Dear Dave and Irene,

The entire McIntyre family is sending their love and prayers.  Dave, thanks for this web page - it really helps us to connect with Irene.  Also, we want to remind you that we will be flying back to California on June 23rd; we can’t wait to see you again.

We love you and continually hold you up in prayer,
Andy & Tina

Dave,

Our thoughts and prayers continue to pour out for you and Irene.  We have confidence only in knowing that “his divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness”.

Tom and Deb

Dear Dave, We love you and your family so much.  We have been praying for Irene everyday, she means so much to us.  We don’t want to bother you, but if we can help in any way please let us know. Please give all the girls our love.

Love in Christ,

Mike and Family

In late February of 2007 Irene (and I) was surprised to learn that her cholesterol had dramatically increased.  After being put on medication, she became extremely fatigued and later had swollen extremities.  A short time later we learned that she had two blood clots; one in her leg and the other in her lung.  Tests were done and she then learned that high levels of protein were escaping her bloodstream through her urinary tract.  She was then diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome, a rare kidney disorder which caused the above symptoms.  Nephrotic Syndrome usually has an underlying problem of some sort.  In Irene’s case, it is Amyloidosis. There is no cure to Amyloidosis.

Irene was hospitalized at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz on April 30, 2007. 

Through an amazing set of circumstances (more on this at a later time) she was later transferred to UCSF where she remains at this time.  The UCSF medical team is amazing.

We hope that treatment will begin soon. 

This is what we have been told by the medical team at UCSF:

• 4 days of shots to separate stem cells in her bloodstream.
• After this is completed, there will be 2 days of collecting stem cells that will be frozen (enough for two transfusions).
• 2 weeks of intense chemotherapy will follow to kill the bone marrow.
• Transfusion of the collected stem cells will occur at this time.  We hope for remission of the abnormal protein antibodies that were being produced in her blood.
• She will remain in the hospital for 3-4 weeks to be closely monitored.  This is the time of highest risk for infection and complications.
• 3 months of convalescing at home follows.

We have been told that there is a 15% chance that the treatment/procedure could produce fatal results.

If Irene has no treatment her life expectancy is about 18 months.

Average life expectancy with a successful procedure is 6 years.

Irene is ready to beat the odds!!!!  I have never seen her more spiritually, mentally and emotionally prepared for the challenge.

Thank you for your continued support!!!

Dave Dias

We are sorry to hear the difficulties Irene is going through. We will pray for her.

Blessings and we pray she will be at peace and the Lord will provide for a complete recovery. It is unnatural for her not to live a full life and we pray the Lord will remove the disease and heal her by his stripes (Isaiah 53) and cleanse her sickness by the power of the blood in Jesus name. Amen.

Ken Eldred

I am so sorry to hear this.  You can count on my prayers starting tonight. Please keep us posted.

Looking forward,

Kevin Compton

Hi Dave,

I have been in prayer for your family, and specifically Irene, and you.  I don’t have any smooth clichés to say, nor any profound words of wisdom.  This is an area that only “The Great Comforter” is qualified to work in.  I also pray that “The Great Encourager” will surround you with his Great Spirit.  I am interceding, through Christ, with both of you.  He is “The Vine.” Dave, no matter what happens, in any our lives, this world is not our home.  We all have a mission.  It is all about our faith; our dependency on God, as well as, each other.  I am sorry that I cannot be more of a servant to you at this time.  Please let me know how I can obey Jesus, by “helping you bear your burden.” Thank you for being such a great example of Jesus Christ’s love.

I am reminded of 1 Cor. 2:1-5:

V1 - And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. V2 - For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. V3 - I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. V4 - And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, V5 - that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

In Prayer,

Phil

Dave, I just got back from Turkey and found your email.

I’m aching with you.  And praying for you both.

May God bless you and keep you!

Reed Jolley

Dave,

We received word of the disease attacking Irene’s body.  We are in prayer for her and also for you, Jocelyn, and Joanna.  We pray that “this sickness is not to death, but for God’s glory that the Son of God may be glorified.”

In Christ,

Paul and Jacque

Dear Dave and Irene,

I have received the news of your illness and I want to be quick to let you know that you are at the top of my prayer list. 

More time to trust God, to know His abiding love for you, to seek Him in the darkest hours.

Marsha’s news was good to hear...and I know you will have the best care possible to bring you back to wellness. I will pray for your caregivers to have insight to make just the right decisions.  I will pray for healing and courage to get through the times of discouragement. There will be blessings that come with being so utterly dependent upon God’s grace - look for them and shout with joy that we should have such an awesome God who loves us more than we can even fathom. 

Know that you are so loved and prayed for.  Keep me informed as to how I can continue to pray for you.

Love,

Susan

Dear Dave,

Thank you for telling me about this .... I am so sorry, I really am.  My heart grieves for you and your family.  Like I have said, I know what it is like to be dying from a disease that eats you up .... but for whatever reason, God saved me from it.

I am going to be participating in a 40 day fast (one way or another....) and I will really be interceding for you and on your wife’s behalf. I have been praying in my weakness for you, but will put it in full force.

Love,

Don

Dear Dave and Irene:

Just a note to tell you how much I love you and to assure you that I continue to pray for BOTH of you.  Marsha told me that she read several case studies that were very positive. I have heard several testimonies lately on TV about healing.  I feel that the Lord touched me due to so many people praying and my recovery is faster than the doctors expected.  The first night that I was home from the hospital, the chorus kept going through my mind, “I am the Lord that healeth thee” and such a peace came over me.  That is the only line of the chorus that I know, but it is enough.  I am going to sing and believe, “I am the Lord that healeth Irene.”

I know Dave, from experience, this is not easy for you either.  I think sometimes it is easier to be sick than to be the caretaker and advocate for your wife.  It is so hard to see your loved one sick and having to go through so many tests and painful times.  I pray that He will give you the added strength and wisdom that you need and that His peace and love will surround both you and Irene.

Much love,

Martha

Dave:

I was at church Sunday and they were wrapping up a series on Spiritual Pathways.  We were talking about those that draw closer to God through nature.  They were showing a lot of video of God’s creation and reading scripture during the video.  Then a member was brought up to share his testimony.  He like, me, became a Christian during his college days.  He was in a biology class and was looking at slides under microscopes for the purpose of seeing evidence of evolution.  Like me (taking Cell and Developmental Biology at Irvine) he became more convinced, the closer he looked, that life had to have a creator and was not the result of evolution.  They could have just as well played a video and flashed the faces of people on the screen, a display of the brilliant work of God.

I am thankful for a brilliant Creator that created brilliant people to be brought into your life at this time. God can heal Irene in an instant, as I hope and pray he will, or he can allow us all to experience His creation through the people he brings into your life. 

I can’t walk in your sandals Dave, but I am willing to walk beside you.

Let me know if you need anything.

Dear Dave,

Thanks for the update and we pray for you and Irene each morning.

Please know that we have a series of prayer teams lifting you, Irene and the UCSF Medical Team up in prayer each day, and that will continue as we truly ask God for a healing miracle, a clear diagnosis and treatment plan, and an opportunity for Irene to be a living example of God’s love to all of those who care for her these days.

In prayer and service,
Don

I will intercede for Irene.  Remember how sick I was in 05?  Blood was leaking into my skin .... you all prayed for me including Chip. Isa 53 delivered me.  It is God’s guarantee.  God makes the scriptures to move from the spirit to the mind then to the heart by divine revelation.  Then it manifests in the flesh.  Our part is to believe the scriptures and to speak / meditate on them.  Jesus said if you love me keep (hold on / value / cling) my word. 

Matt 8:17 >> That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bore [our] sicknesses.

What does it mean that Jesus took / bore our sicknesses ?  If Jesus bore them on the cross at the same time he bore our sins then just as we have the guarantee of forgiveness we also have His assurance of healing.  Mat 8:17 quotes from Isa 53.  I have copied this from the Hebrew English Interlinear version called JPS1917 - it is the version the Jews use today.  The Jews do no believe in Messiah Jesus and do not believe in healing through the finished work on the cross.  But they translate Isa 53 accurately as our KJV and NIV water down the literal Hebrew here.  God asks who believes our (Father / Son / Holy Spirit) report?  When we believe we are accounted righteous just as believing Abraham - by faith.  That’s why Jesus called just the bent over woman daughter of Abraham (there were many other women there that he did not call daughter) and he said ought not this woman be healed - ought in Greek is dei, meaning by divine decree. 

Isa 53

1 ‘Who would have believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he shot up right forth as a sapling, and as a root out of a dry ground; he had no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, nor beauty that we should delight in him. 3 He was despised, and forsaken of men, a man of pains, and acquainted with disease, and as one from whom men hide their face: he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely our diseases he did bear, and our pains he carried; whereas we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded because of our transgressions, he was crushed because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our welfare was upon him, and with his stripes we were healed. 6 All we like sheep did go astray, we turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath made to light on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, though he humbled himself and opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb; yea, he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away, and with his generation who did reason? for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due. 9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich his tomb; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.’ 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him by disease; to see if his soul would offer itself in restitution, that he might see his seed, prolong his days, and that the purpose of the LORD might prosper by his hand: 11 Of the travail of his soul he shall see to the full, even My servant, who by his knowledge did justify the Righteous One to the many, and their iniquities he did bear. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the mighty; because he bared his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

As believers we believe our Lord Jesus took our sins on the cross.  We are forgiven!  But do you see here the 3 times it says how Jesus bore also our sicknesses?  Why did He do that?  He is our wonderful savior, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He says my shalom I give you - shalom is completeness, wholeness, wellness ...

Father I pray for Irene in Jesus name.  I pray the finished work on the cross by the eternal lamb of God, Jesus, as written in the scriptures bring Shalom to Irene and by His stripes Irene is healed.  I pray the Word of God come alive in Irene’s spirit, soul and flesh in Jesus name.  Amen.

Guy