that by some fluke, since it is New Year’s Eve, and there is a mess up in the schedule, we are able to get a room at the Ronald McDonald house right away. This is a miracle in itself, considering there is a five-page-long waiting list to get into the house. This also means we will be in a comfortable, safe and affordable environment as we juggle the stress of what is happening with Lucy so far from home.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).
By day four Lucy is healing exceptionally well, although her pain meds are giving her little tummy a lot of trouble. She spikes a fever of 104 degrees and has an adverse reaction to the Ativan they had to give her after her IV came out. They cannot give the normal dose of Morphine while doing dressing changes because there is no IV. She is in a lot of pain and is not eating or sleeping. She is so swollen and it is extremely hard to find a vein that has not already been blown out. We pleadingly call upon family, friends and strangers to lift Lucy up in prayer for comfort and a fast recovery.
By the next afternoon, my mother has arrived, Lucy’s fever is gone and we are able to find a pain med regimen that she can tolerate. We are also able to get an anesthesiologist to bring an ultrasound machine to her room to find a vein and get an IV started for some much-needed fluids.
Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it (John 14:13-14).
Going on day five, and the burn team’s staff has to take a step back and ask my husband not once, but twice, how long ago her injuries took place. The doctor evaluating her wounds is also in disbelief at how fast her burns are healing. Now it seems we are more concerned with whether she is getting enough nourishment.
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them (Mark 11:24).
By day seven, Lucy’s feeding tube, IV, catheter and one fourth of her bandages are gone. She is eating and only taking Ibuprofen and Motrin for pain. Her skin is perfectly pink, healthy and healing miraculously fast. There is no need for skin grafts or compression garments and doctors are almost positive there will be no scarring.
On Sunday, Jan.10, we are discharged and head for home. We will return to Aurora for outpatient treatments weekly for at least the next two or three weeks.
We would like to sincerely thank everyone who came together to pray, encourage and support our family financially, emotionally and spiritually during this time of need. What started out as a tragic accident has turned into a beautiful testimony of God’s love in action, and for that we will be truly and forever blessed.
He said to her, Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering (Mark 5:34).
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Sarah Guldaman is a member of the Rapid City Church in Rapid City, South Dakota.
