To those affected by a heart defect:

A little progress

December 19, 2006 at 7:19 pm by Mom & Dad

They have begun to SLOWLY reduce Haven’s reliance on the ECMO cardiac support machine. Thankfully, her numbers have held steady over the past six or so hours even through the adjustments. They plan to take her a little further yet tonight if her body can continue to handle the extra work, then let her rest at that level until tomorrow. We assume, if all goes well, that they will try this same process tomorrow to hopefully have her off the ECMO support by late this week. One of the biggest issues we are facing at the moment is Haven’s retention of fluids. As you may have deduced by seeing all the tubes in her pictures, Haven is receiving many medications and fluids through several I.V.’s. Unfortunately, her kidneys are still not producing any urine to rid her of those unneeded fluids. The more time that passes without working kidneys, the greater the concern. Hopefully, by allowing her own body to do more of the work, her kidneys will spring back into action: just no sign of that happening yet.

Posted in Recovery #1 | 3 Comments »

3 Responses

  1. Grandpa and Grandma McMullin Says:

    We are so thankful for every little bit of progress. We praise God for the strength of Jeremey and Alison, the support of family and friends, and the fight of little Haven. Grandpa had his ankle surgery yesterday. He wants to be a young grandpa. The doctor said the surgery was a success. He is in the hospital yet tonight to make sure his pain is managable before he goes home. We want to get back down to Riley as soon as possible. Thank you for letting us put our update on your website. Grandpa doesn’t have one yet. We love you all!

  2. Gr.Grandma M Says:

    I”m sure glad to hear about Haven’s progress. I thank God for that. I”m sure that will give you (Jeremey & Alison) some peace knowing that she is getting better. Will keep praying that she will continue to improve. Glad to hear that her Grandpa McMullin’s surjery went well. Hope to see you all soon. Try to get some rest tonight. Love you all. Love Grandma M.

  3. Mike & Marcia Says:

    Awesome, every little bit of progress is wonderful for Haven.
    Sorry we haven’t commented lately, we are in the process of getting a new Grandson any time now! We are so thankful for this website, to keep in contact with you guys! Love ya!

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This site contains the story of Haven Leigh and serves as a source of hope and encouragement to anyone who has or knows a child born with HLHS, a congenital heart defect, or other terminal illness. Here, we show the rewards of nurturing and supporting a special child while celebrating her memory by sharing her story with others.

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