What would you do if your child told you that her stomach hurt? She cried so bad that you got concerned and finally checked the place that she said hurt. What if you could feel she had a hard mass? You would take her to the doctor right away.
This is how a colleague of mine spent his first day of summer break. He and his wife took their seven year old daughter to the emergency room. They sent them home with a recommendation that they go to a bigger hospital. There was no since of urgency. They went to the hospital the next day because it was already really late and the trip would take hours.
When they arrived at the bigger hospital, the little girl was taken to ICU immediately and she has been there ever since. She had an enlarged heart which caused her liver to swell because it wasn't getting enough blood. She has been poked and prodded and they do not know if the swelling of her heart was caused by a virus or heredity. She has been on a cornucopia of medicines and now they are saying she will need a heart transplant.
I look back and see how blindsided they were. The first hospital did not give them the information that they needed in order to get her to the bigger hospital sooner. This may have saved her from having as much heart damage as she has. I know they feel like they did something wrong.
I know their lives are changed forever and all I can do is be there if they need anything. They send daily updates about Ally. I read everyone through tearful eyes. It is so sad to see your child going through something like this and I could not image having the strength to watch one of my kittens in such a situation.
Be safe this holiday and give an extra hug to those you love and send an extra prayer for Ally. I hope she gets the heart she needs so desperately. Right now, she just wants to go home.
1 comment:
Hug,hug, hug.
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