Ramon's Story

When it Rains it Pours

By Lynn Toney, HFI Reservist

We all know the expression, “When it rains it pours”.   It refers to the seasons in life where too much of life (illness, loss, pain) has converged all at once to bring about intense chaos and extreme emotional distress -- all outside of one’s control. The Rodriguez family, Houston residents, find themselves in that season of life right now. Ramon, his wife Rosa, daughter Stephanie and son Pablo are in a battle -- not only recovering from the devastating floods of Hurricane Harvey, but a battle for life itself.

Pablo, their 4-year-old son, is being treated at Texas Children’s Hospital here in Houston for a extremely rare blood disorder called Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). He and one other child in Europe are the only two in the world known to currently have this disorder. Days before the storm, Pablo was given a life-saving bone marrow transplant. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, their house was severely flooded.  In spite of the flooding, they had to stay focused on little Pablo…then another medical emergency occurred; their lovely 14-year-old daughter, Stephanie, broke a vertebra in her spine while performing a color guard performance at her high school.  This all took place within days of the storms damage to their home.

Their plight was known by local governmental officials who shared with Hope Force that this family was in great need.  After visiting with Ramon at his house, he shared that he was overwhelmed.  Soon, Hope Force Reservists converged at the family’s home, bringing out the ruined contents to the curb and applying their skills in flood remediation.  Ramon soon was overwhelmed with gratitude and expressed that he was beginning to experience hope again.

Through the storms of life, God’s promise is that He will walk beside us and help us go through whatever life and the world may bring; in the good times and in the hard times. “Come to me ALL who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. He doesn’t promise that the storms of life will stay away, but God promises that He will be our safe haven in the midst of those storms.

We invite you to watch this short video to hear Ramon and his daughter Stephanie share their story.