Brandon and Kathy could use your encouragement this Valentine’s Day! Share the love and hope of Christ with this special needs family as part of the Heart for the Disabled campaign.
Send your Valentine to Brandon and Kathy at Joni and Friends, PO Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91376. See their photo at joniradio.org.
I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and welcome back to Heart for the Disabled.
And your letters of encouragement are starting to pour into Joni and Friends; and it’s clear; you truly care about these families who struggle with disability. I’m so impressed! Honestly, it’s why Heart for the Disabled is one of my favorite weeks, all because you actually take time to bless some of the most hard-pressed families who attended last year’s Joni and Friends Family Retreats.
Like the family I want to tell you about today. The story starts back in 2019 with Kathy and Brandon adopting Mandy, a little girl with Down syndrome. They already had two sons, Samson and Grafton, but Mandy added so much more to the family. Because Mandy had a disability, Kathy and Brandon decided to attend their first Family Retreat in 2021. All three kids really fit in and had a great time, so, when they returned home, Kathy and Brandon made plans right away to sign up for Family Retreat the following year. In the meantime, Brandon and Kathy decided to attend one of our Marriage Getaways. Well, three months after that Getaway, Brandon suffered a bilateral stroke. Brandon was rushed to the hospital, with Kathy driving close behind the ambulance. And as she was driving, her iPhone started ringing. She picked it up. It was our Family Retreat Coordinator calling to check in on the family. Quickly, Kathy explained the situation, and our Joni and Friends office immediately gathered to pray. Their prayers were answered as an emergency craniectomy was able to relieve swelling on Brandon’s brain. Then the Joni and Friends team jumped into action and brought a special delivery package to the hospital, all filled with gifts.
However, when Brandon was released from the hospital, Kathy saw right away that his needs were far greater than anticipated. There were bills to pay and a new level of caregiving that required outside support. Kathy reflected back on that Marriage Getaway that she and Brandon had attended three months earlier. She could see that God used that Getaway to prepare her heart for what was to come. Even the lessons learned back at Family Retreat helped. Because with all these new needs in the family, well, as Grafton said to his parents, he said, “We can still go to Joni and Friends, right? They can help us, right?” Wow. And, yes. We were able to help them.
I think you can see that Brandon and Kathy, along with Mandy, who’s got Down syndrome, and her brothers, all of them are closely connected to our ministry. And this dear family was able to return to Family Retreat in 2022. With Brandon’s disability, it ended up being an especially rich time. They celebrated the healing that God was showing Brandon. And while he still has not regained full mobility in his right hand, the fact that Brandon is alive today is “nothing short of a miracle,” said his wife.
So, I think you can see why I’d like you to encourage this family. Write them an uplifting note, would you? And assure them of your prayers – visit joniradio.org for everyone’s names and all the details in this amazing story. Include Scriptures, or an inspirational poem, or ask your child or grandchild to draw something for Mandy and her brothers, Samson and Grafton. And then, just send your card to Brandon and Kathy in care of Joni and Friends, P.O. Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91376. Get all the details at joniradio.org, where I have posted a fabulous photo of this amazing family. And don’t forget to pray for Brandon and Kathy and the whole family. And if you need more details on it, just visit us at joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends