Tuesday night Jason witnessed something no parent should ever have to see. He was at Abel’s bedside when he stopped breathing. The doctors and nurses immediately started CPR and a code was called. The compressions went on for ten minutes without him responding so they called for ECMO. ECMO is a heart and lung bypass machine. It is life support. Abel’s guardian angels were watching over him again that night because his heart surgeon was still in the building and was able to initiate ECMO in his room, on the heart floor, for the first time ever. Typically, ECMO is initiated in the operating room or on the intensive care floor. Once again, the Children’s staff saved Abel from a potentially fatal outcome.

 

We are now back in the PICU and Abel has constant care. One nurse on the ECMO machine, one at his bedside and he’s fighting harder than ever. 

 

Yesterday, on our expected list date, we were told he would need to come off ECMO before he could be listed. They tried weaning him off the day before and his little lungs just couldn’t take it. The nurses then discovered Abel has parainfluenza. A diagnosis that was more than likely the culprit of the respiratory distress leading to the code. After attempting to come off the machine again yesterday without success, they have decided he needs to rest more than be pushed and he needs a heart as fast as possible. At 7:39am this morning we were told Abel was going to be listed and at 9:11am it was official. WE ARE ON THE LIST!!!

 

We ask you today to continue to pray and send all good things Abel’s way but also please pray for his future donor family. Wherever they may be, they are going to need our love and support too. It is win-lose situation that weighs heavy on our hearts. Thank you all so much for following our journey…this is just the beginning!