Today's update from Abby

Hi everyone!

It's Abby. I had a great day today. At 6AM I moved to the small breathing machine! I'ts called the nasal canola or cannula I think. This is just a small hose around my face and the prong thingies don't get stuffed up my nose like before. It's sooooo much better than that other thing. Mommy and daddy said I had to be good so the nurses don't give me the other machine again. And guess what? I've been GREAT! Just a few spells where I forgot to breath. But hey, I'm a preemie....what do you expect? Jeeez! Also, I'm pretty hungry these days. I get 5 cc's of mommy's milk every three hours! Let's see....what else? Oh yeah, I think I'm kicking these stinkin' fungus and bacteria infections. Mommy said something about the cultures still being negative today. I have no idea what that means but she was pretty happy about it so I guess it must be good. I pooped today! A bunch!!! Daddy was proud.

Tomorrow something is happening with my head. I heard daddy talking about it. I think they're going to poke it again. I'm actually excited about this because every time they do this, I feel better. I don't feel the poke at all either, so don't worry about that.

I really hope I have the energy to stay on the nasal camel or cannula or whatever its called. I sure don't want to go back on that other huge machine. Can you say a prayer for me that I will be strong?

Thank you everybody for all your love. It really means a lot. I can feel it! Please pray for my mommy and daddy too. I know they love me but I also know they miss my sisters. I do too; but that's okay because after we all have fun down here, we all get to play later in heaven.

I love you!!!

May 30 Update

From Ryan on Tuesday night:

Hello Abby Fans,
Today was a better day than yesterday. Abby didn't have any spells at all and she is officially 2 lbs! She is already off the ventilator (which she was put on during the broviac operation) and she is now on the CPAP. It's actually a different kind of CPAP though. This one doesn't stick prongs up her nose, but instead is just cups her nose. In order to keep this in place she has to wear this funky cap that velcros the tubes in place. It's supposed to be less invasive, but I can tell you that Abby doesn't think so. Not to worry though because she'll probably be back on the nasal cannula by the morning, at least that's our hope.

Her feedings are every three hours now and she's up to 4.5 CC's and seems to be tolerating it pretty well. Momma got to hold her today too.

Regarding the infections... Kelly got to talk to the the infectious disease Doctor today and he said that her fungus infection wasn't a terribly bad type of fungus as far fungi goes I guess. It's not very strong, and Abby has been on anti fungal medication for 5 or 6 days so he feels pretty confident that the fungus won't attack the broviac. Abby is also still on antibiotics for the bacteria infection that is in her system.

She got some more blood today too which really perked her up. (She gets blood every so often because the docs and nurses take so much from her for tests and she's too small to reproduce it herself...so nothing to worry about for you new-comers to our Abby's site!)

So all in all, it was a good day. Pray that Abby will get off that CPAP she doesn't like so much and on to the nasal cannula and for her infections to clear up.

Take care and God Bless you all. We love you.
-Ryan

Abby news

Abby's day started out pretty good. She has been receiving 3.3cc of breastmilk every 3 hours and has been pooping a lot. She was also on the nasal cannula (short nostril tubes) and doing just fine. However, the results from a culture taken on the 27th, revealed that she still has a yeast infection. Another culture was taken yesterday and Kelly and Ryan will know the results tomorrow (it takes 48hrs from when the culture is taken to know the results). The culture on the 28th has revealed that Abby also has some sort of bacteria infection. On top of all this, Abby's IV got clogged and the replacement IV also got clogged, so this morning Abby had a little surgery to place a "broviac," a type of PICC line, through her neck and chest. She still may have a yeast infection that could attack the new PICC line, but given that the IVs weren't working out, it is the best choice for now. Abby is also temporarily on the ventilator since they had to do the surgery this morning, and she is expected to be back on the short nostril tubes tomorrow.

Keep praying that Abby's infections go away quickly and until then, that her veins will cooperate and be as strong as she is.

A Special Treat---Pictures

An uneventful Sunday for Abigail

Just spoke to Ryan and Kelly this evening on their way home from the hospital.

Little Abby had an uneventful day today--yeah! Doctors are still focused on controlling her infection. Once under control, Abby will get either a new PICC line or she may get a broviac catheter (direct access to a central vein). Fortunately, Abby got a much-deserved break from poking today.

Abby's respiratory status is good. She's on all the lowest settings of the CPAP, and in fact, if it weren't for her infection, she'd probably be on a simple nasal cannula (short tubes in nostrils).

Abby is getting a little more mommas milk now--she's up to 2 cc's every 3 hours. She's tolerating this well, and Doctors are anxious to give her more of the good stuff.

Abby was moved from her plush private room in the NICU to a larger room with other babies to keep company with. This is a good sign that she's doing well enough to be moved.

Both Kelly and Ryan were able to hold Abby today, and they both enjoyed it of course. Kelly commented that she loves to just stare at Abby and watch her little expressions. Sounds too cute.

Abby will be one month old tomorrow, so we join Ryan in Kelly in celebrating! Happy birthday little Abby! We thank Heavenly Father for answers to so many unending prayers. We continue to pray for her well-being, and for comfort and strength to her parents, and also to family and friends.

Abby update

Well, its been another trying Saturday for Abby. We called in this morning to get the update for the evening and were happy to hear that Abby had a good night and was having a good morning as well. In fact, she would be doing great if it weren't for the yeast problem.

So here's what went down:
The doctor that was on today decided to order 2 ultrasounds and one eye exam. The ultrasounds were for the kidneys and the heart. His concern is that all three of these locations are possible sights that the yeast could have spread to. He also mentioned that this was protocol, and to not get too alarmed. He then said he was calling in the doctor that specializes in infectious diseases regarding whether or not to take out the PICC line. Because the yeast has entered the PICC line, the final decision was to take it out. We asked if he knew what kind of yeast it was but he still didn't know and he didn't care so much at this point, because either way, the PICC line was coming out. However, before they could take it out, they needed to find a good place for another IV. It took two nurses FIVE tries before they finally found a vein. Speaking of poking, the RT's (respiratory therapists) were having a hard time drawing blood for their blood gas level tests which means they had to poke our Abby a bunch each time. This also happened a few times today too.

So...Little Abby got poked for the new IV, she got poked for the blood gas, she had the ultrasounds done, and oh yeah, her arm where the IV was placed is in a splint so she won't bend it and screw up the IV. She hates it! Needless to say she was pretty tired from all this. Some positive things to note are that she isn't receiving any back up breaths on the CPAP anymore. She was getting 10 of these each minute. A back breath is basically an extra puff of air on top of the constant flow of air she gets through her nose. Abby has been doing so well in this area that they decided she didn't need the breaths at all. Also, the fact that the yeast culture hasn't grown enough to tell the docs what kind of yeast it might be is a good thing. It tells them it's not a fast, aggressive fungus.

We're still in the waiting stage. We continue to wait and hope that her spinal fluid isn't infected, which as of today it is still negative, and we wait to see how she responds to the medication for the yeast. The sooner the better because we want to get that PICC line back in ASAP. IV's are just a temporary way to give Abby her meds, and they only last a few days. As I mentiomned Abby is a difficult girl to find a good IV sight on; and the catch is that it usually takes a week or so to fight off a yeast infection.

Prayers that Abby will fight this infection fast is on the request tonight!
All our love,
Ryan and Kelly

Abby update from Ryan

Hello everyone,

Last night Kelly and I planned to make it an early night but our nurse, Karen, asked Kelly if she wanted to hold Abby. Long story short, we didn't leave until midnight. She did great the entire time and has really come to love her pacifier. It is unbelievable how adorable she is when she sucks on it. However, after we left, Abby had quite a rough night. At 1AM she started having her spells and had about 24 of them between 1AM and 6:30AM. She was given her daily dose of caffeine in the morning which stimulates her and gives her more energy to breathe and that helped. Then momma showed up around 10AM and she's been doing a lot better. In fact, as I type this momma is holding Abby again.

Now... on to the updates on the yeast infection. There really isn't an update. Tomorrow we will know what kind of yeast it is so the docs will be able to attack it more aggressively. Right now she's on a more broad "let's cover our bases" kind of antibiotic. There is some concern that the yeast would spread to the fluid in her brain, but so far that hasn't happened, which is good news. So for now it's a waiting game.

I must say, it does appear that Abby does better when momma is here. Regarding her tummy, she is doing okay. She gets 1CC of mommas milk every 3 hours but they may skip a feeding if she hasn't digested what's in her belly which has happened from time to time. At the moment she is doing fine and back on the regular feeding schedule. Abby was also given another enema yesterday because the 1st one didn't work, and she had a huge poop!

More pics are coming soon!
Thank you all for your love and support. We love you all!

Special prayers needed for Abby

Just got off of the phone with Kelly. Abby has a yeast infection (fungal infection) in her blood. Yeast tends to attack any foreign object it encounters in the body and the fear is that it will attack Abby's pick line, the line that delivers her nutrients her medicine...everything. If the pick line is removed then Abby will have to have multiple IV lines that only last 3-4 days each. Also, there is the possiblility that the yeast could enter the spinal fluid which would mean the resevoir would have to be removed from her head & then she would have to be manually tapped again, which is not good.

They are still waiting to hear if she has a staph infection too (bacteria infection) - hopefully she does not because the antibiotics she is taking for the yeast infection may encourage the bacteria to flourish from the staph infection. Kelly & Ryan will know within the next 24-48 hours the status of the yeast and staph infection.

Kelly wanted this posted right now so we can all pray for Abby.

Not so great day for Abby

Today has been a tough day for Abby. She has been having a lot of spells today (specifically a major drop in her heart rate). To get her heart rate back up she has to be stimulated in some way. The nurses, or Kelly & Ryan can do this by rubbing her chest or flicking her feet. Abby had a blood transfusion today and she "blew" a vein. They were finally able to tap a vein on the fourth try. She also had a 10cc brain fluid drain, and an enema. On the 21st Abby had some type of culture that has now developed a rare staph infection. Abby has not shown any signs of infection, and everyone is hoping it is just a contaminated sample. Ryan & Kelly will know within the next 24-48 hours whether or not Abby does indeed have an infection.

Kelly said that Abby has been very restless and not sleeping. It breaks Kelly and Ryan's heart because Abby has been crying a lot today, and they are rarely able to hold Abby and comfort her. Kelly did get to hold Abby for 90 minutes today and during this time Abby had no spells and sucked her tiny thumb.

Transition to CPAP

I'm happy to report that Abby transitioned to the CPAP from the ventilator, very well. She is doing good and the CPAP is on the lowest setting. Kelly referred to right now as being the "honeymoon" stage because Abby's energy is high; time will tell how well she does on the CPAP. Kelly was also happy because she got to hear more cries from Abby and the nurse let Kelly put her pinky in Abby's mouth. Abby sucked on Kelly's pinky for about 10 minutes and both mother and baby thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Kelly said they will call later tonight with more updates.

Abby doing well

Just received an update from Kelly. Abby is doing fine. She has not had any spells today. They are trying to determine whether or not this has to do with being put back on the ventilator, or from having her brain fluid drained. Her brain fluid was drained yesterday and they removed 8cc of fluid. The doctors are going to put Abby on a schedule of draining her brain fluid every other day.

Abby will be taken off of the ventilator tomorrow and put back on the CPAP. Her ventilator remains on the lowest setting and she pretty much does all her own breathing. The doctors want to keep challenging her to strengthen her lungs and because the ventilator is not good for the long-term health of Abby's lungs. Kelly asked that we all pray that the transition from the ventilator to the CPAP go smoothy. Kelly and Ryan are very nervous about the process; although Kelly did acknowledge that Abby did fine the previous time. The lasek drugs are working great. Abby's lungs remain clear of fluid and she continues to receive lasek drugs every evening.

Kelly was happy to report that Abby pooped today, which is exciting because it means her digestive system is starting to work again. Abby has slowly started to take breastmilk again. The doctors and nurses are very anxious to get Abby going strong with the breastmilk. She is currently getting 1cc every 6 hours. Before her digestive system stalled she had been receiving 3cc every 3 hours. Abby currently weighs 1lb 12ozs. So she has gained an ounce and a half in three weeks.

The funeral for Emma and Madelyne will be Saturday, June 17th at 10:00AM at the Mission Viejo Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (27976 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo 92692).

See a map here:

http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=27976+Marguerite+Parkway,+Mission+Viejo&

Sunday's Abby update

What a night! Abby wasn't doing very well last night. Her spells continued and even became more frequent. Kelly and I finally pulled ourselves away from her bedside around 11 PM. We said a prayer with her before we left and I was actually at peace for the moment. Then the 3AM phone call came. It was the hospital; oh man, did that scare us! The call was just to tell us that they took Abby off of the CPAP and put her back on the ventilator. We were relieved to hear that this stopped the spells almost immediately. However, we are a bit concerned that she wasn't able to maintain her breathing on the CPAP . We were told from the begining that there would be a very good chance that Abby would have to go back on the ventilator. The fact that Abby was able to stay on the CPAP for as long as she did (about 4 days) is a good thing.

The menu for today is: More drugs to get her tummy moving stuff around so we can start feeding her mommy's milk again, and a head ultrasound to see how her hemmorhage has been doing. We still haven't pulled any fluid from her head since Tuesday, and while her head is a bit bigger today, it hasn't grown nearly as fast as it has in the past and the head ultrasound will hopefully shed some light on this subject. Either way, the fact that her head isn't increasing as fast as it has in the past is a good thing. I do think they will tap her today just to be safe.

As I sit and type this, Abby is right next to me and doing well. She hasn't had any spells today and is at the lowest oxygen output setting on the ventilator (21% the same that you and I breathe). Her heart rate is good, her blood gas levels came back good and her SATS are good. If you want, Google the term SATS and see what you get. I'm too tired to explain. Just know it's a good thing. Since she's doing so well right now, I can't really call this a step back. We'll call it a step sideways, and let me tell ya, after yesterday and that phone call that scared the junk out of us, I will take sideways steps all day long.

Thanks yet again for all your love and support. It is working as Abby continues to fight. From what I understand, our little Abby has already touched many hearts. It seems she has more friends than I think any of us will ever have! That's wonderful. Abby and her sisters have certainly made us all remember what is really important in this life haven't they? Please continue to share her story with whomever you like. The more prayers and positive energy thrown towards our little Abby the better. Hug your families extra tight and tell them Abby says hello and thank you. Of course, her mommy and daddy love you all too!

Abby update

Sorry for late update.

It has been an emotional morning as Kelly and I had to go to the morturary to finalize the arrangements for Emma and Maddy. Abby is doing okay for the moment. Her spells have been more frequent in the past 24 hours. I thought it might be due to the fact that the docs haven't pulled any fluid from the reservoir in her head. Before when her head was getting larger and the fluid was building up, Abby started to have more frequent spells like she's doing now, and when they pulled some fluid out she calmed down almost immediately. However today, Abbys head hasn't shown any significant growth, her blood gas levels are fine, and she doesn't have any infections based on the cultures the nurses took at the beginning of the week...so we're a bit confused. A ll those things are good and shows that Abby is "clinically" healthy, but our nurse Laura is at a loss as to why she's been having so many spells. It might just be Abby being Abby, either way it's making us nervous.

Abby's tummy still isn't digesting well so she hasn't been able to be put back on a feeding schedule. Abby still gets Lipids, or fat, as well as a TPN IV which contains all the nutrients she needs. Nobody will deny that mommas milk is the best thing for her so we're anxious for her to get back on her feeding schedule. As I mentioned the other day regarding her tummy, the docs didn't find anything technically wrong with it, so it could just be Abby being Abby...again. She is still on the CPAP so that's good. We are hoping that this whole spell situation rectifies soon.

Prayers all around for Abby to keep fighting. Toss some out there for mommy too. This morning was rough to say the least.

We love you all!

Still waiting for Friday's update

Just a note - we haven't received Ryan's Friday update yet.

Another step forward!

From Ryan's email sent at midnight:

Thursday was another good day for Abby. She did very well on the CPAP respirator all day. The CPAP is a giant tube that goes right under her nose and has two little prongs that go into her nostrils. The tube then wraps around her head and is secured to her head by a velcro head band deal. So her cute little face is once again obstructed by some kind of breathing aparatus; but that's alright. Even with this tube we can still see her cute eyes, nose and mouth. Even better, now that she doesn't have the tube that goes down her throat, she yawns, gets the hiccups, and sticks her tongue out and everything. It's adorable!

One problem today was that her lungs still looked a little "wet" in the x - ray, which means there was some fluid in them. So the nurse gave her Lasex, which is diaretic that makes her urinate any excess fluids in her body, hopefully including the fluid in her lungs. We'll find out Friday morning if it worked after she gets another x-ray of the lungs. The docs aren't too concerned on this just yet simply because of how well Abby is doing on the CPAP machine. In fact, one Respiratory Therapist said that he could not believe how well she was doing given her age. They were sure that Abby would get tired of having to breathe so much on her own but so far she hasn't.

Another minor set back is that Abby still isn't tolerating her feedings so we're holding off on giving her more breast milk until her stomach is able to digest the milk that is currently there. Also, just to be on the safe side, she did get an utrasound of her stomach today because there was some concern that she might have some "blah blah blah itus" or something, but she doesn't. Phew! For now we'll just check her stomach a few times a day to see if she has begun to digest what's in there... and once she has, we'll start her back on mommy's milk.

Finally, the best part of the day is that DADDY GOT TO HOLD HIS BABY FOR THE 1ST TIME!!! It wasn't the skin to skin kangaroo care situation, but it was amazing. Keep in mind we have to look at Abby through the glass in the isolet so being able to hold her close and hear her breathe and cry up close was fantastic!

More details from Abby's Mom

Don't forget to check out Ryan's update below. However, Kelly just called with some fun details about lil' Abby. Since the oxygen tube has been removed from Abby's throat Kelly was able to hear Abby's most precious, teeny, tiny cry today for the first time. Abby's mom was so happy and proud to hear her Abby cry. Kelly also said that Abby found her thumb two days ago, but the nurses didn't want Abby to suck on it because of the oxygen tube in her mouth. So today they tested out a preemie pacifier & Abby loves it! Imagine if you will, precious little Abby with half of her hair shaved, CPAP tubes coming out of her nose and covering half of her face and than a big pacifier covering most of the other half. What a wonderful picture. Kelly exudes with sheer joy when describing her beautiful baby girl.

Kelly is very happy right now. As she said, "when Abby's doing well, I'm doing well."

Here's to many happy days to come!

Things are good

Taken from Ryan's email:

Abby is off the ventilator for now and on the CPAP, which is the nasal respirator. It looks terrible but it's much better for her and not as damaging to her lungs. The question now is whether or not she'll be able to maintain the breathing on her own. The CPAP does help her, but not nearly as much and she really has to work for those breaths.

Mommy got to hold her today, which of course, Kelly was thrilled. Abby was quite restless because of the CPAP going up her nose, but Abby calmed down immediately after mommy started holding her. It was amazing. Say some prayers that she'll be strong on the CPAP.

Another good day for Abby

Abby's surgery went fine. Doctors made a tiny, half-circle incision on the front of her head and inserted the tube. Abby had her first haircut today, due to the surgery, and is now sporting a "half shaved" head. Her only "spells" today were during her cares (when she is washed or diaper changed) when the oxygen tube gets bumped. Doctors are hoping to remove her oxygen tube from her throat Wednesday or Thursday. This is great because it will also decrease the spells and the venitlator is not great for her lungs. She will then receive oxygen through little tubes in her nostrils.

Kelly had her follow-up appointment with Dr. Posner, her parinatologist, to check out how her incision from the c-section was healing. He was very impressed with how well, and quickly, the incision has mended.

Just to give you all some insight into Ryan and Kelly's days:
Ryan and Kelly go to the hospital early each morning together (they are now sleeping at home) and Ryan visits with Abby in the morning and then goes to the office for a few hours (fortunately his office is close in proximity to CHOC). Kelly's mom comes up early in the afternoon and stays with Kelly and then Ryan and Kelly eventually are able to go home together late in the evening. They are both holding up well, and are very fortunate to have each other to lean on while their emotions and trials still ebb and flow.

Update from Abby's Dad

The prayers are working my friends. Now we're taking a step forward. Seriously, a few more of these and she'll be doing the Cha Cha. Here's the scoop. The docs didn't find any pneumonia, she had very few spells thus far today and Mommy got to hold her again for 2 and a half hours. Also, she is scheduled for surgery tomorrow at 7:30AM to put a reservoir in her head which is a good thing. For those of you just checking in Abby has a grade 4 brain hemorrhage on the right side of her brain and a grade 3 on the left. So along with the many possible long term effects this will have on our Abby, the other problem we have now is that the spinal fluid that usually travels between the spine and the brain now gets stuck in her head. If this doesn't correct itself in the long run, Abby will need a shunt, which is a tube that runs from her brain to her abdomen. However right now, Abby is too small for the shunt so the temporary fix in the interim is the reservoir, which is a tube that goes into her little noggin down to where the fluid is (called the ventricle) and stays there. This is much safer than poking her with a needle every few days (AKA tapping her head) which is what the docs have been doing. S o anyway, we're happy about this because Abby seems to do much better when they take some of that fluid out.

Prayers and fasting tomorrow my friends! The prayers are that the surgery goes well and that her brain hemorrhages will not sustain any long-term damage.

One more thing! Please, please continue the well wishes on this site. Even if you've done it before. You have no idea how great it is to read your words.

Our love to all of you.

Mother's Day update from Ryan

The following is from Ryan's email:

Abby is taking one of those steps backwards. She's alright now but she may be coming down with pneumonia or some kind of bug. So they have her on another antibiotic. The doctors also poked her a ton for all kinds of tests :-( She was having a lot of spells (dropping of her "sats") too but the docs said the pneumonia would have nothing to do with those. Kelly and I seem to think that the increasing level of fluid in her head was bothering her. I think we were somewhat right in that theory because they tapped her head today and got 10 ccs out and her spells have slowed down a lot. They only got 5 cc the first time. As an FYI, you and I have 20 cc. A micro premie should have 4 cc and Abby proabably had about 30 cc before the tap. The plan is to put a temporary reservoir in her head which will allow the docs to do a lot of taps without permanently damaging her head. This will happen Tuesday or Wednesday.

Pray for her brain, that it will not be too badly damaged. Make this a staple prayer as we won't know for sure on this one for months to come.

And pray that Little Miss Fighter will kick whatever bug she has.

---

Some of you may have heard that Ryan and Kelly were planning on having the funeral for Madelyne and Emma this Saturday, May 20th. However, it will be postponed to a later date and Ryan will confirm the new date sometime over the next two weeks.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, KELLY!

“I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life."

-Abraham Lincoln, U.S. President

"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother."

-Lin Yutang, Chinese writer

-----

Ryan reported at 11:30 last night that Abby is doing "fair." She was having frequent drops in her "sats" but it is nothing too concerning because her blood oxygen levels are around 21%. (What your or my blood oxygen levels are).

Pictures!

Thanks to Ryan for sending these great pictures for all to enjoy!

Abigail had a pretty routine day on Friday and is stable. She has had what one doctor described as a "miraculous" recovery of her lung collapse from early this week.

It was a special treat for Clint to have the opportunity to see Abigail in the hospital on Friday evening. She is precious beyond words. Kelly changed Abby's diaper and all got a chance to see little Abby open her eyes.

It's been awe-inspiring to see the on-going love and support and we know Ryan and Kelly continue their appreciation for all the prayers on their behalf.

Enjoy the photos!

Abby news

Abby is stable. Ryan said that she does give them one or two scares a day - meaning her blood oxygen levels drop & her heart rate drops (Ryan referred to it as her "sats"). This is because there is a tube down her throat that provides her with oxygen. Whenever she moves it can be displaced and cause her "sats" to drop, or sometimes the tube gets blocked with phlegm or sometimes, like with most premature babies, she just forgets to breath on her own. As long as she only has a couple of episodes a day like this, then it is "normal" and not indicative of something worse.

Abby does continue to move around a bit and open her eyes. Like any newborn she spends most of the day sleeping. Her digestive system is functioning perfectly. She has been receiving 3cc of breast milk every few hours for about three days now and she poops 2-3 times a day.

Ryan and Kelly's main concern is still Abby's brain. Abby's head circumference is measured everyday and they will extract more fluid from the fontanel, or soft spot, as deemed necessary. They do expect to have to do it again soon, but haven't had to yet.

Kelly got to hold Abby again today for about an hour. Ryan said she didn't like it too much and his personal opinion is because Abby didn't like the position she was in. Once she was placed back into her isolet she went right back to sleep.

Ryan has promised pictures and is very excited to show Abby off. We hope to receive the pictures & post them in the next two days. Since Abby has been more stable, we will provide an update once a day. Ryan typically checks in with us between 1PM - 4PM.

Afternoon update

Abby is doing well today. They have taken her off of the oscillator, or larger ventilator, and have put her on a less powerful ventilator & it is on the lowest setting. Her head circumference has gone down since they were able to extract fluid yesterday. She is also very alert and Kelly may be able to hold her again this afternoon.

Charitable Fund Established

Apart from the miraculous outpouring of love and support as well as fasting and constant prayers, many of you have expressed the desire to assist the Gaya's temporally during this challenging time. Some of you have already generously expressed wishes to lend financial support to Ryan and Kelly. To that end, a charitable fund has now been established to assist the Ryan and Kelly Gaya family.

The Abigail, Emma, and Madelyne Gaya Assistance Fund will offer another opportunity to many of us who have been eager to help the Gaya's in some way. The fund will especially support growing medical expenses for little Abigail. If you would like to make a donation, please click on the "PayPal" button on the top right of this webpage. Donations can be made by several simple methods including credit cards. All donations will remain anonymous, unless you specify otherwise. If you wish, you'll be able to leave a brief message for the Gaya's.

Afternoon news

I'm happy to report that Abby has been stable today. This afternoon Doctors were able to extract some of the fluid from her brain, relieving some of the adverse pressure.

We will all need to continue our already fervent prayers to petition Heavenly Father for a miracle to heal Abby's brain and preserve her motor skills and healthy cognitive functions.

Keep up the fight Abby, and you remain in our constant thoughts and prayers Gaya family!

Morning update

The spinal tap was not successful in removing fluid; Abby still remains stable. Kelly explained to me the other night that if the spinal tap did not work then the next step is a "soft spot" extraction. Attempting to remove the fluid via Abby's soft spot on the top of her head. However, doctors only like to attempt this 4 or 5 times as this is a very sensitive area. Abby will undergo this procedure this morning. Let's pray that it is successful, as well as, continued strength for Kelly and Ryan as they are exhausted.

Evening Abby update

Abby's day was uneventful - which is a very good thing. She should be having her spinal tap tonight. Bishop Chamberlin said that Ryan and Kelly were doing very well today too.

Abby doing fine

Bishop Chamberlin reported that Abby had a good night. The fluid in her lungs is under control and her vitals are good. Kelly and Ryan are also very excited because Abby pooped today too.

More details from Abby's Momma

I just got off of the phone with Kelly and here are lots of details on Abby.

Abby's "collapsed" lung is not like an adults collapsed lung, but rather the little tissues in the lung have collapsed on each other. There is also fluid in her lungs. They have put Abby on a more powerful venilator/oscillator that emits lots of "puffs" of air to help strengthen and ultimately heal her lungs. Originally Abby did not like this ventilator, but she is now tolerating it.

As previously mentioned, Abby is receiving 100% oxygen. Kelly said that it is not good to have Abby receiving that high of amounts of oxygen as it can cause, hearing, vision and lung damage. However, Abby's blood saturation levels (amount of oxygen in the blood) were really low. When the saturation numbers hit 90, then the oxygen levels can be decreased. Keeping that in mind - tough, little Abby is now at 55% oxygen.

Abby was suppose to have an MRI today, but that was postponed another 6-8 weeks. Abby has a sort of metal clip on her heart valve & the MRI could tear the clip off. She did have a brain scan this morning and it showed that the hemorrhage has not gotten worse. The neurologist said that there is a 95% chance that it will not bleed again. Abby had the circumference of her head measured today & it was slightly larger than yesterday; meaning that there is swelling in her brain. Kelly explained that spinal fluid runs through your brain & the blood can block the fluid & then the brain swells. The first step to attempt to relieve this pressure is a spinal tap. Which Abby will be receiving this Tuesday. If that does not succeed, there are additional steps that can be taken. Ultimately the blood will be reabsorbed by her body, but until that time, the swelling has to be relieved.

Abby was able to receive a little bit of Kelly's milk yesterday. This is done not for nutritional value, but rather to see how well her digestive system is working. Given the events of last night into today, they have stopped giving her mik for now & are focusing on Abby's more "critical" systems. Abby's heart rate is very good & her blood pressure is stable. Kelly said they had quite a scare last night, as Abby had to be "bagged" which is the last step in helping her stabilize.

I asked Kelly how many minutes she was able to hold Abby - her reply was "TWO HOURS - and it was heaven." Because Abby is so critical now, Kelly doesn't think she will get to hold her again anytime soon, but was so grateful for what she got.

Kelly sounded good. She said the Ronald McDonald house was really nice - but a bit of a "reality check." She said that, "the Ronald McDonald house is a place where you volunteer your time or donate to. I never thought I would have a sick child, fighting for her life and have to stay here."

Kelly has been able to read the messages that have been posted and she really appreciates them. She said that they look forward to being able to visit with everyone in person, but they really appreciate being able to just focus on Abby right now. They are at the hospital all day & if possible sneak out for a "bite" in the evening. Kelly would also like to get a picture of Abby for all of you posted on the site. We will get that posted as soon as we receive one from Ryan.

I asked Kelly if she cared about how much detail we share on Abby's website and her reply was, "Share it all - maybe the more information you put out there, the more people will get down on their knees for Abby."

Tough afternoon for Abby

Abby has sustained a collapsed lung from her heart procedure. She is currently receiving 100% oxygen - doctors would like to see that around 21%, which is the same amount of oxygen we all breath. Her vitals are stable and they hope that they will gradually be able to decrease the oxygen amount as the lung repairs itself.

Keep praying for Abby.

A note about the updates

I know everybody is anxious to get updated on Abby. The last two days Ryan has emailed his update & I think that we can all plan on one update a day from Ryan. They still very much appreciate their privacy being respected, and I definitely want to respect that as well. As soon as I hear any news from those who see them in person, or updates from Ryan, I will get them posted.

Sunday's update from Ryan

Our little Abby Girl is doing well this morning. The doctors told us to expect Abby to take a step backward after her surgery but so far she hasn't which is great. We won't be surprised if she does later but we remain hopeful that little miss fighter will just bypass this alleged set back and continue to improve.

Momma got to hold her "kangaroo style" which is skin to skin today too. There is always some concern here because of how much we mess with Abby just to get her onto mommas chest, but she did great.

And the biggest news is that we met with the neurosurgeon who wants to get her an MRI in the next couple of days. Needless to say, we're all very anxious about what the MRI will discover.

They haven't given Abby mommas milk yet but they plan to later. They'll give her a very small dose just to see how her stomach and intestines react.

Love to all,

Sunday

As announced from the pulpit by Bishop Chamberlin this morning, Abby had an uneventful evening last night and is stable. We will try to get a more detailed update later today.

Evening update

Just got off of the phone with Brother Van. Abby is stable - she has been moving her legs and mouth. Big news for tomorrow: assuming Abby stays stable, Kelly will get to hold Abby on her chest & Abby will get a feeding tube to start receiving Kelly's breastmilk.

More details on Abby

Ryan sent an email out about an hour ago giving some more insight on Abby. They are going to be staying in Orange for awhile as the docotors that will help her with the brain hemorrhage are at CHOC in Orange. Ryan does not want her to travel back and forth. Abby may start to take her Momma's milk today or tomorrow and her PICC line is going in today which is a more permanent IV. Thus allowing the doctors to remove the IVs from Abby's hands and feet.

The rest is best not summarized:

"All in all it's a GREAT morning. Everyone's prayers are working. There is a lot of concern regarding the severity and impact that the brain hermorrhage will have on our little Abby, so please have Abby's fan club focus their energy on her brain as well as everything else.

We have, and continue to be, absolutely amazed at the outpouring of love for our family.

Extend our love to everyone."

Abby's heart procedure

The blessings and miracles continue.

Abby's heart procedure was completed successfully! The surgery started around 8:10A & Brother Van called me with the great news around 9:20A. Abby, Ryan and Kelly will be staying up in Orange until Monday or Tuesday & then Abby will be transfered back to Mission Hospital.

Abby's road trip

Abby made it up to CHOC just fine. She is stable & her procedure will take place sometime around 9AM Saturday morning. Once she arrived in Orange they washed her up, even "scrubbed" her face & her vitals didn't change a bit. She is tough! Ryan and Kelly will be staying at the Ronald McDonald house while Abby is at CHOC. Also, Bishop Chamberlin is familiar with the surgeon that will perform Abby's procedure.

I spoke to Kelly as they were following Abby's ambulance--I told her of all of our continued prayers for their family. The Gaya's are grateful & she had only one request...to continue prayers for Abby.

Abby is being transported to CHOC this evening and is in stable condition. She has been stable throughout the day. Her heart procedure will be performed this evening.

Abby Update

Ryan just checked in to update us all on Abby. This morning's head scan showed that the condition of intraventricular hemorrhage remains the same and has not worsened.

Right now Abby is being prepared to be transported via a special mobile ICU to CHOC in Orange to have her heart procedure done. This will correct the Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) (opening in heart) & it has a 95% success rate. The immediate concern is the trip to Orange. We are all praying for Abby's safe journey and a successful heart procedure.

We understand she may be in Orange for 48 hours. We are not sure whether or not she will then be transfered back to Mission or stay in Orange. Doctors think that the heart procedure may correct her increased heart rate & drop in blood pressure.

We will continue to stay close to home to keep you all informed as we get updated.

Lots of hopeful news...

This morning David Van of the Ladera Ranch ward has given the following update (summarized) regarding Abby's condition:

Yesterday, when Abby’s vitals dropped, she needed the help of the ventilator, that is it! It was amazing to watch her gather the strength and fight. She was stabilized without any cardiac aid. Also, her vitals did not change when a catheter was placed. The reason why this was amazing is that the day before her vitals would drop if anyone touched her.

Today a scan will be performed, instead of next week. This will help Doctors better understand and assess Abby's condition. Doctors are hoping that they categorized an intraventricular hemorrhage incorrectly and that it is less severe than previously announced.

Ryan changed Abby's diaper yesterday! Talk about a proud papa!

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Just a note about the website. It is inspiring to see the many wonderful messages that have been posted for the Gayas. Some of the early messages have dropped off due to "running out of space." This will not happen again as we have upgraded the message board. For those of you who don't see your message, please feel free to repost.

As of 11:00 PM last night

We are still waiting for Abby's "morning update." As of 11PM last night Abby was stable. She was moving around most of the day and then later in the evening experienced a rise in heart rate & drop in blood pressure, but the doctors were able to stabilize her. With Abby stable, Ryan & Kelly were able to go home and try to get some sleep. Doctors will be running labs today to see what may have been the cause.

Stay tuned & keep praying!

No News Tonight

Nothing new to report on Abby's condition. Bishop Chamberlin is going to visit the hospital tonight after his meetings. I should have an update for you all tomorrow morning.

Another Day, Another Miracle!

Abby has welcomed another morning! She is moving around & her eyes have been open. They will do another headscan next week (next week...so much hope in two words). Kelly is going to be discharged today. Brother Baker has commented about the incredible faith Ryan and Kelly have maintained through this experience and he is amazed at how well they are "holding up." Being buoyed of course, by their own immense faith in Heavenly Father's plan for them, as well as so many prayers and the faith of all of those who know & love them.

Just keep praying!!!

No News Yet

I just got off of the phone with Derek & we have nothing to report yet. Derek stopped by the hospital around 6:00P and no new news was given at the time. The Bishop should be visiting with them tonight as well.

Where there is great love there are always miracles. --Willa Cather

We must be ever thankful for small miracles, and ever hopeful for receiving greater ones.
--Elmer A.Schultz

Change in Abby's Status

The amount of blood in Abby's brain fluid has increased. One side is a level 3, the other side is a level 4 - which means it has entered the brain tissue. The doctors have had a "heart-to-heart" with Ryan & Kelly explaining the seriousness of the increase of blood. Bishop Chamberlin was able to view the headscan along with the doctors & has been at the hospital with the Gayas as well as joining them in prayer. Please take a moment to pray for Abby, Kelly & Ryan.

I will update when I can, as I will be getting info. from the Bishopic, so as Ryan & Kelly can focus all their energies on Abigail.

Energies to focus on Abby

Please note that the funeral for Madeline and Emma previously planned for Saturday May 6 is being rescheduled. When the new date and time is known I will post here. Derek Baker has passed along this information this morning. Consensus is that energy is best focused on Abigail at this time.

5.3.06 Morning Abby Update

Abby has done well through the night. The blood clotting meds have worked & her plasma levels are really good. The blood transfusion did increase her hemoglobin levels to a 30+ the doctors, however, would like to see them at 50 but they are not going to force anything right now. Abby has been given lasic drugs to help her urinate a lot and the drugs are working great. Her chest x-ray last night still showed a little bit of fluid in her lungs (Ryan likened that to phlegm in the lungs for us) which they want to get out & they are going to do another chest x-ray today to see if the lasic drugs got the fluid out. Today Abby will also be undergoing another headscan to make sure the blood in the brain fluid is not moving anywhere, which they don't expect it to but just want to make sure. What the doctors would like to see happen, eventually, with the blood that is currently in the brain fluid, is have it reabsorb into her body.

As we all know, Kelly is discharged today. The only way she wouldn't be discharged is if her incision got infected, to which Ryan & Kelly commented, "I think I feel an infection coming on." (per Derek Baker's visit last night). Derek also said that the hospital does have a room where Kelly can "camp out" & sleep, so she can spend as much time as possible with Abby.

Keep praying for the Gaya family!

Welcome

Thanks for making your way to this webpage where we'll continue posting updates regarding little Abigail.

New posts will begin tomorrow morning May 3.

The update below was sent tonight:

Sorry this is late, I'm sending what I know as I know many of you are anxious for news. I'm still waiting to hear back from Derek Baker as he has been with the Gaya's for awhile now & will be phoning me with an update. I know that nothing has changed with Abby, still critical, but stable. Abby was given another blessing tonight as well.

In regards to helping with the funeral, our ward has been given a food assignment so contact Shelley Smith if you can help 766.1663. Latest word is the funeral is from 10-11A on Saturday at the Stake Center. From 11-1P will be available to visit with the Gayas.

Good night & if I hear anything new from Derek soon I'll send it, otherwise I look forward to sending a positive report in the morning.