Sean

Just wanted to give a quick update on Jackie and the baby. After Sean was born, he faced a few difficulties. He was jaundiced, which is not uncommon, and spent some time under light therapy. He has had a hard time maintaining a good oxygen concentration in his blood, so he remains on oxygen. They have given him diuretics several times, hoping to clear some fluid off of his lungs and help them become more efficient, but at this point have not been successful. The doctors are unsure why his breathing is not improving on its own, and are keeping him on oxygen for the time being. They removed the feeding tube, and Sean has been nursing and eating from a bottle well. He is gaining weight, and this is fantastic news!

Looking at the various scans of his brain, it has become apparent that Sean has some significant brain damage in several areas. The full extent of his handicap is yet to be seen, however. It will take months, even years before Jackie and Dave will know exactly what Sean's specific needs will be. As I have said before, they have come a long way,and Sean is doing much better than anyone could have hoped 6 months ago. But he's not out of the woods yet.

Initially, the fluid on his brain was spontaneously draining and the doctors did not feel that brain surgery was immediately necessary. However, as of late last week, the draining stopped, and Sean had an increase in fluid in several of the ventricles. It will not be emergency surgery, but he will undergo the brain shunt operation soon. In fact, if an O/R is available, he will have the surgery today. If not, then they will most likely schedule it for this coming Monday.

Jackie is holding up pretty well. As you can imagine, she has her moments of emotional break down. I cannot imagine leaving my newborn in the hospital every night, or the thought of my 2 week old son having major surgery, especially with unresolved breathing issues looming overhead. I'm sure the feeling of helplessness is immense at times. She has found strength in God, and has a wonderfully supportive family, but it's still a rough road to travel. We continue to pray for them, and will do so, I imagine, for years to come.

Dave and Sean

Kathy (Grandma) and Sean

Jackie and Sean