Prayer Request - Haile's Back

Last week, I received another email from my good friend and sister in Christ, Dana B. She writes:

I have a personal prayer request for everyone. As most people know I have two girls: Hailie is 6 years old and Stevie is 4 years old. Well, Hailie had been complaining of lower back pain, so we went to the family doctor who requested an X-ray. It came back showing what looked like a hairline fracture so we were sent to an orthopedic doctor.

[The orthopedic doctor] looked at the X-ray and agreed he saw something but was not 100% sure, so she had a bone scan done about two weeks ago. She had her follow up appointment yesterday. My prayer was answered that it was not cancer or a tumor. But we were told she has a condition called "Spondylolysis," and basically that means that on her lumbar 5 vertebra, she has a crack where it looks like the fork (I do not know how to totally explain it).

Usually this happens to children that are older and are more athletic. So they are thinking she was born with it. But the specialist will be monitoring her to see if it will heal. If it does not heal, they will try these steps in order:

1. Physical therapy,
2. Back brace, and last would be
3. Surgery.

Basically what can happen is if it does not heal, the crack can totally break and there would be a shift in that vertebra, and that would cause the nerves to be exposed. I am understanding this is not a totally crisis condition but I am requesting your prayers that the situation can be stablized and that no more damage will be done.

It is hard to understand that a 6 year old is dealling with this. If she can have back pain at 6, how will this effect her later in life? I guess I should not worry about this. God is already in control and knows the outcome already. I am at peace with that. Well, thanks for taking a moment to read about my prayer request. I love you all.

Your Sister in Christ from Dayton Ohio