Miracles Happen.

EEG wires removed- so nice to rub his head again.

Talking to Great Aunt Sheri.

Sleepy, snuggly boy.

Friday’s brain ultrasound report came back normal. The report read that the previous subtle asymmetrical increase echo in his right temporal lobe was artifact. We were all happy with these results and had no direct medical concerns but the doctors still wanted to get better pictures for informational purposes. With Caelin’s impressive stability, they ordered him to have an MRI before he is extubated (taken off the ventilator). He was supposed to go down on Saturday at 2:00 PM but as Cael’s nurse was getting prepared for the trip downstairs, they called to reschedule for Sunday at 9:00 AM. Also on Friday, the EEG wires were removed from Caelin's head- the improvements were favorable and the neurologist felt his brain activity no longer needed to be monitored.

Caelin’s echocardiogram from Friday showed strong heart function. His heart is squeezing tightly but the Coarchtation (obstruction in his Aorta- aka Coarc) still has created a 20-30 mm pressure gradient. This Coarc needs to be fixed soon. Ideally they would like to wait until his Glen in August or September but Caelin does not have the ability to wait that long. So their second ideal situation is to wait two weeks and address it surgically for it to be a definitive fix. If he cannot wait two weeks, they will fix it with a stent that will be intermittently dilated as his body grows. The doctors have a weekly conference- this week it is on Tuesday because of Memorial day- and Caelin is on the list of patients to be discussed. So hopefully next week we will have a better idea of what Caelin’s heart can sustain and what their plan is to fix his Aorta.

So Friday night, all day Saturday, and into Sunday morning Caelin was stable. He was awake, alert, interactive with visitors and even began smiling again. Every doctor, nurse, respiratory therapist, and CVICU staff member marveled at Caelin’s miraculous improvement. Each time our eyes met Cael’s we felt comfort and love permeate throughout our bodies. This feeling and connection with our son after the event we experienced on Monday is unlike any other.

Caelin went down to the MRI around 9:30 AM on Sunday. Mommy and Daddy were nervous for this procedure because although it is supposed to be straightforward we were afraid it could create another incident like Monday’s (Considering the cath lab was supposed to be a relatively straightforward procedure). Caelin needed to be put on cardiac anesthesia because he was wide-awake during his travel downstairs. Mommy walked backwards out of the room, keeping her eyes on Caelin as Dr. Rodriguez carried him to the MRI machine. The doors slowly closed and locked in front of Mommy’s face and tears began flowing. Just as she looked over at Sean, Dr. Rodriguez yelled something that sounded like “Code.” Code means emergency. As an immediate response Mommy’s knees got weak, her heart started racing, and she couldn’t breathe. She tried pulling on the doors but to no avail. The nurses and Daddy came over to Mommy to calm her down- after realizing everything was okay in the lab, Mommy was directed to the waiting room with slight resistance. Later, Dr. Rodriguez told us he said, “It’s Cold,” referring to the temperature of the room. However, combined with his deep, loud voice, accent, and Mommy’s fears- she heard the worst. Thank goodness Cael made it through the hour-long procedure just fine. We got the results and they show that Caelin did not sustain any damage from lack of oxygenated blood flow during his cardiac arrest and 50 minutes of CPR. But it did show a possible tiny brain hemorrhage between his brain and skull- this is an unusual place for one, so they are hoping it is artifact. Because of this, he will have a repeat MRI tomorrow to check just that small part. This should take approximately 7 minutes so he does not need to have anesthesia or be intubated. The MRI also showed there is some sort of spherical obstruction in Caelin’s right nasal cavity. Because of its perfect spherical shape, the doctors believe it to be a benign polyp/cyst but an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist will be by today or tomorrow to check it out. Dr. Pettigrew, the head intensivist of the unit who was on all week, is shocked, to put it plainly, that Cael did not sustain any brain injuries that they can detect and that Cael and his numbers are near perfect for his condition. We all truly are so completely astonished with Cael’s improvement in just a week! Our little guy never ceases to amaze us, or the whole hospital staff! 

Leaving the room to go to the MRI.

Caelin on his trip to the MRI lab.

With all that said, Cael was extubated this morning and boy is he ever glad to have that tube out of his throat! He was supposed to be extubated yesterday but the anesthesia from the MRI made him too sleepy so Dr. Pettigrew felt more comfortable waiting until this morning. So he no longer has the breathing tube in but he does have a nasal cannula. It is protocol for children to get a cannula placed immediately after extubation to help them progress back to normal, independent breathing. One good thing is that he is stable on just 5.0 liters of flow at room air (21% oxygen) so the de-cannulation process shouldn’t be too long, hopefully. 

Extubated! Just on 5 liters of flow through the nasal cannula! 

Doing the "Happy Dance" after being extubated.

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On Thursday night one of the techs, Misty, asked Mommy if she ever read the book, Heaven is For Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo. After saying, “No, I have never even heard of it,” Misty gave Mommy her Nook with the book downloaded on it. If it had not been such an emotional and relevant story, Mommy would not have put the book down before finishing it. It was just too soon after Cael’s incident to read it all the way through- Mommy had to take breaks to relieve her overpowering thoughts and emotions.  In the book, the father, Todd, tells Colton’s story. Colton talks about seeing his dad praying in the waiting room during his operation and shares how God told him he could not stay in Heaven because He was answering his (Colton’s) dad’s prayer. Also, Colton tells of meeting his miscarried sister and shares many other remarkable particulars of what and who he saw while in heaven. 

One part that stuck out to Mommy is about the power of prayer. Todd writes, "I thought of the times where the Scripture says that God answered the prayers, not of the sick or dying, but of the friends of the sick or dying..." We are so thankful for all the love and support given to our family- all the prayers and thoughts from family, friends, and fans from around the world, the dedication from the hospital staff, and the spontaneous, heart-driven visits from Great Aunt Sheri, Great Aunt Keetha, and Aunt Cassie! We could not ask for more selfless, wonderful people in our life. Thank you for your genuine generosity & love. Never underestimate the power of prayer.

Whether or not you believe in God, the details this little boy shares about his experience are inexplicable and astonishing. This story also accounts for the normality of questioning and doubting God and His existence during heartbreaking and devastating times… but it also draws light on the reality that miracles can and do happen.