tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91607609194644197252024-03-14T01:57:09.651-04:00Once Upon A Prayerfornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-48794031497334742402016-06-23T09:09:00.001-04:002016-06-23T09:09:18.254-04:00American Heart Association's 2016 "Face of Heart"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-76836731528674723062015-10-13T17:24:00.000-04:002015-10-13T18:40:49.782-04:00Life is a Gift<div style="text-align: left;">
Jacques and I received an email from Kyla, the China Operations Director of the International China Co<span style="font-family: inherit;">ncern, who was helping to care for LiHua prior to her passing. In her message she said, "Her caregivers are heart broken, and they are fearful. Fear is common around death here, and something we battle in our high needs areas. The caregivers are still taking care of a palliative baby that will pass any time. We need to pray that they can embrace him with courage, and will not be too scared to face him and love him."</span><span style="font-family: SimSun; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> </span> </div>
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Kyla is the brave woman who fought to show the Orphanage staff that this tiny baby had worth, and that a family who desperately wanted her could be found. And sure enough, one was found - our family! She asked Jacques and I to write a tribute about LiHua that would be translated and read at her memorial service, which is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14th at 8:30am (China Time). We decided that the best message we could send was one of hope, and where our hope comes from. <br />
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Below is what we sent...<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear ICC and Hengyang Orphanage staff,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Life is a gift. Every life is a gift. Every child born into
this world is a gift. The tragedy is, that not every child is born with the
same chance at a great life. Some are born into wealth and have every worldly
opportunity to succeed. Others are born into dire poverty and may never have
the opportunity to break out of it. Some children are born healthy and vibrant,
thriving from day one. Other children are born with medical challenges they may
never overcome. Some children are born into homes with parents who love and
nurture them. Others are left on doorsteps or dumpsters, discarded by parents
who don’t have the means to raise them. </span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But regardless of the circumstance we are born into, every
child is a gift. Every baby matters. Every life has meaning. Li Hua was born
into circumstances that broke our hearts. She was born poor and sick, and left
by her parents who knew they didn’t have the means or ability to care for such
a sick child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her parents most obviously
loved her and left her when they didn’t know what else to do…they even left
provision for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means that
everyday of her life until she was abandoned she was swaddled and loved by her
birthmother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And on the day that she was
found, God in His care, brought her to a home where people would love her and
care for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did not suffer
alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This brings us, her parents,
great comfort and joy. Thank you for the love you showed our precious baby girl.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We fell in love with Hua when we first saw her picture and
heard her story. She was lovable, and we began to dream! What would it be like
if she came into our family? What would it be like if she had brothers and
sisters to love and play with and fight with over toys?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would she respond to the affection of a
Papa and Mommy? What if loving doctors got her the medical care she needed? And
the more we dreamed, the more we wanted her to be our daughter. So we made the
relatively easy decision – let’s bring her home. We couldn’t wait to see the
difference love could make!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This doesn’t make sense to a lot of people. I know this
because people say to us all the time, ‘Why?” “Why bring home a child you
know may die?” Or, “Why spend all that time and money when there are no
guarantees that things will work out”. I’ll tell you why. Love is why!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Love is the most powerful force in the universe. I know this
because I am the recipient of the greatest act of love ever displayed. The Bible
teaches us that “God showed His great love for us by sending His son Jesus
Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). In other words,
just like our precious Hua, we were a complete mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was physically sick. We were spiritually
sick. Every one of us have done wrong things, said wrong things, and thought
wrong things. Every single one of us. The bible calls those wrong things we do
“sin”. And sin is a sickness – a spiritual sickness. And while God could have
looked at the mess that we were and said, “Why bother with them”, he didn’t.
Instead, he sent his son Jesus to die for us. The death of Jesus paid the price
for our sin. In other words, God took the punishment we deserved for our sin
for us. In so doing, he took our sin away. He healed our spiritual sickness!
While we were sick with sin; while we were a mess, he died for us. That is the
greatest act of love in the history of the universe. He took our sickness so
that we could be well. Now that’s love, and without His love, we would still be
a mess!</span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As people that have received God’s great love, nothing
brings us more joy than to bring that same love to everyone – no matter their
age or race or circumstance. Love had made the greatest difference of all in our
lives. And so we believe love can make the greatest difference of all in the lives
of others. Because God showed us His love when we were helpless and weak, we
have a heart to bring love to children who are helpless and weak. We have
watched with our own eyes the difference that love can make in the three
children we adopted already from China – Lily, Mackenzie and Thaddaeus. They
are thriving because a family cared enough to risk everything to give them a
home. It’s the same thing God did for us. He risked everything to give us a home
in His kingdom, and through His love, we are thriving!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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We wanted so badly to see Hua have the opportunity to thrive. And it breaks our
hearts that she is no longer with us. But we do not regret – not for a second -
making her our own! We do not blame God for her death. God loves her, and she
will have a home with Him forever. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
live in a world of sickness and pain, and we understand that death is a reality.
Death is a certainty for everyone, whether young or old. Death is certain, but
it is not final. And one day, we will get to meet her. And on that day, she
will get to meet the family that loved her so much that they would go through
anything to have her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And thanks to the
God who said, “I will do anything to have us”, we can look forward to that
reunion in Heaven!<o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You see, there is nothing to fear in death. Because death is
not the end! It is the beginning of a life free of pain and suffering and
turmoil. Revelation 21:4 tells us so. Jesus says, “On that day, I will wipe
every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying
or pain for the old order of things has passed away”. You see; every human who
loves God and follows His son, Jesus, is guaranteed that no matter the
circumstances they were born into, this promise of new life is for them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And while we are living in this sin filled, sickness filled,
tragedy filled world in the meantime, we are going to bring as much love and
hope and joy as we can. Because that is what our God did and does for us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We are heartbroken that we won’t get to bring sweet Hua
home, but we are filled with joy knowing she is not suffering now, and knowing
a new life is what awaits her. Thank you so much to all of you who loved her
and showed her that there is good all around – even in the middle of the
trials! It is our hope and prayer that you will find hope and joy and peace in
the love that God has in Jesus Christ, for you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
Jacques and Emily Rancourt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">***Please consider spreading HOPE to the other children in the care of the International China Concern Program in memoriam of our sweet LiHua. There are many ways that you can donate to help save lives: <a href="http://www.chinaconcern.org/donate">http://www.chinaconcern.org/donate</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-35655545438173869952015-10-11T17:51:00.000-04:002015-10-13T18:37:02.464-04:00A Million Times YES...LiHuaIt is with an extremely heavy heart, and eyes that have been streaming tears all weekend that I share this news with you. Our adoption agency called on Friday night at 9:30pm to tell us that our sweet baby LiHua passed away. Yes, you read that correctly...Jacques and I have been expeditiously working behind the scenes to bring this sweet angel home. Her death was sudden and unexpected, and I ask that you pray for the people who loved and cared for her until she took her last breath. This must be so very difficult for them. <br />
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We find comfort in knowing that this precious child is now free from pain and broken flesh, and she is resting in the arms of our Savior. <br />
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Redeemed. Adopted. Safe. <br />
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Although our hearts physically hurt, we are still thankful. Li Hua's short life impacted our family in a huge way. She made me aware that within 10 seconds of reading an advocate's plea for a family to step out on faith to bring home a dying child who needed a liver transplant that Jacques and I would say "Yes Lord, send us!" I am thankful that Chinese officials read our letter of intent to adopt this ailing baby, and then suddenly realized that she was wanted, treasured, and worthy. I am thankful that when I came to all of you with a need of expensive, specialized formula and vitamins to help sustain her life, you all rallied and a provision beyond my wildest dream was collected (I assure you that the formula will still be delivered and used for other babies in need). <br />
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HOPE is never in vain because it originates with Him, and He never fails. I am thankful tonight even through this hard eucharisteo. We would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Every life is precious. Every single last one. Our family will continue to say yes. A million times YES!<br />
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fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-60847917245522384832015-05-28T07:13:00.000-04:002015-05-28T07:13:24.254-04:00Can you hear me? He's my son...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In about an hour, Thaddaeus will be taken down for his first open heart surgery. This is the surgery that most children who are born with half of a heart have as an infant. The first thing that the surgeon said to me yesterday was that Thadd is WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY more complicated than Lily Grace. I asked Dr. Jonas if that is why the surgeons in China would not operate on him - because he was so complex. He told me that Thadd is too complicated for anyone, and that he has a very unfortunate combination of congenital heart defects. We are so thankful that the surgical team here at CNMC is willing to try to bring our little dude some relief so that he can breathe easier. Of course our HOPE, is that this surgery will eventually open the door to more surgical options for our son.</div>
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Thaddaeus' heart has two Superior Vena Cavas. He has Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV) where the pulmonary artery and the aorta—the heart’s two great arteries—both arise from the right ventricle. His pulmonary valve is completely closed, and his body has developed such a complex network of collateral vessels to oxygenate himself that his pulmonary arteries are not even being used. As a matter of fact, where they typically like to place the BT Shunt that Thadd will receive today, is smack dab where he has two huge collateral vessels. The team will need to improvise where they place his shunt, and it will not be as effective as it could be. The biggest risk for an older child receiving a BT Shunt are that they will develop a blood clot in the shunt, or that the shunt will cause him to be oxygenated. Either one of these factors could require a trip back to the Operating Room, so the team in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit will be watching him very closely. And so will Mommy.</div>
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I am so thankful that the Almighty God of our universe,</div>
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who created all of Thadd's intricate anatomy,</div>
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is the same God who does hear our prayers.</div>
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He is sovereign...He is Faithful.</div>
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And only in Him do we find our HOPE!</div>
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<i>Don't be afraid, for I am with you. </i></div>
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<i>Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. </i></div>
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<i>I will strengthen you and help you. </i></div>
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<i>I will hold you up with my victorious right hand! <br />Isaiah 41:10</i></div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-83377971385979772112015-02-14T21:13:00.000-05:002015-02-14T21:13:02.340-05:00Eight months ago today...<div style="text-align: center;">
Eight months ago today, </div>
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a Hero's heart was placed inside of Lily Grace.</div>
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"Thank you"</div>
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will never be enough. </div>
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<i>He gives power to the weak, </i></div>
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<i>And to those who have no might He increases strength. </i></div>
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<i>Isaiah 40:29</i></div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-14464438445019782842014-07-14T00:35:00.001-04:002014-07-14T00:35:48.654-04:00Happy Hero Heart Day Lily!One month ago today, our family received the most precious humanely gift that can ever be given. <br />
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On Friday the 13th at 7:10pm I had just finished giving a lecture at the university when I noticed that I had six missed calls and voice messages on my cell phone from numbers that I did not recognize. The first thing that caught my eye was a voice message that Jacques had forwarded to me via text. About one sentence into the message, the name of Lily's heart transplant cardiologist caught my eye, and my heart instantly skipped a beat. Was this THE call? Sure enough it was...they had a heart for Lily!<br />
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I barely remember my drive home, but I will never forget when I opened the door to the house, and saw Lily standing in the school room playing with Soleil. She immediately ran over to me and asked, "Is Papa joking? Am I really going to get my new heart?"<br />
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I quickly packed a couple bags to bring to the hospital. At one point Jacques walked into our bedroom and I collapsed into his chest hysterically crying. Fear gripped me from head to toe. I could hear every conversation that we had over the past six months with the doctors replaying in my mind about how risky a heart transplant would be for Lily...not to mention the fact that she was turned down from being listed from two of the top heart transplant hospitals for children. Jacques held me, and reminded me that after two years of pain and suffering, long hospital stay after long hospital stay, this new heart would bring one of two things for Lily. Either this new heart would give Lily a new lease on life, and she could FINALLY play and run like she has always dreamed of doing. Or, Lily would not survive the transplant or the recovery, and she would spend eternity in heaven with Jesus. Both options were a win/win situation for our little empress. Lily has taught me that we must always choose hope no matter what. So in that moment HOPE is what I chose.<br />
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Our dear friend Jan came to the rescue to stay with the other three girls, and before too long, Jacques, Lily, and I were off to Washington DC to get Lily Grace's new hero heart. We arrived to the hospital around 10pm, and Lily was directly admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit where she took care of getting herself all hooked up to the heart monitor and pulse oximeter machines.<br />
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Lily had an EKG, echocardiogram, an IV placed followed by LOTS of blood work, urine collection, and MANY hospital friends stop in to say "hello"! Lily stayed up until 2am playing playdoh, singing "Let It Go", and thoroughly enjoying her pre-transplant party. At promptly 5:30am, Lily was wheeled down to the operating room. She was sedated, intubated, and put on bypass through her groin. Jacques and I went outside to watch for the helicopter that would bring Lily's heart to the hospital. Little did we know that Lily's new heart would not arrive until 12pm!<br />
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It's here! Lily Grace's Heart is here!</div>
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Twelve hours after Lily's heart transplant surgery began, she was wheeled back to her room in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit by her team of smiling doctors. An hour after that, Jacques and I were allowed to see Lily Grace, and be introduced to her new hero heart.<br />
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There are no words for that moment.</div>
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Lily's hero heart story would not be complete if I didn't share this:<br />
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Four days before we received the call that there was a new heart for Lily, we had "THE" heart transplant talk. I knew this day was coming,
and I could tell by the way that Lily's questions were escalating in
intensity that I was not going to be able to dodge that bullet any longer. Since
Lily is only 4 years old, I was hopeful that she would be content in
knowing that she would have another surgery where she would get a new
heart...end of story. But on that day, Lily was adamant that she wanted to know exactly how
she would get this new heart, when we would get the phone call<span class="text_exposed_show">,
and where this new heart would come from. So in the minivan on our way
to get Lily's blood drawn that morning I shared with her through many
tears how she would come to have a new heart. Lily's first question was,
"Hmmmm...will they make sure my new heart doesn't have any germs on it?
I need to be very careful of germs ya know." I assured Lily that her
new heart will be very clean. The next thing Lily wanted to know was why
I was crying. I explained to Lily that my heart was sad thinking about
how much the family will miss the little child who will die. Lily
immediately suggested that we get Thai chicken noodle soup for lunch
since that always helps her feel better when she is sad. At the Thai restaurant, Lily asked if
she could pray for our meal, and she began by praying for the family who
will be very sad when their child dies. And then she asked God to help
her mommy to not be sad. This child astounds me. An old soul, wise
beyond her 4 years. </span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Lily praying for her heart donor's family </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">For those of you that know how organ donation works, the fact that Lily and I had this conversation four days before the call for Lily's new heart should give you chills. "</span><span class="text_exposed_show">At some point, a potential donor is admitted to a hospital because of
illness or accident. Most donors are victims of severe head trauma, a
brain aneurysm or stroke. Healthcare professionals work hard and long,
doing everything possible to save the patient's life while maintaining
the patient on mechanical devices. </span>When the medical team has exhausted all possible lifesaving efforts and
the patient is not responding, a physician will perform a series of
tests, usually on multiple occasions, to determine if brain death has
occurred. This is usually done by a neurosurgeon or neurologist in
compliance with accepted medical practice and state law. Patients who
are brain dead have no brain activity and cannot breathe on their own.
Brain death is not coma. Brain death is death" (<a href="http://organdonor.gov/about/organdonationprocess.html" target="_blank">http://organdonor.gov/about/organdonationprocess.html</a>). This process takes several days, so it is highly likely that Lily was praying for her organ donor's family very close to the time of their death. I am so thankful that God prepared Lily (and me) for what was about to occur. As we drove to the hospital on the night of Friday the 13th, a peace washed over me that Lily knew, to the best of her ability, what was about to occur. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="text_exposed_show">A bowl of Thai Noodle Soup bigger than her head! </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V85D6TgabCc/U8LwatWYSBI/AAAAAAAAB2s/HO-tQEwhUrg/s1600/IMG_5418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V85D6TgabCc/U8LwatWYSBI/AAAAAAAAB2s/HO-tQEwhUrg/s1600/IMG_5418.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">Lily's surgeon told us that he believes she is the most complicated heart transplant done in the United States. He said that he saw a lot of complicated heart transplants during his time at Boston Children's Hospital, but nothing compared to Lily's case. Shortly after her Fontan procedure two years ago, Lily's right pulmonary artery clotted off and became discontinuous from her heart. During the transplant, her new heart was attached to her left lung. Lily's heart donor was not a lung donor due to trauma, so the team was able to take the right pulmonary artery with the hope of attaching Lily's new heart to her right lung someday. For now, Lily will be a single lung heart transplant recipient. Lily's recovery has not been easy, but through it all, she has continued to fight for her life. Over the course of the past month, Lily has amazed the medical professionals with how well she is doing!</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="text_exposed_show"> Our response: "Only God!"</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qPxsgNzOYHw/U8MIv-X2EQI/AAAAAAAAB3E/zfEk3J2GIE8/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qPxsgNzOYHw/U8MIv-X2EQI/AAAAAAAAB3E/zfEk3J2GIE8/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"> Our family is overwhelmed with how perfect this new heart is for our precious Lily Grace, and how sovereign God was in bringing her this specific heart. There will need to be a whole blog post devoted to that story someday when we are ready to share! Lily Grace's life is miraculous. We have witnessed miracle after miracle throughout her life that have taken our breath away. From lost to found, orphan to loved...God sets the lonely in families.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="text_exposed_show">For regular updates on Lily's progress </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="text_exposed_show">please follow on FaceBook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/PrayingForLily/" target="_blank">Praying For Lily</a> </span></div>
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span class="text_exposed_show">May the God of HOPE </span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span class="text_exposed_show">fill you with all joy and peace in believing, </span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span class="text_exposed_show">so that by the power of the Holy Spirit </span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span class="text_exposed_show">you may abound in HOPE. </span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span class="text_exposed_show">Romans 15:13</span></i></b><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></div>
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span>fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-78223792935147622682014-06-11T10:53:00.001-04:002014-06-11T10:53:42.622-04:00It's a BOY!<div style="text-align: center;">
I am accustomed to parenting girls.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sundresses, hair bows, wiggly pants, tea parties,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
princesses, baby dolls, nail polish, lip gloss...<br />
did I mention hair bows?</div>
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<br />
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</div>
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I honestly never envisioned myself with a son.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Until, this little man absolutely captured my heart...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G0QdcfUaFyg/U5Wr7GlX_CI/AAAAAAAAB0s/ChiAMzbCdTk/s1600/IMG_4941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G0QdcfUaFyg/U5Wr7GlX_CI/AAAAAAAAB0s/ChiAMzbCdTk/s1600/IMG_4941.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
I have a fun way that we will reveal his name soon,<br />
but for now we will call him "Noah"<br />
since that is the name his foster home has given him.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Very
similar to our Lily Grace, hundreds of families turned down his file
because of the scary terminal diagnosis that came attached with each
cardiologist's review. Even though "Noah's" file was designated to a
very large adoption agency, none of their families chose to proceed with
his adoption. His file disappeared, until an advocate friend of mine
named Brooke found him on another agency's designated list. Ironically,
it was on Brooke's advocacy website that I first fell in love with Lily
Grace. This sweet lady is very dear to my heart!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After
"Noah's" file had been found, Jacques and I had a prayerful decision to
make. At the time, Lily had been turned down by three medical centers
to be listed for a heart transplant. I was currently living in the
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit with Lily, and her future was extremely
uncertain. Our plate was already full and often times overflowing with
the responsibility of just trying to keep Lily Grace alive. We could
have easily decided that bringing another critically ill child into our
home was crazy, and I think that most of you would have supported us and
agreed. But three years ago, when Jacques and I started down the
journey of adoption, we decided that we wanted to live reckless for
Jesus. We chose to put our comfort, security, and financial stability
on the line and risk everything to give God the opportunity to show up.
And let me tell you friends, not only did He show up, He has blessed us
abundantly in ways that we never dreamed possible. Jacques and I are
at a place right now where we have to rely on God for everything. Even
our day to day living is impossible without Him. In adopting these
children, we have taken on WAY more than we can handle alone. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>But His grace is sufficient, </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and His power is made perfect in our weakness!</b></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ao2AYMZ3548/U5hSghIc73I/AAAAAAAAB1E/dqCK0Gm3Ueg/s1600/10344865_10152822159628508_1855783684_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ao2AYMZ3548/U5hSghIc73I/AAAAAAAAB1E/dqCK0Gm3Ueg/s1600/10344865_10152822159628508_1855783684_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Our
little dude turned two years old this past February. He has a
combination of heart defects that are very familiar to Jacques and I.
"Noah" has a single ventricle heart just like Lily Grace, and a complete
AV canal, which is the same heart defect our Addy Hope had before she
passed away. Unlike Lily, "Noah" has not had any heart surgeries in
China. As a matter of fact, China has deemed him inoperable. It's hard
to tell from the darling, smiling photos but "Noah" fights for his life
with each breath he takes. The medical reports we have on him state
that his oxygen saturation is in the 50's-60's resting, and he is very
short of breath most of the time. Lily's cardiology team at the
National Children's Medical Center has reviewed his medical file, and
they are very anxious for us to bring him home so he can have a heart
catheterization. There are six factors that could in fact exclude
"Noah" from being a candidate for the Glenn Procedure open heart
surgery, but we will not know for sure until after his heart
catheterization. Due to the progressive nature of what the cardiology
team believes is severe ventricular outflow obstruction in the setting
of single ventricle physiology, we are desperate to get our boy home
ASAP.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Yes sweet boy, that's YOUR Papa and Mommy!</div>
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<br />
Please follow along, as our family's love story</div>
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takes us to China and back again!<i><br /></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, </i></div>
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<i>for my power is made
perfect in weakness.” </i></div>
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<i>Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my
weaknesses, </i></div>
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<i>so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. </i></div>
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<i>For the
sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, </i></div>
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<i>insults, hardships,
persecutions, and calamities. </i></div>
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<i>For when I am weak, then I am strong.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><strong>2 Corinthians 12:9-10</strong></i></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_769377024"></span><span id="goog_769377025"></span><br /></div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-26762343696858761872014-05-07T06:58:00.000-04:002014-05-07T07:11:18.078-04:00Two Year Gotcha Day - and a VERY exciting announcement!<div style="text-align: center;">
Two years ago today,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I was handed a terrified and hollow little girl</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that we would name Mackenzie Ty. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We met in a HOT Civil Affairs office in Shanghai, China.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mackenzie had just been released from the hospital,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and I would soon discover that she had a 104.5 fever. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-crjDqbdwmRY/U2mfsWzJjlI/AAAAAAAABy0/ntEhs334voo/s1600/IMG_0264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-crjDqbdwmRY/U2mfsWzJjlI/AAAAAAAABy0/ntEhs334voo/s1600/IMG_0264.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A few hours later,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in a hotel lobby of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jacques was handed a petrified and obstinate Lily Grace.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lily's fight or flight instinct kicked in.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Before Jacques could even figure out what happened,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lily Grace took off running out of the hotel </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
away from Jacques, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
with her nanny tailing closely behind.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7pVHc_Gc39Q/U2mhPH__xOI/AAAAAAAABzA/7KUNzeBtXPE/s1600/IMG_1238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7pVHc_Gc39Q/U2mhPH__xOI/AAAAAAAABzA/7KUNzeBtXPE/s1600/IMG_1238.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
These two precious girls have come so far in the past two years.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our family definitely hit the jackpot!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All because we said, "Yes lord, send us."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r8tJkOPuvgs/U2miMKPvoZI/AAAAAAAABzI/E6K-TCOpg8k/s1600/IMG_2882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r8tJkOPuvgs/U2miMKPvoZI/AAAAAAAABzI/E6K-TCOpg8k/s1600/IMG_2882.jpg" height="400" width="300" /> </a></div>
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<br /></div>
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On this very special anniversary - </div>
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Mackenzie and Lily would like to share an exciting announcement!</div>
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</div>
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://i1.ytimg.com/vi/FgT45P4cY_4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/FgT45P4cY_4?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/FgT45P4cY_4?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="text 1Sam-1-27" id="en-NIV-7240">I prayed for this child,</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="text 1Sam-1-27" id="en-NIV-7240"> and the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> has granted me what I asked of him.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="text 1Sam-1-27" id="en-NIV-7240"><i>1 Samuel 1:27 </i></span></div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-55272108623883190612014-05-06T07:00:00.000-04:002014-05-06T08:43:31.061-04:00Addy Hope - 1 year home<div style="text-align: center;">
One year ago today,<br />
our sweet Addy Hope silently entered this world. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Although she never experienced life outside of my womb, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
her little 7lb 15oz self has forever changed our lives. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We never had the privilege of hearing her cry, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
smelling her newborn fragrance, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or snuggling her gently into the crook of our necks. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our past year did not include lullabies in the middle of the night, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
experiencing first smiles, or seeing the miracle of baby's first steps.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Instead, this past year would contain more grief and saddness</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
than our human hearts have ever endured.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A little over a year and a half ago, I remember vividly the flash of peace that surged across my soul when I thought I had God all figured out. The moment that I felt I had put together the puzzle pieces of my life, and finally understood where I had been and where my journey was going. In my shallow understanding of our omnipotent God I thought I discovered His purpose for my life. I concluded that God brought Mackenzie into our lives to give us confidence in caring for a severely developmentally delayed child. It was Lily who was strategically placed in our home to help us navigate through the terrifying world of congenital heart disease. The precious baby that was growing inside of my belly would be a perfect combination of the two children we were already confidently raising. None of that could have been farther from the truth.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
At 10am, on May 6th 2013 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that false sense of security I had </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
would be striped away when my OBGYN </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
couldn't find our baby's heartbeat <a href="http://www.rancourtfamily.blogspot.com/2013/05/dont-worry-i-gotcha.html" target="_blank">(here)</a>. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d630FZGOOEc/U2eQl4ieegI/AAAAAAAAByc/oRbno15aKTQ/s1600/IMG_2481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d630FZGOOEc/U2eQl4ieegI/AAAAAAAAByc/oRbno15aKTQ/s1600/IMG_2481.JPG" height="292" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What our sweet daughter Addy Hope has taught me is that it is not my place to figure out God's plan for my life. I do not need to find my security in looking for signs or trying to piece together the complex puzzle of this life. Jesus told us to "take up your cross and follow me". It's easy to misinterpret this text and presume that the "cross" Jesus is referring to is some burden in our lives. What Jesus intended was that we must literally be willing to die to ourselves in order to follow Him. The call to death of self is then beautifully followed by the call to life in Christ - <span itemprop="articleBody"> “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Mathew 16:25-26). I've learned that it is easy to follow Jesus when life is smooth and going well. My true commitment to Him is revealed during times of trial. This past year has allowed me to test drive my commitment to Jesus at a whole new level. And I am here to encourage you that God's grace abounds in deepest water.</span></div>
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<i>The eucharisteo -thanksgivng- always proceeds the miracle!</i></div>
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<i>Ann Voskamp - one Thousand Gifts</i></div>
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fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-18846816825626402902014-03-18T08:00:00.000-04:002014-03-19T00:52:19.628-04:00Heart Transplant<div style="text-align: center;">
As of Tuesday, March 18th, 2014 </div>
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Lily Grace has officially been</div>
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listed for a new heart. </div>
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This is a decision that Jacques and I did not take lightly, especially after being turned down by three transplant centers already. We have been warned that Lily's case is very complex, and nothing will be straightforward or easy to predict. If Lily does receives a heart, she will be transplanted to her single left lung. Lily's clotting disorder and multiple blood clots in her body increase the likelihood that her recovery may be very difficult or that she may not even survive. It is so hard to not get caught up in statistics or the numerous "what ifs" as we embark upon this new journey. <br />
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Jacques and I are also painfully aware of the fact that in order for Lily to get a new heart, another child must die. Just ten months ago, we sat together in a hospital room holding our deceased daughter, Addy Hope, in our arms. It takes but only a simple thought for those horrible emotions to flood back into my mind. Our prayers are already focused on this precious child's brave parents who will make the decision to turn a tragedy into something beautiful...life.<br />
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Lily has been so very fragile over this past year and a half. Since October her Protein Losing Enteropathy, and the steroids used to treat it, have been killing her. Medically speaking, there is nothing left for them to do to help Lily. If she continues down the path she is currently on, the PLE will eventually cause her lungs and pleural cavity to fill with fluid and she will drown to death. When the Heart Transplant Team came to ask for our permission last Wednesday to bring Lily before the selection committee again, we said yes. <br />
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We are terrified. We are anxious. We are hopeful. </div>
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When presented with our two options for Lily, </div>
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Jacques and I chose the option </div>
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that offered hope. </div>
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If we have learned anything in our lives so far, </div>
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it is that you must always choose hope. </div>
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Hope always wins.</div>
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<b><i>May the God of hope </i></b></div>
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<b><i>fill you with all joy and peace in believing, </i></b></div>
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<b><i>so that by the power of the Holy Spirit </i></b></div>
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<b><i>you may abound in hope. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Romans 15:13 </i></b></div>
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fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-34088706798793568802014-03-17T00:27:00.001-04:002014-03-17T00:27:56.495-04:00Filled to the Measure<div style="text-align: left;">
I am worn thin. I am weary. Watching
Lily suffer, endlessly, has taken its toll on me. I have been pulled in
more directions lately emotionally and physically than I can even
count. And certainly more than I can handle...alone. At the end of a
much needed chat with my sister Lori, she reminded me that the only
thing to do during a time like this is to bury myself in the word. To
carve out time, every single day, between just the Lord and I. To
breathe in his promises and meditate on them. </div>
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Ephesians
3:20-21 are perhaps two of my absolute favorite verses in the entire
Bible. "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask
or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be
glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for
ever and ever!" But the gems buried directly before those verses, that I
tend to skim through to get to my "favorites", were salve to my soul
today. </div>
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How grateful I am to know this love that surpasses knowledge!</div>
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"For this reason I kneel before the Father,</div>
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from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name</div>
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I pray that out of His glorious riches </div>
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He may strengthen you with power through His spirit in your inner being, </div>
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so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.</div>
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And I pray that you,</div>
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being rooted and established in love, may have power</div>
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together with all the Lord's holy people,</div>
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to grasp how wide and long and high and deep</div>
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is the love of Christ,</div>
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and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -</div>
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that you may be filled to the measure</div>
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of all the fullness of God."</div>
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Ephesians 3:14-19</div>
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Catching some rays yesterday afternoon </div>
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Lily
had a very rough day today. She woke up feeling yucky, and it turns
out that her sodium levels are very low again. I feel like I am
experiencing the worst case of deja vu, and I am quite certain that the Prednisone is making Lily hyponatremic just like the Budesonide
steroid did. Lily was given a couple saline boluses, and they held two
doses of her diuretics. I feel like the past week of working so hard
to get the fluid off Lily has all been for not. But I agree with the
team that it is important to keep Lily safe from seizures, even if it
means that she will be puffy again. </div>
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As
frustrated as I am. As defeated as I feel, Lily continues to amaze
me. She always reminds me that no matter what, I must always choose
HOPE. This morning Lily gently wiped the tears that streamed down my
face as I placed her in the wagon. On our ride around the Heart and
Kidney Unit, Lily sang, "God is faithful, God is faithful!" </div>
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Yes Lily Grace, God is faithful...always. </div>
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There
is a very important meeting scheduled tomorrow, Monday, here at the
hospital to discuss our Lily Grace. Jacques and I have prayed that God
will make our decisions clear and our path for Lily known. Please join
us in praying for that miracle.</div>
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fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-48548934784815961472014-01-17T02:04:00.000-05:002014-01-17T02:12:05.805-05:00Our Love Story - B+In order to get the full flavor of Lily's story, you really need to go back toward the beginning of this blog to see how desperately loved and wanted this child truly was from the moment I laid eyes on her. Just so there is no confusion, the adoption agency that was advocating for Lily at the time, named her Juliana. Check out the (semi) beginning of our love story <a href="http://www.rancourtfamily.blogspot.com/2011/09/true-love.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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I can vividly remember wondering why in the world a family hadn't scooped up this precious little treasure. Of course now that answer is clear as crystal - nobody chose her because she was OUR daughter. Hundreds of families reviewed Lily's file, and the word "terminal" inevitably scared every single family away. Ironically, that very same word had Jacques and I running toward her with reckless abandon. We were both desperate to love this child for as long as God allows her little heart to beat. I had never been so sure of anything in my entire life as I was that this little orphan girl thousands of miles away was our daughter. <br />
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Fast forward to this week. Lily has been in the hospital since the day before Thanksgiving. She was admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit with Hyponatremia (low sodium). What the cardiologists initially told us would be a relatively easy thing to fix, has eight weeks later turned into a tremendously complicated ordeal. Lily has never done anything by the textbook, and as a matter of fact she has supplied her doctors with plenty of never seen before data to write their own textbook.<br />
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Last weekend Lily began decompensating rapidly. Her oxygen levels dropped, she was short of breath, wouldn't walk, she stopped eating, and her hemoglobin and hematocrit were dangerously low. Jacques donated blood, and Lily received his gift early last Sunday morning.<br />
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Papa's blood being transfused into Lily Grace </div>
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The blood transfusion initially seemed to help, but Lily's blood work quickly became concerning again. It was determined that Lily's body is not making enough of its own red blood cells, and that she would need another blood transfusion. When people are being evaluated or waiting for a heart transplant, it is very important to minimize the amount of blood donor antibodies that are introduced to their system. Last year when Lily needed a blood transfusion, Jacques donated blood since I was pregnant with Addy Hope. There are some antibodies that can put up red flags for transplant, and we know that Jacques does not have any of those. Since Jacques was not able to donate blood for another 50 days, I got my chance to donate blood to Lily. This morning, Lily Grace received my blood - her mommy's blood.<br />
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Mommy's blood being transfused into Lily Grace</div>
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I stand in awe of our great God. The God who knit all of us together in our mother's wombs. The God who knows how many hairs are on your head. The God who created Jacques, Lily, and I with the exact same blood type for such a moment as this. As difficult and gut wrenching as this journey is sometimes, I am absolutely breathless at the thought, and humbled that our adopted daughter has both my husband and my blood running through her veins right now. <br />
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Only God.</div>
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Also, please take note of our blood type -</div>
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B+ </div>
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<i><b>You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body </b></i></div>
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<i><b>and knit me together in my mother’s womb. </b></i></div>
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<i><b>Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! </b></i></div>
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<i><b>Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. </b></i></div>
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<i><b>You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, </b></i></div>
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<i><b>as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. </b></i></div>
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<i><b>You saw me before I was born. </b></i></div>
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<i><b>Every day of my life was recorded in your book. </b></i></div>
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<i><b>Every moment was laid out </b></i></div>
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<i><b>before a single day had passed. </b></i></div>
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<i><b>How precious are your thoughts about me, Oh God. </b></i></div>
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<i><b>They cannot be numbered! </b></i></div>
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<i><b>Psalm 139:13-17</b></i></div>
<br />fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-56420573650032175682013-12-23T12:11:00.000-05:002013-12-23T12:50:27.511-05:00Do Not Worry About Anything...Many of you follow Lily's journey on the "Praying for Lily" Facebook page. Our blog has been greatly neglected since it tends to be easier for me to give quick updates on Facebook. To get everyone up to speed, Lily was admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit the day before Thanksgiving with a dangerously low sodium. With the assistance of IV fluids, the team was able to elevate Lily's sodium count, and she was transferred to the Heart and Kidney Unit. Over the past several weeks, Lily's sodium has dropped dangerously low at times causing two instances of seizures. The doctors have discovered that the only way to keep Lily's sodium within a safe range is to have her on an IV sodium drip with four doses of sodium chloride tablets administered throughout the day. She is also on a tight fluid restriction, which leaves her horribly thirsty all the time. Initially it was thought that this acute Hyponatremia (low sodium) was due to one of the diuretics that Lily was on. However, that drug was stopped weeks ago, and the problem still persists. Lily's fragile body has become very puffy with all of the IV sodium, and the team shares in my frustration as the extra fluid causes respiratory distress and makes Lily feel like she is constantly choking.<br />
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The Nephrology team feels that the only thing left to try is a drug that is FDA approved for adults called Tolvaptan. The drug has only been used on a small pediatric population due to the fact that this type of hyponatremia typically only affects children with failed single ventricle anatomy. Jacques and I were given a copy of the study that was done on the pediatric patients, and we both read through it thoroughly. I was given the opportunity to discuss our questions with the Cardiology and Nephrology teams. The hope is that the drug will get rid of the free fluid that has accumulated in Lily's body. This free fluid has caused her sodium to become diluted, and therefore has her trapped in a vicious cycle of not enough sodium and too much fluid retention. This drug is very high risk since it can cause the patient's sodium levels to increase dramatically, which would cause brain swelling. Lily will be in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, and will have blood draws every two hours to closely monitor the sodium increase. Also, because of Lily's clotting disorder there is a lot of concern as to how her body will react to this medication. We have seen Lily's Coumadin levels jump all over the place over the past few weeks as her sodium levels dropped and increased. A quick rise in sodium could cause Lily's blood to become too thin, which could put her at risk of a brain bleed or stroke. I was told this morning that we should have an answer this afternoon from the hospital committee as to whether or not they will approve the use of this drug for Lily. If they do, it will be sent over from the Washington Hospital Center, and she can begin the treatment tomorrow. The discouraging thing is that there is no guarantee that this drug will even work. The hormone that the drug acts upon is not affected according to Lily's bloodwork, but we have been told that sometimes the bloodwork is not a good indicator. Lily cannot continue down her current path, and everyone agrees that we need to try something.<br />
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Jacques and I have bathed this treatment plan decision in countless hours of prayer. It's impossible to know if we are making the right decision, but we are painfully aware that we need to try something. Please join us in praying for God to use this medication to stabilize Lily's sodium levels so we can "get outta here"!<br />
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<i><b>Do not worry about anything; instead pray about everything.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Tell God what you need,</b></i></div>
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<i><b>and thank Him for all He has done.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Philippians 4:6</b></i></div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-78272657923404132232013-12-16T01:08:00.000-05:002013-12-16T01:08:15.737-05:00Youre Grace Abounds in Deepest WatersLily Grace and I have had a lot of special moments together over the past month of this hospitalization. Anyone who knows Lily will agree that she is an old soul. A child wise well beyond her four years. Lily is often asked how many brothers and sisters she has. She always responds four. Once I made the mistake of correcting her, and she went on to name them all...including Addy Hope. Lily talks about "our baby" all of the time, and tells me that she cannot wait to hold her baby sister in heaven. <br />
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Jacques and I brought Dryden and Soleil to the funeral home to meet their baby sister the afternoon after she was born. They were both adamant that they needed to see her and touch her. At the time we felt that Mackenzie and Lily were too young to grasp the concept of what had transpired the day before. Hindsight is 20/20, and I now believe that this decision has left a lot of loose ends for Lily. <br />
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Lily loves when I put photographs to music, and she could not understand why I haven't done this yet for Addy Hope. This video, is a joint effort between Lily and I. Together, we tried to memorialize the 39 weeks Addy spent with us here on earth. <br />
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<i>When you go through deep waters, I will be with you</i></div>
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<i>When you go through rivers of difficulty</i></div>
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<i>you will not drown.</i></div>
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<i>When you walk through the fire of oppression,</i></div>
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<i>you will not be burned up;</i></div>
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<i>the flames will not consume you.</i></div>
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<i>For I am the Lord, your God.</i></div>
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<i>Isiah 43 2-3</i></div>
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fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-18034442878426415072013-12-02T23:17:00.001-05:002014-02-10T10:52:23.871-05:00Lily - I've Loved You For A Thousand YearsLily Grace has been asking me during the past couple hospital stays to make her another video. I told her I was waiting to find the PERFECT song to make a video featuring just her. I finally found that song, and worked on the video yesterday. Tonight we sat together before bed, and watched the video together several times. She loves it!<br />
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Lily girl, I have "loved you for a thousand years, </div>
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and I will love you for a thousand more".</div>
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I love you a thousand,</div>
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Mommy</div>
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Music by: Christina Perri - A Thousand Years</div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-19356374770823601312013-11-29T20:00:00.000-05:002013-11-29T20:04:33.028-05:00Hyponatremia<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Jacques and I make a fantastic team! Jacques is determined to not allow Lily to become a "cardiac cripple", and he typically takes on the "suck it up princess" role. I, on the other hand, am very in tune to Lily, and can often be found carrying her up and down the stairs at home when I feel like she's at her limit...when Papa is not looking of course! On Monday while I was at work, Jacques texted me several times expressing that something was wrong with Lily but he couldn't put his finger on it. Lily wouldn't play, and couldn't walk without bursting into tears. Although I was a bit concerned, I was the one who thought we should give it one more day in case she was just recovering from hospital psychosis since she was just discharged on Saturday night. Jacques texted me on Tuesday and told me to call Lily's cardiologist. The text said, "Never have I seen Lily this lethargic or lackluser. It seems like it takes a lot of energy for her to simply smile. Please call Dr. Frank now." </span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Bright and early Wednesday morning Lily and I headed to the Cardiac Clinic in Washington DC. The team did a full work up on Lily, and we were there the entire day. At 4pm, the results of Lily's blood panel came back and I was informed that Lily had Hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is an electrolyte disturbance in which the sodium in the plasma becomes lower than normal. Lily's sodium level was so low and dangerous that she was immediately admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. </span><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">When sodium levels in the blood become excessively low, excess water enters the brain cells and the cells swell. The result can be seizures, coma, and even death. </span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">An IV was placed, and a sodium drip was started. The doctors checked Lily's sodium levels regularly since a rapid increase in sodium can be just as dangerous. Over the next 24 hours Lily's levels went up and down, but clearly she was feeling MUCH better!</span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Nurse Lee gave Lily his Magical Name Badge that opens all of the </span></div>
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">doors on the CICU. Here Lily is checking out the</span></div>
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Equipment Storage Room!</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aCn8t6XCAQE/UpkuWKMKDYI/AAAAAAAABuY/NDHqDqzWwHM/s1600/IMG_3854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aCn8t6XCAQE/UpkuWKMKDYI/AAAAAAAABuY/NDHqDqzWwHM/s640/IMG_3854.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Since this was an impromptu hospital stay, </div>
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I didn't have my bag of tricks with me.</div>
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Have no fear, Nurse Lee is here!!!</div>
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Arterial Line, Med Line, Heparin, and Morphine </div>
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stickers can be oh so much fun! </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cf8S_UztX0M/Upkuc3vOXLI/AAAAAAAABuk/PYd5Y8CqBTE/s1600/IMG_3855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cf8S_UztX0M/Upkuc3vOXLI/AAAAAAAABuk/PYd5Y8CqBTE/s640/IMG_3855.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Our family was together in the CICU for Thanksgiving! </div>
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Here the "bigs" were treating Mackenzie.</div>
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They gave her oxygen, placed a 'straw' IV, and bandaged her shot.</div>
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I am so glad that all of my girls have Papa's GREAT</div>
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imagination...these girl's will go places...mark my words!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fCm8V7LJ8WA/Upkuf8_F-kI/AAAAAAAABus/kFW4aVRCY3U/s1600/IMG_3857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fCm8V7LJ8WA/Upkuf8_F-kI/AAAAAAAABus/kFW4aVRCY3U/s640/IMG_3857.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Will the real Lily Grace please stand up?</div>
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Many people have asked me how this hyponatremia happened to Lily. The doctors believe it is a combination of the massive amounts of diuretics that Lily needs in order to battle the fluid from her Protein Losing Enteropathy, and the fact that she had the "common cold" over the past two weeks. In order to get Lily's sodium up, the team decided to hold her Lasix, one of her three diuretics. Unfortunately, Lily is now supper puffy and retaining fluids. She received a dose of IV Lasix last night, and a dose of IV Diuril today but she still remains very puffy. Lily has been transferred to the Heart and Kidney Unit, where they are trying to find a balance between keeping her sodium up and keeping her puffiness down. This is proving to be very difficult right now.</div>
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So, in the meantime, Lily has eaten 8, yes EIGHT, bags of these</div>
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chips since Wednesday night. I'm a bit jealous.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Y25XQpZ31Q/Upkyp7WzvnI/AAAAAAAABu8/_QR106P7jHM/s1600/IMG_3866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Y25XQpZ31Q/Upkyp7WzvnI/AAAAAAAABu8/_QR106P7jHM/s640/IMG_3866.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">My heart has been heavy the past few days as I desperately longed to not spend another Thanksgiving in the hospital. My focus has been on how fortunate we are to have heeded Jacques' gut feeling since this could have ended a whole lot worse. I pray that God uses these difficult situations for me to learn the secret of being content in any and every situation.</span><br />
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<b><i>I know what it is to be in need, </i></b></div>
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<b><i>and I know what it is to have plenty. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>I have learned the secret of being content </i></b></div>
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<b><i>in any and every situation, </i></b></div>
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<b><i>whether well fed or hungry, </i></b></div>
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<b><i>whether living in plenty or in want.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Philippians 4:12 </i></b></div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-23659752010577854982013-11-22T21:39:00.001-05:002013-11-22T22:00:22.829-05:00Love is worth the RISKLily has been in the hospital since last Sunday. We were here to bridge her off Coumadin and onto IV Heparin so that she could have a heart catheterization on Wednesday. The heart catheterization is needed to obtain information for the heart transplant team to determine if Lily is a good candidate to be listed for a new "hero heart".<br />
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Lily has had cold-like symptoms for the past two months so we didn't think much of it, but her pre-surgery bloodwork came back with a high white blood cell count of 26. When the labs were repeated on Tuesday her count was only down to 22 so the decision was made to cancel her heart catheterization. A viral panel also showed that Lily had a rhinovirus (common cold). Her weight increased an unbelievable 1 kg (2.2 lbs) overnight. Our little princess was super puffy, and definitely did not feel well.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5SR3LG56EB0/Uo_3iyuZedI/AAAAAAAABsQ/gxVdVcB07pk/s1600/IMG_3797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5SR3LG56EB0/Uo_3iyuZedI/AAAAAAAABsQ/gxVdVcB07pk/s640/IMG_3797.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div>
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The decision was made to put Lily back on her Coumadin in order to send her home for about a week before we would check back in to attempt the heart catheterization again. The transplant team tried to maximize her time here so they have been collecting various vials of blood each day that are needed for her heart transplant evaluation. Lily also needed a dental clearance so she had her very first dentist appointment. Please don't judge, we've been slightly busy dealing with life threatening conditions instead of her teeth :-) Lily will tell you that she did not like this experience, and ended up puking all over her nurse and dentist. </div>
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The good news is that her teeth look great! </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xAdKJVYF4IQ/Uo_8w281axI/AAAAAAAABsk/fKw8c_7iT0w/s1600/IMG_3809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xAdKJVYF4IQ/Uo_8w281axI/AAAAAAAABsk/fKw8c_7iT0w/s640/IMG_3809.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The plan was to send Lily home today "if" her blood levels were trending upward. Unfortunately, in true Lily fashion, her blood levels went down instead of up and she spent her entire morning puking and dry heaving. So needless to say, we are still here! </div>
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The heart transplant cardiologist came to check on Lily this morning. She told me that at the morning team meeting, the cardiologist who reviewed Lily's medical file while she was still in China told her that he was worried that he may have given us false hope about Lily's congenital heart defect. The truth of the matter is that before we even knew if Lily was operable we submitted a letter of intent to make her our daughter. Lily needed heart surgery that China would not (could not) do. And now she needs a heart transplant that China never would have listed her for. But, what Lily really needed was the love of a family. Prior to bringing Lily home from China Jacques and I always said that we wanted desperately to show Lily the love of a family for as long as God allows her little heart to beat. And here we are a year and a half “home” and Lily does KNOW the love of a family, and she knows about Jesus and how much He loves her too!!!! </div>
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Lily only has half of a heart and one functioning lung. But you would never know it after meeting her! She is filled with life, extreme love, and bountiful HOPE. It has been an honor to be Lily’s mommy. I have learned through this adoption that even more than Lily needing a family, I needed Lily. She has taught me more about life and love in the 18 months that I have known her than I learned in the prior 33 years combined. Loving Lily is an excruciating love. Selfishly, Jacques and I want more than anything for Lily to grow old and outlive us. But whether she does that or not, if I am still alive to see her take her last breath, I will know without a shadow of a doubt that adopting Lily was exactly what God meant when he told us to go and be LOVE. Love is risky, and my heart might shatter again into a million pieces. </div>
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But let me tell you that it is SO worth it. </div>
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A million times over. </div>
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Love is worth the risk.</div>
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<i><span class="text 1Pet-3-8">Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.</span> </i><span class="text 1Pet-3-9" id="en-NIV-30434"><i><sup class="versenum"> </sup>Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. </i></span></div>
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<span class="text 1Pet-3-9" id="en-NIV-30434"><i>1 Peter 3:8-9</i></span></div>
<br />fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-32138148194432181072013-11-19T23:30:00.000-05:002013-11-23T11:57:43.408-05:00When Lily grows up she wants to...<div style="text-align: center;">
When Lily grows up, she wants to be a nurse!</div>
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And not just any nurse...</div>
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Nurse "Kerwie" to be exact.</div>
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During our initial meeting with the heart transplant team, the Cardiologist asked Lily what she wanted to be when she grows up. Lily did not even have to think about this question, and immediately replied, "I want to be a nurse, and do surgeries." </div>
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Each of us have that very special person in our lives that we desire to grow up to be. Lily first met Nurse Kerry right around this time last year when Lily went inpatient for pleural effusions. Nurse Kerry was new to the Heart and Kidney Unit, and was still in training at the time. From day one, I could tell that Nurse Kerry's spunk and energy were contagious, and Lily was in such a good mood whenever she was around. Lily's smiles were limited during that time as she had three sets of chest tubes and eventually needed an ng tube placed when she stopped eating. Even at her sickest, Lily would ask when Nurse Kerry would be back to work. A very special friendship bond had definitely been created.</div>
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Matching pig tails to make the empress smile!</div>
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Nurse Kerry is LilyStrong</div>
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The hospital magically transforms into a spa</div>
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Nurse Kerry is also quite the artist,</div>
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and a hospital stay is never complete without</div>
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a Hello Kitty on Lily's board </div>
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Over the summer Nurse Kerry asked Lily what she wanted to be</div>
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when she grew up, and Lily told her, </div>
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"I want to be YOU!"</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qOFrTi5sRVY/UpDbmlizEzI/AAAAAAAABuI/UVT0uHQrzNs/s1600/66120_10200335401167940_94267963_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qOFrTi5sRVY/UpDbmlizEzI/AAAAAAAABuI/UVT0uHQrzNs/s400/66120_10200335401167940_94267963_n.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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Nurse Kerry may or no may not have almost cried :-)</div>
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fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-78002643150881455602013-08-05T22:51:00.000-04:002013-08-05T22:51:00.991-04:00Lily's Intestinal Malrotation<br />
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Not only did God make Lily Grace beautiful on the outside, </div>
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He made her unique and exquisite on the inside too!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VV-AT4OC6tM/UgBbViKFRsI/AAAAAAAABq8/9uC5bxIYJbQ/s1600/IMG_3360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VV-AT4OC6tM/UgBbViKFRsI/AAAAAAAABq8/9uC5bxIYJbQ/s640/IMG_3360.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Lily has complete situs inversus totalis, </div>
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which means all of her organs are situated </div>
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on the opposite side of her body.</div>
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Lily's organs are arranged similar to the photo on the right.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HSnyLSOksdg/UgBcB7Kpc3I/AAAAAAAABrE/VZ25OUh4nkc/s1600/situs+inversus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HSnyLSOksdg/UgBcB7Kpc3I/AAAAAAAABrE/VZ25OUh4nkc/s400/situs+inversus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For the past 9 months, Lily has complained of severe</div>
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belly pain, and has experienced bouts of intense retching.</div>
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An upper GI last week revealed that Lily has intestinal malrotation.</div>
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Obstruction caused by volvulus or Ladd's bands</div>
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is a potentially
life-threatening problem. </div>
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The bowel can stop functioning and intestinal
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from lack of blood supply if an obstruction</div>
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recognized and treated. </div>
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Volvulus, especially, is an emergency situation, </div>
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with the entire small intestine in jeopardy.</div>
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So tomorrow morning, at 11:30am Lily will have intestinal surgery.</div>
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Since Lily's anatomy is so unique, </div>
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the surgery will begin as exploratory</div>
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while they figure out where all of her anatomy is exactly.</div>
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During the surgery, which is called a <strong>Ladd procedure</strong>, </div>
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the intestine is straightened out, the Ladd's bands are divided, </div>
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the
small intestine is folded into one side of the abdomen, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and the
colon is placed on the other side. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Because the appendix is usually found on the left side </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of the abdomen when there is malrotation </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(normally, the appendix is found on the
right), </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it is removed. Otherwise, should Lily ever develop appendicitis, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it could complicate diagnosis and treatment. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-goP3X0UBLOs/UgBhTgmILsI/AAAAAAAABrk/vL_aN1EHKtc/s1600/IMG_3370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-goP3X0UBLOs/UgBhTgmILsI/AAAAAAAABrk/vL_aN1EHKtc/s640/IMG_3370.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lily and I have been hanging out in the hospital since Saturday.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lily has been on IV Heparin from the evening we arrived</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
because we needed to stop her Coumadin </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
several days before the surgery.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This surgery is considered high risk due to her heart,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and her clotting disorder. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Please be praying for a safe surgery,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and that the surgeons are able to fix her intestines</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and bring her belly relief!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>There we will receive his mercy, </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Hebrews 4:16</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-20444038126265713322013-06-03T17:49:00.001-04:002013-06-03T17:50:13.036-04:00Addy Hope - Memorial <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Addy Hope Rancourt</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>May 6th, 2013</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Step softly, a dream lies buried here."</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-32081580294718002562013-05-15T07:03:00.001-04:002013-05-15T07:14:05.933-04:00Addy Hope - The Birth Story<div style="text-align: center;">
Today was our due date.<br />
Wednesday, May 15th, 2013.<br />
<br />
Since it was written in my day planner 8 months ago,<br />
highlighted and with a little heart under it,<br />
I feel like I need to do "something"<br />
today about that. <br />
<br />
Every birth has a story. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is the story of how our precious Addy Hope entered the world, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
after she had already opened her eyes for the first time</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in heaven.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sunday morning (May 5th) I was not feeling well. I had been up all night tossing and turning from the end of pregnancy discomforts, and also due to a cold that my four girls so generously shared with me. Jacques was preaching that morning, so he got the girls up and ready and took them all to worship while I drug myself into Urgent Care. I was pretty confident I only had a cold, but Jacques wanted a doctor to confirm. Much to our relief, I was diagnosed with "The Common Cold". I rallied for a few hours when Jacques and the girls returned home from church, but headed upstairs around 4pm for a nap. I distinctly remember laying on my right side and feeling a ton of kicks from the baby. Soon after, I fell asleep. Little did I know at the time that those kicks would be the last ones I would ever feel.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The rest of the evening and night I was miserable. I was limited to taking only Tylenol, and that simply did not even touch any of my discomfort. Monday morning rolled around, and it struck me that I had not felt the baby move since 4pm the afternoon before. This baby was a mover and a shaker so I remember thinking that this was odd. I ate a granola bar, and had some juice but still nothing. I called my OB around 8:30am, and she told me to go to Labor and Delivery for a non-stress test. I finished packing a suitcase since the nurse told me that depending upon what the test showed, they may choose to induce me. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The little secret that Jacques and I had been keeping since the week prior was that we were scheduled to be induced on Wednesday, May 8th...my father-in-law's birthday. Jacques and I were giddy with excitement about the thought that we would get to call and say "Happy Birthday" from the delivery room.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I arrived to the hospital, and was not really even concerned at this point. I excitedly walked to the Labor and Delivery area thinking that today "might" be THE day. The nurses were all smiles as I approached the nurses station, and one even commented that she loved my black and white bubble necklace. Kate introduced herself to me, and said she would be my nurse. We walked over to Room 8 and talked about my girls while she hooked me up to the non-stress test. I was in the middle of telling her about Mackenzie when she placed the heart rate monitor on my belly. Nothing. I remember telling her that they always find the baby's heartbeat very low. And then I realized, she was already searching down very low. Kate was very calm, and kept searching. Nothing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At that moment I knew. I had so many non-stress tests during the past few weeks, and the baby's powerful heartbeat was always heard immediately upon putting the probe on my belly. Kate said she was going to go and get the sonogram machine, and would be right back. I frantically called Jacques, who was at work next door, and told him they couldn't find the baby's heartbeat and to come quickly. Moments later, my OB walked in the room with Kate and she immediately began the sonogram. She went straight to the heart, and without uttering a word, I knew. I burst into tears, and my OB hugged me as I sobbed into her shoulder. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Jacques entered the room a couple minutes later, and all I could say was, "we lost the baby". We held each other as best we could through our body wracking sobs. It was awful.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Jacques and I were prepared for so much, but not this. No one ever is. I already knew the answer, but asked the OB what would happen next. Within a short time, I was hooked up to an IV receiving fluids. The anesthesiologist came in and administered the epidural, and then Pitocin was started to induce labor. I labored for about 8 long hours. My blood pressure kept crashing very low, so as uncomfortable as it was,
my bed needed to be virtually flat during the entire 8 hours. There was no laughter or excitement in the room as I was accustomed to during labor. No talk of "is it a boy" or "is it a girl" like with our other two deliveries. The thing about this labor that I will never forget is that there was no heartbeat rhythmically beating in the background. A deafening silence rang in my ears for 8 long hours.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
About an hour and half before delivery, it was decided to bump up the Pitocin. My OB explained that typically they cannot do this since the concern is always focused on the fetal heart rate. Unfortunately, this was not a concern for our baby, as much as I wished it was at that very moment. Before I knew it, I remembered that familiar "pressure feeling" accompanied by a lot of pain. Sure enough it was time. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
To keep with our tradition, the OB allowed Jacques to put on a gown and gloves. He stood with the OB at the base of the bed, and the OB walked him through how to deliver our baby. Jacques' hands have always been the first hands to hold our children. This baby was no exception. Jacques carefully pulled our baby from the birth canal, and placed its precious body on my chest. The OB told him to check out its gender. To all of you naysayers (I say this in the most loving of ways) who could not imagine not knowing the gender of your child before birth, this was the crescendo of our baby's birth story. I held my breath until Jacques said, "It's a girl!". A girl? No way! I was 100% sure she was a boy. So much so that I even had Jacques convinced. What a beautiful surprise.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After we told the nurses and OB that her name was Addy Hope, I remember closing my eyes. I did not want to forget this moment. I could feel the weight of her body against mine. And she was warm. So very warm. The only crying heard in the room was from Jacques and I. Oh how we longed and continue to long for the cry of newborn life ringing in our ears.<br />
<br />
Other than discovering that our "son" was indeed Addy Hope, perhaps the most memorable part of her birth story occurred when Kate waited with me in the wheelchair while Jacques went to go and pull around the car. Kate told me that she can tell a lot about a couple by they way they treat each other in the labor and delivery room...even in the most normal and perfect of situations. She said that in all of her years of working as a nurse in labor and delivery, she had never met a couple like Jacques and I. She was amazed at how we handled Addy's birth with grace, and treated each other. She said there was something "different" about us. <br />
<br />
It's easy to talk the talk. I have said a lot of words over the past two years through this blog. It is a different story to live out your faith. Addy's death and birth have been the most heart wrenching part of my life so far. I love the song, "Live Like That" by Sidewalk Prophets. The lyrics say:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"I want to live like that, and give it all I have</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
so that everything I say and do</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
points to You."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"People pass, and even if they don't know my name</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
is there evidence that I've been changed?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When they see me do they see You?"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwZsywhXDg8" target="_blank">"Live Like That" by Sidewalk Prophets</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I can confidently say that what Kate saw in Jacques and I was Jesus. He is the center of our marriage and of our family. Jacques and I did not have the strength on our own to make it through the birth and delivery of our deceased daughter, Addy Hope, alone. The only explanation is that Jesus was ever present in that delivery room carrying Jacques and I through the most difficult day (and days to follow) of our lives. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Yes, even through the hurt "I want to live like that".</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R276I1e9_TE/UZNrVO6Pv_I/AAAAAAAABqY/oCXVs35-jpM/s1600/IMG_2503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R276I1e9_TE/UZNrVO6Pv_I/AAAAAAAABqY/oCXVs35-jpM/s640/IMG_2503.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-309310142653074072013-05-09T09:48:00.000-04:002013-05-09T09:48:51.936-04:00Healthy GrievingWhile a person is grieving, absolutely nothing about it feels healthy. As a matter of fact, my head is throbbing right now, my eyes are bulging and swollen, and my chest feels like the elephants from the Circus are still in town and camping out there. But, grieving is necessary, and ultimately healthy. <br />
<br />
Yesterday, we took the big girls to the funeral home to say hello and goodbye to their baby sister Addy Hope. This is not what we expected or planned to do, but there is no playbook and every child grieves differently. Dryden and Soleil were adamant that they needed to "see" and "touch" Addy. The funeral home director was amazing, and he made Addy look like an absolute princess baby lying under a beautiful spring time quilt. Her lips were perfectly pink, and it looked like she may wake up and cry at any moment.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qbGuype4oQA/UYumKOdmDeI/AAAAAAAABps/MAaPlr-pMPI/s1600/946092_10152336445321002_1784336136_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qbGuype4oQA/UYumKOdmDeI/AAAAAAAABps/MAaPlr-pMPI/s640/946092_10152336445321002_1784336136_n.jpg" width="480" /> </a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Dryden documenting her sister Addy so she never forgets...</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LggRkNDsGOY/UYumEzMLZUI/AAAAAAAABpk/YDTzpwJl9JA/s1600/428681_10152336448751002_1433502871_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LggRkNDsGOY/UYumEzMLZUI/AAAAAAAABpk/YDTzpwJl9JA/s640/428681_10152336448751002_1433502871_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Jacques and I studied our sweet girl from top to bottom many times.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I assure you, </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
everything was perfect.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Addy Hope was a perfect gift from God,</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
and I was blessed to have carried her for 39 weeks.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m-5zcuD9XVk/UYuoXn6Hx-I/AAAAAAAABp0/fhVEK7hp9so/s1600/IMG_2493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m-5zcuD9XVk/UYuoXn6Hx-I/AAAAAAAABp0/fhVEK7hp9so/s400/IMG_2493.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qbGuype4oQA/UYumKOdmDeI/AAAAAAAABpo/1NKCewxlMQs/s1600/946092_10152336445321002_1784336136_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-19336279672405902562013-05-07T09:07:00.001-04:002013-05-07T09:07:15.051-04:00"Don't worry, I gotcha!"
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If we were given the opportunity to paint the picture of our
own future, things might look completely different. But we aren’t. Instead, we
understand that our lives – present and future, rest in the hands of the master
painter. What that means is, we don’t know what the future holds. We don’t try
to control the hands of the one who holds us. </div>
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We let Him paint the masterpiece.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometimes it feels like a masterpiece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One year ago today, we added two incredibly
beautiful and wonderfully designed girls to our family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mackenzie Ty and Lily Grace became ours. Our
lives will never be same because of it. In just one year, our family has seen
the power of what love can do. While people would whisper to us, “Those girls
are so lucky you rescued them”, we understood that in fact, the opposite was
the case. In many ways, they rescued us. They showed and are showing us that
when God paints a picture of a family, it comes in all shapes, and colors and
sizes. </div>
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And love; love can overcome anything. </div>
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We learned to trust the one painting the masterpiece. And
although there were many moments of doubt – believe it or not, trusting was
easy. Lily was getting stronger. Mackenzie was soaking up the love of a family.
Dryden and Soleil had survived the initial shock, and were embracing their new
sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can do this, we thought – we
like the picture the artist is painting. </div>
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Sometimes it does feel like a
masterpiece!</div>
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Sometimes it doesn’t. As most of you reading this blog
already know, just over 9 months ago, Emily and I found out the shock of a
lifetime, another baby was on the way. Just a couple months into the pregnancy,
our worlds were rocked to learn that our precious baby had Down’s Syndrome and a major heart defect.
When the shock wore off, we not only moved to the point of embracing this new
reality, we were looking forward to it – even excited about it. We spent the
next few months bantering over names, taking bets as to whether it is a boy or
a girl, and surviving multiple ultrasounds and echocardiograms that represented
an opportunity for someone to ruin the surprise. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Boy or girl - we couldn’t wait to be surprised!</div>
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<br /></div>
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We weren’t prepared for the surprise that crushed every part
of a parent that could be crushed. Last night, at 8:00 p.m., my brave wife
Emily delivered Addy Hope Rancourt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
delivered our daughter only after finding out she had already died. She arrived
to us, the most beautiful and angelic 7lbs, 14oz, girl you could imagine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet we never got to hear her cry, see her
beautiful lips pucker up, or feel her tiny hands grasp onto our fingers. </div>
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Sometimes it doesn’t feel like a masterpiece. </div>
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And although
right now, I want to grab the brush and finish the painting myself, I know I
can’t. We can’t. I am tempted to think that I could paint a much better
masterpiece for our lives. Our minds are filled with questions like “Why” and
“How”, and we can’t get the “What if’s” out of our head. We are trying to make
sense of our thoughts and feelings, but I am not sure we ever will. </div>
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<br /></div>
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All I can
ask of you is this: Pray for us. Pray for our family. Pray that we can trust
the one who is holding the brush. Pray that we can celebrate the beautiful
strokes that are Dryden and Soleil and Mackenzie and Lily. And pray that we can
always see the incredible beauty that is in the stroke Addy Hope. We love you
all. </div>
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You may or may not know that the anniversary of the day you get your
adopted child is called “Gotcha Day”. And we are celebrating that. And we take
great comfort in the fact that our God has already whispered to Addy, “Don’t
worry, I gotcha!"</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yqPf2wJKZiY/UYjuE9p4NHI/AAAAAAAABpQ/FPEIGow2CVk/s1600/attachment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yqPf2wJKZiY/UYjuE9p4NHI/AAAAAAAABpQ/FPEIGow2CVk/s400/attachment.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span class="text Matt-5-45" id="en-NIV-23280"><span class="woj">He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="text Matt-5-45" id="en-NIV-23280"><span class="woj">and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.</span></span></i> </div>
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<i>Mathew 5:45</i></div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-6801802850457087152013-04-30T10:10:00.002-04:002013-04-30T10:10:11.903-04:00The Unsung Heroes!This blog started out as a journal that I intended to share with Mackenzie and Lily someday about how they became a treasured part of the Rancourt family. Today, as I look through the blog post titles, this blog has become so much more. <br />
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It is our entire family's journey through times of</div>
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joy, </div>
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hope,</div>
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sorrow, </div>
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redemption, </div>
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healing,</div>
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hurting, </div>
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love, </div>
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and abundant blessings </div>
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that Jacques and I could never have dreamed or imagined.</div>
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Today I want to share with you a little about the true unsung heroes of our family...Dryden and Soleil. The transformations that Jacques and I have seen in these precious little girls over the past year has been nothing short of astounding. They went from being the center of our attention and affection, to having to share us with two very sick and love needy sisters overnight. They had become accustomed to being the "Pastor's children" whom everyone fussed over as soon as they stepped foot into worship; to being passed by without a single glance by well intentioned people who were interested in hearing updates on their new little sisters. With surgeries and long hospital stays, Dryden and Soleil have had to sacrifice their want and often times their need to have mommy and papa available to them.</div>
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Soleil is our helper! She is most happy when she is serving others or giving gifts. Soleil loves to get her little sisters dressed in the morning and changed into their pajamas at bedtime, which is not always an easy feat when you are dealing with a very independent 3 and 4 year old who like to get dressed by themselves. I'm excited for Soleil to have the opportunity very soon to help change and dress the new baby, whenever s/he decides to arrive! Soleil shows great excitement in teaching her little sisters about God, and rejoices every time she asks them, "Do you love God?" and they loudly proclaim, "YES!". Soleil has been an amazing role model for the little girls, and when you watch her in action with them you can see her love oooze out and help heal the wounds of their broken past.</div>
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Dryden is the leader! You will often find Dryden as the line leader with Mackenzie and Lily trailing her throughout the house dressed up as a "blue princess" and a "pink princess". Dryden has an amazing imagination just like her papa, which makes playtime so fun and creative for the littles. Mackenzie and Lily look up to Dryden, and emulate her every move. The little girls love when Dryden plays school with them, and especially when she reads them books. She is loving, kind, and gentle. If Jacques and I are not around, and one of them gets hurt, Dryden is the next person they look to for comfort. Although Dryden has informed us that if the new baby is a girl she will ignore her since she already has enough little sisters, Jacques and I know this is the farthest thing from the truth! </div>
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This past Sunday, Jacques and I were laughing in the kitchen listening to the four girls playing "orphanage adoption". The girls were adopting all of their baby dolls from an orphanage, and the sweet (and hilarious) comments coming out of their mouths had us in stitches. Oh how I wish I had half the concept of abandonment and adoption as they do at their tender ages! </div>
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Mackenzie and Lily truly hit the jackpot </div>
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when God chose Dryden and Soleil to be their sisters!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Matt-25-40" id="en-NIV-24049"><span class="woj">‘Truly I tell you, </span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Matt-25-40" id="en-NIV-24049"><span class="woj">whatever you did for one of the least of these</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Matt-25-40" id="en-NIV-24049"><span class="woj"> brothers and sisters of mine, </span></span><span class="text Matt-25-40" id="en-NIV-24049"><span class="woj">you did for me.’</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text Matt-25-40" id="en-NIV-24049"><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Mathew 25:40 </i></span></span></span></div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160760919464419725.post-3335923865072102362013-04-27T14:00:00.000-04:002013-04-27T14:00:45.738-04:00Baby Rancourt's Heart Check-up!Yesterday was Baby Rancourt's last heart check up before he or she makes an appearance! We arrived bright and early to the Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC for an 8:30am echocardiogram. The baby has a Complete Atrioventricular Canal defect, which is a large hole in the center of the heart affecting all four chambers
where they would normally be divided. When a heart is properly divided,
the oxygen-rich blood from the lungs does not mix with the oxygen-poor
blood from the body. A CAVC allows blood to mix and the chambers and
valves to not properly route the blood to each station of circulation.<br />
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Dr. Donofrio told us that we will have to be very in tune to the baby's sleeping, eating, breathing, alertness, etc. because within 2-3 weeks of it's birthday, the baby will be in heart failure. We did learn that if the baby does not show signs that it needs medicine for its breathing and heart, this is actually bad. If no outward symptoms occur this means that the baby's lung pressures will be way too high, which would indicate the need for emergency open heart surgery. Dr. Donofrio's goal is for our little one to be at least 2-3 months old before surgery since the teeny tiny newborn hearts do not hold the valve stitches very well for this type of heart defect. <br />
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So, as crazy as it may sound, </div>
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we will be praying for our baby to go into heart failure</div>
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and all of the symptoms that go along with it. </div>
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We did learn that the baby is estimated to be about 6 lbs 14 oz, and the ultrasound technician said she could see lots of hair. Jacques and I will believe it when we see it since we have only produced bald babies! The anticipation of meeting our new son or daughter, brother or sister is running high in our house. </div>
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Stay tuned because the next blog post you see </div>
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about Baby Rancourt #5 will be a birth announcement </div>
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and the revealing of whether the Rancourts will have a </div>
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5th Princess or their very 1st Prince.</div>
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<i> May the God of hope fill you </i></div>
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<i>with all joy and peace in believing, </i></div>
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<i>so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.<br />Romans 15:13</i></div>
fornsc3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13677113142794944719noreply@blogger.com3