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,

LET FREEDOM RING..God Bless the USA

When I was a child, I had a hero here and there...especially those out of 'comic books'...a wonder-world of make believe.

What child has not dreamed of putting on a patriotic suit, slipping into knee-high boots, strapping on magical wristbands and flying off to 'save the nation, save a baby, or beat up on the bad guy' ?!!

As I became and adult I would occasionally drift off into 'la la' land with heroes on TV, or in the theatre.

The grown-up stories written for these 'larger than life' men and women seem 'more real' now because of their dealing with events and situations occurring around the world.

Yes, Jethro is one of my faves indeed!

But I have to remind myself...they ARE NOT REAL

...they are FICTION.

Today, as we celebrate our country's Independence though...it brings up very REAL realities for our family

...for one who is serving

...making a difference for my freedom TODAY.

He IS real...IS one of my heroes

...like Coke, He's THE REAL THING!

We're so proud of Him and pray God's provenience over every step, every decision, guiding him and keeping Him safe, to bring him home!

There's pride in every American heart
and it's time we stand and say:
I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, LIEUTENANT!

MAY GOD ESPECIALLY BLESS YOU TODAY!!

Jer. 33:3

"Call to me and I will answer you

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

JUST 4 TODAY...

Joining on this really "peachy"-good idea...JUST 4 TODAY

...focusing on a few and ensuring completion! We are such a society of multi-tasking it's no wonder we have trouble focusing and completing our daily tasks (simple or difficult).

Today my first adventure lies in focusing on "small group discussions, activities" for our up-coming youth retreat (large group outlines, re-reading scriptures, surveying interaction ideas to get the kids talking).

Today's second adventure is in my shopping to pick up little giveaways (gum, candy, granola bars) ... I like surprising them with leaving things on their pillows, throwing it out during discussions and sometimes snacking on it myself :)

Today's third bullet on my list: working out...the elliptical is calling my name for 30x5...getting me into the "habit" again...Thanks, Liddie!!

...and finally, today's dinner won't cook itself ...unfortunately my nose hasn't learned that trick of "twitching my nose" or "folding my arms and bobbing my head" making things "magically" appear...so I must choose a "lighter" fare and cook it. I am excited because I just got my new Weight Watchers Take 5 cookbook in the mail...gonna try out their ideas!

Have a great day...I'm off to accomplish...

WHAT ARE YOUR "4" TODAY??

U SHOULD LOOK AT THIS...

To the right in my margin, there's a link to a recent youtube.com video...by one of our heroes who knows of what he speaks. Please watch it...

How would you address our candidates if you had the opportunity?
I pray we all take VERY SERIOUSLY the issues we have as a country, take VERY SERIOUSLY our freedom to VOTE, and read, listen, talk, and make an INFORMED decision when you get to your polling place in November.

Lord, I thank you for our men and women who sacrifice time with their families voluntarily,

who have lost limb and life for their nation.

In turn we're able to freely walk, worship, work and care for our own and others around the world because of our FREE enterprise system.

Forgive us for not giving You our whole hearts.

Remember us as we seek your forgiveness, your salvation, your sanctification of us as we grow and learn more about You.

Thank you for our strong leaders who have held steadfast in our past and I pray we have the courage to put the right people in office in Washington,

by showing up at the polls and voting. May our future leaders continue our legacy of right, truth and compassion for our own people and people of the world, Your world. Amen