Dear John & Doves...

I am writing on behalf of a family I know and specifically a little 3 year old girl named 'Alayna'.

Alayna was born with a condition known as "4P-Minus", which is a partial deletion of the # 4 chromosome which controls motor development, speech, the desire to eat, and muscle control.  According to her Dad, the doctors have said that Alayna may be able to live a normal life, but reaching adulthood will take much longer than other children. At 3 years of age, Alayna is physically at about a 6 to 9 month level of development.

Alayna is unable to walk or talk yet, and due to her lack of appetite, she has to receive her meals via a gastric-button which opens directly into her stomach, and while she is able to take liquids and some foods by mouth, she doesn't understand the connection between eating and surviving, which is why she is given 'tube-feedings' with meal replacement formulas. Her intellectual development is good however, and despite her being unable to talk, she is able to communicate her feelings and wants and knows some sign language, she is a beautiful little child and her family loves her and does all they can for her. Her Dad taught her an adapted sign-language phrase 'Jesus Loves Alayna' and she smiles and is able to copy the sign-signals herself.  She is in a specialized development program 3 days a week and is making good progress.

I have talked to her Dad on many occasions, and he is in regular and consistent prayer for Alayna each and every day, he has told me that while he understands that there is no way that medical science can 'fix' a chromosome, he has told me in no uncertain terms that he *knows* that God, specifically "Dr. Jesus" can fix that # 4 chromosome of Alayna, and make her 'healthy, happy and whole'.  I prayed with Alayna's Dad, and I heard him ask the Lord to heal his daughter "if not for her parents, if not for her family, if not for Alayna herself, to heal her so that the Name of Jesus might be glorified", and that her healing would be a testimony to the miracle working God we serve.

I believe with all my heart that Alayna's parents have placed their trust in Jesus, and I believe their faith will ultimately see their daughter healed completely. I'm writing today to ask the Doves if they might include Alayna in their prayers, if they are so led. I am only including Alayna's first name, as I want to respect her family's privacy and they honestly don't know that I have written this letter, but I had to do it.

God knows who Alayna is, I'm not worried about that. He'll know who you're praying for! :-)

Thank You!

Marc McIntosh