Prayers for my Little Susie

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

The past few days have been rough for my family here in Charlotte, North Carolina in the US and in my hometown of Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental in northern Mindanao, Philippines. 

I chose to keep silent for the first few days  and privately pleaded to friends to launch a prayer brigade for my granddaughter Susane Lorette Palmes or Little Susie. 

Susane, who's named after me, contracted dengue and landed at the intensive care unit of Sabal Hospital in nearby Cagayan de Oro City, also in Misamis Oriental, northern Mindanao, Philippines. 

Pardon my ignorance but the initial reports I received were that infection set in on her brain resulting to seizure and in my frantic search for answers, I went to Google. I thought then that Susane had high fever and her platelets went down, which are the usual symptoms of dengue.

For a child I think the normal complete blood count (CBC) count is 150 and her platelets  went down to 16 last Friday.

White veil
Now Susane is still in the ICU for constant monitoring of her vital signs. In my previous article I talked about dengue and today, I want to talk about the power of prayers and how Susane's plight brought me closer to God.

I wanted to share what I experienced last Monday, July 14. On that day, I wanted to hear Mass but I don't have a ride. 

I told myself I can walk from Oakhurst to St. Mark Street and my phone rang and on the other end was my husband Ronnie. He said “Babe do you want to go to church?” I was shocked I nearly fell on the floor. I told him yes, I want go church.

I was lucky since the nine o' clock Mass had yet to start. After Mass I went to the Perpetual Adoration Chapel also at St. Mark Street. 

I stayed there for about an hour and when I went inside I saw a corner which looks like a store to me that houses religious relics, rosaries, prayer books, religious jewelry and in one corner, a white veil. 

Speechless
Talking to myself again, I said “I want to have a veil but I don’t have money in my pocketbook.” With a heavy heart, I left the chapel and went straight to the waiting car. 

When I was in the car Ronnie handed me a small plastic package with blue markings printed with the word “traditions: gifts for a life of faith.”  Inside was a lace Veil 36 triangular veil.

I was speechless and I was thankful when thinking about it. 

On receiving the veil, I felt the cold air on the nape of my neck and the hair on my skin stood on end. 

I believe, as many people do that things happen for a reason.  Some may call it synchronicity. Others call it luck but I call it miracles.

Prayer brigade
When I received news about Susane, I immediately contacted Consuelo “Sueng” Sabio,  a friend of mine back in the Philippines who heads the Women for Christ (WFC) of which I am a member and asked her to pray for Little Susie. 

I can only imagine she gathered the women for Christ and started the prayer brigade. She also informed me that she would contact Benie Sy of Alpha Tukod. 

I messaged Fr. Stephen Abao Olario who immediately responded to my request. Here at North Carolina I wrote Rev. Cielo Bueno Kramer in Greensboro who also prayed for my request and Susan Claire Wild of St. Mark Catholic Church who is our leader in the Rosary Makers group and asked them to mobilize a prayer brigade that would storm the heavens with petitions for divine healing. 

I also asked my sister-in-law Cheryle Dennis and her husband Bill. I knew they had a Bible study last Wednesday and they started with their prayers too. JS and Peggy Reid, a good friend of Ron also asked Susane's complete name so they can pray for her. 

I was going crazy that I talked to strangers and asked prayers. Family friend Dana and Ramon Pensado called from Texas and with their mother prayed with me over the phone. 

Pleaded
She spoke in rapid Spanish during her prayers which I understood a little like the term “poquito” as she asked God to heal Little Susie.

I was restless and anxious for three days especially when there is a blackout of information from home. My instincts later proved right when I was informed later that Susane's family were all at the ICU because she had a seizure and the infection reportedly set in on her brain.

This was the time when I talked to God as if He was just beside me; I implored and pleaded my case to Him. On reading the Bible, I came upon Psalm 28, A Prayer for Help, Psalm 27, a Prayer for Praise, Luke 8 and other readings.

Then His Eminence Cagayan Archdiocese Bishop Antonio Ledesma answered my message asking him to pray and that really lifted my weariness and frustration.

In that past few days, I spent time kneeling on my altar, reciting the rosary so many times and calling on all the saints; St. Joseph, St. Jude, St. Anne, St. Hatiri and Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.

Poor soul 
I was depressed and worried as it  broke my heart because I couldn't tell my daughter GG about the condition of her daughter. 

She is still flying home from Charlotte, North Carolina to Cagayan de Oro and didn't know that her baby was at the ICU. Ron and I decided not to tell her since told me GG flew alone and telling her about her daughter won't do any good. 

What made it worse was that GG was stuck in China due to Typhoon Glenda (international name Rassuman) in Manila, Philippines. The waiting for news on Susane was too much for my poor soul.

What gave me strength is my faith and friends praying for us and Ronnie who did not leave my side and cared for my needs even if he was recovering from his own illness and had to postpone his doctor's appointments.

There were other special friends surrounding me; Jesette Jomuad Kelly who visited me and brought food, Grace Gaither who like Jesette spent time listening to my stories and heartaches and lifted my spirits and Beth Kremer who also checked up on me when she noticed I haven't been on Facebook.

Recovery
I am fortunate to have these people in my life and to other friends who probably were praying or wondering why they didn't hear anything from me. 

I also thanked Angie Emery and David Edwards who would check on me and my family. Karen and Lisa Ron’s daughter also checked on the condition of Little Susie. I also thank Fr. Jay Lituanas for his prayers for my Little Susie's recovery.Big thanks also to Peter Mojica for understanding GG's unplanned leaving Zayne. I don't want to miss the remark of my dear Zayne who told GG
"Don't worry GG Tating would be okay and you come back and play with me." 

I began to realize again that faith in God is the last resort in times of danger, struggles and in just about any hopeless situation. He's the One through whom all things were made and in whom all things live and move and have their being. 

God is the greatest doctor and nothing is impossible with him. I think and realize now that the personal relationship I have with Him is like that between friends, only that He does all the listening and I have to cultivate my responses to Him. 

By the way, I forgot to mention that I registered in most of the online prayer groups who were not Catholic but still accommodated me without knowing my religion. After all. we believe in one God. 

Again my thanks to all of my friends and to people who prayed for the miracle of faith and the recovery of Little Susie.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.

You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)