Prayers for an Injured Soldier

Dear Friends,

This is from my colleague at Military Service Corps ...

Thank you, everyone, for your continued prayers for Christopher Brennan. Chris, who is 20, grew up in New Jersey and joined the U.S. Army in August of last year. Unable to return home over Memorial Day weekend, he and some friends traveled from their military base in Texas to San Diego. The trip was to be an opportunity to see the Pacific Ocean and enjoy a brief rest before heading over to duty in Iraq.

Chris was about waist-deep in the ocean when he dove over a wave and struck his head in the suddenly shallow water. He experienced immediate paralysis and has been in the Surgical ICU at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla since the accident.

Over the past five weeks, Chris has experienced many challenges and some victories. He is finally able to breath on his own without a respirator and, for the first time since the accident, he has been allowed some normal food.

Please also remember in your prayers Chris' mom, Mary, his younger brother and sister, and Mary's seven wonderful sisters who have been helping the family through this difficult ordeal. We learned today from the Gloucester County Times that Chris' accident is not the first tragedy for the family. His older brother, Robert, died in 1997, twelve years after suffering brain injuries in a swimming pool accident. Two weeks after Chris left for boot camp, Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now, having recently endured surgery and chemotherapy, she is at her son's side bringing a mother's strength and love.

It is hoped that Chris will be able to be transported to a military hospital here in the East by the end of this week. Being surrounded by other troops will surely help boost his spirits, and hearing from those who are praying for him certainly helps too. If you would like to send an email to Chris before his transfer, please click here. The nurses will make sure that he receives every message.

Several groups, including Families Support Our Troops, are raising funds for Chris and his family and other soldiers. If you would like more information, please visit this link: PVT Christopher Brennan.

Thank you to Chris' Aunt Catherine who has been keeping us updated on his progress, and to all of you who are joining our prayers for Chris and his family. As we celebrate this Fourth of July, may we remember with profound gratitude all of our soldiers whose sacrifices have purchased for us the blessings of freedom.