A Mother’s Story of Hope

Written By: Kim Mather, Liberty University School of Behavioral Sciences

Never give up hope and celebrate the victories.

We had just arrived home from a family vacation in Maine. Two of our boys went out for a typical run one early evening. One came back energized, and the other came back unusually fatigued.  A month prior, Isaac was outdoors fishing and hiking and was bitten by a tick – a tick we never saw. Isaac became debilitated, and his life was forever changed. He was bedridden at the age of ten years old from complications associated with Lyme Disease and two co-infections. Isaac’s faith was tested during this time. Isaac questioned what good could possibly come from such a trial. Over the next seven years, there were many ups and downs, and Isaac began to struggle with a whole host of chronic health issues, including a brain inflammation, CIDP, an autoimmune disorder, OCD, and a tick disorder “Tourette Syndrome.”

A lot of mental health issues were brought on by his pain, and depression became an inevitable concern when there seemed to be no relief in his foreseeable future. I had to be an advocate for my son and rode the bull hard for many years. Our family sought every path to healing for Isaac, including traveling to New York City for a week each month for a very extreme treatment called Plasmapheresis. If you have ever gone through a long medical journey, you know the price tag is steep; however, the quest to keep going never has a price tag when it comes to your child’s health. I remember praying, specifically for $2,500. But why does it always have to be so tight?  Why can’t there ever be any excess? These questions were still lingering in my mind, until one day when the unthinkable happened. It was a Saturday, two days before we were to leave for the next treatments. I pulled out a card from the mailbox, a card with a check for – you guessed it –exactly $2,500. Wait – another check slid out of the same card, but for $5,000! I was numb and paused to soak in this grateful moment and miracle. It was a mother-son duo that bolstered our faith. For many months a home nurse came to our house to administer an additional treatment called IVIG. There were many days Isaac could not even get out of bed; he began to lose the ability to sit in a chair because the pain was so bad. He started bringing his laptop to bed to create music. Quitting seemed like an easy option. But the Lord had other plans.

Isaac daily lives with his Tourette’s; however, the Lord has brought much healing to his life spiritually, physically, and mentally. Isaac has seen many doctors across the country and has had test after test taken over the years. It was like peeling layers back from a colossal onion. It is hard to say what exactly helped him. He started going to a chronic pain and wellness clinic and started using their protocol of bio-energetic sprays, which he noticed seemed to help immensely.  He was blessed with many individuals, families, ministries, and churches who gave generously and prayed fervently. Isaac is finally back to doing everything he once used to be able to do before his sicknesses. But now he can do even more. He now uses his story and experience to be vulnerable through the music he creates, and I continue to be a believer that all things are possible. I live by my mantra: Never give up hope and celebrate the victories. “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” Exodus 14:14.

You can follow more of Kim’s son Isaac’s story at https://youtu.be/MYejNQOvJBM

or his website https://www.isaacmathermusic.com/