The following was written by my father Scott Bledsoe, on February 28, 2009....about one month after my bone marrow transplant. We have meant to put this in our blog for quite some time now, and after reading it for the first time today.......I really wish we would have posted it sooner!! But....better late than never!
First of all, I want to thank God for my son Tyler and his wonderful wife Mandy. They have been married for three years and have already faced more challenging life and death circumstances than most marriages face in fifty years. Thank God for their exemplary love.
I want to share a short personal testimony about my involvement in Tyler's bone marrow transplant operation. Our family had been aware of the eventual need for some life changing work to be done to save Tyler's life. A miracle complete healing, a continuous effective use of wonder-drugs, or some heroic medical procedure, or some combination of all of the above.
In the summer of 2008 I realized I was given the privilege of being Tyler's donor after four family members were tested for bone marrow compatibility. The first thing I thought about was thanking God for this opportunity. At that point I received an answer to an unspoken prayer. I received an incredible peace about being the donor. This peace is described in Philippians 4:7 "and the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus". I was being protected from all anxiety. If it was just for me, I may have been worried about the operation like I had been five years ago when I became really anxious about a simple knee operation. God was giving me a joy to give Tyler new life. There have been other times when I can say God spoke his approval into this whole healing work. Once when Tyler was at Steven's hospital for a week I found a bible in the hallway outside his room and read Romans 5:1-5 to Tyler. The message is we have access to God through faith in Jesus Christ and that we can rejoice even in suffering. Suffering produces great things for our spiritual growth, like pruning can produce more fruit, suffering produces perseverance, perseverance....character, and character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the holy spirit, whom he has given to us. This short section of scripture was confirmed later when I picked up a book Tyler was reading when he was at the U of W hospital later on. I turned to the first page somewhere in the middle of Tyler's book and the first thing I noticed was Romans 5:1-5 quoted as an exhortation for hope.
As far as the actual operation itself goes, we had some setbacks that kept us from the original Oct. 7th, 2008 target date. Even so, I was ready! Testing, testing, and more testing for Tyler. He's my biggest hero. Then January 27, 2009 arrives and Kate takes me to the U of W hospital. We check in at 6:30 am. I go to sleep soon thereafter and wake up three hours later after contributing two liters of my bone marrow. The nurse caring for me had been there assisting these types of procedures for 25 years, and told me this was the most bone marrow she has seen taken out of someone! I was woozy and very sore all day, but they let me go home at 6:30 pm. I was very sore for about a week, black and blue for about two more weeks, and slowly healing for another week plus. I can truly say it's a wonderful thing to be able to give up your life to gain not only your life but to give life to others. In John 15:13, Jesus says, "greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends". I consider this whole operation a major joy event for everyone in our family, especially for my dear son and his loving wife Mandy.
Am I concerned about the outcome? The full healing of Tyler? There is nothing sweeter than to watch him improve. Slowly but surely I keep praying with hundreds of others committed to asking our father to give Tyler a new life.
All along I keep this one simple prayerful thought going, "be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". My body feels fairly normal again with very little pain, and if need be......I will do it again!!
My faith is based on what Jesus did for me at the cross (laying his life down for me). I believe that my good works in life would mean nothing without realizing that my salvation is based on his ultimate sacrifice, and that salvation produces good works. In Romans 2:6, Paul writes, "God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life".
From my perspective, I see Tyler and Mandy diligently working out and seeking God's favor in a real life resurrection experience.
In Jesus precious name
C. Scott Bledsoe
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