Back-to-school looked different for us this year. Instead of seeing Logan step into his sophomore year, we sat in the heaviness of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS).

Logan’s journey with these conditions began after trauma sustained through medical negligence on December 3,2024. His nervous system has carried the weight of that trauma ever since. For those who have never heard of them, FND and AMPS are conditions where the nervous system misfires. The body short-circuits. Muscles don’t respond. Pain is amplified. Walking feels impossible. Eating becomes a battle. Those are just a couple examples. On the outside, they’re invisible. On the inside, they are life-altering.

But the medical terms only skim the surface. The real story is the weight of watching my son grieve everything that’s been taken - his independence, his confidence, his sense of normal. And lately, that weight has grown even heavier. Not only did the start of the school year remind him of what he’s missing, but multiple personal stressors outside of school have been pressing down, intensifying his symptoms and his struggle. 

This past week has been especially hard. His somatic symptoms are overwhelming, and the emotional stressors only magnify them. He’s struggling to walk, struggling to tolerate feeds, struggling to see the way forward.

And here’s what I didn’t fully understand until Logan got sick: illness doesn’t just happen to one person - it happens to an entire family. When one child suffers, the whole household feels it. Parents carry it. Siblings grieve it. Routines shift, emotions fray, faith gets stretched thin. This is why my heart has shifted from focusing only on women’s wellness to family wellness. Because when one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers. And when healing comes, the whole family is restored.

This morning, Andrew and I sat across from Logan for an honest, tear-filled conversation. As the tears fell hard for both of us, I reminded him of what’s at stake. His life. His recovery. His future. I told him - don’t give the enemy a seat at your table.

Psalm 23 says:
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

The enemy would love to sit at Logan’s table, whispering fear, doubt, and despair into his weary heart. To shake his worth. To make him question his value. To make him settle for less than God’s best. But Logan’s table belongs to the Shepherd. His story, his healing, his future are not defined by illness. They are defined by God’s glory.

And then the Holy Spirit nudged me to share something with him. Every single night this week, as I’ve laid with Jax, our 6-year-old, his bedtime prayer has been the same:

“God, please heal Logan so he can feel better.”

At six years old, that is his greatest desire. His deepest prayer. To see his big brother healed.

I told Logan, “Your little brother believes God can do this. Show him God’s glory. Show him that his prayers are heard. Show the world that God can do the impossible.”

My heart aches for the little boy I still see inside Logan - even though he towers over me now, leaning down to place his heavy heart on my shoulder. I want him to know, to feel, to believe, that he is deeply loved. That his worth is unshakable. That his recovery is worth fighting for above all else.

This is not the story I would have written for my son. But I trust the Author. I trust the Shepherd who walks us through the valley. I trust that beauty will come from these ashes, and that healing will come in God’s way, in God’s time.

✨ Lord, don’t let the enemy take a seat at this table.
✨ Lord, let Your glory be revealed through Logan’s healing.
✨ Lord, let Jax see the power of prayer.
✨ Lord, let this pain become testimony.

If you’ve never heard of FND or AMPS, I invite you to learn. If you’ve ever walked through illness with your child, I see you. And if you believe in prayer - we invite you to join ours.

Please pray for Logan. For healing, peace, and strength. Pray that through his story, God’s glory will shine.