It Would be a Miracle.........

Remember-I sent in this proposal a few years back. The info is outdated but the idea is the same. This short story was intended to be under the chapter "Discovering Your Child has a Heart Defect".

Jeannie Reynolds
(870)942-0832 jordan12694@alltel.net
Title Proposal for Chicken Soup for the Soul Books
Proposed Title: Chicken Soup for the Mended Hearts Soul
Chicken Soup for the CHD Families' Soul




It Would be a Miracle
Under the chapter titled "Discovering Your Child has a Heart Defect"



"She's sick, very sick." No matter what we face in the future, that moment the doctor uttered those words will stand out to me more than anything else ever will. Discovering your child has a heart defect is one of those life-defining moments that I wouldn't wish on anyone. What do they mean by sick? Lauren was 8 days old. She was born on a Thursday, and by Saturday, we were taking her home. By Wednesday, she started showing signs that something was wrong. Nothing alarming stood out; I began questioning her color and fast breathing. She still ate and slept fine. Thursday afternoon it became apparent that I did need to consult her pediatrician. He didn't receive the messages I left for him during the day, so at ten o'clock that night, I called him at home. We both agreed that it sounded like Lauren had colic. She had the classic symptoms: crying, but not inconsolable, and more importantly, drawing her legs up to her stomach. He told me to have her there first thing Friday morning.

He took one look at her, and told us to take her to Arkansas Children's Hospital through the er. He would phone and let them know we were on our way. My husband and I thought our pediatrician was being a little extra cautious. However, we completely trusted his judgment. We still thought we were going to be bringing her home a few hours later with a change in formula or maybe a round of antibiotics.

Four hours of testing everything that could be tested, a chest x-ray showed Lauren's right ventricle enlarged. The er doctors immediately called down cardiology. An echo was done, and their immediate diagnosis was coarctation of the aorta. We had no idea what anything meant. The cardiologist told us we could walk with them up to CVICU when they took Lauren. He showed us to the waiting room, and told us he'd come back and talk to us after they had assessed Lauren more.

Two hours later, he came out and told us that she was very sick. In the simplest of terms, her body was in cardiac shock due to lack of oxygen. She was ultimately diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. They had put her on the ventilator, and if she made it through the night and became stable, she was facing 5-6 open-heart surgeries. Most of you reading this, know this devastation--the first time you see your child in the hospital bed, surrounded by machines. Your only comfort is the fact that they are unaware of what is going on around them.

Another cardiologist was in her room the first time we went to see her. I asked him what her chances were of becoming stable and surviving all the surgeries she needed. His response was "It would be a miracle".

Two years later, I'm here to tell you that miracles do happen. Even in the most dire situations, God will give you the strength to get through. Lauren has had her share of bumps in the road. She's been on and off the transplant list, has had two open-heart surgeries, and 5 heart caths. We're not sure what her future holds, but we do know that God will walk along with us.