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Grateful for Progress and Hopeful for What’s Next

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Posted on: July 22, 2025, 11:30 AM
By: James Long, Jr.

It’s hard to believe we’ve now been here in Philadelphia for almost a month. This season has been filled with uncertainty, challenges, small victories, and God’s sustaining grace.

Yesterday marked the first Monday in three weeks that Amy had her routine bloodwork without being called back to the hospital. For the past several weeks, her lab results have raised urgent concerns and led to readmissions. But this time, praise God, the numbers were stable enough that no call came. That alone is a gift we’re deeply thankful for.

Amy continues to have weekly bloodwork on Mondays and will follow up with her transplant team midweek, either on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Tomorrow at 9:30 AM, she has her first major in-person meeting with the full transplant team since her most recent discharge. We’re praying for clarity and wisdom as they assess her progress, and we’re especially hopeful that they may give us the green light to begin making plans to return home. We’ve been holding that prayer with open hands.

Amy continues to make steady progress. While she’s still struggling with sleep and experiencing some pain, we’re encouraged by her resilience and how her body is healing overall.

Being here at the transplant house has been humbling. We’ve met others who are waiting for deceased donors, many of whom are much sicker than Amy and do not have the kind of support system she’s been blessed with. We’re deeply aware of how rare it is to have a living donor, and even more so, a praying and encouraging community like the one surrounding us.

We do not take that for granted.

Please continue to pray:

  • For clear guidance and wisdom from the transplant team tomorrow
  • For continued healing and strength for Amy, especially rest and pain relief
  • For the many patients still waiting for transplant opportunities
  • And for the ongoing recovery of the living donor, whose courageous gift continues to bear fruit in Amy’s life

Thank you again for journeying with us. I hope to be able to share good news after tomorrow’s meeting.

With heartfelt gratitude,
James

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him” (Lamentations 3:25)

Note from James:
As we’ve walked through these intense weeks with Amy’s surgery and recovery, I haven’t been able to post regular content on the site. Thank you for your grace and continued prayers.

If you’re new here and would like to explore more of our ministry, over 1,000 resources are available on this platform, including blog articles, podcasts, and tools to support emotional, relational, and spiritual growth.

If you’re interested in deeper engagement, I’d love to invite you to join our free Navigator-level community at community.jameslongjr.org. For those looking for more focused support through membership or group coaching, you can learn more at jameslongjr.org/signupnow.

Thank you again for being part of this journey with us.

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