December 4, Day 391

Stacy here,
 Thoughts and feelings....

Sunday, December 4, 2016

There has been some sadness around the RMH lately.  A very up beat and happy man from Tuscon, Arizona has been here since June with his grandson.  His grandson (Zack) was a normal healthy child who is 12 years old.  He contacted some crazy virus that caused a deep rash and sores all over his body.  The virus went into his mouth and down into his lungs and ended up scarring his lungs.  His lung capacity went down to 15%.  He was brought here to start their wait for a lung transplant in June.  Every morning we go down to eat breakfast with the kids before school, Jay (the grandpa) would be down there drinking his morning coffee.  He would always look at Gage and say, "Today's the day Gage."  In the middle of October, Zack finally received the call that his turn had come for his transplant.  He went through surgery, came out and was doing well.  They went to wean him off the ventilator and they discovered that the right lobe wasn't working.  They took him back into surgery and removed the right upper lobe.  To make a long story short.  He continued to have one problem after another, until eventually he ended up on ECMO and was placed back on the transplant list.  ECMO is a machine that is like being put on bypass.  It takes the blood out, oxygenates it then puts it back in.  It is a LAST resort and not a long term answer.  Unfortunately, he passed away on Wednesday.  

This was really hard to swallow for a couple of reasons.  I didn't know Zack really well, but his grandpa (who is raising him) was always so positive and upbeat.  Even when Zack had passed away, he saw Gage in the garage and said, "Today's the day Gage."  One reason, It made me realize how serious these transplant surgeries really are.  We take for granted how well and easily Sierra and Lindsey have come out of them.  We just "assume" that once the call comes, that's it, all is well and we will be on our way.  All it takes is one little defect that the procurement doctors miss on the donor heart and Gage would not make it.  Or, for Gage's body to instantly reject the donor heart.  Once his heart is out, your kind of committed either way.  The second reason; Gage was getting interviewed by a really nice journalist. She wanted to do a story on Gage for February's heart month magazine for the hospital.  She asked Gage what scared him the most about getting his transplant.  He replied, "That I won't live through it."  Later that night, as I was putting him to bed, I tried to talk to him about it.  I tried to explain, that everything was going to be fine and that he would make  it out just like his sisters had.  He just got more upset and said, "No, I'm going to die."  This broke my heart to hear him say this.  No 8 year old should have that kind of fear running through the back of his mind every day.  

I know Heavenly Father is mindful of us.  I can't deny that.  I see his hands in everything we do.  Today I fasted that Gage would be okay and make it through the surgery.  That his body would accept his new heart and that it would be a perfect match for him.  I know God has a plan.  I just hope that my faith holds up when things don't go my way.  

Just some thoughts I've had today.  We are doing well.  We had a wonderful time at home for Thanksgiving.  I couldn't imagine anything more Heavenly.  We enjoyed every minute of it.  Of course, Gage cried when we had to leave, but he continues to embrace each day and love life.

Hunter at his Orchestra recital.  Loves playing the cello, he just hates practicing.

Lindsey at her middle school dance. She had a good time.

Had a beautiful day Saturday, so we took the kids to the movie Muana and then to the park to play after wards.  Hunter brought his good friend Jules.

Sunday we got to go see our good friend Jeremy.  He has had a rough go at things since this spring.  We thought we would brighten his room with some bright colored snowflakes.