New Heart & Kidney for Parker

This post is one that I (Sarah) really never wanted to post. But, here we are at a place in our lives that we have no choice but have beautiful memories of our precious Parker. He fought the fight, no doubt and had a good attitude while he fought. He is now totally and completely healed. I'm sure we will hear from so many that he is in a much better place. He is but right now, he is not with us and that is where we are in our thoughts. Actually, we don't know how to process our thoughts. I just know that Parker served a purpose and touched so many lives.
My heart aches for Doug and Sondra. I know all of you are praying for them and the rest of the family as we try and make sense of it all.
My main reason for this post is to thank each of you for your love, prayers and support you gave all of us, especially Parker. He has so many people from Hope and Texarkana that love him so very much. 😘 You all were fervent at your prayers. We witnessed so many miracles and God's hands and feet because of your prayers.
We love you all and please know how much we appreciate you.

Thank you Sarah for doing this post, I’ve yet to find my words on what I wanted to say, I’m adding a picture, it was something I received in a daily inspiration I get, the following morning. I read it and thought how appropriate, thank you Lord! Don’t take the promise of tomorrow to be there, it can be take when you least expect it!

I want to share something with you. Last year was such an eye-opener to Parker and the rest of us. Going to Nashville, TN for a few appointments at Vanderbilt Medical Health for evaluations turned into it becoming our home for 7 months! Our thoughts were that we would leave there with a new heart and kidney for Parker. God has other plans for this great guy. While in Nashville, we met some awesome people at Vanderbilt. Parker has a great team for cardiology and kidney.
I just watched a documentary on Discovery+ about transplants at Vanderbilt. It is called "Last Chance Transplants". The first episode is about Krystal Powers. We were so blessed to meet her! Her sister, Nancy and I connected through a FB page called War Room when I asked for prayer for Parker. They were about to go to Nashville for the same reason Parker went. I really encourage you to watch this documentary. It gives you some insight of the nuts and bolts of transplants. It touched our hearts especially because 6 months after Krystal received her new heart, her beautiful sister Nancy passed away from complications of Covid. I have mentioned them on this page before. Nancy will never know what an impact she was to our family. Krystal will always be a part of us and Nancy lives through her. Discovery+

Back the first part of May of this year, Parker developed a peritonitis infection that resulted in him being listed inactive on the transplant list….this seemed to linger on despite the numerous prescribed antibiotics to clear it up.
After several weeks of antibiotics, a bunch of labs, a lot of waiting and many many prayers, month after month hoping to see if its result would return as all cleared….
Last week we finally received that word and then had to continue waiting for proper procedures to be followed before receiving confirmation that he was listed back as active on the transplant list.
Join us please in giving our Heavenly Father thanks and praise for those results!!
Parker is listed back ACTIVE!!! 🙌🏼 God’s timing is always perfect even when we don’t understand the steps!

It’s appt time again for Parker - Wednesday (July 28th) at Nashville TN

Once again trying to figure out if we are flying not driving, do we have a place to stay or have to search for alternate housing this has been our question until this Monday afternoon….luckily this time we do have a place to stay our nights, thankful the hospitality house is available (with one bed and a fold out) but whooo hooo I’ll finally be able to say I (mom) haven’t gotten to stay there. We are however, having to drive again, a flight wasn’t available.

This is a long trip when it’s such a short stay, one day driving, next day at the hospital with the various appts. and then driving back again the next. Parker does better on trips like this when he can get out and stretch his legs several times. What may take the average person 7 1/2-8 hrs will take us some extra time also to add in that time is the alternate route and delay in traffic it causes while they are still working on the Memphis bridge makes for a long day of sitting still in a car. Although this makes for special time spent together and great memories (at least for this mom)😉🥰🚗

Once again we appreciate your prayers for these appts and the traveling mercies. God bless you all for being there to lift us up.

UPDATE: got back home safely everything looks good! Still waiting on his match for transplant…God knows who and when…and we are waiting on His timing.

Tomorrow morning Parker & I (mom again 😉) leave out to TN for his next dr appt. this appt was originally scheduled for the first part of May, but having first started our Vanderbilt journey a yr ago the end of May, there are some annual testing they were needing to do again; so the appt was pushed to June 10!
Thank you Lord that his health is in a well enough state both trips weren’t required.
Our trip once again has already ran into a few obstacles but God is working them out for us, to Him we give praise. When the hospitality house didn’t have an opening for us we were able to fine last minute reservations close to the hospital and with two beds🙌🏼. Car 🚘 is getting a look over (ck engine light had just come on end of last week) We aren’t able to get a flight with angel flight this trip due to weather conditions.
So it’ll be a road trip instead….Please pray for safe travels and good check up 😊

A lot of people have been asking me how Parker is. He is doing pretty well! We had a hiccup the other day with an infection and that is getting taken care of. So, until that infection is gone, he is inactive on the list. But as soon as it’s gone, he is right back on!
He has a wonderful home health nurse, Leslie from Kindred and he has a wonderful nurse, Ginger from Davita. Kudos to you ladies for loving Parker and helping him.
Parker has a lot to keep up with and I’m very proud of him doing what all he has to do. I need to tell you more, Parker, how proud we all are of you!
Someone asked me the other day if there was any progress. I told them we are at a place of rest. This is a time of waiting on the Lord to renew strength so he will be ready for his new heart and kidney! I believe this. God is our waymaker❤️

https://youtu.be/26jEkcGtFlM

Way Maker | Elevation Church Worship Team | Ft Isaiah Templeton and Pastor Steven Furtick Way Maker is a wonderful christian worship song written by Osinachi Okoro released in the year 2016.This wonderful worship recorded at Elevation Church Ball...

Happy Sunday morning!☀️
Want to give an update on Parker. Everything is going well. We are in the middle of the waiting game. Parker will continue to go to Vanderbilt Medical Center for check ups. His next appointment is in June. I (Sarah) will get to go this time. They will do all the evaluations like they did May 2020. Wow! It's been almost a year and what a year it has been! Many blessings in the midst of it all as well.
Since Parker is feeling ok, he is keeping up with family and friends. He received his 1st vaccine, which made him have a low grade fever but the transplant coordinator said that was expected.
This could be a long wait OR we could get a call today! This is also where God is in control. He is taking care of the behind the scenes.
Our prayer is for the family that will have to say goodbye to their loved one that donates their heart. We also pray for them to locate a donor with high antibodies just like Parker. Please be in agreement with us.🙏
We are so very thankful for our support system and your prayers. When you tell us you are praying, we truly appreciate it!❤️

We are back on land and home again.

Very special shout out and thank you to Wayne (& Mark) with the angel flight south central team, you are the best!! Couldn’t have asked God to provide a better blessing this trip....Wayne thanks for helping iron out some of those wrinkles we encountered before our trip even began, you’re more appreciated than you’ll ever know. God bless you!

Drs were pleased with how everything’s looking; he’s been moved out to six week check-up now, as opposed to every 4 weeks thank you Lord 🙌🏼 🙏🏼 back to doing our daily life and continuing in waiting His perfect timing! 😉

Thanks again, we love our support of friends, family and fb acquaintances who are following along on our journey! Until our next update...🙏🏼😉✈️

Tomorrow Parker and I (mom) will be flying to his March TN Drs appt. (Tuesday). This will be my first time to see the hospital, meet drs, and my first time (small plane) flying 😉🙏🏼
Please pray that all goes well with travels, testing results come back with what the drs are hoping to see, yet all the while that Parker’s transplant is getting closer.
He’s doing really well, and for that we are all very grateful, but I know he’s anxious for a new and healthy life without his weekly home health visits, monthly Davita consultations, and EVERY night scheduling when he has to go to bed (hook up) in order to get up and disconnect for next days activities.
We’ve already hit a couple bumps on our arrangements for this visit, but we’ve already seen God working them out for us♥️♥️♥️ again we say THANK YOU for all your prayers!

This is what I posted a year ago! Dr. Waqas, Parker’s cardiologist in Little Rock said it was time to get him on the heart and kidney transplant list. Our journey began. 4 mos. later, Parker was on the list and yes there have been many blessings but it’s not over. I love seeing what God is doing and what He did through seeing these memories.❤️

Update-Parker and his dad are back, but not in the flight that was scheduled. Cloud cover wasn’t where they could...Arkansas Angel Flights were cancelled across the state. They had to grab a last minute commercial flight to Dallas (he didn’t have extra supplies for his dialysis, so home was the only option) work through clearance for his medical Iv (he wears 24/7)....and Uber from the airport they are supposed to be leaving from to the Nashville airport. Thank you Matt Ostermann and the people at Contour for taking care of that Uber trip! And to Sarah, because she had to drive to Dallas and pick them up. They all arrived home very late last night 12:30 a.m., made for a long day when they were expected home mid-late afternoon. I think drs were pleased with all and one test he should get results from on Monday. He’s scheduled to return in a month for his next appointment if all goes as expected. Thank you again!

Parker and his dad will be flying out this morning for his TN appt tomorrow and then flying back on Friday; prayers for safe trips there and back and another appt without any hiccups. Will update as soon as we know something. 🙏🏼🥰thank you!

I know it’s been a while since anything’s been posted...Parker is doing well, please bare with us in knowing that no news is always good news!!

Until he gets his call-Parker has been enjoying his time back in Arkansas getting lots of visiting in...and other than his visit here and there with dr appts, he’s doing the same as all of us....waiting....for the next appt in TN (Feb 25) or the call that we all know will be in Gods ever perfect timing.

While waiting Parker has once again started growing his hair out (he actually started this last fall some time) so that he can again donate his ginger locks to a child in need.
It’s his way of “donating” what he can, to someone else in need.
He donated several inches (15”-17”?) in August of 2019 🙌🏼 ♥️

Here are a couple of pictures one showing those first locks and a picture from present.

With today being national donor day, please consider being an organ donor if you haven’t already...and if that’s not for you then please find a way, like Parker, that you can give a little of yourself to help others in need.

Thank you again for all the many faithful prayers and patiently following us along this journey. It’s with very full hearts and much comfort in knowing the support system is so great!💗

Parker’s back home, break in the weather allowed them to come back as originally planned! A few of those stressful unknowns have now been experienced and anxiety is not so much an issue for those future appointments. Appointment went well, all his test results came back as stable, and his next appointment will be at the end of February. Here are a couple of pictures of the two aircrafts they’ve now experienced; Parker said he enjoyed them both!

Tomorrow Parker and his dad will be heading to TN for one of his appointments. This will be the first since having moved back to Arkansas. It is with some anxiety that this appt brings, not for the appt itself but, this will be the first of trips back to TN for his appointments that they will be flying. Having never flown before and knowing that Tuesday is the start of several days of chance for rain, that we request prayers not only for his appt Wednesday, but also for the flight there and then back again on Saturday. This will normally be flight the day before the appt and flight back home the day after...but due to weather this week they will not be retuning until then. Also please remember the pilot that he will remain calm in any storm and that his confidence remains in our Heavenly Father to guide this flight. This first trip faces a couple of unknowns...the flight, Uber. And for those we request a special voice in prayers concerning them. Their next trip they’ll know more of what to expect so hopefully this extra dose of anxiety will be one less concern. Thank you to all who have followed along with us on this journey so far. Your prayers are much appreciated and have covered us in times we’ve needed them...we appreciate them in our great and small phases throughout this journey as we all await the call for his new heart and kidney. And a very special thank you to Angel flight south central!!!

I have to say there is true meaning to "There is no place like home." I am amazed at Parker's attitude since we got home. There is a pep in his voice. He has stepped up and taken charge of all the red tape to get back to Texarkana. He also is on top of making sure he and Doug have a place to stay when he has his appointments in Nashville. We are proud of him.
On the 20th, is his next appointment and we will find out how much his antibodies have gone down. They changed his status from a 5 to a 4. That basically means he is up higher on the list! We could actually get a call any day!
Meanwhile, we are getting back into church. Doug and I are getting back on the Praise & Worship team and Parker is wanting to help with youth and whatever else he can do. We love our church family at Oasis. They have been so supportive through this journey. We want to give back or pay it forward as we can.
Thank you all for your support and prayers! We have such a wonderful tribe and village!

We made it home. There is a lot that was accumulated over 7 mos! It was bittersweet. But, this journey isn’t over! We still have appointments that Angel Flight SC will take Parker to Nashville and we wait on that beautiful call.
We really want to help this non profit organization Angel Flight SC. They help families travel far to where they would have not been able to if not for them. It’s for medical purposes.

https://www.angelflightsc.org/

Had a really good visit with transplant team. Parker has good blood pressure, good weight (for someone that has Congestive Heart Failure and Kidney Failure)
He is very compliant and ready to get this started. He is back active on the list and they have given us the the go ahead to wait for “the call” in Arkansas. All we need is our AR cardiologist to prescribe some meds. His next appointment in Nashville will be in 3 weeks and will discuss his antibodies.
This is good news for our family so we can all be together or at least closer to each other. Hopefully Doug can get a job while home! If anyone knows of employment he can take on, he is much obliged!

We have recovered! Soon the 14 day quarantine will be over. We are all feeling good with no symptoms. So very thankful Parker didn’t have any symptoms!
Christmas was like no other we have ever had. We were forced (like so many others) to look at Christmas in a light where I feel God wanted us to. We were blessed with a little snow, lots of Christmas movies and some good finger foods. We didn’t wake up to open gifts, we did wake up saying, “Merry Christmas to each other and that meant more than all of it! Parker did get to open a couple of gifts Doug and I were able to surprise him with.
Now....tomorrow we can hopefully get started on getting an appointment to see when we can go home and wait for a new heart and kidney!
It’s all lined up for Parker to go to his appointments through Angel Flight and Lifenet for when he gets the call. Lots of red tape but thanks to Aunt Andrea Williams, this will happen!

We have definitely had a set back. Parker is fine, he just has loss of smell. Doug seems to be ok. I run fever off and on. A very good friend of mine said to me today that really hit me and I shared it with Doug and Parker. “God’s timing is perfect, His delays are purposeful.”
BUT, we have good news! I screenshot what our transplant coordinator told us today when Parker asked how his antibodies were doing. This is such good news!

I have been dreading to put this out but your prayers are very important to us. Doug, Parker and I have Covid. Parker isn’t having any symptoms, thank goodness! We aren’t even sure when it started because the symptoms were very mild. Don’t go by no taste or smell or fever because we could taste and smell and didn’t have fever. Doug and I had to get a hotel to stay away from Parker. Now that he tested positive we can all stay quarantined together for 14 days.
We were so excited about coming home for Christmas but that’s ok! We will deal with this the best way we can.
Just pray that no weapons formed against us, especially Parker shall prosper.

We have made do with receiving the Christmas spirit! While waiting for the next appointment to find out some very important information, we have driven around looking at the beautiful homes in Brentwood, TN. We also made a pot of beans and cornbread and visited the famous John Sherlock that has helped us keep our hair from getting out of shape and let us love on his handsome dobermans Rader and Rolo.
Christmas isn’t always about traditions, it can be about the people that God puts in our lives in a non traditional situation. Such as Eric and Pam that opened their basement to us, Lienne and Ben are the young couple we met in the first basement we stayed in. This Christmas is about how God chose a strange way to receive the gift of new friendships just like His strange way to save us all by a young virgin girl having a baby that is our Savior.
We miss our family and hope we get to come home after Thursday. If we don’t, there must be other plans. We have been carried this far, God is not stopping now.

Parker got discharged yesterday morning. The test results of why he had a low grade fever came back to nothing. We don’t know why but glad he didn’t have infection!😁
Now we wait for the 15th for lab then 17th for antibody results and to find out if we can come home until we get “the call”.🙏🏻

This pic is the cover of an album by Parker’s cousin Jack Seabaugh. He is a very talented musician! Here is the link.

https://youtu.be/KPUiPl51rlM

Thank you all for your prayers! We are feeling them❤️

We had a scare last night but Parker is ok now.
Parker felt really tired yesterday and by supper wasn’t hungry. His heart rate was upper 160’s. Doug had to call an ambulance. It wasn’t going down. In the ER, it had gotten to 171 and blood pressure was up and down at around 82/65. They tried three times with medication to get it down and wasn’t working. They placed an arterial line in his left wrist to get a better reading on his bp. They felt it was lower than the reading was showing on the monitor. That is a long time for his heart to beat that fast. It doesn’t give the ventricle time to fill up in between beats. I had to get someone to explain that to me. They gave his heart a small shock and it went down to 109-110 and bp 106/54. Much better! That was by 2:00 am.
They think the reason why this happens is dehydration. It seems to happen after he gets infusions or the plasmapheresis. All I know is it is time for a new heart.
I’m claiming this happens soon and I pray for the family that will make the decision to allow their loved one to donate new life for Parker. Please be in agreement with our family.

Good morning, friends! Parker has a follow up appointment December 17th @ 9:00 am. This day we should find out the results of the antibodies. We also will get information if Doug and Parker can go home to Texarkana while waiting for the big call. What would be really awesome is we get the big call before that decision is ever made! God IS that good! I wonder what Christmas will be like for us.🤔
We know you are praying and we feel them! We will look back and ask how the heck we survived all of this and then realize oh we know! Prayers and great support from our beautiful friends and family!❤️

Last day of the Plasmapheresis. It’s a very interesting process. This may not make sense but they withdraw a pretty big bag of plasma and the glass bottles on top of the machine in the pic is actually called Albumin. As they withdraw plasma, Albumin comes out as well. So they are replacing the Albumin at the same time. This was 3rd day of it. In about an hour or so they will do something called IVG. This is where they put the plasma back in with no antibodies in it. They will do more tomorrow. So confusing but interesting! Tomorrow, Parker should get discharged. I’m sure he will be so ready.😁
I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him and allow Doug to hang around at the basement.
Praying this all works as planned.

It took a while...a long while to finally get Parker’s port. He had to wait on his Covid test results, get sedated then put the port in. This happened after he had already been there 24 hours.😳 During all the waiting, he was starving. After the port, they immediately took him to do the first round of plasmapheresis. He has had a challenge being able to get his food. I think he finally got something but not what he ordered.
Lots and lots of waiting. This whole journey has been mostly waiting. If there was a contest of waiting, Parker would win!😁
Looks as if he will be in hospital til Friday or possibly Saturday.
This being Thanksgiving week, we have much much to be thankful for! We have an amazing group of friends and family that support us, come up with new resources to help us financially, and pray for us. I think we will just not ask God for anything and just thank Him for what He has done in the past 6 mos. But also thank Him for what He is about to do. It’s time for praise and worship.


https://youtu.be/j4taAN4QtbI

It Is Well - Bethel Music (lyric video) Verse 1 Grander earth has quaked before Moved by the sound of His voice Seas that are shaken and stirred Can be calmed and broken for my regard Chorus Throug...

Parker will be admitted to the hospital tomorrow. They will withdraw plasma for 3 days. They clean the plasma and put it back in him. He and Doug may be there through Thanksgiving.
He has a follow up appointment two weeks after his discharge then hopefully get to come home.
These are days of just letting God do what He does and we thank him for it.

Your prayers are working. I was going to explain everything the transplant coordinator said but it’s so confusing so I just screenshot it.
It’s exciting and a little nerve wracking but we will take all the positive news we can get!❤️ The part that is exciting is they are seeing improvement in the antibody results. Now we pray for it to keep improving. Move that mountain!
Parker and Doug will probably be in the hospital on Thanksgiving day. We have had many other times in hospitals on a holiday. This one hopefully will be for something greater. We claim it!

Thank you, Nancy Brown!

Believing for miracles for my friend Parker Cooper as our friends agree with his family Doug Cooper and Sarah Dobbins Cooper in prayer. God is able! He has infusions again today. Pray that he continues to remain strong, but his antibodies leave so he can receive a new heart and kidney in the mighty name of Jesus. I believe prayers and praises lifted to our Heavenly Father will move mountains. So let your FAITH ARISE. .

Today, Parker gets the 2nd of the secondary type of chemo. I know, that is so confusing. This week is a very busy week! He is doing remarkably well so far. He has a really good appetite and eating well. Parker has an appetite but eats like a bird. But from what Doug told, he has been eating a lot. That’s a good thing!
We have met some amazing people during this journey! Our latest is Krystal Powers and her sister Nancy Brown. Krystal received a new heart heart just a few weeks ago and we prayed for her so much while dealing with challenges before her new heart. Nancy is such a prayer warrior and has shown so much love for Parker through her prayers. She even started a FB page to where anyone can pray and fast during the month of November! I invite you to get on the page and join us in praying!❤️
Prayers and Fast for Parker’s Miracle is the name of the page.