David Kumdee

Here is the video that CBN Thailand did on the Miracle of David's healing. Right now we only have this in German.

Below are all the email updates that were sent out to Friends and family of the Kumdees. The emails are in Chronological order from the time the tragedy occurred, until the time that he began to improve. All the emails are written by Sean & Anne Sanborn, unless otherwise noted.

First Email, Dated December 24 th, 2004 (9:41am)

Dear friends,

    Please pray for our son David Kumdee. Last night at 6:40 pm (December 23rd) David drank some pipe cleaner liquid (Sodium Hydroxide)(Drano)(Acid). Someone put it in an, out of the way, water cooler to unclog it. We rushed him to Lanna Hospital and then he was transferred to Suandok Hospital. David vomited blood every 20 minutes for several hours. They gave him a chest X-ray at 10pm and it showed that his stomach, lungs, and esophagus had not been pierced and he did not have any internal bleeding. About 9-10pm he began to be able to sleep, although he was still spitting up stuff all night. He had a restless night and developed a fever. Although his condition is currently fairly stable, without prayer he could begin to have problems such as his throat closing. At 8:00am the doctor inserted a camera down David's throat to inspect the damage. This will determine what treatment is needed (at the time of writing, the procedure is not yet complete.)

    Please pray for us as Gampon has a very busy Christmas schedule of preaching and other obligations. Please pray for Mirjam as she takes care of both David and her nursing child Jonathan. Please also pray for Hannah as she is feeling really bad that her brother is hurting. We gratefully thank all of you who have been praying. Without your prayers, David's condition would be much more severe and we would not have Gods peace resting on us.

    David is currently at Suandok hospital, although there is the possibility that we may transfer him to Ram 2. Right now we would prefer not to have any visitors.
May God bless each of you, Mirjam and Gampon
(Typed by Sean Sanborn)


Dated December 24th, 2004 (4pm)

Dear Friends,

    This is Sean again, writing on behalf of Gampon and Mirjam.  David came out of the operating theatre about 12 noon today.  The doctor reported that his condition is very serious and he is in Intensive Care at Suan Dok Hospital.  He has severe burning in his esophagus and part of his intestines.  They are keeping very close watch over his, as there is the possibility of his throat closing up.  If this happens, David will need a tracheotomy.

    Please keep praying for David, and the family over the next few days. Mirjam has not left the hospital since last night.  Both Jonathan and Hannah are experiencing stress, because they cannot be at the hospital with Mirjam and David.

    We will try to keep you informed about the situation.  Thank you for your prayers.  Both Gampon and Mirjam have expressed that they are able to sense the presence of God with them, and know that you are praying for them.

Blessings,
Sean Sanborn



Dated December 24th, 2004 (11:00pm)

    It's 11pm on Christmas Eve. We have just arrived home from Pastor Gampon & Mirjam's house, where we have been taking care of their other children.

    David's situation is very serious, and he will need to be in the Hospital for 2 weeks, unless a miracle happens. He has a small tube down his throat to prevent it from completely closing off. He is also on an oxygen machine, and strong pain medication. The camera showed severe 3rd degree burns in his mouth, esophagus, and the upper part of his stomach. He is stable, but in a lot of pain. The doctors say they have never encountered a situation this severe.

    Mirjam's primary concern right now is that they are able to get a private room so that David is not left in a hall or waiting area - all the rooms at the hospital are full.  Please pray that a private room becomes available, and that the family can be together at least part of the time. Jonathan and Hannah were able to spend some time with Mirjam and Gampon today, which helped calm them and relieve stress.

    Please also pray for Gampon - he has many responsibilities this Christmas.  It is the busiest time for the church, and he has many obligations.  Pray for strength and wisdom.

    Thank you again for your prayers. We are believing for a miracle this Christmas.

Blessings,
Anne & Sean.


Dated December 25th, 2004 (10am)

    The doctor checked David this morning, Christmas Day, and informed us that the burning is getting worse, because the acid has not been neutralized**. Please pray that God would neutralize the acid, and bring complete healing.

    Thank you for remembering The Kumdees today.  I cannot express the sadness and worry that we are all feeling.  Each report just seems to get worse.  Gampon & Mirjam appreciate all who are standing with them in prayer and faith, especially today.

     God Bless you all as we remember the gift of life that Jesus gave to us this day.
Anne Sanborn,
for Gampon & Mirjam


Mirjam's update, Dated December 26th, 2004
Hi everyone,
    This is just a very quick note from Mirjam.

    We thank you for all of your prayers at this very time. I can't really express how painful this situation is for us, seeing our dear precious son suffering.....His whole mouth is burned, his esophagus and stomach. He developed an infection, but since he is on antibiotics his fever stopped. There is still the risk of him having problems breathing and therefore we are still at the intensive care. The tube from his nose did not last long. He pulled it out this morning and it would be very dangerous to replace it, but it would have been good to have been able to keep it in there. When we are over the first 48 hours, things are getting more stable and we pray to get a private room to get ourself resting more, with Hannah and Jonathan being able to stay with Mommy sometimes. We where reading a little Christmas story for David last night and then  just unwrapped a little present in front of him. I chose a book that he can look at it for the time we have to be in the hospital. He also has a little stocking in front of him hanging with his little cars. Right now he is asleep, listening to a children Christmas tape, which produced even a little smile in his otherwise from strong pain marked face.

    He gets Morphine sometimes which helps and he does not throw up that much anymore which is good, as the acid would cause more trouble. We have to go on day by day. If we can get out of intensive care by tomorrow,then we have to stay two more weeks at the hospital with David having I.V. and no food.Then the plan is to feed him liquid and check again his esophagus. The doctor mentioned operations, that have to take place, but it is to early to say anything definite. We do not want to worry about it right now and just believe that the Lord God of miracles will reveal again his mighty power over David's life. We really thank you once again for your prayer cover and will send you updates as soon as possible.

    Please uphold Gampon in your prayers as he preaches the word and believes
at the same time for his own family.
Pray for strength for us during all the sleepless night we have ahead, that we keep a joyful spirit, trusting more then ever that our faith in him will bring forth a great reward.

Love and Merry Christmas!
The Kumdees


Dated December 28th, 2004 (11:00pm)

Hi everyone,
    Since Mirjams update, we have seen many answers to prayer.  They managed to get a private room at the hospital, which was a miracle - they were number 39 on the list, and everyone they talked to said it was not possible.  David is doing much better, he is sitting up, talking and laughing. He also got out of bed today, and walked around the room with Gampon for some exercise.  He still has alot of pain, has 2 separate IV drips (one for medication and saline IV, and one for protein IV), and has swelling because of the burns.

    We are seeing improvement everyday, and we know that your faithful prayers are being answered.  Our God is the God of the Impossible and we have already seen Him work in little david's life.

    Please pray for Jonathan as well, he has a cold, and so cannot go to the hospital, but Hannah has visited several times, and is able to play with David to distract him.

    I want to apologize to those of you who did not receive the initial call to prayer and updates.  All the information is below.  The first email is at the bottom, and then just work your way up from there.

    Please also keep members of the church in your prayers.  Gampon preached Christmas day and Boxing day, and about 38 people gave their lives to the Lord.  He declared the Hope, Life and Victory we have in Jesus, and at that time we sensed that something was broken in the Spirit.  David's condition began to improve at that time.  On Sunday evening, a family (mother, father, baby) that had just given their lives to Jesus were in a hit and run accident on their motorbike.  They are all in hospital in pretty bad shape. Satan is attacking the City Gate Church family in many ways, but we know that Jesus is victorious.  Please pray for this new Christian family and others that are effected by many hardships.

Blessings,
Anne Sanborn for Gampon and Mirjam.


Dated January 11th, 2005 (9:30am)

Hi,

    Thanks for your continued prayer for David.  He is still in the hospital and even though he is in 'good spirits' a lot of the time, he is still very sick.  He has been vomiting a few times a day, every day for the last week, but thankfully he is no longer vomiting blood.  He still requires his IV's to be changed every day, which is very traumatic. 

    David is scheduled to have an x-ray tomorrow morning at 9am (Wed 12 Jan).  He will have to drink a solution in order for them to be able to see how well he is healing.  They will not do an endoscopy (send a camera down his esophagus into his stomach) until they have determined that he has no perforations in his esophagus or stomach.  Gampon and Mirjam are considering moving him to a better hospital, depending on the results of this test.  Please pray that God would work miraculously in the night and completely heal his little body.  His parents are under a great deal of stress, so please also pray for them.  They haven't had any time alone together since the accident occurred. 

    Also, there is another little baby in the church that needs our prayers.  He is less than a week old, and was born prematurely at 30 weeks (7 months).  At birth he was 1600 grams, and is now only 1400 grams.  He has developed 2 infections (lung and stomach).  Please pray for this little guy.  His parents are Dang and Noot. 

    Please also understand that we cannot rely on medical science to heal these 2 little boys.  The care from staff isn't great to say the least, and they don't have the equipment and knowledge that we take for granted in the West.  We are totally relying on the grace and mercy of God to see these two boys completely healed.  We have no where else to turn.  I have be praying Ps 18, and also thinking a lot about Daniel 10, where the angel explains to Daniel that God answered his prayer on the very first day, but the enemy resisted the help that God sent.  We know that as a church we are in the midst of a spiritual battle.  But our God has already won the victory, and as we worship Him we will see that victory made plain before our eyes (Like Jehosephat).  And so I just want to declare that God is Faithful and Good.  And I worship Him because of His Love, and I praise Him because He has done great things for us.  And He has won the victory in the battle between life and death.  So as you pray for David, and also Noot's son, please also worship our Father and thank Him for His awesome love and the victory Jesus won for us at the cross. 

God bless,

Anne and Sean


Dated January 17th, 2005 (10:30pm)

Hi Everyone,

    Here is the latest most urgent prayer need for David - Please keep praying!!  David has continued to vomit frequently and tonight the Doctor had to put the IV's back in, because he was not getting enough nutrients, and is de-hydrated.  (David has been eating since Friday, and had the IV's removed on Saturday).  It is imperative that David be able to eat and keep food down, because he has lost a lot of weight in the last 3 weeks, and is only skin and bones. 

    Please continue to fight with us in Prayer.  We know that God has heard our cry.  He has answered us. We have the victory.  This is just a ploy of the enemy to bring discouragement and doubt. 

    If you would like to know the rest of the story since last Wednesday, please read on...

    As many of you know, last Wednesday David had an x-ray to check his esophagus and stomach.  We have been rejoicing since then, as the report from that x-ray was favorable. His esophagus is good.  No perforations, and it's actually more open than they expected.  Praise God!!  But, he does have a problem with reflux (they determined that this is the reason he is vomiting so often).  They have planned to do an endoscopy this Thursday, to get a good look all the way down his throat, into his stomach and intestines. 

    We were rejoicing on Saturday, because the IV's were removed, and David finally began to eat.  The doctor also said he could go home after the endoscopy on Thursday.  Being able to eat changed David's demeanor and outlook - he is a lot happier and content.  But with these latest developments, his return home may be delayed. 

    Thank you for your continued prayer. 

Blessings,
Anne & Sean


Dated January 25th, 2005 (9:00pm)

Dear Friends,

    Sorry it's been a while since we last wrote. Mirjam asked me to delay sending any updates, as she and Gampon had some key decisions to make in the last few days. 

    Last Thursday, David had an endoscopy that didn't go as well as hoped.  They were only able to get the scope half way down his throat, before having to stop because there was too much bleeding.  Also, the doctor said that what he could see showed that there was about 50% healing, and that David would need to be in hospital for at least another 4 weeks.

    As result of this prognosis, Mirjam and Gampon decided it would be better to take David and the family to Germany for further treatment.  They are hoping that the basic nursing care will be better, and communication on all fronts much improved.  In Germany, they hope to have help from a nutritional specialist, in order to get David off IV soon, and to provide him with small nutritious meals in order to get up to a more healthy weight.   This was not available to them in Chiang Mai.

    The Kumdee family left for Munich this morning (Monday 24th), and will arrive in Germany some time in the middle of the night (local Chiang Mai, Thailand time).  Please keep them in your prayers as they travel - prayer for David to have a safe, comfortable trip.  

    I am not sure when the next update will be, as we are no longer with Mirjam and Gampon on a daily basis.  But please be praying for little David daily.  He has a long road of recovery ahead.  Also pray for the whole family - that they'd have some time to rest and be refreshed, and they'd experience God's blessings in a deeper way in the coming weeks and months. 

Blessings,

Anne & Sean Sanborn


Dated January 27th, 2005 (2pm)

Greetings,

    We just got off the phone with Gampon, calling from Munich, Germany.  He said that David will be having surgery today at 10am* (German time*), to start the process of opening his esophagus to it's normal width.  The Doctors in Germany said that he should have been operated on much earlier, in order to help him to heal quicker.  Because the burns in his throat are 50% 'healed', it may not be possible to properly widen those areas of his throat that have already healed. The widening process should have been started while the burns were still open wounds.  David is now getting excellent care and the family is very glad that they took him to Germany.

    Also, David now has a tube feeding him directly into his stomach (i.e. he has a tube into his abdomen). 

    The family is staying with Mirjam's sister, quite a long way from the city.  Hannah is enjoying the snow, but Jonathan is very sick with flu and gastroenteritis.  Please pray for Jonathan to cope with the changes and get well soon.

    Pray for David as he has this operation, that God would guide the doctor’s hands and give him wisdom.  Continue to pray for complete healing. 

    (So you know when to pray for a specific need: Thailand is 6 hours ahead of Germany.  So, at 2:30pm in Chiang Mai, it was 8:30am in Germany.  David's operation will be at 4pm Chiang Mai time, or 4am East Coast USA, or 8pm East Coast Australia). 


Dated February 1st, 2005 (10:45pm)

Dear Friends,

    Yesterday (Monday Jan 31st), Sean spoke with Gampon regarding David's condition.  The operation last week went well, and a tube was inserted to begin the process of widening his throat.  This is just the first of about 5 operations that will take place over the next month.  The next operation is scheduled for Tuesday February 8th.  

    Since the operation however, David's condition has deteriorated.  His whole body is swollen, and they are unable to insert a normal IV in his arm, so he has the IV inserted in his neck. He is also having trouble adjusting to the time change and new environmental conditions - it is very cold and snowing in Germany. 

    Gampon and Mirjam are glad that they chose to transport David to better medical care, as it seems that without it, his life could have been in jeopardy.

    A Catholic church is allowing them to stay at a house that is only 30 min walk from the hospital, as opposed to a 30 minute drive to their sister’s house. They will probably move there this week. Gampon is not sure when he will return to Thailand.

    This last month has been like a roller coaster for Mirjam and Gampon - David seems to improve, and then he gets worse again.  Please pray for them for strength, and for many Christians to come around them and support them at this time.  Pray that the people they interact with would be loving and understanding of their situation. Pray for a very special unity between Mirjam & Gampon and their kids during this time of hardship and warfare.

    And continue to pray for David's complete healing, and for Jonathan too - he has had a very bad cold and gastro for a couple of weeks now. 

    Thanks for you continued prayers and support.

Blessings,

Sean & Anne Sanborn


Dated February 10th, 2005 (11:00am)

Hi all,

    I called Mirjam on Feb 6 and have good news. David is doing much better. They are so glad that they have taken David to Germany. Instead of a doctor visit once every few days their doctor visits David everyday. They now have an extremely experienced doctor who makes all important decisions in conjunction with several other experts, and welcomes the parent’s participation in all decisions. Also, each necessary treatment happens without any delay.

    Not long ago David was wasting away. He was dehydrated and malnourished and staying in Thailand could have meant disaster. We learned that David's previous swelling was due to his body becoming re-hydrated. His system has now returned to normal and his electrolytes are balanced. He is now able to take baby food and yogurt. Earlier, we thought that David needed an IV inserted into his neck, but the doctors found a way to make the IV work in his arm instead. What a blessing.

Surgery
    David has undergone several surgeries to widen his throat so that he will be able to eat solid food in the future. His throat began at 28mm, and then was widened to 30mm, and 36mm in subsequent operations. Once his throat reaches 40mm, they expect that they will not need to widen it any further. David is still throwing up and will later need a surgery to correct the reflux from his stomach. The doctors expect David to need to remain in the hospital for another 2 weeks and then hopefully he could be an outpatient after that. For another 3 months, he would need regular checkups, and the Kumdee family might move north to be near family.

    The hospital has many diversions in the children's ward, and so David is not feeling as much anxiety. He can leave his room and play with the other children in the play corner, he can watch the cartoon channel in the lounge, and sometimes a clown visits.

    St. Maurice Catholic church is letting them use their parish which, it turns out, is merely a 20 minute walk, although there is lots of snow and cold temperatures. Gampon, Hannah, and Jonathan are able to come and visit every day. Unfortunately, Gampon and Mirjam don't get much chance to see each other and talk, so please pray for them.

    A Pentecostal church has been helping the Kumdees. A Thai-German couple has been letting them use their washing machine, and have purchased groceries for them. They have also been supplied with Thai cooking pots (from a Thai restaurant) and with winter clothes (from family). Gampon has also made friends with many of the Thai people living in Munich.

    When we previously called we had a bad connection and misunderstood some of the information. This is the most correct up-to-date news we have.

    Thank all of you for your continued prayers. We believe David's recovery is a direct result of your intercession on his behalf.

God bless,
Sean and Anne


Dated February 12th, 2005 (5:00pm)

Hi All,

    We spoke to Mirjam this afternoon, Saturday Feb 12th.  On Thursday David underwent another endoscopy (sending in a small camera to look at his esophagus), and the results are quite discouraging for the Kumdees and for us. The doctor said there is a lot of new scaring, and that his esophagus, especially the width in the bottom section is 'stuck' at 36mm. It needs to be at least 40mm.  If they are not able to widen it, they will need to operate to remove it. The entire length of David's esophagus is only 45cm and if they need to operate then they would remove the bottom 5cm of his esophagus, and pull his stomach up. They will be performing an x-ray on Monday to determine if they need to do this. If they decide to go ahead with this operation, it will effect David for the rest of his life.  He will have to chew his food very carefully, or it could get stuck and he would need further operations. 

    There is a high risk of a stomach infection that sounded something like 'medius timitis' (please excuse spelling), and perforation of the esophagus if they attempt to widen it too fast. Both these could be life threatening. 

    Please also be praying for the rest of the family. Gampon has a fever, Mirjam is also sick.  Jonathan is finally well, and Hannah will be off for a week to stay with some friends who used to live in Thailand. 

    City Gate Church is doing fine and everyone is united in prayer for the family.

    Some people have asked to know David's age: He is 4 years old.

Please keep praying.

Sean and Anne

Latest info. Feb 14

David has been temporarily released from the hospital. No surgery needed yet.

They can be reached at home at the Catholic Parish at

Phone: +49 (89) 1401- 0317


Dated February 16th, 2005 (11:30am)
http://www.citygate.netfirms.com/davidkumdee.html

Dear Friends,
We spoke with Mirjam and Gampon last night, February 15th, and we have some happy news to report. David was released from the hosptial! This is the first time in 2 months that David has been able to leave the hospital. The Kumdees are rejoicing to be together again, and David is especially happy. We praise God for this gift to the Kumdee family.

Even though David is able to be 'home', The Kumdees need to stay in Germany for at least 2 more months, and David will remain under observation to ensure he stays stable. If he has any problems, such as the current burn scars shrinking, food getting caught in his throat or throwing up too much, he will need to return to the hospital. Currently, they are expecting to see the doctor in one month.

David still has the feeding tube in his stomach, plus a naso-gastric tube. They have added mashed potato and white bread to his diet. At the moment David is stable at 13.8kg (28lbs), up from 10kg not long ago, with the target healthy weight getting back to what it was at 17kg (38lbs). He still throws up about once a day.

Surgery to remove a portion of the esophagus is still a possibility, if his body does not heal properly. Although, it is still an answer to prayer that the x-ray showed that this is not yet an necessity. According to the latest report, as much as 90% of the esophagus could be removed and part of the stomach would be turned into an esophagus. As we mentioned in an ealier update, this would effect David's eating habits and restrict food choices for the rest of his life. After his body is more healed there will be a simple surgery to repair the "hiatal hernia?" or the connector that inhibits throwing up.

Please pray that the scaring will completely disappear, that the esophagus will not shrink, that no food will get stuck in David's throat and that he will stop throwing up. We do not want David to have to endure this surgery and it's long term effects. Pray for complete healing. Pray for Mirjam and Gampon to continue to cling to God and His promises.

Gampon and Mirjam are doing much better physically. Gampon has been asked to start a Bible Study for about 10 Thai's in their area. He is not sure when he will return to Thailand and is not sure if he should take on the responsibility. Also, continue to pray for supernatural health and strength for the whole family. Sometimes the heating doesn't work well in their house, so ask God to send His warmth to them, especially David.

Many of you have asked about their insurance situation. We want to confirm that David is now covered by insurance for treatment received in Germany. It is our understanding that most of the treatment in Thailand has been covered by kind donations from all over the world, and by the selling of their last home, as they have relocated closer to the church. Mirjam and Gampn would like to express their appreciation and thankfulness for the prayers and support of their global family.

Contact:
If you would like more information about David's accident and all of the events that have transpired you can visit the website http://www.citygate.netfirms.com/davidkumdee.html which we have just created.

Please do not mail any more letters to the hospital as they may not be able to receive them. Mirjam will give me her sisters address just as soon as she gets it. In the meantime, you may call them at the Catholic housing at +49 (89) 1401-0317

Thanks for praying,
Sean and Anne


Dated February 24th, 2005 (12:30pm)

Dear Friends,

Please keep David in your prayers. His condition is stable but he continues to throw up everyday. He is having a lot of fun playing in the snow. He will have a check up on March 15, and then later in March will have another endoscopy and x-ray to determine if he needs the surgery to remove his esophagus. Pray for complete healing, and for the doctor to come to know Jesus through the miracle!!!

Hannah is attending school in Germany because it is illegal to homeschool there. Gampon walks her to the nearby school everyday in the -10 degree weather (they didn't specify deg F or deg C). Gampon is making plans to return to Thailand in the last week of March. He has therefore been excused of responsibilities regarding "Bless ChiangMai."

Thanks for your prayers.
God bless,
Sean Sanborn

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