31 Mar, 2008
God thinks you're marvelous!
Teen dies after corrective breast surgery
BOCA RATON, Fla. - A South Florida teenager who was captain of her high school cheer leading squad and had plans to become a doctor died after corrective breast surgery, a family attorney said Tuesday.
Stephanie Kuleba, 18, died Saturday, after suffering a rare reaction to anesthesia medication she received during surgery, according to reports. Kuleba was rushed to Delray Medical Center about two hours into the procedure to correct asymmetrical breasts and inverted areola, family attorney Roberto Stanziale said.
Grieving friends turned Kuleba's parking space at a Boca Raton high school into a makeshift memorial with flowers, candles and a teddy bear. Friends called Kuleba "Sunshine" because of her blonde hair and smile.
"I have chills right now just thinking about it," Ashley Gutknecht, 18, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "It doesn't seem real."
photo & story courtesy msnbc.msn.com, 3/26/08
Psalm 139:13-15 (NLT)
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about our self-image?
Tyndale's LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE notes explain:
139:13-15 God's character goes into the creation of every person. When you feel worthless or even begin to hate yourself, remember that God's Spirit is ready and willing to work within you. We should have as much respect for ourselves as our Maker does for us.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of Stephanie, the teenage girl who died from a reaction to anesthesia during breast surgery. I don't know what she or her parents were thinking or her real motive, but the news reports make it clear that this surgery was cosmetic in nature rather than a health issue.
Though the death from anesthesia was rare, the idea that a teenager is not happy about her or his body is not rare.
Sadly, our media-driven culture has a stronger influence on our self-image than our Creator.
The next time you are struggling with who you are and how you look, remember that God thinks you are MARVELOUS!
How can we apply today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Look through photo albums (or the box of pictures) of yourself growing up. As you laugh and remember, thank God for making you so wonderfully complex and that He thinks you are MARVELOUS!
- Memorize today's scripture...one way you can better see yourself the way God sees you is to let His Spirit make His Word part of you.
- Whenever you find yourself immersed in the media and you find yourself being tempted to compare yourself to the "beautiful people" in the world, stop and thank God for making you - you!
How can we connect today's story and God's Story scripture and our story to others?
Talk about today's story with your friends. Ask each other how often you wish you looked different? What makes some people feel OK about who they are and what they look like? Talk about the uncertainty of life...who thinks about dying during surgery when you're a teenager? Listen carefully to your friends' responses and thoughts...it's part of their story....you may have the opportunity to talk about how Christ in your story affects your self-image.
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