Standing UP!

Today Sara worked with Physio, and sat up and stood up! She is doing really well, we even got to go to the Beach (area with many play centers & activities)! We love that we get to move around, it's hard because we have to move the Ikus (machine that controls the Berlin Heart), the meds/IV tower and Sara in a stroller all at once! Tomorrow if it's sunny we may get to go outside for some fresh air! 

Sara's lungs have been doing fairly well now with no pneumonia, but she still has a bad cough. Please pray for Sara's cold to get better, her chest to heal from the incision and the tape burns. Also that she will improve and be more mobile, that her strength will come back so she can get around again. Hopefully she'll be able to eat again so they can take out the feeding tube. She keeps impressing us everyday with how she's improving, thank the Lord!

more progress

Sara was quite happy today, to be reading, colouring and watching movies. Today they sent off cultures to see if she has any infections, and are watching her temperature and white blood cells closely and they have been higher then normal. We had a very busy day with all the doctors coming in to see Sara. She is doing really well with the dressing changes each day, which is quite the procedure, and she does it without any pain meds! They're very impressed that she's handling it so well, and she was thrilled when she got to have a prize from the "treasure chest". We're praying that she can continue to eat foods on top of the feeds she gets in the feeding tube. Also that she will be able to keep it down, with the cough she has it's hard not to gag sometimes. Your prayers have helped us tremendously, and we're praising the Lord for his strength and peace through it all.

In the ICE room on the 4th floor!

We have moved! Sara is now comfortably laying in bed in the ICE room. It's a transition from the PICU to the floor. Eventually we'll be in a semi-private room on the 4th floor, but for now we're enjoying the ICE room. Sara is more happy today, it's good to see those smiles and even laughs come out when she's playing with Hailey! Please pray with us as we work out the details of our schedule at the hospital with Sara, Joel's work and school with Hailey. We know we're going to be here a while, so it will be nice to start getting into a routine.
We're so happy to read all of your comments, and encouragements. We've had great times visiting with friends, and especially with family that have come from Salmon Arm, BC & High Level, AB. It is all such a blessing to us to have your support and prayers. Love from Joel, Karey, Hailey & Sara

Sweet Sara

Today was a good day spending time with Sara was fun because she was awake! She enjoyed watching the new Veggietales movie called "The penniless Princess" with a girl named Sweet Sara. When we'd play or read silly books we'd even get a smile out of her! They had to change out the Berlin Heart today, just because of blood clots forming in it. They didn't change the lines going into her, just the pump on the outside. Her appetite is coming back, so hopefully she'll be able to be eating soon, because she really wants to be! Even though we're there from early in the morning until late at night to be with her, she still worries about us leaving. She also doesn't like to see the Doctors or nurses anymore, and she'll get sad and cry. Now that they're able to manage her physically pray that we'll be able to help her emotionally, as it's fairly scary to be in the PICU.

Saturday update

Sara is progressing slowly, she's starting to talk a little bit. We're glad to be in the care of the PICU, but we're looking forward to getting up to the floor on 4C. It will be easier for Sara, and for us to start more of a normal routine. I think this will help with the state Sara's in, kind of a down/depressed mode, with no reactions and little emotion. Thanks for praying, we're still in need of it!

Last day of August

Sara's night was more stable after she came back from the OR. They found bleeding where her berlin heart is attached, so they stitched her up, and are monitoring her closely. Her oxygen saturations during the surgery were at an all time low of 7%, so there are concerns about her brain function. But we are seeing her respond to us, just like before - squeezing our hands when we ask her too, and trying to look up at us. We're praying that she will recover from this surgery just like before. She's stable now and resting, maybe later they will extuabate her breathing tube! Hopeful for tomorrow!

Thursday late night surgery...

Sara's in the OR, they found a clot outside her heart that they're removing now. She was having problems with low oxygen saturation, so they did a chest X-ray and an echo which both showed the clot. She's had a similar surgery on August 18th to remove large clots, and also flush her chest cavity. Sara was doing really well, but there will be ups & downs, so thank you for holding her up in prayer. God is with us!

Thank you so much for the surprise visits from friends & family, the care packages, gifts, love & prayers! We are well taken care of, and so blessed!

We'll post tomorrow about the outcome of her surgery.

Cuddle bug!

Highlight of my day - holding Sara! It was so good to be with her today, to cuddle with her on her bed and then holding her on my lap. She's so sweet, smiling and saying Mommy, and also Max when we talked about our dog. She still has pneumonia, and now a partially collapsed left lung, which is concerning. But she's still progressing with less lines and tubes then yesterday! Thank you so much for praying, it's the best support we could have! We know that God is working through Sara's journey to touch others, we pray that they will also turn to Jesus, his love for them is so great! 

Here's a video that we made for our friend Brooke, that was too cute not to share! The song they're singing is called "In the Highways, in the Hedges".

Extubation!

Today was a wonderful day! After being intubated for 12 days, Sara was extubated (she came off the ventilator), and is doing so well! Although she's not talking yet, she will be soon and we're thrilled to be able communicate with her again! She also came off some medication, and is on a little oxygen. Please pray that she gets rid of the pneumonia, and keeps coughing well. Her skin is so sensitive that tape often peels it off, so pray that it heals. She's doing great on the Berlin Heart. Today was a huge step to recovery, and we're so thankful, we're praising the Lord!

She loves her dollies, and to hold hands while we visit, she also loves watching movies with Hailey. She was looking at us a lot (with one eye because her eyes turn out), and it's so good to see her more awake! We love you Sara!

We are so grateful to all our visitors, it's so wonderful to visit with 

you and it means so much to us that you make the time to see us & Sara :)

Berlin Heart

 Today the Doctors were a little hesitant to go ahead with the Berlin Heart surgery because she has pneumonia. It's just not very severe, so after discussions in the OR they decided to go ahead! So far she is doing really well, and now we just have to wait for a heart. Thanks for praying!

Snuggles with her babies, and Hailey holding her hand before her surgery.

Here she is after her surgery

This is the little pump, the Berlin Heart, with a line to a large cart 

where they control the pressures and settings