Your prayers are needed!

Another reason it was extra special to all be together at New Year’s was to support Mike’s sister Karen and her husband Greg. They are expecting their third child (and first son) this May. At their 19-week sonogram, the baby was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a very serious condition where the left side of the heart (left ventricle, aortic valve, and aorta) is severely underdeveloped. There are two major treatment options for babies with hypoplastic left heart syndrome — a three-stage surgical procedure, which reconstructs the child's heart so it can work using only two of the heart's four chambers or a heart transplant. The three open heart surgeries are the Norwood operation, bidirectional Glenn operation, and the Fontan operation. The Norwood operation is done very soon after birth, and converts the right ventricle into the main, or systemic ventricle. The bidirectional Glenn operation is done when the baby is 3-6 months old, and diverts half of the blood returning from the body to the lungs. The Fontan operation is the last stage of the staged palliation, and diverts all of the blood returning from the body to the lungs. It is typically done between 2-4 years of age. The most critical time, and the time of the highest mortality for the baby, is the time between the two first surgeries. Approximately 75% of babies survive.

Needless to say, our new nephew needs many prayers, so please keep Karen, Greg and the baby in your prayers. I can’t even begin to describe the feelings and sadness I experienced when hearing this difficult news. Karen has started a blog they will update to keep friends and family informed on their journey. I have added a link (The Ward Family Blog) on my “Friends with Blogs” section.