11-9-2024 Early
Good Saturday morning! The events of the night have not been positive. There is an extreme amount of prayer needed now. Some imaging revealed that the damage to the brain and the complications form that damage are causing significant challenges. Hannah is still alive. She has been resedated. because they believe that she may have had a seizure on the way to the radiology department. In order to leave the room, the EEG had to be disconnected, so there was no digital record of what happened in the brain. We need a miracle at this point. You all have been so amazing!
We are blessed.
Day 5 3pm update:
Thank you all for your love and support! It has been a tough week, and honestly, we are not sure how much more we can take. When we were at the hospital when Hannah was born, I was struck by the reality, that although we were celebrating something exceptionally unique and special, that was not the case for most of the people that I was passing in the halls.
Today, only slightly over 19 years from that momentous day, we find ourselves once again in a similar scenario, but on the other side this time. The neurologists and teams of doctors clearly state that there is absolutely nothing that can be done. As they explained, the brain is swelling do to the death of a significant amount of brain tissue. Removing the fluid would not change the harsh reality that Hannah, our beloved daughter, most certainly will not survive this! There are no negotiations or choices to be made. The events of last Monday night led to a far too prolonged period in which her brain was deprived of oxygen. Although this was revealed by the MRI, the full extent of the damage had not been reached yet at that point, so every attempt was made to give her body all the support it could get in order to try to achieve a better outcome. But, as the days have passed, the dead cells have broken down, causing catastrophic swelling. That has led to the brain itself, compressing the brain stem, leading to an extreme slowing down of her heart that we saw early this morning.
With all that being said, we have been in contact with Versiti, the Wisconsin organization for organ donation. Our incredible loss can save perhaps 5-8 lives! and help many more with other tissue. We cannot hold onto that which we cannot keep, when other lives can be saved! We do not want other parents or families to have to endure what we are.
At this time, recipients are being matched up with Hannah’s organs. Tomorrow she will go in for “surgery”, but only others will come out alive.
It is not too late for a true miracle because she is still alive, but it would have to be of Biblical proportion.
We are worn out and beat up. Please pray for us. We feel your love.
We are blessed.
6:20 PM
Of the many doctors here on staff that we have run into, one named Charlie, has stood out to our family. He is the perfect mix of knowledge, skill, personality, and communication skills. He took time to clearly explain everything to us and sat and helped us understand and deal with this horrific situation.
7:30 PM
Tomorrow, there will be an “honor walk” as Hannah is taken from her room to the operating room. We would like to invite anyone who wishes to attend to come. Due to the nature of these preparations, a specific time is not able to be provided yet. They say between 9 and 3, and we will get a specific time early in the morning. We will share it then. We are at Froedtert hospital in Milwaukee.
As a family, there are holes throughout our hearts. We are worn out. We are struggling to make it to the end. We don’t remember a good night’s sleep. If no miracle occurs, we will need some space and time for healing.
If you see a heart lying broken on the floor, it’s one of ours, yet
We are blessed
Hannah Helps 