Why does this Kansas woman sound British?

Why does this Kansas woman sound British?.    <<Click the LINK.  This is the story of yet another fellow Foreign Accent Syndrome friend of mine.  Here she is having done a story with KWCH 12 Eyewitness News in Wichita, Kansas.

What I really like about this story, is that they allow her to tell the profound way in which it suddenly turned her life around and didn’t either sensationalize it, nor make her out to be something peculiar. Rather the reporter stressed that the occurrences are rare, but kept the story one of a positive and interesting note. It pulls the audience in to learn more.

I absolutely am thrilled with how Ronda is teaching English to students though she has a foreign accented voice. She is not daunted, but is using her new voice as she points out in a way which actually helps her to interact more with her students than she would have otherwise.

That’s making lemonade out of lemons! Now, if more people will come forward to investigate why this happens and actively seek to connect and study the phenomena, maybe we will see that it is not as rare as it thought. Maybe the medical research will endeavor to actively study those of us who wish to offer ourselves and our experiences for the sake of scientific improvement in this area. At the very least, this is getting legitimized by reputable reports such as this, so that less ignorant and vile statements will be made to those who suffer from a malady which can as of yet not really be easily explained.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Keep on being kind to one another : )

Some Recent News FAS videos

One of the most important things that we who suffer from Foreign Accent Syndrome wish to do is to find out not only why we are having the problems that we do, but also to help grow the collective understanding of not only of the disorder but most especially the PEOPLE who are currently suffering, their care, their care-givers and loved ones and those who have yet to step into those positions.

Therefore, I am very happy to add to my blog these links to these news stories which were done by JAX TV station in Florida. It is exciting to see some media attention being given to the disorder. Let some people who believe that this is not a “real” problem become less ignorant by getting a little exposure and also help those who are currently dealing with similar stories to take heart.

Here are recent videoes done with fellow Foreign Accent Syndrome friends of mine done by local Florida news TV stations.

This first one is a longer raw interview with Dr. Jack Ryalls from University of Central Florida. He is well known for his expertise in this field of study of the very rare disorder. So it is especially good to hear his insights in this more lengthy piece on what is involved in Foreign Accent Syndrome from his perspective.
Interview with Dr. Jack Ryalls Fox30

Pattie Yakaboski,
Pattie: Finding Her Voice

Video of Paula Westberry
Paula on JAX 2011.11

Frisbee Squirrel Days

Okay, so you may be asking yourself, “what is a frisbee squirrel anyway?” Let me explain. You know when those furry little varmits get particularly active and don’t watch out when they cross the street. They can meet up with an automobile who cuts short their nut-gathering life right there in the middle of the road.

Should this happen in an area that is not frequented by road-kill restraunteers (like Kentucky or Arkansas) or buzzards, a few more car tire passes placed across the remains and a couple of days of drying and stiffening; then; wallah… you have yourself a frisbee squirrel.

Now that you have the proper definition, you can better appreciate why I chose to use the “frisbee squirrel” as an accurate descriptor for my body on some days. On really, excessively weak days I even say “transparent” frisbee squirrel day implying run over even more!

If this were a Bugs Bunny cartoon, maybe someone could just pick me up, shake me a little from side to side, and then blow me back up (like a balloon) into shape!

As it is, I have discovered that severe Chronic Fatigue makes my Foreign Accent Syndrome much worse (so no talking), I am too weak to do anything (so bedrest) and confusion makes reading and writing difficult. That is why you may not hear or see me much, but will see … It’s a Frisbee squirrel day @@=~

Don’t Know What to Say (Pray)

I was about to go to bed when I checked my inbox one more time and received this sad news relating to Baby Jonah!

Here is what Marty wrote:

Dear Praying Family,
 
Tests revealed Jonah’s Pulmonary veins, those that were rerouted 7 weeks ago and attached to his heart, are collapsing. Thus, when off the ventilator, he cannot breathe.
Doctors told Val that it is only a matter of time before they completely collapse, and he will die.
 
How much time is not known.
 
We still hold out hope. We hope the surgeon who did the operation will still have one more option to try.
 
We hope the Lord will have one more miracle for us.
 
Thank you for your continued prayers.
 
In Christ’s Love,
Marty for Val

Now I am wide awake in prayer for this dear family. The three siblings have not really been able to spend much time at all with Jonah. Marty and Val have been going through ongoing anguish of watching their littlest child struggle to overcome incredible health hurdles. With the latest prognosis, the Silverbergs need our encouragement all the more.

As for my reaction to this traumatic news? “Wow”! Two months young, and this tiny baby has been through so very much. Looking back at all the postings I’ve done of his status updates doesn’t really allow us to appreciate the magnitude of the challenges faced, nor the intensity of the prayers offered up on Jonah’s behalf.

And as variable as our concerns and prayers have been, there is one thing that slows down the inevitable emotional roller-coaster of such an on-going trial. That one thing is not really a “thing” at all …rather…a person. Additionally the term “person” cannot adequately even describe the absolutely awesome God who holds all things in existance. The Almighty has never once turned away from what is happening here.

Our mortal minds are not even capable of understanding “why” God allows certain things that seem so awful to happen, yet there is this “surpassing peace” that remains. God’s grace to us amidst our darkest trials remains … We cling to the steadfast truth of God’s Word which is His way of revealing Himself to us.

GOD IS LOVE ! As such, He is the very essence of love. He loves us more than we can fathom. I cherish that knowledge!! At such a time as this I rely on that fact to help me trust that as observers of Baby Jonahs gigantic struggles, I believe God protects that tiny body from some of the pain we believe he is feeling. I can pray for God’s will and not my own to be done, because my request for something might accidentally not be in the best interest of Jonah or his family.

Therefore, as difficult as it is to know how to pray… As much as I want to encourage Marty, Val and their family after being told that Jonah will most likely not survive this — I realize that saying “I don’t know WHAT to say,” is actually a profound utterance.

It admits to myself, to the subjects of my concern and prayers, as well as to The Almighty to whom I direct those prayers, “I have no power here. I would like everything to be fine, but I am incapable of doing anything but rely on the foundation of my faith…God Himself!

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Romans 8:26-27 that says:
 26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
 27and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

I think that is so comforting!! Even when I can’t find the words, God even provides the interpretations of my groanings into an eloquent petition before The Sovereign God!! Amazing! Then there is the often quoted twentyeighth verse:

 28And we KNOW that God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. {emphasis added}

This does assure me that things that seem to me to be “bad” may actually be viewed in a different perspective. It is like in the Book of Genesis in the Bible when Joseph stated to his brothers years after they sold him into slavery, “what you meant as harm, God intended for good”.

These are just some of the thoughts that I wanted to share with you as I am praying about this entire situation that the Silverbergs are in. My heart aches for Little Jonah and his entire family (even the medical staff who are battling right alongside him). But, I am only human and want to wave a wand to make everything fine. I try to “make sense of it all”. However, I realize that is vanity and chasing after wind. After all: what person could comprehend the ways of The Almighty?

Therefore, I offer you Beloved this:
I do not know what to say. Yet, I will proclaim that God is Love and has His best in store for them. And those “them” is us (those of us who have confessed & repented of our sins and applied the saving grace that God freely gives to all who will believe in the Redeemer Jesus Christ)!

One last thing–
Would YOU (yes YOU) please take a moment to share from your heart in the comment section whatever you feel led to write. I believe God can use YOU and ME to use this opportunity to display some of God’s love to our brothers and sisters.

Remember, you are even saying SOMETHING with “I don’t know what to say.” <3

Persevering and Prayer

First, I must tell you that this didn’t get posted sooner because of some events that curtailed my blogging for a few days. However, I want to post a little out of sequence to make sure prayer partners know what has been happening.

Here is what the Silverbergs wrote:

Dear Praying Family,
 
Thank you again for your Love and prayers on our behalf.
 
Jonah was taken off the ventilator last night. He couldn’t breathe on his own. He was put back on the ventilator. Please pray for him to be able to breathe on his own soon. We disagree w/ the decision to pull out his breathing tube so soon after a major surgery.
We wish the doctors didn’t do this. Taking out the tube and the putting back in was very stressful for Jonah. We think this will set back the recovery.
Jonah also has an infection in the stomach wound. Any infection for this little baby is extremely dangerous. Please keep praying for Jonah.
 
Naomi Rider, our friend and helper form Indian Lake NY will be leaving early Wed. morning. She has been a huge blessing.
Val is very concerned w/ leaving Jonah all alone every nite. We have someone we can pay a few times a week, for a little while.
 
Please pray for me. I have been in massive pain. I believe it is from not being able to do my rehab exercises even once a week.
Also sleep deprivation and being on my feet for so many hours every day these past 8 weeks.
 
Val was kind to allow me to do a quick 1 1/2 hour rehab session in the makeshift gym I set up in the basement. I usually hurt pretty bad afterward. However, I followed the workout w/ 1 1/2 hours of snow shoveling today. I did the sidewalk, the driveway, dug out our vehicles, the sidesteps for the dogs, then redug out the vehicles from ice that the plows plowed them in with, twice. Also, the neighbors put 4 foot of snow in front of my car, which must move for alternate side tomorrow, so I had to long toss that. I hurt. I believe Jonah hurts a lot worse.
Thanks so much for your prayers.
 
Jonah will be 8 weeks old on the 22nd.
 
In Christ’s Love,
Marty for Val

Looking for Breath

I just received another update on Baby Jonah Silverberg, who is the critically ill infant (less than 2 months old) son of missionaries in the Bronx. Jonah is STILL having difficulty breathing so they will be doing a procedure today.

Here is the update:

Dear Praying Family,

Thank you again for your prayers, they mean so very much to us.

Today, Jonah is supposed to undergo a procedure. He will have a catheter inserted into a vein in his leg and a camera will go up to look inside his heart.

The Doctors find nothing wrong with Jonah’s lungs, therefore they think something may be wrong in the heart. They are looking for a cause as to why Jonah cannot breathe on his own.

We are grateful to the Lord for your prayers and support.

In Christ’s Love,

Marty