Kate Stephens Memorial Golf Tournament

Sponsored by AutoZone and Friends Friday July 25, 2008 Hartwell Golf Course 1:30 Shotgun Start 11:30 registration and lunch 3 Person Lauderdale Format $150 per team or $50 per person Hole Sponsorship $50 or $200 for Hole and Team Entry Seven year old Kate Stephens of Toccoa Georgia passed away after an extended illness. This condition had taken her through a stroke, uncountable seizures and periods of induced coma, impaired vision and communication and lack of motor skills. Kate had gone through extensive rehabilitation at Scottish Rite in Atlanta after spending many weeks in an Asheville NC hospital and in Egleston’s of Atlanta. Please help us help the Stephens Family! The tournament will be held after a served lunch included in the entry fee. There will be 1st through 3rd place prizes awarded as well as hole contests, door prizes and a putting contest. Mulligans and Red Tees will be sold additionally. All proceeds will go to the Stephens Family. To pre-register or for more information, you can contact Rhonda Barton or Tina Tucker at 706-356-7068.

I just received an e-mail from Jennifer Nicholson and she said the spot  seems to be a pocket of fluid caused by the seizures.  The neurologist thinks she may have viral encephalitis.   They have induced the coma to stop the seizures. Please continue to pray for Kate and her family and all of those traveling to see her. Just an update on Kate-  From the results of lumbar puncture, Kate does not have Viral Encephalitis.  She is " doing good for her condition".  Still in induced coma.  They are decreasing the dose of seizure meds some. Still no definite diagnosis.

Please send this message to as many people as you can.  Kate is not doing well.  She has developed pneumonia.  She is not responding well at all.  She is in desperate need of prayer.  Please pray for her and her family. We are heading to Asheville now.  Jennifer

I just talked to Wendy… and she sounded much better. She said this time yesterday she would not have been able to talk to anyone. She said that Kate is doing better. She still has a long way to go but the improvement over yesterday is great. She said she knows everyone is praying and they can feel it – things turned around yesterday because of it. They are taking things hour by hour but her condition right now is – her pupils are more focused, her vital signs are better, there is a little more brain activity, at 1:00 today it will have been 24 hours since they begin taking her off some of the medications to bring her out of the coma, it needs to be 48 hours to fully come out of it. There is “slight” paralysis on the left side. The pneumonia on the X-ray yesterday was awful and today her lungs are almost clear. The spot on her brain is still there but they said it may not go away. Right now they still do not know the cause of this but think it may have been triggered by the emitrix medication for the migraines. Wendy ask everyone to continue to pray – she knows it is working. They will just take thinks day by day.

Susan Beitzel

Check out Kate's website on the link below.  You can post a message to her and the family.  Thought you guy's might want to!
http://caringbridge.org/visit/katestephens

I just got an e-mail from Lori Garrison.  She went up to see Kate yesterday.  Kate is doing better, but is still having some seizures.  Wendy got to wash her hair yesterday!!!  Please continue to pray for them!  If you haven't already visited her web page, please take a minute and send them some words of encouragement! http://caringbridge.org/visit/katestephens  You can check the page for updates or you can subscribe for them to send you an e-mail whenever they update her journal.

Have a blessed day,

Jessica