Comments from my Brother Jiri from Emmaus Walk 184, Table of James
Jiri lives in Prague Czechoslovakia. I met him as an assistant table leader at Emmaus Walk 184 where we sat at the table of James. I had not heard from him in a year or so, so I was very pleased to see his comment from my journal entry #23. This is a really tough letter because of what he is going through right now. But in the letter is hope and the new beginning of an Emmaus Walk in his home country- the first one ever.
So I would ask prayers for Jiri and his family and for the Emmaus Walk occurring May 24-27.
“Durk,
thank you so much for the letter. I reply only now as I am currently hard pressed for time, and not just time …
All that started when my Mom was rushed to hospital with stroke last year, December 18. The doctors gave no chance as the haemorrage was massive, nearly one third of her right hemisphere was affected, with the lesion going as deep as the brain stem. They were probably right. But strangely enough, somebody decided, in two days, to open her anyway and remove the clot. The result was she started breathing herself but, expectedly, not much more. Now, over three months following the stroke, she is in a condition diagnosed as a locked-in syndrome: the brain stem locks all the supratentorial (i.e. higher cerebral) functions from expressing themselves through the body. Her condition then looks pretty much like a coma, and in all practical respects it is. Her pseudo-comatose condition allows her only blinking, limited side to side eye movements, a tension in her right hand and occasional movements of leg digits.
My Dad went to hospital a month ago in an urgent need to have a multiple by-pass. However, he could not find motivation enough to overcome postoperative complications and died last week. He had an excellent care as Czech kardiosurgery ranks among world top class and, actually, he was recovering. The root problem seemed the lack of will to go on. Tomorrow I am going to have his funeral. I did not tell my Mom yet what happened to Daddy. Still, strangely enough, she seems to be losing motivation to try to show her achievements. She could move even her knees and almost move her right thumb and the little finger separately when she was at her peak. The last few days, however, she seems to show (almost) nothing and keeps just looking away. Given her age, she’s battling against time. Permanent lying can devastate much younger bodies and her neurological progress seems too slow or perhaps none at all.
I did a lot of thinking these few weeks. During the past years, my parents used to be almost the last people I had time for. Since December, however, I have kept visiting the hospital almost every single day, spending a good portion of the day with Mom and Dad. It has been just like with the Sabbaths the Holy Land enjoyed in full when the nation of Israel was moved away. These days, I tried to make up for the time I had owed them realizing I still have a chance. Helas, this extra advantage did not last long.
The reason I am telling this is we may have blessings and opportunities in our lives we do not appreciate (in full, and/or in practice). I have seen it so often, I have always realized some chances do not last forever, and still, I was not so efficient I could/should have been. I have been with my parents a lot these days, I have spoken to them even when they could not speak back (Daddy was tracheostomized, too, most of his time in hospital). But so much still remains to be said, and so many unanswered questions linger…
This is what I wanted to share. I have been writing these lines for over a month as I am now going through pretty tumultuous months. Emotionally, but in many practical matters also (I am the only child). But I was determined not to let your e-mail without reply, unlike many other ones.
You are special to me.
Durk, you may distribute it at your discretion. It was especially meant for the table of James, #184, Dallas ;). Good news is we are having the first domestic Walk this year, May 24-27. I am going to have a speech on General Priesthood, Study and the Fourth Days. I’d appreciate you prayer support.
De colores!
Jiri”
