Monday, June 24, 2013

Baby Ava

My post tonight concerns a sweet little girl who has been on my heart ever since Jake and I left SickKids.  In the room across the hall from us on 4D there was a sweet girl named Ava and her Mom - Lisa.  I can't claim to know them well, but in my conversations with Lisa she was incredibly upbeat and had a wonderful attitude that I admired.  Her strength was obvious, and her love for her children - all 5 of them - was too.  Ava's mom had shared a little of their journey with me, telling me that Ava had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), which was Jake's original diagnosis.  Further examination of Jake's heart showed that he had DILV and Hypoplastic RIGHT Heart Syndrome (HRHS) instead, but both Ava and Jake's conditions require the Norwood, Glenn and Fontan operations.  In Ava's case when she returned to SickKids for her Glenn, her family was told that she was not a candidate for this surgery but instead needed a heart transplant.  The wait list for a heart is usually at least 6 months.  During my days at SickKids I met families who had been waiting for a heart for their child for anywhere from 6-9 months...I cannot imagine the frustration felt by these families as they wait with their children.  To Ava's Mom, if you are reading this, please know that you and Ava and the rest of your family are in my thoughts and prayers.  Forgive me if I got any of the information about Ava wrong.  Jake has an amazing prayer support team from all over the world, and tonight I am asking for each of you who have prayed so long and hard for Jake to please pray for Ava too.  Your faith has been inspirational to me, and is helping  me along my own journey with Jake.  To my followers, if you'd like to follow along, here is the link to 6 and a Half Hearts - Ava's blog: www.sixandahalfhearts.com

I'd like to borrow the verse used by Ava's Mom in her latest blog post to claim for both Ava and Jacob today:

Psalm 31:24

24   Be strong, and let your heart take courage,  all you who wait for the Lord!

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