Kenney's Testimony...

by Amy Buettner

As a mother, my worst fear is something happening to one of my children. On June 15 of last year, that fear became reality. As I look back over these past few months, I am amazed at God's sovereignty in every detail of our lives. I want as many people as I can to hear our story because the Lord has given me a boldness to proclaim what only He has done. June 15 was a typical Thursday summer evening, baseball with our oldest son, Jacob. After the tournament game, the team and their families were enjoying a pool party at a team member's home. Everyone was having a great time in and around the pool. After swimming we all gathered together to eat on the patio. The nine-foot pool was empty 20 yards away.

After getting our five children settled, my husband and I sat down to eat. Kennedy, our four-year-old son, sat a few feet away on his towel eating a hotdog with the "big boys." Halfway through my meal, I realized Kennedy was no longer on his towel. At this point, many of the younger children had finished eating and were up playing on bikes and riding toys. I thought he was probably riding one of the toys, but I had an overwhelming sense to find my son. Looking back, I know it was the Holy Spirit tapping me on the shoulder and telling me to get up and find Kennedy. I immediately went to the pool and did not see him. I scanned the area in and around the pool, looking for his little red swimsuit. I never looked on the bottom of the deep end. I headed to the front of the house, thinking the street would be the next place he could be. I returned to the patio and told my husband, Craig, that I could not find Kennedy. He also got up and went to the pool area. We searched and called for him for approximately 5 to 7 minutes. As we were both returning from searching the outdoor restroom, we heard the screams. Above them all, was our ten-year-old son Jacob, yelling, "Daddy, Daddy, Kennedy was on the bottom of the pool." I heard someone yell, "Call 911." I ran to my little boy, and what I saw makes my heart ache even to write it down. The memory is so vivid, one I will never forget. There on the concrete, lay my precious Kennedy. He was lifeless, bloated and blue. His Daddy was already performing CPR. Kneeling behind him, were two men praying and quoting scripture. This could not be happening, not to my child. I fell to my knees, grabbing my son's legs, which felt like rubber, and prayed for the Lord to please give me my son back. Craig continued giving Kennedy CPR as the two men on their knees continued to pray. I cried out to God to save my son. I found out later that Kennedy did not have a heartbeat for the first five minutes of CPR. After 12 minutes of CPR, the ambulance arrived. Kennedy was breathing and had a heart rate of 120. Craig rode to the hospital in the ambulance with Kennedy. Our 5-week-old baby son and I were driven by our dear friend who was also one of the men on their knees praying for Kennedy. This friend, Brad Stuart prayed and quoted scripture the entire trip.

After arriving at DCH, Kennedy was intubated. His lungs were swelling and he was having seizures and posturing, which is a sign of brain damage The ER doctors worked diligently on Kennedy, but they knew he needed to get to Birmingham. As we left DCH and all the praying friends, church family, and relatives, we knew things were not looking good for our little boy.

When we arrived at Children's hospital, we were amazed at everyone who drove to Birmingham to support and pray for us. The prayers began to ripple through our community, our country and the world. After the doctors worked on Kennedy, the ICU doctor came out to tell us that Kennedy was in critical condition, but that there was a chance for survival. The doctor told us Kennedy may not recognize us and he could thrash around uncontrollably. He also told us that there was a 5 day waiting period in which Kennedy's brain could begin swelling. After the doctor left, I again dropped to my knees and prayed for my precious little boy. I prayed for complete healing, but I would take Kennedy any way God would give him back to me. As I prayed, I began to think of Mary, Jesus' mother, and how she must have felt, seeing her own son crucified on the cross for us. I knew my pain was nothing compared to her suffering and for a moment, I mourned for her loss and my own pain was comforted.

A few hours later, we were able to see Kennedy. My little son had tubes everywhere, one down his throat into his lungs, one arterial line into his heart, numerous IV's, and a catheter in his bladder. He was a pitiful sight, hut most importantly he was alive. As the nurse came to get us, we were unable to recall Kennedy 's doctor's name. Craig and I asked her his name. She told us his name was Dr. Buckmaster. Craig and I looked at each other and smiled. My loving brother, Mark Kennedy, who had died of brain cancer 6 months earlier, was nicknamed, "The Buckmaster," because of his love for deer hunting. It was just a small comfort God gave us to let us know that He was in control. The next morning, we found out that Dr. Buckmaster's first name was Mark. God is awesome.

The next few days consisted of waiting and praying. Kennedy's lungs were very sick. Yet, two days alter being found and pulled off the bottom of a swimming pool by a team of nine and ten year old boys, our little man began to show signs that he was still with us. The first signs were fighting with the tube down his throat and squeezing our hands on command. Then Kennedy gave us a little thumbs up. Throughout this time of waiting, God sent us caring family, friends, hospital staff, doctors and nurses. But, most comforting was His word. Each day, the Lord would speak to us through scripture. On June18, God told me to read Psalm 18. After reading this psalm, I knew my little boy was going to be completely healed. Psalm18:16-19 reads: "He reached down from on high and took hold of me, he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me." They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because he delights in me. Kennedy is a delight, but the Lord delights in us all.

After Kennedy was extabated (taken off the breathing machine) on Tuesday, he first asked for his brothers and then for a hamburger. On the previous day, while still hooked up to all the machines, unable to talk, Kennedy held up four fingers on each hand, which meant he wanted to watch cartoons on channel 44. There was nothing wrong with his little brain! Our son was going to be fine. Exactly one week after this horrible accident, Kennedy was released From Children's Hospital. A child, who was supposed to die, or have severe brain damage, was being taken out of the hospital on his Granddad's shoulders. Minutes after arriving back home in Tuscaloosa; he asked his Dad, "Daddy, will you play Baseball with me" I am sure you can guess what his Daddy's answer was.

Just the story of Kennedy accident and complete healing is a miracle by itself. But, there is so much more. I so desperately wanted to know how Kennedy got on the bottom of that pool. There were 30-40 people at the party and no one saw him get in the pool. Guilt was overwhelming no to me. I know guilt and fear are not from God, but Kennedy was just a few feet away from me. Why did I not know he had gone back to the pool'? All I could envision was him struggling in the water calling for me. During the times of being so consumed with guilt, my husband would put his hands on me and pray. I could feel the guilt and fear being taken away by the Lord. With all of these feelings, I was very anxious to know what had happened. After Kennedy was able to talk. I said. "You have been asleep for a long time, 1 have been missing you. What did you do?" He answered. "An angel picked me up and we flew. We flew through walls, clouds and I flew through you, Mommy." I asked him what the angel looked like and he told me the angel had long white clothes. Kennedy told me they flew to heaven and that there was a door with jewels all around it and "when they opened that door, it was snowing in there," (Revelation 21:21). I was so careful not to put words in Kennedy's mouth; I wanted this to be his memory. The only time I asked him a detailed question was when I asked him if he had seen his Uncle Mark in heaven. Kennedy told me that he did see Mark in heaven and that he looked "just like Jesus and all his booboos were gone." He told me Mark was happy and that he wanted to stay in heaven. Kennedy told me that Jesus held him and that there were a lot of angels. Kennedy also described seeing a volcano. He told me, there were people in the volcano, there was a dragon in there with them and they were sad, there was fire all around the volcano" (Revelation 20:1-2). As Kennedy was describing this to me, I would ask him continuously if he was ever afraid and he said, "No, I was with Jesus and Uncle Mark and I was standing on glass, I was invisible (Revelation 21:18-19). I asked Kennedy how he got back and he told me Uncle Mark gave him a push and an angel flew him back. I asked him if he would like to go back to heaven again some day and he said, "YES, BUT JESUS IS COMING HERE." Yes, Kennedy is right, Jesus is coming back and that is why it is so important to know him as your Lord and Savior. Please know, Kennedy's story would mean nothing if we did not have God's word. Kennedy's story is a whisper and God's word is the trumpet.

Many people have asked us how this has changed our lives. It has given our entire family a boldness to shout from the mountaintop what the Lord did for our little boy. We have definitely seen the Lord's hand through this entire event and we praise him for his sovereignty. Kennedy has become a little boy who is excited about heaven and astounds us constantly with the details of his experience. The details Kennedy describes are straight out of the book of Revelation, a book of the bible we have never read to our younger children. Kennedy has no memory of a struggle in the water. He has become a little fish, thanks to SwimKids. Vance Rose, the director of SwimKids, has taught me the importance of keeping children in the water, especially during the winter months when they are less likely to go swimming. Kennedy is now a confident little swimmer and he recently celebrated his fifth birthday. Praise the Lord.