MARY GRACE UPDATE

Here is a recent post from my friend Mary Grace's parents on her condition. Thank you so much for all your prayers. We hope she will be on the path to healing very soon.

UPDATE:
I am sorry to keep all of you waiting for any further news. Paul and I have been at Mary's side non-stop since Saturday, and we are worn out. I will try to give everyone some information on Mary's condition. In a nutshell, she is still in life-threatening condition, but, she is showing some signs of improvement. She is the sickest kid in the Intensive Care Unit at this time.

Mary has developed Chronic Lung Disease. This probably developed from all of her pneumonia episodes over the past year. Her lungs are not oxygenating like they should (oxygenating means getting oxygen from the blood to keep her tissues, cells, body alive). She is currently on a high frequency ventilator that is keeping her lungs gently inflated at all times to try to stimulate them to inflate on their own. She is in an induced coma and completely unaware of what is happening to her. She is in no pain.

As of Saturday, her oxygen saturation levels were so low, that even the ventilator could not support her. She was given a drug called Cirfactin. This drug is given to premature babies to help develop their underdeveloped lungs. So far, the drug is working. It is not working as well as it should, but, it is working to keep her O2 levels in a higher position.

If this drug does not continue to work for Mary, our only option is a heart-lung bi-pass. This would put a catheter in Mary's jugular vein in her neck, remove the old blood from her body, re-oxygenate it, and put it back in. This is a very risky procedure, because she could bleed to death from the necessary blood thinners required for this procedure. The survival rate is only 50%, and it can only be done for a period of 3 weeks. If Mary does not respond to the procedure, there is nothing else we can do, and her lungs will eventually fail her.

This is truly the closest that Mary has ever been to death. We know that everything is in God's hands at this point, and all we can do is pray that He makes the best decision for our dear Mary Grace.

Please continue your prayers. They are working. We apologize if we cannot return phone calls. We appreciate all of your love and prayers and positive energy that you continue to send toward Mary Grace and our family.

love,
Andrea and Paul