Miracle for Malachi
Donation protected
The July 4th weekend started off for the Bernal family as a sweet time of fellowship and fun as they gathered at their friend’s home to celebrate the long weekend. What should have been a weekend full of joy quickly changed, altering the family's lives forever.
On Friday, July 3, the two families gathered to say a blessing over their meal and discovered that 3-year-old Malachi was missing. The search for the child began at the pool, but Malachi was not seen. After continued searching throughout the home, Malachi was found at the bottom of the pool, his toy truck within reach. CPR was administered until the ambulance arrived, his pulse was not found until after arriving at the hospital.
An MRI revealed that Malachi has damage to his cortex and midbrain due to lack of oxygen. According to doctors, he will never be able to walk, talk or eat on his own requiring life-long, full-time care. As of right now, Malachi is still in the PICU and the Bernals' have a long road ahead.
The parents of Malachi have not asked for a single dollar. They live a humble, frugal lifestyle and are always the first to help and give selflessly to others. Gustavo, who has been a youth pastor, is currently the Manager of Custodial Services at a local Christian University. Trisha works part-time as a gymnastics teacher and stays home with their 4 children (and currently 2 additional foster children).
Funds are being collected in anticipation of overwhelming medical fees, remodeling costs to make their home accessible to Malachi once he is released, and other accommodations (a van that will accommodate a wheelchair, at-home medical equipment, physical therapy costs, etc.). While it is still early and costs are difficult to predict, we know that a lot needs to happen quickly to the family's home in order to adapt the home to be ADA compliant, including accessibility ramps, widening doorways, updating bathrooms to include a specialized bathing area, etc.
Thank you in advance for contributing to Malachi’s needs. All donations are helpful - from $5 that could cover a pack of nails for the remodel to $500 that could cover the cost of a therapy session - and have already blessed the family immensely. The family is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love. Thank you for your prayers, generosity, and for sharing Malachi’s story around the world. We pray that God will be glorified in Malachi’s life.
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The Power of Prayer Amidst this Tragedy:
On Saturday, July 4, Malachi's auntie created a Facebook page to invite others to join in prayer for Malachi and receive updates from Malachi’s parents at the hospital. People joined the ‘Miracle for Malachi’ Facebook page by the hundreds, and people from all over the world began praying for a miracle as well as for God's peace for the family.
Hundreds of people and church groups around the globe have called out to the Lord to restore this active, fun-loving, sweet 3-year-old boy to full health. At this time, God seems to have other plans for Malachi's life. Upon hearing the neurology results of severe brain damage, Malachi's mother posted the following announcement to share the news inspiring us all with her strength, faithfulness, and trust in our Heavenly Father.
“When God hears our prayers, sometimes he answers them in ways that we would never imagine, or wish for, and yet it is somehow intertwined in the overall story of life and even in the beauty of redemption…. I am grateful that Malachi- my little messenger of God, has thus far been used to bring thousands of people to their knees in prayer. I have been encouraged and blessed by so many people, many of whom, I have never met before.
We were hoping for an immediate miracle of “healing” by our human definition. Unfortunately, the quick fix is not always the victory that God calls us to. Instead, sometimes the victory is in proclaiming God’s grace and goodness in the struggle no matter how long it lasts. Sometimes the victory is in finding joy and unity in standing for one who will never stand on their own again. Sometimes the ultimate victory looks so very different than we had hoped and we have no idea how we’ll get past the pain to see the blessing.
According to doctors, our little Malachi will never be able to walk or talk or even eat on his own again, and this is the best-case scenario. But... he is alive and his story is still being told. He may not use his mouth to speak but, in step with the meaning of his name, he is truly a messenger of God. His life is not lifeless. He will lead the way in wheelchair races, driven on of course, by his big brother. He will have the coolest hats ever. He will still bring joy to his family and those around him. His life and injury will not be in vain. Pray for us. We need it. Pray that we better understand God’s perfect plan in all this. Pray that the church is unified and built up by my son.
As I was crying over his bedside a minute ago, in agony I prayed “God how could You have given Your only Son to die on the cross?” My pain in this moment is intense. He CHOSE that pain so that we could experience blessing in the form of ultimate salvation. May Malachi’s life continue to proclaim this truth as we unite as a family, as a community, and as a church. God has called my boy to big things.”
Malachi's dad also has joy and hope amidst this storm, “I’m just excited my son is alive. Brain damage and all. He is still my Malachi.”
The past several days we have been focused on Malachi being alive. We praise God that he is miraculously alive! We can now turn our minds to the future – which brings us to researching treatments needed for this sweet boy. It is overwhelming to see the cost of all the therapies he will need that will support potential improvement and give him the best life possible. As hard as it is to ask for money, it looks like therapies and expenses for severe brain damage may cost between $600,000 and $1.5M. As we get a better idea of funds needed for various therapies, equipment and renovations, we can add more details. We are going to trust in the Lord for every detail. God has provided everything needed thus far, He is good and faithful.
On Friday, July 3, the two families gathered to say a blessing over their meal and discovered that 3-year-old Malachi was missing. The search for the child began at the pool, but Malachi was not seen. After continued searching throughout the home, Malachi was found at the bottom of the pool, his toy truck within reach. CPR was administered until the ambulance arrived, his pulse was not found until after arriving at the hospital.
An MRI revealed that Malachi has damage to his cortex and midbrain due to lack of oxygen. According to doctors, he will never be able to walk, talk or eat on his own requiring life-long, full-time care. As of right now, Malachi is still in the PICU and the Bernals' have a long road ahead.
The parents of Malachi have not asked for a single dollar. They live a humble, frugal lifestyle and are always the first to help and give selflessly to others. Gustavo, who has been a youth pastor, is currently the Manager of Custodial Services at a local Christian University. Trisha works part-time as a gymnastics teacher and stays home with their 4 children (and currently 2 additional foster children).
Funds are being collected in anticipation of overwhelming medical fees, remodeling costs to make their home accessible to Malachi once he is released, and other accommodations (a van that will accommodate a wheelchair, at-home medical equipment, physical therapy costs, etc.). While it is still early and costs are difficult to predict, we know that a lot needs to happen quickly to the family's home in order to adapt the home to be ADA compliant, including accessibility ramps, widening doorways, updating bathrooms to include a specialized bathing area, etc.
Thank you in advance for contributing to Malachi’s needs. All donations are helpful - from $5 that could cover a pack of nails for the remodel to $500 that could cover the cost of a therapy session - and have already blessed the family immensely. The family is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love. Thank you for your prayers, generosity, and for sharing Malachi’s story around the world. We pray that God will be glorified in Malachi’s life.
--
The Power of Prayer Amidst this Tragedy:
On Saturday, July 4, Malachi's auntie created a Facebook page to invite others to join in prayer for Malachi and receive updates from Malachi’s parents at the hospital. People joined the ‘Miracle for Malachi’ Facebook page by the hundreds, and people from all over the world began praying for a miracle as well as for God's peace for the family.
Hundreds of people and church groups around the globe have called out to the Lord to restore this active, fun-loving, sweet 3-year-old boy to full health. At this time, God seems to have other plans for Malachi's life. Upon hearing the neurology results of severe brain damage, Malachi's mother posted the following announcement to share the news inspiring us all with her strength, faithfulness, and trust in our Heavenly Father.
“When God hears our prayers, sometimes he answers them in ways that we would never imagine, or wish for, and yet it is somehow intertwined in the overall story of life and even in the beauty of redemption…. I am grateful that Malachi- my little messenger of God, has thus far been used to bring thousands of people to their knees in prayer. I have been encouraged and blessed by so many people, many of whom, I have never met before.
We were hoping for an immediate miracle of “healing” by our human definition. Unfortunately, the quick fix is not always the victory that God calls us to. Instead, sometimes the victory is in proclaiming God’s grace and goodness in the struggle no matter how long it lasts. Sometimes the victory is in finding joy and unity in standing for one who will never stand on their own again. Sometimes the ultimate victory looks so very different than we had hoped and we have no idea how we’ll get past the pain to see the blessing.
According to doctors, our little Malachi will never be able to walk or talk or even eat on his own again, and this is the best-case scenario. But... he is alive and his story is still being told. He may not use his mouth to speak but, in step with the meaning of his name, he is truly a messenger of God. His life is not lifeless. He will lead the way in wheelchair races, driven on of course, by his big brother. He will have the coolest hats ever. He will still bring joy to his family and those around him. His life and injury will not be in vain. Pray for us. We need it. Pray that we better understand God’s perfect plan in all this. Pray that the church is unified and built up by my son.
As I was crying over his bedside a minute ago, in agony I prayed “God how could You have given Your only Son to die on the cross?” My pain in this moment is intense. He CHOSE that pain so that we could experience blessing in the form of ultimate salvation. May Malachi’s life continue to proclaim this truth as we unite as a family, as a community, and as a church. God has called my boy to big things.”
Malachi's dad also has joy and hope amidst this storm, “I’m just excited my son is alive. Brain damage and all. He is still my Malachi.”
The past several days we have been focused on Malachi being alive. We praise God that he is miraculously alive! We can now turn our minds to the future – which brings us to researching treatments needed for this sweet boy. It is overwhelming to see the cost of all the therapies he will need that will support potential improvement and give him the best life possible. As hard as it is to ask for money, it looks like therapies and expenses for severe brain damage may cost between $600,000 and $1.5M. As we get a better idea of funds needed for various therapies, equipment and renovations, we can add more details. We are going to trust in the Lord for every detail. God has provided everything needed thus far, He is good and faithful.
Organizer and beneficiary
Brittanie Arnett
Organizer
Escondido, CA
Gustavo Bernal
Beneficiary