In early 2016, one of our partners introduced us to Dallan Bailey – pictured at left with his cousin (it didn’t take us long to discover) – our Project Manager Kenny Logan!
A humble Young man with a personality as sweet as his smile, Dallan grew up in the government orphanage in Belize City. One of my friends here discovered that he was homeless so she took him in and gave him a job to help him to get on his feet.
A while back he was working with YWAM when they discovered that he had a very bad oral odor caused by an old infection that he was dealing with (caused by a tooth extraction gone bad). They took him to the doctor who performed surgery and removed cotton from his gum that was left there from the tooth extraction a few years before … that was 7 surgeries ago and Dallan is still suffering pain and swelling in the jaw. His last surgery was done in November 2015 by a plastic surgeon who said he was going in to clean up the infection and do a biopsy on the bone tissues to see if it was a tumor or just an infection. The conclusion of the test is that it is indeed a tumor (not cancerous) so the pain and swelling are back.
God’s got a great story to tell and he is using His people to tell it…after an email blast and many prayers, logistics were worked out so that Dallan could come to Lubbock, Texas and receive care from an oral surgeon and hospital there.
In the past few weeks, Dallan has arrived in Lubbock and is staying with friends. He is being seen by an oral surgeon who has set a plan in motion to care for him. This blog is meant to update our friends who are supporting Dallan financially and praying him through this long process.
This early-May email exchange between Dallan and his host family in Lubbock is poignant and full of hope:
Dallan wrote:
Hi Gene
it's Dallan i hope all is well with you and your family and friends, and i also hope that your day is going well.....
i wanted to know about the trip is it still on,our are you guys still having a hard time over there....i so thankful for you guys help a lot you don't really how much i have been waiting for this time, its been about 10 years almost that i have been in and out of hospital and as of right now, i am still going true it, its been a hard 10 years and at time i feel like just giving up on life its self.
i do believe in God, my Father in heaven, its because him why i am still here😢😢😢😢 sometime i ask myself why do BAD things happened to good people that love God, am not saying its because of God that made me sick, but am saying thats why am here today, i been on this journey for along time, non of my surgery's was successfull, time is not on our side anymore Gene i love you....
your in christ Dallan
On Fri, May 6 Gene wrote:
Dallan,
Please do not lose hope we are very close to getting you some help … I know you were anxious as I would be too. I cannot imagine what you've been through during this time. Everything is in place and as soon as we can hear something from him it will all come about very quickly. Please know that many many people are praying for you and for your situation. Our God is faithful. We all must trust him at this time. Feel free to email me anytime. We love you and are thinking of you.
God bless,
Gene
From: Dallan
To: Gene
Sent: Wed, May 11
Subject: Re: MY DATE OF TRAVELING
hey Gene is this means i will traveling on Tuesday May 17, if its okay with i would like to a bit early please, would like to have a little bit of fun before i go in and see my doctor and go to church and youth group if that's okay with you, and since i will be stay with you guys i will no longer call you by your name, you will be my New Dad now so get ready Dad
yours in christ your son Dallan
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Dallan, that is fine with us. I will try my best to be a good Dad. Please let us know when you make your flight arrangements what they are so we can know when to pick you up. Bev and I are excited to see you.
God Bless,
Gene
