Praying Friends,

We give God glory for his Shalom of peace and assurance over this

critical day. Our dear baby girl made it through surgery and we stand

in awe, amazed at His goodness and presence in such a tough time. We

have seen the body of Christ gather around us supporting, praying and

loving us in sacrificial, generous ways! Indeed, our cup is full and

overflowing!!

We both got to hold Evangeline from 6:00 until 7:30 this morning when

they came to wheel her into surgery. Statistics can be good for a

surgery, but that doesn’t matter when it is your baby going under the

knife. It was an emotional moment to kiss her goodbye knowing that

her tiny heart would be stopped for an hour and expected to take over

a new function before we saw her again.

We were so grateful for our parents and a dear friend from our church

who spent the day with us helping pass the time. The hospital has a

paging system and sent us general messages hourly through the surgery

updating us as to how it was going. The doctor asked to meet us at

1:30. What a relief to hear the words that the surgery was complete

without any unforeseen complications. An hour later, they let us into

the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit to be reunited with her.

She’s looking rough, but never more beautiful!!

The next several days remain “critical” as they try to stabilize her

and as she reacts coming off of the anesthesia. Please continue to pray.

For everyone praying,

Tomorrow we are preparing for surgery.
Tuesday, 8.30am Eastern they have scheduled for the cut time.

Prayer requests:
1) Clarity, freshness, and wisdom for the doctors. There will be 2 surgeons lead by Doctor Bradley, 2 anesthesiologists lead by George Gold , 2 technicians monitoring the by-pass pump, and a team of nurses.
2) That Evie’s respiratory system would remain stable throughout the surgery, and especially the 1 hour in which they will actually stop the heart.
3) That the insertion of the 2 coronary arteries into their new positions would be successful. The coronary arteries in a baby are about the size of a tip on ballpoint pen. Dr. Bradley will have to cut new holes into the atrium and button-sew these arteries into position. As we understand this is the critical aspect to this type of surgery.
4) Also critical for Evie, typically they do this surgery on infants between 2-4 days. Evie will be 13 days old. The benefits are that she all ready has experience both eating and breathing on her own. This will be crucial as she recovers after surgery. The risk is that because her heart, in particular, her left ventricle has been pumping to just the “respiratory” of her body, it will now be tested to pump to the “body” it’s intended design but after 13 days those muscles have atrophied and become used to pumping weaker than now required. Pray that her heart will be strong enough to make this adjustment.

Thank you for the outpouring of prayer and support. It is a well needed encouragement in such a time as this to know that in numerous countries, in a multiplicity of groups and in the quietness of individuals before God, our little Evangeline is being lifted before the Heavenly Father. May this life bring Glory and Honor to His Name.

Couple of things to be praying:

1) last night some of the numbers dropped and they decided to go ahead and give the medication that opens back up the valve between the main & distal pulmonary arteries.  This gives 2 possibilities for the blood to mix, between the arteries and in the upper chambers of the heart.  They had wanted the balloon put in the wall of the upper chambers of the heart to be enough.  It hasn’t been and so now they are opening up the valve as a secondary place for mixing to happen.  Pray that she continues to strength and that the medication does last.  There is slight possibility over time that the valve closes in spite of the medication.  They have said that they will not try to stop the medication for the valve again before the surgery.

2) Good news is that she is still off the respirator and can still breast feed.  We are praying that this will continue until the surgery.  This is a big area of prayer because the medication does have side effects that lead to them have to administer other meds for blood pressure, heart rate, etc.

Thanks for praying,