So Much to be Thankful for...

JW is still in the hospital, but improving. He did have a rough night a couple of nights ago in regards to his respiration, but he is doing better now. He is still not at an oxygen level that would allow him to come home, but we hope he will be soon. I hope to be able to report more in the next day or so.

As Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, our family has so much to be thankful for. We are thankful for each other and the strength, hope, and faith that has resonated through and to and from each of us over the past year since JW's birth. It has been trying at times and we are blessed indeed to have one another. We are thankful for JW's life and how his life has touched each of ours in ways that can never be explained. We are thankful for Allie and Wacy and how they have gone through the tough times with grace and a maturity that is beyond their youthful years AND how they have still been the best of parents to Tristin and Mitchell through it all. We are thankful for Tristin and Mitchell too...how they both light up our worlds and bring such joy to our hearts. We are thankful for the love of God that has surrounded us and held us tight when we most needed it. We are thankful for the blessings of friends and extended family who continue to be so faithful and caring in lending a hand, praying, comforting, and much more. We are thankful for peace that comes only from God, Our Father, and how He has provided it when we needed it more than anything. And we are thankful for each of you, for standing by and showing your love for us and JW...may God bless you greatly, in the ways you need His blessing most. Thank you for following JW's story and praying with us.

~Lindy

On the Mend

JW was taken off the ventilator yesterday! Praise God for that! Poor little fella was pretty hungry and sleepy after being off his milk (overnight, I think) and having an eventful day all around. They have to take him off milk prior to removing the tube and ventilator. Allie said he was so fussy and she knew he just wanted to eat and sleep...so, he is feeling more like his usual self again. JW had been on 1/4 liter (per minute) of oxygen prior to going into the hospital but he is now using 4 liters per minute. Before he can go home, he will need to get down to a more normal oxygen level. Overall, he has improved greatly in the past few days and will hopefully be home soon. Please keep checking the blog or our facebook pages for updates. Again, there are not words to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers through this ordeal and over the past year. Please continue to keep JW, Allie, Wacy, Tristin, and Mitchell in your prayers. May God bless each of you for your faithfulness and selflessness. We have so much to be thankful for as this Thanksgiving holiday rolls around. Let us remember how blessed we are throughout this week and always!

~Lindy

Improvment All Around

As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, today we are thankful for continued good news. JW has improved more and the doctors are hoping to extubate him tomorrow (Sat.) and get him off the ventilator. He may have to have a higher level of oxygen for a while, but I'm not sure on that just yet. Also, Allie says he was more awake today and she actually got a smile out of him, which definitely means he is feeling better. I will report more later Sat. night or Sun. morning. Thank you again, for all the prayers, thoughts, and kind words you have sent JW's way. He is an amazing, resilient little guy and we are so thankful for the answered prayers of many when it come to him.

Nov. 19 update

I just talked to Allie a couple of hours ago and here's the latest...JW's overall condition has improved since yesterday. His lungs are looking better and the ventilator was lowered, meaning he is able to do more on his own. All good stuff! He is still listed as stable, but he is still in PICU. His blood pressure is back to normal and they have started him on a chest physical therapy machine or CPT which uses rhythmic vibration or percussion applied to the chest wall to loosen secretions from the respiratory tract and/or force them from smaller airways into larger ones where they can be better dealt with. Allie said this made a huge difference in JW's respiration quality. Allie and Wacy are headed back again tomorrow, so I will update once I hear from them. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who is so faithfully praying for JW and our family. It is because of each of you and God's grace that JW continues to improve and recover from a grave situation AND that our family manages to hold ourselves together in love and strength. Blessings to you all.

One more thing, Allie forwarded a photo of JW taken today and after much debate, we have decided to put it on the blog...mainly so everyone can see 1) how big the little guy is now, since we haven't put up any pics in a while and 2)the reality of JW's current situation. If you are sensitive to things of a semi-graphic nature, please do not view the following photo, but I, personally, do think it is any worse than the ones shown in the earliest posts on this blog. We do realize some of you may be sensitive to such things, hence the following warning.

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WARNING: The following photo may be graphic in nature, please do not share this photo with your children or anyone who might be sensitive to its nature.
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Nov. 18

Please be praying for our little guy as he is back in the hospital as of yesterday. Early yesterday morning, Allie was alerted to JW's respiratory distress and within a short time he was air lifted to San Antonio. His left (not his right as previously reported) lung is collapsed; he is intubated and on a ventilator as his body is having difficulty supporting his respiratory needs. He was also having difficulty regulating his blood pressure, which is now being managed with the help of medication. Overall, he is stable, but still in the pediatric ICU. We believe his current condition was brought on, first, by an ear infection that caused other complications and caused him to have excess secretions that he aspirated on. Allie and Wacy are on their way back to SA today and we should have more news this afternoon or evening. Until then, please pray for JW's health, a speedy recovery, JW's doctors, and Allie and Wacy for strength. More to come as soon as I hear an update.

~Lindy

PS. An update on the last post regarding the geneticist's report. The dr. found nothing in all of the test results that would lead him to believe any of JW's health issues stem from a genetic source, but instead were likely caused by "birth injury", whether this occurred in the womb or during delivery will probably never be determined.

Thank you to all who continue to pray for JW and our family. God and your prayers are the source of our strength and hope.