Prayers For Lincoln

I'm so happy for my friend Melissa (who I mentioned on this blogsite started trying for baby #2 the same month we did: Last Chance For 2010/Age 30!) -- she and her husband are expecting a baby around September 16! She lives in Arizona now, but it will still be fun for us to have our babies just two months apart!

On a sad note, I ask you to pray for her new nephew, Lincoln. (Her husband's brother's new little baby.) Here is what Lincoln's parents wrote:

Lincoln was diagnosed with Ebstein's Anomaly which is a very rare heart defect in which parts of the tricuspid valve are abnormal. The tricuspid valve separates the lower heart chamber (right ventricle) from the upper heart chamber (right atrium). This malfunctioning valve causes the right ventricle to grow to an excessive size in an attempt to compensate for the lack of blood flow. His heart was completely filling his chest cavity.

This condition is congenital, which means it is present from birth. We actually became aware of the condition on Sept. 9th when we went in at 20 weeks of the pregnancy to do a routine ultra sound and find out the sex. Needless to say ultra sounds became our bi-weekly and then weekly routines. We took our care to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN where they mapped out a plan for him with teams of doctors.

He was able to make it 39 weeks to the planned c-section date, January 19th. Following delivery, at 8:39am, he was stabilized and quickly taken to the NICU where they prepared him for open heart surgery. They did an echocardiogram (took pictures of his heart) and found out that not only did his tricuspid valve not function correctly but he also had no function of his pulmonary valve in return causing pulmonary atresia. In pulmonary atresia, blood can’t flow from the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery and on to the lungs. The current fix for the surgeon was to bypass the pulmonary valve and send blood from the aorta (left side of the heart) directly to the lungs to get oxygen via the pulmonary artery. This is the procedure that was done Thursday.

This however is only a temporary fix to decrease the size of the right side of his heart and allow the lungs some room to function and grow. Following open heart surgery, Lincoln was placed in an intensive care unit at St. Mary's in Rochester,MN, where he is being supported/treated by a heart and lung machine called an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine. This machine is allowing his heart to rest after surgery and a chance for the pressure in his lungs to drop as well as the pulmonary artery to grow. This chest will remain open (covered with sterile bandages) until he is removed from this machine.

Lincoln has lots of brown hair, he is very active when mom and dad are around and even opens his eyes every once a while. He likes to give your finger a squeeze when you hold his hand.I have been staying up to date via the Mayo Clinic's website. If you have an account, you can stay updated too at http://www.carepages.com/carepages/blesshislittleheart (Or create an account like I did - they welcome prayers from anyone.)

Of course every time I read a new post or see a new pic, I start sobbing. I would even without the easy-to-tears phase of pregnancy that I've now entered. I hate knowing that stuff like this happens. This little guy is just the sweetest, most precious little thing. He is receiving the best care possible, so there is much hope for his future!!!!!!