Journal Update 12/4 From Kristi

“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10. I find it amazing that Zac groans at being able to articulate the faith he has in God. Yet in this very silent season of therapists, quad coughs, tripod positioning, neck brace adjustments, wheelchair moments in the sun, worship playlists and the spoken Bible app (tonight Isaiah will play over and over again until he wakes up), Zac has no real idea of how much faith his life is already portraying. It is not for us to measure the affect our life has on others. It is our joy to simply love our life with Jesus, to be still and KNOW He is God...

There is a stillness to his heart, a peace that transcends understanding or explanation, and somewhere deep, he is understanding God on a level that few of us will ever know.

Good job Zach. You inspire us. #zacsHope is Jesus!

Journal Update 12/3 From Kristi

The Occupational Therapist was working with Zac today on using a fork to feed himself. He is right handed but his left is stronger than his right. She had a band around his right hand to hold the fork and he was kindly obliging her as he worked to lift his fork to his mouth. Exhausting work right now. But as soon as she left, he let out a happy sigh, ripped off the fork, and began to eat with his fingers. Haha - Much easier for him. Such a little rebel.

My heart seized up a little bit today. “I don’t wanna go through this,” I found myself telling the Lord. Then I heard Him say, “but don’t you want to be a part of the miracles?” “Yes, of course,” I could hear myself replying. “Then,” the Lord said quietly “I need to walk you through the impossible right now.”

This all seems impossible but I’m continually reminded that it is in our weakness and brokenness that He is made strong. If we were not aware of our great need, we would not be so desperate for our Great God.

Rich and I had a fun evening with Zac, playing with workout toys that Rich picked up. The Rocky theme song came on and we all got motivated... I moved Zac's legs and Rich/ Zac worked his upper body. Keeping this boy moving!!

So... Good news: he is more than qualified to get into Craig Hospital, one of the top specialized Acute Neuro rehab in the country. Downside: our insurance is a quagmire of bureaucracy and it could take 2-6 weeks to get him there.

Calling all prayer warriors to intercede for Zac. We need to pray the Lord expedites ALL of this. It is hard to wait when Boot Camp seems like such an outlet now.

Letters of Recommendation Needed

One of the biggest tasks right now for the family and Zac is getting him into the best rehab facility they can. Kristi has described the process as if they were trying to apply to get accepted into Harvard! It's quite the ordeal. One of the things they are looking at for acceptance is the character of the individual themselves and what they embody from a physical, spiritual, intellectual, etc. standpoint. They're looking for someone willing to work hard, have a great attitude, etc. We already know that this describes Zac to a T but we need to convince them of this.

If there is anyone that knows Zac extensively on any of these basis' or more the family is asking if you'd be willing to write a Letter of Recommendation based on how you know Zac. A previous coach or teammate that can speak to his work ethic, a friend that can speak to his loyalty as a friend, etc, etc, etc.

If anyone would be willing to do this please send your letter to Meshell Carey @ careyhomestead@icloud.com. They're asking for these letters no later than this Friday 12/4.

Thank You SO much for partnering with us on this journey!

Journal Entry 12/2 From Kristi

I woke up and cried again today. Then I remembered the verse “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, counting them rubbish that Christ I might gain. And be found in Him.”

Just when I am overwhelmed for what we have lost, the Lord reaches over and finds me again. And my heart can breathe.

Then I came in to Zac room this morning to see him propped up in bed, feeding himself scrambled eggs with his hands - Muscle Milk spilled over on his tray, but a huge grin on his face “Welcome to chow Hall!” he laughs. Made. my. Day.

He said he had the best rest yet, listening to Scripture all night long. Said he dreamt for the first time too... dreamt he went to a Trump rally. Haha.

Journal Entry 12/1 From Kristi

“God has the final word”. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. We appreciate all advice and insight given to us by therapists and nurses. But “God has the final word.” Amen.

Zac was on fire today... motivated and ready for Boot Camp. He seems to laugh at the awkwardness of his limitations and yet press them to the limit. He fed himself today. This is huge!! A fork had to be strapped to his hand because he doesn’t have grip, but this is progress still!!

Rich, Zac, and I hung out in the hospital coffee shop and then he wheeled himself back to his room! This is huge too!! He pinched his finger twice and had to wrap his thumbs around the spokes due to no grip, but progress still!! Remember, God Has the Final Word!

We continue to be encouraged by your personal texts and communications. Thank you!! They bathe our hearts!!!

Zac only gets a few hours of sleep per night but listened to the book of Psalms 3 times and John 1-11 on his Dwell app.

Zac: “I pray for tonight, that it would be restful. That I can be bathed in Your Word. That I can take it to heart. That it would be a time of deep meditation. Thank you for this day... how You continue to bless us... thank you for this entire journey... in Jesus Name, Amen.”

Journal Entry 11/30 From Kristi

Bread seems to be on Zac’s daily lunch menu. I hear “give us this day our daily bread” each time I place it in his hands and watch him awkwardly lift it to his mouth.

Lord, You are doing it. Daily, You give us the Word we need to be sustained. Even when our hearts feel empty, Your Truth floods us and fills our souls.

Whew.

Due to Covid, we were told Charis, Spencer, and Everest would not be able to get in to see Zac today. But as we wheeled Zac around, we found an outdoor fence that we were able to meet up with the kids for a short while until the Covid police came and broke up our party. Nevertheless, it was a sweet 30 min together as a family and ALL of our hearts were encouraged. Thanks for the daily bread today, Lord.

We downloaded the Dwell app so we left Zac listening to the Psalms being read out loud. Daily bread.

Pray, pray pray for rehab connections!!!! We are looking for Specialized rehab and have applied for several locations around the county.

Pray with us in faith Rich’s prayer for Zach tonight: “I pray for Zach to Turn the pages of the Bible and teach God’s Word; I pray for him to soon Kneel before the Lord in worship; I pray for Zach to Stand restored and on God’s promises; I pray for him to Walk upright in the Way; I pray for him to Run Faith’s race with endurance; I pray for him to Swim the Sea of Galilee; and I pray for Zach to Climb the mountain’s of testing and in the ascent, at the pinnacle, and on return to the valley that as a psalmist he will Write and Sing songs to the Lord and from the Lord to God’s people!”

Zac's Story Published by Brookings-Harbor Newspaper

We have talked with a reporter at the Brookings-Harbor newspaper Current Coastal Pilot and they got Zac's story up today on their website.

You can view the story here.

Journal Entry 11/29 From Kristi

Focus Kristi. What you see is temporary. What you don’t see is eternal. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor 4:18
It’s a daily discipline to live in the unseen. Yet our tender Heavenly Father gives us daily victories to remind us that He cares about every detail.

Zac continues to be a rock star. He makes me laugh. He knows his body is weak. At dinner he worked hard to separate two pieces of salami with his hands.... it took him at least a minute, and afterwards he laughed and said he was exhausted like he had just run a 15km race.

He had the opportunity to listen to his brothers Everest and Spencer share a short devotional thought from our church live stream. I’ve never seen him more focused, soaking up like a sponge, every word they said. So encouraging!! (Check out this Sunday from www.calvaryheritage.org)

Then this evening, Charis, Spencer, and Everest arrived in person and we were able to get them in to spend a few moments with Zac. What an encouragement!!!
All of my family in the same town. I will sleep a little better tonight.

Journal Entry 11/28 From Kristi

I asked Zac today if there has been a particular Scripture that has touched him. He paused for a while but then said, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. He said he had been pondering on the idea of “seasons” prior to the accident, feeling somewhat restless and wanting the Lord to use his life in a big way. He said he had been checking his heart regularly to make sure he was ready. It made me think of Daniel 1:8 in which Daniel purposed in his heart beforehand that he would not compromise. No doubt Zac's heart was being prepared by God even before this. How important it is to drink deeply of truth before the fire comes.

Today Zac had 4 hours in his wheelchair. I’m trying to make friends with as many of his physical therapists as possible so they will visit us frequently! We are trying to keep this boy moving!

We had many opportunities to laugh today... praise the Lord for Zac's sweet sense of humor... laughing with him as he tried to “solve” his Rubik’s cube by turning the cube one rotation (he used to solve the entire cube in 19 seconds), to lifting his hand up to eat a cracker...

At dinner, I placed a breadstick in his hand and we pondered how the Lord gives us our “daily” bread.... just enough encouragement each day to keep going.

We said goodnight to him as the song was playing... “Would you dare, would you dare to believe you have a reason to sing? For the pain that you’ve been feeling can’t compare to the joy that’s coming....“

Continue to pray for the right rehab placement

Pray for insurance coverage/ assistance

Pray for the Lord to restore his mobility and breathe life into

Pray for all of our hearts to remain steadfast in Jesus

Journal Entry 11/27 From Kristi

To be honest, tears flowed the moment I left Zac’s room tonight. My boy. Broken.

But broken only in body. And only for now. I truly believe Eph. 3:20; God has a much bigger picture unfolding. Our job is to just hold on for the ride. And believe.

Zac was able to be transferred to a wheelchair today. There was no support for his neck on the chair, so we stuffed a teddy bear behind his neck. Funny photo. Then they told me I could take him out for a spin. We honestly felt like we had made a jail break. No tubes, no IVs, no doctors... they were trusting me with my son!! So I did what every mother would do... we went out for coffee!! (In the hospital cafe). He was in his chair for 3 hours... did awesome. I kept stuffing the teddy bears legs down his back to prop him up cause he kept sliding over, but all in all, it was great.

We are aggressively working to place Zac in the top spinal specialist rehab in the country... I feel like I’m assembling a portfolio for him to enter Harvard. But Zac is a fighter and programs want those who will succeed. So we are collecting references of every nurse and therapist he has worked with. Pray pray pray.

Hebrews 12 was our verse for today.

“Keeping our eyes on Jesus... that we will not grow weary and lose heart”. Constrained by his neck brace, Zac can only look forward. Praise God we can only look forward. God will not allow us to look anywhere but straight at Him. Any other direction and our hearts would fail us.

Thanks for joining our journey and keeping our focused straight ahead.

Journal Entry 11/26 From Kristi

It was so good to see Zac's smiling face this morning. His happy countenance is staggering. He was able to be moved to a chair that allowed us to push him outside for a while. In some ways, it was very hard to watch because we have only viewed him in the hospital bed. It was tough to see him sitting in a big wheelchair, needing to be strapped down, unable to support himself, completely at the mercy of his caregivers. When what I see with my eyes causes my heart to falter, Gods word come rushing in, through the remembrance of texts and prayers sent to us, and my faith is strengthened.

Zac graduated from ICU this afternoon and was moved to an orthopedic joint unit to await his transfer to rehab. At first we were placed in a room with another patient. It looked like a closet with nowhere to sit and very little room to even walk around his bed.

I pulled the nurse aside and asked if there was anyway this young teenage boy could have his own room. Moments later he was ushered across the hall to a private room. Within 30 min, Zac's original room was filled. God's timing was perfect. The nurse later told us that because we were in a private room (with a private bathroom and window! - hey, it’s the little things!), we could stay with Zac as long as we wanted and return tomorrow. If he had been sharing a room, we would not have been able to return tomorrow. Wow. God at work.

I wish you could hear the faith flowing from this boy. He said he has never been more at peace in his life and never closer to God. And that his only fear is that it would ever diminish.

Our biggest prayer now is for rehab placement. The waiting game begins as the Lord is gonna have to open The Door we are to walk through for rehab. Insurance constrains us to certain locations. It time for God to work His miracles in leading us. We are ready for a chapter 2.

Journal Entry 11/25 From Kristi

It seems strange to say it was a “good day” but as the evening closes, that’s what my heart is concluding. “Good” because I’m thankful Zac is alive. “Good” because his smile inspires me. “Good” because I have not seen his faith falter once. Not once. It’s as if all the strength in his body has simply been transferred to his spirit. His body is weak, but I’ve never seen his faith stronger.

I entered his room today to find him rolling his phone around today in his lap, trying to use it. I was so thrilled. I attached a stylus to his right hand noticed he had 54 text messages waiting. I stood back and watched him wrestle with handling his phone - no grip with either hand, but still managing to tap open a few messages and read them. I told him I wouldn’t read his messages to him.

He would have to keep poking his phone randomly to open them. I wish you could have seen him. So determined!!

His fever was normal today.

His lungs have fluid and he has very little strength to cough. This affects his oxygen level. Pray he is able to clear congestion. I have learned how to use the “quad cough” - pressing down on his diaphragm as he coughed to help clear his lungs.

Continue to pray for the Lord to open the right doors for the perfect Acute rehab.

I wrote out Psalm 139:1-12 for Zac and posted it on his wall to memorize. Who wants to join us?

And.... both Rich and I were able to be with Zac today!!!! God is good and does only good.

Journal Entry 11/24 From Kristi

Zac's fever is gone. Thank you, Jesus.

Nurse is gonna let both Rich and I visit with him for a portion of the day.

Pray for the Lord to open the doors for the right Acute Neuro rehab location.

Pray together with us in faith, thanking the Lord ahead of time for his complete healing.

Journal Entry 11/23 From Kristi

Another full day of sitting by Zac's side. So blessed to be here. It’s been a quieter day and he has slept a lot of it. His physical therapist came to visit and sat him upright with legs hanging off the bed. He had no ability to hold himself up (which was hard to see since I’ve only observed him lying down so far). But he maintained a good attitude.

His lunch included Muscle Milk protein shake, which of course I had to place in his hand so I could snap a photo. Praying God will restore every muscle.

Eager to serve him lunch, I took his lunch tray and place it near the sink to begin to feed him... but the auto-faucet kicked on, flooding his lunch with water. Haha. Good thing there are smarter nurses here than me!

Continue to pray for his 101-102 fever that he has been running all day. They will work aggressively to get it down tonight.

Pray for strength in his diaphragm and ability to cough congestion.

Pray for open doors as discussion of where to send him to rehab is beginning. I would follow this boy anywhere that would provide the very best care.

Journal Entry 11/22 1pm From Kristi

I am sitting with Zac now. He is sleeping but was awake, smiling, talking (but not a lot; his throat is sore). He is calm. He can lift his arms.

Praise God, I am sitting here by Zac's bedside right now. I came into his room at 10:30 am, just as Spencer, Charis, and Everest were leading worship at church back home. I was listening to them sing live and the songs Spencer chose were so filled with hope and promise. I came in just as they were removing his ventilator. He did well and is fully awake, breathing well on his own, smiling. He lifted his arms and seemed pleased with himself. Lol. I can see him periodically testing his mobility by moving his arms... he is curious but his countenance is amazing. He is tired so he's resting some, too. He will rest today; I will sit with him as long as they allow.

Journal Entry 11/22 From Kristi

I look forward to sharing with him the Scriptures full of faith and promise. I will read him Streams in the Desert devo later today... but the closing Scripture for today is, "We have a God who delights in impossibilities and who asks ‘Is anything too hard for me?'” Jer. 32:27.

It's been a full and very sweet day here with Zachary. I've been so incredibly blessed to be here by his side since 10:30. He has been awake for the majority of the time. We've been taking, read him 2 Cor 4-5, reflected on the fact that he and Daniel had prayed before surfing for safety and that they could witness to people on the beach...

At first I gave him wet water swabs and he quickly graduated to sipping water, apple juice, swallowed a pill, took soup and ice cream by spoon. He's been attempting to adjust his position in bed, fairly determined but still lacking full strength and only has limited arm movement. Dr. Noel came in and tested his arms. Biceps are almost fully back, improvement on triceps, slight pressure from finger squeeze, and was able to apply a very very small amount of pressure pushing down with his foot, but he is still fully numb from chest down. Resting now.

11 1/2 hours later I’m having to walk away from Zachary. My heart is so full from the day with him. Hard to walk away but I know he is in God's hands. I prayed for him and then Zachary prayed for me. He said he just wants to Have the Lord use this as a platform for his glory. Wow!

He also said the last song Charis, Spencer, and Everest sang at worship today (I’ll Give Thanks To God) was the last song he played and sang on the piano. He had gone over to the church by himself to play the piano and sing on his own Friday morning before he went surfing. He said it was “his song”.

Click here to listen to the song.

I’ll Give Thanks

In the morning you sing over me

I receive your mercy

Your faithfulness is clear to see

It's like the sunrise

Constant everyday

Every breath I breathe, an invitation

To believe you are creating

Something good

Though this season doesn't tell my story

I know you'll move mountains for me

You're just that good

So I'll give thanks to God

When I don't have enough

'Cause he's more than enough

And he knows what I need

So I'll give thanks to God

When I don't have enough

'Cause he's more than enough

And he knows what I need

In the silence, I choose to believe

You're working in the waiting, oh yes

Though the future isn't clear to me, no

I trust you anyway

Every breath I breathe, an invitation

To believe you are creating

Something good

Though this season doesn't tell my story

I know you'll move mountains for me

You're just that good

So why do I worry?

Why do I worry?

Why do I worry?

God knows what I need...

Journal Entry 11/21 from Kristi

Saturday night update: Zac is out of surgery and back in his room. Dr. Noel said it went well and that his vitals are good. He is decompressed in the front and back and his spine is stable. He will remain on the ventilator and light sedation overnight to give him some rest. They may begin to test him (take off sedation) early in the morning to see if he can take deep breaths and follow commands. Swelling is still expected to peak between day 3-7.

Knowing that Zac is resting tonight, I may choose to finally close my eyes. It’s been a very long day but our hearts have been sincerely calmed by God's love and all of the encouraging words we have received. Thank you!!!!

Journal Entry 11/20

Today Zachary Abblitt suffered from a fracture to his C5 and C6 vertebra while surfing with his friend on the Oregon Coast in Brookings. He was gently pulled from the surf by his friend Daniel, transported to the local hospital via ambulance, and by that evening was flown to Mercy Medical Center in Redding, CA.

Zac has no feeling below his neck and was in surgery the day he arrived in Redding to remove part of the two vertebrae that were pinching his spinal column. Doctors also put a plug/fastener in its place to stabilize. The following day he underwent surgery again to have a stabilizing plate put in the back of his neck.