Children of Bethel worship leader Joel Taylor diagnosed with E. coli: 'God be our strength'
There is nothing more painful for a parent to experience than to witness his or her own child suffer, and Bethel worship ministry leader Joel Taylor is experiencing that pain twofold as both of his children have been diagnosed with the same E. coli infection.
Taylor has sought for urgent prayers as his two-year-old son Jaxon is now fighting for his life in the hospital, while his four-year-old girl Addie has just been admitted as well, according to CBN News.
Taylor made the update on Instagram (@joeltaylor) as he posted a photo of a smiling Addie enjoying a holiday drink. "We just found out that Addie, our four-year old baby-girl, has the same strand of ecoli as Jaxon and needs to be admitted to the hospital immediately. Please pray that this doesn't turn into HUS [hemolytic-uremic syndrome], which is what Jaxon is fighting for his life. God be our strength," he wrote.
In another post, Taylor repeated his call for prayers and expressed his unwavering faith in God. "Both of our baby's are on IV at UC Davis now. Thank you church for all of your prayers, keep praying. Pray that Addie's Ecoli doesn't turn into HUS like it did with Jax. And pray Jax continues to heal. His promises never fail!" Taylor said.
Jaxon has been hospitalized since December 21. A GoFundMe page has already been created for the young boy, and so far, $171,588 has been raised out of its $150,000 goal.
"On Christmas Day, Jason underwent a blood transfusion, and made a hopeful turn for the good, topped off by a special visit from precious friends and family. His complexion brightened, and he was able to eat food for the first time in a week," the page revealed.
However, his progress was put on halt in the hours that followed. He began experiencing more complications, while his body rejected food. "He began experiencing anxiety levels that concerned doctors. He was moved back into ICU, put on oxygen, and is currently being closely monitored and undergoing dialysis daily," it added.
The family is calling on concerned individuals to pray for Jaxon's kidney's to begin functioning and for his neurological state to stabilize with no brain damage. The family is also praying for the fluid in his lungs to drain and his breathing to steady.