Sun. Update...DONOR-HEART PRAYERS

* UPDATE*

Sunday, morning...Little brother is staying with friends...but celebrating his big sister's courage and her NEW heart!


Little brother celebrating Big Sis's new heart

























Around 1:30pm, Sunday
After the heart was transplanted there was residual blood loss and some new blood clots.  The team of doctors had to re-open her chest and find the problems.
Sunday, 3:55pm
About an hour ago, they completed the repair.  Katie has come through surgery! Prayers answered! I've been a nervous wreck because she was so critical and we didn't hear any update for two hours. Dr. Kogan came and talked to us.

He got the clot and cleaned out some lines. Her vitals are much better and her blood drainage has improved.

We can see her in a few minutes, hopefully. Thank you for the prayers! Keep them coming! --Kerri



We've never seen this before with Katie:
Oxygen levels of 100%. This made us cry. --Kerri

 

 

Saturday night, 9:39pm

My sweet great niece is in surgery now; the doctors will be removing her sick heart soon. 

The transport team has flown out to pick up the donor's graciously-given heart.

Thanks for keeping she and her family in your prayers.
















John 8:31  "If you continue in my word, then you are truly Disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

Blessings,

136TH HODGEPODGE

  1. 1st week of August is National Simplify Your Life Week...what's one thing you could do this week to qualify as a participant?  I haven’t cooked any this week

2. It's also National Peach Month...peach pie, peach cobbler, or please pour me a Bellini?  What's your peach pleasure?  peach tea

 

3. Eleanor Roosevelt once wrote, "Do one thing every day that scares you." Agree or disagree...explain.  Driving is increasingly scary these days…too many people on cell phones and NOT watching the road.

4. What's your favorite household chore?  Yes-you have to name one.  laundry










5. Fodors recently listed (what they've dubbed) the ten most beautiful sunset spots in America. Click here
Have you seen the sun set from any of these spots?  If you could choose to watch the sun set this weekend from one spot on the Fodors List, which would you choose?  Where was the prettiest sunset you've ever seen?  Dana Point, CA 

6. What's your favorite or most used app?  If you don't use apps how about your favorite or most visited website?  OUT OF MILK  … scanner/grocery lists

7. We've recentOUT ly passed the halfway mark for 2013...write a seven word sentence that sums up your year thus far.   Eduring flashes while caring for our mothers.


me and BettyJean



Aunt Ruth, MIL Ann and me

8.  Insert your own random thought here:
PLEASE read yesterday’s post re: my great niece’s on-going journey to a new heart
-or-
visit her site for more information to help.

COTA FOR KATIE

Katie, my great niece, was born in 2006 with several rare heart defects resulting in the right side of her heart not working.  This required intensive medical care just minutes after her birth.


Katie after her Glen surgery @ 3mos.

















Her specific congenital defect is Ebstein's Anomaly, a pulmonary atresia and left ventricle non-compaction (medically speaking: Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome (HRHS), one of the most severe forms of congenital heart defects).  

 

Overall, Katie has undergone 10 major and minor surgeries (recently received 840 'courage beads' (check this out if you've never heard of this group...they were on necklaces/bracelets representing each invasive procedure success.)

Her critical yet successful surgeries helped redirect blood flow in Katie's heart so she could continue to grow, and each phased surgery gave Katie the chance for a normal, happy life for as long as possible.

 

But, as of July 3, her doctors determined there are no other medical options to prolong her life, so Katie has been placed on the heart transplant list as a status 1B outpatient.  The heart transplant team will be reaching them via pager as soon as a 'new heart' becomes available...any hour of the day.

 

She's living life as she knows best, inspiringly smiling every day and uplifting us with her quick ability to laugh while reading, drawing, dancing and dressing like many different princesses!  We've been celebrating her starting first grade this school year...a large milestone for her and her family.



MoMo and Katie

Katie's grandmother, Momo, is my sister, Connie.  She and I are working with several local friends of the family in preparing for various fund raisers which will help them as they go supplement their costs (transplants are costly as are on-going medicines/treatments that will be required to keep her body from rejecting the heart.

The family is being helped through COTA (Children's Organ Transplant Association)...and a very close friend is heading up all the fund raising planning, volunteers and financial details.  What a great friend she is!

I recently participated in my first COTA fund raiser...a canvas painting event...38 people came to paint and support Katie!


my KatieCanvas

 

Katie's right thumbprint is on my heart...she signed & handprinted the back  ;)

Canvasses Completed!

 

I'll be posting more about other events but wanted to share the background now. 

(I'm hoping to have a sidebar button that will go directly to the website where donations can be made to COTA and then properly funneled to the family on an as-needed basis (they have a tax id).  The website is shown at the bottom of the first collage above).


If you can join us to raise funds in some small way, that would be awesome. 

But more importantly, please add Katie (mom, Kerri; daddy, James; little brother, 2yo, Ryan) to your prayers.  Our Lord hears the prayers of the righteous and He's blessed her with many miracles along her path.

Blessings,

MIRACLES CONTINUING...

BACK IN 2006, a miracle was born, she fought courageously through many challenges, infections and surgeries...


I'm excited to give a  BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY wish for my great-niece, Katie, who turned FOUR 

and WE are sooo proud of her accomplishments in those four years...

Many of you have prayed her along her life path and we THANK you so much


...she also was the Heart Hero for last month's heart walk...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Blessings,

TRANSITION...with a capital T!

'Transition' is rev-ving up all around...Defining moments for each person in their own way. Two of GoogleDictionary's definitions were:

1)"passing from one place to the next" and

2) "a passage connecting a topic to another following topic".

Trying to be involved in a child's passage from each stage can be trying, exciting and scary (for parent and child) both of which may or may not recognize the emotions as they occur. One could call it: "Normal abnormality"...oxymoron-ish at its best.

Younger kids are sometimes scared to make the next step...relying more on their support system at that stage, they'll even run back for one more hug before gingerly walking into that kindergarten room of strangers.

Teenhood's welcome mat isn't as easy...sometimes parents encounter an extended arm rather than a hug...hearing the extended "Maaaaauuuuummmmm!" when one makes a comment in front of a friend, dropping a teen at the corner rather than the front door...NOT being seen WITH "them" (the parental unit is a usual reference)...'til they need cash, that is, and they lovingly bounce up to you saying "Mommy!", notice the lack of three syllables in this instance, hahahaha!

Wanting to share in the college transition has been a "want" of mine this Summer. Adulthood has 'moved into the neighborhood' gradually over the last couple of years...and there seems to be NO PLACE for Mommy. Does anyone else hear a voice reminding heart and mind to continue praying...your best choice is to be welcoming this adulthood independence).

Many minds are swirling, I'm sure, with ALL the "transitions" that reside in each year's August:

Back-to-school ads out the ying yang...all the specials on back packs, glue and notebooks...the normal, run-of-the-mill stuff

Getting on their college-bound student's last nerve Enticing freshmen college students to purchase have-to-have items before getting on campus...

...thank goodness it wouldn't be our SUV rolling over...and hopefully one won't roll onto her either.

Orientation excitement confusion over high school maps: like when Christopher Plummer as John Adams Gates in NATIONAL TREASURE said, "They devised a series of clues and maps to its location. Over time the clues were lost or forgotten...". Yes, MUCH concern still resonates with parents and kids over freshmen FINDING their way thru their high schools...but there's hope: seek out wonderful maps at your fingertips God-sent buddies to guide them through the halls and highlights their rooms on the maps given by the school leaders.

FaceBook newsfeeds turn into class lists, students' teacher-rating systems and 'when's your lunch'...THE MOST important thing, ya know?!! Once their new friends are made, some will begin populating their newest 'photo tags'

Hugs and kisses to friends ...early orientation in other cities...moving into dorms, meeting new roomies...beginning new adventures in adulthood and gradually fading away from our 'everyday'...growing up can be painful but sharing is important, especially those feelings of love and compassion. Those who TRULY care for one another STAY IN TOUCH

Sherman tanks Buses have been invading our neighborhoods at dawn each day this past week ...rattling sun-soaked sleepers into the quickly-departing Summer mornings. Falling back to sleep sometimes comes quickly (unless it's Wednesday (when the 2nd platoon of tanks roll 2-ton garbage truck vibrates the rafters then rapidly toss the recyclable bins into the street leaving the garbage receptacles open for the world to smell and the vultures to gather).

WHAT TRANSITIONS are you noticing in your part of the world?

p.s. "DD, if you're reading this, you are welcome to use the photo mosaic above to tag your friends, <3>Mommy ;)

THANKFUL THURSDAY...jet lagged but home.

...worth a thousand thanks!!

ALSO...a book giveaway

LAUGHING BLESSINGS...THANKFUL THURSDAY

Joining Greg for THANKFUL THURSDAY

and IRIS

Hearing each cry from a hospital bed,

Seeing major heart surgery's incision,

Feeling 'sleeping hands' after surgery,

Smelling sanitized rooms so many months the odor fades,

Tasting 'liquid nutrition';knowing 'real food' is the goal,

Hearing laughter...even tho the cat's enduring...is glorious

Simply glorious!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Jer. 33:3

"Call to me and I will answer you

and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."Blessings,

IT'S HEART MONTH...DO SOMETHING...please

Five minutes is all I ask...
to understand a little better what some babies and families experience...

Are you grateful for your health, grateful for being able to go and do whatever you want?
There are those who struggle just to survive every day...
Our precious great niece, Katie, is a 2yo with CHD (congenital heart defect)...she is a miracle, has struggled through many health issues, and is loving life.
She will be having another surgery this summer...this will bring many extremes for Katie and those who love her.
--fear will try to work its way in
--anxiety will try to overtake the adults
--needles and unknown pain is always a concern
--unknown issues popping up loom in your psyche as she goes off to the hospital.

The following video (down below my comments section) was produced by a congenital heart patient who wants to get the word out about congenital heart defects.
Since I like to blog, I CAN help.

Please view this...become more aware... then, you can help by:
-donating blood or plasma
-sending donations to the American Heart Association for research,
-rocking a baby in a local NICU...some times, presence is more important than presents!
So, let's all pull together and help in some way...

You can also visit the AHA site for more information, etc.

(The American Heart Association is a national voluntary health agency to help reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke.)

Not Forgetting His Glorious Miracles

Two years ago

we were waiting on her birth...

knowing there would be medical concerns...

early scans had shown an enlarged heart...

her birth proved their theory and surgery was required...

many other issues kept her at the hospital for months to come...

long nights, unending days while her doctors worked to make her better

and prayers were said...

Two weeks ago

I got to go shopping with her...and my sister. His miracles are abundant in her ... I love watching her run, jump and dance!

God has so blessed us with her bright, dancing eyes...she loves to look at EVERYTHING

Many prayers have been and continue being said for her continued strengthening and endurance during her surgeries to come...

God has so blessed us with her unending giggles...and her sweet little words that are beginning to form. She can now say "bye", "cat", "ho ho ho", mama, and daddy


She climbs up on the doctor's exam table and tries to help put on the EKG wires...

she helps remove her blood pressure cuff. Even in the midst of her exams, she smiles at everyone she sees

...many people don't know what all she has been through in these last 24 months, but we do; and HE does

We are so grateful we have her,
grateful for the doctors and nurses, they sustained her...cared for her while in and out of the hospital,

so grateful for family that cares for her, her Mommy and her Daddy,
grateful for modern medicines' miracles and

grateful we know who they are from...He holds her in the palm of His hand!

Psalm 78:7

So each generation should set its hope anew on God,

not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

BUNNY BLESSINGS!

Some things are just TOO CUTE for words...

Shouldn't this bucket be on my head?

Katie girl, living miracle

16 months, crawling everywhere

Rarely still

Many teeth now

Smiles for everyone, no strangers

Except Santa

Loves her Grandmas

Eating pretzels and taco chips

Patting shoulders

Squeals, doggies in sight

Standing, hand prints on the windows

Go outside?

Pulling Hair

Any one's fair game, Mommy or the cat

Biscuit hides

Joys innumerable

What did we do before Katie?

Thank you, Jesus...and Egleston!

I'm getting this signing stuff down!