Surgery Update & Silver Linings

Finding joy in all circumstances

Shepherd is out of surgery!

Thank you to the army of people who were praying. The tumor is out and now recovery is the task before chemotherapy starts again. A section of the nerve in question needed to be removed with the tumor, so an “axogen nerve graft” was inserted. My understanding is it’s a “bridge-like” tube between the two existing ends of the cut nerve. Ideally they can grow and hopefully merge to bring back function. We were told it would be months before we would know any level of success. Continued prayers appreciated!

We are so thankful to be sitting in the room with him again. He still has his sense of humor and was even able to slightly wiggle some toes. Ashley and I have just wanted this thing out of our sons body, and it feels like a significant weight has been lifted.

Redemptive Perspectives

On Christmas we found water coming up from the floor in our kitchen and into our family room. A plumber joined our Team Willms holiday celebration and confirmed that moisture was working it’s way up the walls.

We did our best to salvage the day and finished up with activities and challenges that Ashley and I called the “Reindeer Games”. The kids acted uninterested at first, but I think we found a new annual tradition!

Yes, I had moments of panic and how we were going to handle the renovation. With Shepherd heading into surgery and needing a safe space to recover we would rapidly need to find a safe place for him to come home to.

Repeatedly it has felt like we are facing impossible circumstances and our needs are overwhelmingly being met. Once the cause of the leak was identified our insurance approved our claim and will be helping us as we make our home safe again. They are helping us find a spot for the family during the process and we have had some incredible offers from friends that may work even better during this season!

One of the beautiful things about this fight for Shepherd’s health is that it has unified Ashley and I in our singular priority to ring that bell. As other challenges arise, we do our best to tackle them, but there is no distracting us from our mission. There isn’t time to sit down and give in to woe. Relentless Forward Progress!

So why not choose to find joy in the situation. This year was already thrown a curveball, so what if it’s a gift to have the kitchen be remodeled while life is already out of the ordinary? What if a change of scenery allows the family to make special memories in a new space, instead of feeling trapped while Shepherd can’t travel? What if we could learn to laugh when a challenge arises instead of panic?

“Suffering in and of itself is meaningless; we give our suffering meaning by the way in which we respond to it”. —Viktor Frankl

I will end with the evidence that either our perspective is actually changing, or we have officially snapped. In a last push to get things ready before this week of surgery, I jumped in my old truck to run some errands. As the key turned, the engine screeched loud enough that Ashley came out front to see what was wrong. She made it in time to see smoke rise out of the engine and hear the truck sputter and shut down. We met in the middle of the yard to hug and laugh like a couple of maniacs.

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. —James 1:2-3

What’s the Latest

• Shepherd is sleeping peacefully after a gnarly day of surgery

• We are unclear how long he will need to stay in the hospital

• We have a housing plan and will move the rest of the family tomorrow night

• Kitchen demolition is scheduled to start Wednesday

• Our friends at Edmonds Automotive picked up the truck and got it working again while we were at the hospital!

Shoutout

Ryan and Lindsey Eatherly

This family has been so intentional with ours since we have known them. There are so many ways that they have rallied around us since before the news of Shepherd broke. They have showered us with extreme generosity and offer presence in the midst of chaos. Ryan is always offering to take the kids and Lindsey’s experience with pediatric oncology has offered Ashley a safe processing partner. When the news of the kitchen broke Lindsey was at our house. People were in and out and it was clear we had no dinner plan. Before we knew it Lindsey had returned with a full meal including ribs that Ryan had clearly labored over. It wasn’t until we had nearly devoured the last of the delicious ribs that we realized we had taken dinner off their families table. Who does that!?!