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,

Thank you all for interceding and for your notes of encouragement…Our assurance that God is in control and holding our wee one in the palm of His hand is the only comfort we can cling to right now!
Some big praises for today:
-Swelling in her leg from the shunt they put into her heart yesterday has gone down!  They are now getting a pulse reading where they weren’t yesterday.  Circulation is improving!
-Evie’s oxygen levels in her blood have improved tremendously!  She was on 80% oxygen last night.  They weaned her down today and she is holding her own.
-After two trials, she proved strong enough to breath on her own.  They removed her respiratory tube around 6:00 today.
-Evie was able to breast feed tonight.  This was a HUGE praise after 48 hours of not eating.  We got in two feeding this evening.  Getting to hold her was as therapeutic for mommy as it was for Evangeline!!
-We were given a house only 10 minutes from the hospital to stay in for the next few days – what a blessing!

Continue to pray:
-Our consultation with Dr. Bradley tomorrow afternoon.  This will entail scheduling of her surgery.  He currently has surgeries scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, but the nurses who have been attending us are advising him to push Evie’s surgery up to Tuesday rather than waiting till later in the week.  Pray for wisdom for him!
-She is getting medication to help her pee.  They are a bit concerned about some retained water and the possibility of water building up around her heart.
-Pray that her vital readings would remain stable so she can continue to breast feed and be held and gain strength before the operation.