Pray for the Youngs - 13 March 2011
0 comments | Posted by St Peters on 13 Mar 2011 in Missionary Support :: Prayers
Dear Friends,
Just want to update you on Mike’s week. Nine days ago Mike left for a trek to Everest Base Camp (13 day trek) with 6 others and guides and porters to raise money for the Xn Nepali NGO he works with. All was well until last Sunday.
On Sunday, he started to feel weak and dizzy and short of breath. He told the others to go on and he would rest and catch up. His health deteriorated and he realized he was in trouble. On Monday, at about 3pm, I got a call from him to say he was in trouble and he was heading down in altitude another 500m to see if that helped. He was unsure at that stage if it was a chest infection, pneumonia, asthma and/or altitude sickness. Having gone down in altitude to the river and too weak to go up the other side (as well as going up would make the altitude sickness worse) he had a very rough night in a basic Nepali house with no electricity – fighting for each breath in the dark and going in and out of consciousness. The porter said his skin turned purple from lack of oxygen. It is not an overstatement to say that Mike nearly died Monday night. Myself, James and Josh and a bunch of friends were all praying long into the night, as we knew how serious it was.
Tuesday morning I was relieved to hear his voice on the mobile phone and hear that the porter had organized an emergency medivac helicopter trip out. Another day and night there in his condition and he may not have survived. My doctor friend Liz and I headed out to the airport early Tuesday morning. The fog and clouds delayed the helicopter and it was not clear whether the helicopter would be able to reach Mike. But miraculously the clouds cleared sufficiently for the helicopter to get through (Praise God !), and after a hairy ride in a 5 seater helicopter (at a cost of US$ 6,500 !!) Mike safely landed in Ktm. He looked awful. At the clinic, it was confirmed that he had severe asthma and pulmonary and cerebral oedema (high altitude mountain sickness). He has never had this before at such a low altitude (around 4,000m) but the combination of asthma and a recent chest infection exacerbated the situation. If he had stayed another night at altitude, he would have probably died.
After treatment on Tuesday, Mike was discharged from the hospital. On Wednesday, his health deteriorated again and he collapsed. Altitude sickness is a very scary illness. I (Robyn) rushed Mike across the city in a taxi back to the hospital and we were stuck in a traffic jam for 30 minutes whilst he was fighting for breath again. Mike collapsed on arrival at the hospital and had a very scary episode where his blood pressure plummeted – probably due to dehydration. However, with more than 2 litres of IV fluids and some oxygen he recovered, and has been resting and recovering over the last few days at home.
We are fairly shell shocked by this experience. Mike is slowly getting stronger and the dizziness is going, but it will take a long time to get over this experience psychologically and emotionally. Please continue to pray for us and James and Josh as we process this incident and move on with life and ministry here in Nepal .
Thanks to all those who continue to uphold us in prayer.
In His Service,
Robyn Young
« The Annual Vestry Meeting 2011 Parish Weekend Away Feb 2011»
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