please pray for Joy

A GoFundMe page as been set up to help with medical costs and the logistical costs of the family being away from home for an extended period of time. If you would like to send gift cards for meals please email me with the subject line: Joy Loboda and I will coordinate that as well :) Thank you!!!

Praise Report & Update on Joy (evening of 2/1) - it is with great gratitude that I write this. Joy has been home now for just a little over a week. I know without a doubt that God the Father heard my prayer & all the millions of prayers for Joy. He literally gave her back to us. I knew that she was gone as I performed CPR on her. But, in faith I prayed the words Jesus prayed over that twelve year old girl who was dead in the scriptures. She was dead also. She was so dead that when Jesus told them that she was only sleeping they all laughed at Him. There may be some people out there who will laugh at me. However, I prayed those Aramaic words of Jesus in and through my daughters limp body. The miracle began at that moment.
A couple of days before we were discharged, one doctor told me this & I don't pretend to understand the science behind it. But, she said scientifically they can predict the outcome of a submersion victim by the PH level of the blood. With tears in her eyes she said Joy did not even have a PH reading! She continued to tell me how it is a miracle that she is alive and even more so that she doesn't have any brain damage.
So, praise be to Jesus! I always wondered how Lazarus was after he raised him, i.e., was he the same as he was before or different in ways. Now, I get to find out firsthand.
Many Blessings on you- Matt

update from Matt on Facebook the evening of 1/5:

A praise report and a request for prayers to be continued for Joy-

Today has been a mind blowing day! Joy has been breathing on her own!!! Even more amazing, Joy has been opening her eyes for long periods of time, tracking us with her eyes, moving her head towards our voices and even reaching out to touch Kristin's face!

The doctors want to take her off the ventilator tomorrow. Before that, they want to put a wound closure device on her leg. The elastic device will slowly close the wound and then let it naturally heal. That procedure will take place in 20 minutes. So please pray.

Lastly, one of the detectives came by today and testified to the miracle of Joy and the amazing fact that she is alive and progressing well.

Again, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your prayers & support- Matt

update from Matt (Joy's father) on Facebook evening of 1/3:

Kristin & I are so blessed by all the prayers & support from all of you throughout the world. It seems like an eternity ago, but, I believe 4 days ago this tragedy happened. Many have asked me what happened. What happened was a miracle & I'm not using hyperbole.

It couldn't have been a minute and we noticed Joy was missing. In my heart I knew something was terribly wrong. So, I ran down to the Koi pond on the property. I ran around it 4 times looking between the shadows & fish for Joy. Momentarily I was relieved that danger was avoided. But, I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to run to the pool. The pool is totally gated so I didn't think to start there. I sprinted to the pool and saw Joy floating there on top of the water. Immediately I jumped over the 5 foot fence and dove into the water. I quickly got her out of the pool and me and my brother-in-law started CPR & called 911. Even though it seemed like an eternity before the paramedics arrived I'm sure they came quickly.

As I breathed into Joy I prayed that my breath would be the breath of God into her. In between breathes I begged for the Ruha of God to enter her. Her lips were blue and her beautiful blue eyes were wide open. I could see her pupils shrinking at an alarming rate. Then I started to pray in between breathes in the words of Jesus, Talitha Koum, which means "Little girl, I say to you, arise". I knew we needed a miracle because I could actually feel her slipping away.

There was a man by us whom I don't know but am indebted to because when the paramedics came street side he ran Joy to them & continued the chest compressions as he ran.

The paramedics were wonderful but they all had a disposition of gloom. The police wouldn't let me drive so a detective drove us as quickly as possible to Phoenix Children's Hospital.

I closed my eyes and prayed. I was suddenly in the throne room of God the Father and in filial boldness I told God, "I know she is your daughter but she is my daughter too. Now is not the right time." Before I knew it we were in the E.R. and we're escorted into a private room. Soon, the detective and a social worker were there. I still stood in faith and declared that my child would live. The E.R. Doctor came in and didn't look good.

He bent down to talk to Kristin and me and said some things that I can't recall now. But then he said, "she has a heart beat." That was all I needed to hear. That was all the hope I was looking for.

Many other miracles have taken place since then. I will be sure to post more as they take place. As of right now Joy is making a steady progression to wholeness. She is in a medically induced coma. I stand in the truth that there will be no brain damage. I know it. Please continue to pray for Joy.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And thank you to my beloved Kristin. She has been absolutely incredible. I wish you all could hear the words of love Kristin speaks to her and see the gentle caresses all night long.

Please let us know what we can pray for you for. Fr. Ignatius my brother-in-law has prayed Mass everyday at her bedside. We will include you in our intentions.

Many Blessings, Matt

update from Kristin on Facebook the morning of 1/3:

Again Friends, your love and prayers are not only holding us, but lifting us up. I am finding strength that I didn't even know I had. Strength that I know is not in my physical make up, but that is being produced by your prayers. 

As I sit with Joy today holding her hand, smiling into her eyes, stroking the side of her cheek, and helping her to fight through pain and discomfort, I see her suffering. And I suffer with her. To be honest I have never understood suffering and the beauty of it. I still don't want to necessarily see the beauty, but I do. I see its beauty. It's sanctifying grace. Please pray that Matt and my eyes continue to be open to His grace. 

Update on Joy- she continues to be stable. To God be the glory! Although she is very sick, her little body is fighting and has made small improvements today. Her lungs are very injured and we need to pray that God will continue to heal them and bring them to full restoration. We are still unable to do an MRI because of the necessary measures taken to save her leg. But she is opening her eyes, moving her arms and legs, and showing us that she is uncomfortable and in pain. All good signs. I love you all. #miraclebaby #prayforjoy #thankyou

update from Kristin on Facebook the evening of 1/1:

Beloved Friends,
Matt and I are truly humbled and brought to our knees by your prayers for our baby girl Joy. You are lifting us and walking us through the darkest hour we have ever known. You have loved us into light and your prayers have literally raised our daughter from the dead. Our gratitude cannot be express in words. As we sit tonight admits the humming of machines holding Joys hand, we are praying in thanksgiving for all of you. 

Update on Joy- We are still praising God for the success of last nights surgery, which in turn has saved her little leg. She has remained stable all day and is showing signs of healing. In the last hours, even though she is under strong sedation, she has woken up many times moving around, opening her eyes and fighting in pain. It hurts our hearts deeply to see her in such pain and fear, but at the same time we are encouraged that she is indeed fighting and moving! During this time I know that she hears my voice and is soothed by it. This gift of motherhood is wrought with such beauty and such suffering. Joy and I are connected by something far more deeper than the physical. We see each other, hear each other, know each other. Let us all hold tight to the ones we love. Thank you again for your prayers and love. Please keep praying. #prayforjoy #ourmiraclebaby

update from Kristin on Facebook the afternoon of 1/1:

As I sit staring at Joy, lightly kissing her, singing to her, brushing her nose against mine, I am thankful for her life, her being, her spirit, her body. Life is such a gift. These intimate moments bring forth light and love. Although I can't wrap her in my arms, it is through my gaze on her loveliness that I pour my and the Father's love into her. 

Update- She is stable and recovering from her surgery last night (she had a clot in her leg). The signs and pulses in her leg are great. Your prayers continue to hold us and heal her. My gratitude holds no bounds. Joy and I prayed for you all as we brought in the new year celebrating mass at her bedside with my brother. #PrayforJoy

update from Kristin on Facebook the evening of 12/30:

Beloved Friends, your prayers are truly sustaining Joy and our family. I thank you with all of my heart for covering us with prayer and fasting. I can actually feel some of you taking my suffering upon yourselves, which is allowing me to sit with my sweet baby girl with a lighter spirit. Thank you. Thank you all. 

Update: So much is still unknown, but what we do know is that she continues to be stable. She is on an oscillating breathing machine and many medicines to help her heart and blood pressure. Though these interventions are sustaining Joy, her little body is cooperating with all the interventions. We are hoping tomorrow she can be switched to a ventilator machine for breathing. It is not until she is off all machines that we can assess her brain. We know damage was done, but do not know the extent of how much. We are praying that any damage that was done is fully healed by our miraculous Lord. Please, please keep praying for our sweet Joy as she fights for her life. She is going to be our miracle baby. We love you all. I am attaching a cute little video I took of Joy just right before Christmas. She's always such a little Joy. #PrayforJoy

I know there are already thousands of kind folks praying for her but in the event that this reaches even one more person that is willing to pray - I had to post.

Our good friends' youngest daughter, Joy (1.5 yo) fell into a pool yesterday and is in critical condition at the moment. I don't know exact details but the pool was locked up and they have no idea how she got in. There will be a brain scan later this afternoon so please pray for total healing of her brain before then.

I knew Joy's mom, Kristin, in college and feel so fortunate and privileged to have gotten to know her wonderful family here in Tampa as well. Joy is a few weeks older than Bosco and has such a sweet spirit.

Joy and Bosco a couple months ago.

and at Bosco's baptism. We took this photo joking that we might need it for their wedding slideshow in the distant future. 

If you know the Lobodas personally, you know what a tremendous family they are and what a true joy they are to be around. Their kids have made our kids feel so welcome at school and Kristin was so generous and kind to me with her time when we first moved here despite having a newborn (and four other kids!) of her own.

Please pray for Joy and her entire family.

I will update this post if and when I hear more. Thank you so much.