another day of many tears

After almost 3 weeks, the Kang family had to say our goodbyes to Keith this afternoon. I couldn't help but cry as we had to leave my brother and seeing him cry made me even more sad. I reassured him that he is able to slowly take care of himself. But, can you imagine being left all alone after 5 months of constant care from all the nurses and family members? I reminded my brother how independent he used to be, and to strive for that again.

As you pray for Keith, pray for COURAGE to become independent and self-sufficient once again. He is limited with his right eye closed and as he's gaining physical endurance, but we know God will give him the inner strength and courage to recover at even a greater rate from this point on.

In the next two weeks, he will see the neurologist and eye doctor. Please pray that his double vision can be corrected soon so that he will be able to open his eye without feeling dizzy.

want to lend a helping hand?

We thank the Lord that Keith is improving every day. As he received therapy today, the therapists commented that he's shown a lot of improvement every week.

I would like to ask if anyone would be available to offer help for one of the following:
-Driving him to therapy sessions (M,W,F afternoons) (San Gabriel to Good Sam in downtown LA)
-Picking Keith after therapy sessions to transport him back home.
-Hanging out with Keith any other time at home OR you're always welcome to take him out for a nice steak meal.

Having ACCESS transportation is wonderful. However, it takes a lot of time and energy to travel through this mode of transportation. So, any type of help would be most appreciated.

If you would like to treat Keith to a nice cuisine, here are some guidelines:
-He is diabetic (be aware of sugar, carbs, starch i.e. corn, potatoes, white rice, white breads, etc)
-He cannot eat "hot" foods for now. This does not mean "hot" in temperature or spicyness. It refers to food that causes body temperature to increase. Some common "hot" foods to avoid is chicken and fish with black skin.
-Some good foods to offer is tofu (soondooboo), pork, fish, veggies...
-Lastly, keep him away from direct sunlight as his skin is sensitive.

If you can help, please call us at:
Sandy - 408-476-6858/sandy@fisherofmen.net
OR servantkhp@yahoo.com

avoiding "hot" foods

A doctor suggested Keith does not eat "hot" foods as his body seems to have a lot of heat. This was sad news to him because chicken is considered a "hot" food. However, he is willing to eat appropriate foods to lower his body heat. And it's interesting that when he eats "hot" foods, the internal heat makes his skin very itchy...so until he's fully recovered, please do not offer him any chicken.

Yesterday, Keith's friend at church got ordained. They had planned to get ordained together early this January. Yet, God had other plans for Keith and wanted him to ordained on his own sometime in the near future. He is now taking active steps to submit all the necessary paper work to qualify for an oral interview for ordination. Pray that he will get his full voice and strength back, so that he can proceed with all the ordination procedures. I'm anticipating that it will be at Keith's ordination service, many people will come to hear his powerful testimony of God's saving grace. His testimony will once again silence the enemy who has been defeated from gaining victory over Keith's life and calling for ministry.

Keith is slowly stepping back into youth ministry. Starting yesterday, Resurrection Sunday, he gave his first "sermon" (it may have lasted around 5 minutes) to the youth before the intern pastor gave a full-length sermon. One of the teachers shared that Keith challenged the kids to be thankful in ALL circumstances and to live a life of prayer. I can personally testify that Keith has lived out this particular sermon through his tremendous journey.

remembering Christ's death...

"I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me.
The life I live in the body,

I live by faith in the Son of God" (gal. 2:20)

As we reflect on Christ's death today, I am reminded of my first encounter with Keith after his surgery at the burn center. Just imagine pictures you've seen with the crown of thorns and blood marks all over Jesus' body. That was the image I saw as Keith lay on his bed so quietly. After 4 long months, we have definitely witnessed the new, resurrected Keith - brand new skin, so tender and soft. Really, it is. I would never touch my brother's feet, but I feel it once in a while because it is so soft like my baby's feet.

We praise God that He continues to answer prayer. This morning, all therapy sessions were set for the next 4 weeks. Keith will receive OT and PT 3x/week, and speech therapy twice a week.

We also praise God that we found an opthalmologist who is covered under Keith's insurance. He will see the doctor in mid-April. Thanks to those who have tried to assist us in this way.

Remember to send your love to Keith at servantkhp@yahoo.com.
If anyone wants to keep Keith company after I leave next week, please email him or call me at 408-476.6858.

a prayer answered...YES!!!

I was so surprised to receive a letter from ACCESS, the transportation service Keith applied for just over a week ago. During the interview, I realized they have strict qualifications and I was very doubtful he would be received. I spent a chunk of time this afternoon looking into other options, which all seemed to have no success. However, as I opened the thick ACCESS envelope this evening, I praise God for quickly answering our prayers. Keith has qualified for this transportation, was given a temporary card that will expire at the end of Sept of this year. If he still needs their service, he can re-apply. Praise Jesus for listening to our prayers...He knows Keith's needs and answered them so quickly. They told us to wait 3 weeks to hear from them, but their response came so quickly.

His acceptance was primarily based on him not being able to speak (they also took into consideration that his right eye is still closed and his left arm motor skills aren't fully there). Luckily, I went with Keith last week and answered all the questions for him...which gave them the impression he couldn't speak well. We know God used that!

The good news is that they only charge $1.80 for 20 miles of transportation and $2.60 for more than 20 miles. A primary care assistant (like my mom) can also ride with him for FREE...isn't that great???
Thanks for your prayers...

looking for an eye doctor...

Does anyone know of a good eye doctor? Preferably a brain-eye doctor that is covered under Blue Shield HMO? Please let us know...

Abigail still bothering Uncle Keith...luckily, he's so nice that he doesn't push her off. He would probably be so bored if Abigail wasn't around to bother him and keep him awake. I make him lie flat on his back to strengthen his neck muscle. Keith cheats by whispering to Abigail to bring his pillow to him...and she's so obedient. It's good to see them bonding.  

The All Nations Church High School group. This room was packed after the picture was taken. It's well over 100 kids under Keith's shepherding. Let's pray that he can return soon to minister to these young souls. 

Keith at his desk at church. Hopefully he'll start working there soon. 

Important Prayer Requests

Here are a few items that are important as you continue to keep Keith in your prayers:
1. Pray that the therapy sessions can be set so he can continue receiving therapy. There are a lot of politics involved with insurance stuff. Because he hasn't been exercising regularly, he's become really inactive, stiff, and weak.
2. Keith recently applied to receive transportation through ACCESS. We realize that they are pretty strict. Pray that he will find favor from those reviewing his application, so that he can qualify to receive transportation to get around. He will be notified within the next three weeks.
3. Pray for his right eye to open. He is currently taking medication for his eye to open. When he does open it, there is alot of dryness and he sees double images. The doctor mentioned that he should wait about a year to see how he eye stabilizes before receiving surgical correction.
4. Pray for the family as we are trying to figure out the best plan for Keith's continuous care. Since I (Sandy) can only stay for another week, we are not sure what to do. Our parents work full time and Keith is not able to care for himself yet. Pray that he will be more motivated to get back into shape and learn to take care of himself.

Thanks!! Please share your thoughts and encouragement with us or email Keith at servantkhp@yahoo.com.

Kisses from Abigail part 2

Another kiss and hug from Abigail. She keeps wanting to sleep next to Uncle Keith...we kept telling her to keep a distance as Abigail and Isabel came down with a cold. Pray that Keith will not catch the cold from them.

Kisses from Abigail part 1

Abigail keeps Keith entertained all day long, to the point where she can be bothersome. She keeps hugging him, kissing him, touching his face, even trying to open his left eye today...what a funny sight!

outpatient therapy

On Wednesday, Keith had an initial assessment in the outpatient therapy at Good Sam. We wished the therapists could be more efficient in this entire process, but we realize the hospital functions according to their timing and plans, not according to the patient's best interest. After two days of not receiving therapy, Keith seems to be stagnant in his recovery. On Wed, he received physical, occupational and speech therapy. Here are a few updates:

-Physical: his goal is to strengthen his neck and shoulders which are really stiff and painful. -Occupational: his goal is to fine tune his skills, especially in using his left arm/hands. In the picture, the OT asked him to put all the little sticks into the holes with the weaker arm/hand
-Speech: he has to learn to breathe and speak correctly, using his diaphagm, not his chest. The speech therapist recommended Keith to use a small amplifier or mic to project his voice. I shared that we believe Keith will fully recover in his speech because he needs to start preaching again. Unfortunately, the speech therapist just gave me a negative, weird look with such input.

Prayer requests:
-Pray for MOTIVATION and the WILL to exercise, get out of bed, to recover fully!
-Pray for therapy sessions to go well...
-Pray for the family.to encourage Keith and care for him joyfully

bonding with Abigail

Abigail keeps Keith entertained and awake these days.She often goes into his room and teels him to get up and stand up. It's been 6 days since Keith has come home. Can you imagine being locked up in a hospital room for 4 months, then return to a familiar home not able to function the way you used to? Just try to put yourself in Keith's position...you can only imagine the frustrations he may be experiencing. We ask that you continue to lift him up in prayer, that he will continue to have the strength and motivation to recover quickly. Since he has not been receiving daily therapy since his discharge, he's been enjoying his bed a little too much. I had to finally step in and push him to exercise today. He listens and exercises relutantly...at least he does them! =)

Enjoying my new labtop!

Slowly returning to cyber world! Keith can type pretty well with his right hand. A new labtop was Keith's coming home gift from the parents. His old computer pretty much died by itself...if you want, you can send emails directly to Keith: servantkhp@yahoo.com.

hanging out with the nieces

Hanging out with niece Abigail - eating and watching a movie on my computer.
If you'd like to visit, please call me (Sandy) at 408-476-6858 in advance. Starting tomorrow, Keith will receive outpatient therapy. Please pray that he'll be able to receive occupational and physical therapy on a daily basis until he gets better. There's been a lot of delays in receiving therapy...it's been a bit frustrating, but we trust God will open the doors for Keith to continue recovering.

I'm finally home

I am finally at home. The doctors and nurses did great jobs but it does not compare to home. Please continue to pray for me. Thanks again for all your prayers.

"free at last!"

"So how does it feel to be leaving the hospital?"
"I'm free at last!" were Keith's words.
He left Good Samaritan Hospital this afternoon around 1pm. It's been a tremendous journey for him. Thank you all for your faithful love and support. He and the entire family could not have done this without you!

Exactly four months ago, Keith went into ER not knowing what was going on in his body. Little did he know it would take four months to return to his comfortable bed. I remember my mom told me that he wanted to just faint and not feel the pain anymore when he was being transfered to Torrance Hospital.
When Dr. Murthy first saw him at the burn center, he could not give any promising words to the family for many many days.
After knowing that God would spare Keith's life, we didn't know when his skin would fully regenerate and when he'd wake up...
When he became conscious, we didn't know when he would open his eyes...
When his left eye opened up, we didn't know when he would start speaking, eating, and walking...
After four months, we praise JESUS that He has delivered and healed Keith. All the medical staff who have met Keith have been touched because they've all remarked that this is one of the WORST cases of SJS and the MOST AMAZING case of recovery!

Thank you Jesus for your love and faithfulness. Our souls will bless you and never forget your benefits...You are the great Healer!

"wow..."

This was Keith's response when I told him the medical team confirmed his discharge date for this Saturday. The team met on Tuesday morning and made this final decision. He will continue outpatient therapy at Good Samaritan after his discharge. We praise God that the medical team will not give Keith a wheelchair or walker or cane. They are confident he will not need any of these items.

Please pray:
-My mom is being trained on how to give insulin shots to Keith. Because his left arm cannot function properly, she needs to be trained to do this. However, she is very nervous to do this daily. Pray for supernatural strength for her and Keith as they need to do daily blood tests and get insulin shots.
-Pray for Keith to recover well at home.
-Pray for his right eye to be open. We will wait for him to start driving until his eye is open.

Make your visits to Keith before Saturday, 11am. That's when he'll be leaving. If you want to be there when he leaves, he would really welcome that. Let's cheer him on and congratulate him!

Going home this Saturday 3/12

This Saturday, March 12 marks the four month anniversary since Keith first went into the hospital. He went to Queen of Angels' ER on November 12. After four months battling this life-threatening disease, we will all witness the day Keith comes home, walking and talking! What a journey it's been...I'm hoping when he comes home, he'll start updating this blog on his own.

My family will head down to LA this Sunday and assist my brother transition back to home life. We can only stay for a limited time. But we trust Keith will be back to normal in no time...let's pray for that.

Sunday at church!

We thank God that Keith continues to improve every day. He went to church today without a wheelchair or walker. He's able to give short talks to his youth. During the first week, no one could make out what he was saying. Now, his words are crystal clear. Praise God that He is restoring Keith's voice. We also praise God that ANC found a high school dept intern. As Keith has been absent for many months, the ministry intern will now assist in ministering to the large number of youth, even after Keith returns.

It seems that Keith will be discharged Friday or Saturday. He agreed to patiently wait another week to go home. Well, he has no other choice. =)

Please pray:
-All the plans for discharge will go smoothly (finding outpatient rehab, insurance, etc.)
-Pray that Keith will fully recover and return to normal life soon.
-Right eye to open and left arm/hands to regain strength to function properly
-Good diet and exercise to control his sugar level.

For visitors: You are welcome to visit Keith when he returns home. However, PLEASE contact us IN ADVANCE. We want to monitor home visitations, especially as Keith will continue to receive therapy. More information will be given once he comes home. Thanks.

when will keith go home???

We found out that one of the therapists told Keith he can go home Friday. However, my parents and Keith's primary physician does not feel comfortable sending him home yet, especially since there is no one who can take care of him throughout the day. So, tonight, the medical team decided to postpone his discharge date to at least another week. This news definitely saddened my brother's heart as he is just itching to go home. Please pray that the right date will be chosen for his discharge and that Keith's adjustment back home would be smooth. He is definitely showing remarkable improvement on a daily basis. The medical team at Good Samaritan commented that Keith's SJS condition is the worse they've seen, HOWEVER, his recovery is the most amazing they've seen too. We are so proud he can be a powerful witness of our amazing God who is behind all of this!

ready to go home soon

I had a funny conversation with my brother this morning. He calls me and I naturally ask him, "What are you doing?" And he answered, "I'm in the hospital". I had the biggest laugh...where else could he be? I'm still laughing as I write this...

Anyway, the doctor told Keith that he would be ready to go home this FRIDAY!!! Yes, this Friday, in 2 days! However, my mom does not feel he is ready to go home, since no one will be there to assist him. My family will not be able to go down until after next weekend. Once his discharge date is confirmed, I will update it. Please make your visits to him before he leaves...it could be any day.

We also praise God that his sugar level has been stable. With less stress and the excitement of going home, his sugar level has been steady for the past week or so. Continue to pray for his transition back home. We're all so excited.