A Very Difficult Week-Eva's surgery

To lose somebody you love and to have somebody you love have major surgery are two great challenges.  To have these happen in the same week, when you're on the other side of the world, makes for a most difficult week. On Tues. our sister-in-law, Carolyn Bird, passed on after years of health issues. Her funeral was on Saturday.

 On Thursday of that same week our three-year-old granddaughter, Eva, had major open heart surgery.  It was a significant surgery to repair or replace her heart valve.  It was hard to imagine that this tiny girl was undergoing such a significant surgery. The time when we knew that they had stopped her heart and put her on bypass felt excruciatingly long. But we had all prayed for the best outcome possible. In the end the surgery lasted only four hours. They saved and repaired her valve.  Some other concerns they'd suspected from seeing echo cardiograms were not evident when they saw them  up close.  Things went better than anybody imagined. Eva is doing even better than expected and seeing her recovery was actually stunning. 

 Our specific prayers for her were answered in very specific ways and the outcome was nothing short of a miracle. We are so grateful.

 She was out of bed and walking the second day.

By day three she was enjoying the playroom.

And on hospital day six she and her Mom and Dad headed home. Perhaps the biggest problem for her parents is to keep her somewhat quiet until the broken sternum and the incisions heal. She feels good and wants to jump and run and wrestle with Everett. 

Being in the Congo made us appreciate even more what a great blessing it is that this sweet little girl was born in the US. She was born  in a state that has a major children's hospital where care for this kind of problem is available. Had she been born in the Congo, she couldn't have had her heart repaired and both her length and quality of life would have been compromised.  We are very grateful for her great parents, skilled medical care givers, a good hospital, many, many family members, friends and even strangers who prayed with us for success in this operation.  We're thankful that all things combined to make miracles happened for our Sweet Eva. 

You Go Miss EVA!