Our sweet Asher was born on August 25th 2012. Shortly after his birth he developed a need for oxygen which perplexed the doctors and kept him in the nic unit for five days before they discovered a congenital heart defect. He had a diminished aortic arch and needed immediate open heart surgery to save his life. He was transferred from Intermountain Health to Primary children's hospital my ambulance.It was a horrible day for all of us especially Willie and Chelsea. As I stood in the back round as nurses, doctors, emergency personnel came at Chelsea from all sides, I felt so helpless, there was nothing I could do but stand out of the way and wait. Willie rode in the ambulance with Asher and Chelsea and I followed in the car. It was the longest 20 min drive I could remember ever having.After a short stay in the nic unit there he was transferred to the cardiac intensive care unit. They very quickly decided to do the surgery on Monday ...four days later..they kept his valve open with medication over the weekend. Many prayers and fasting took place that weekend on Ashers behalf. Many friends and co workers and even in some cases strangers, many members of our faith, and many members of other faiths, petitioned Heavenly Father on his behalf. It was a very long weekend..we spent as much time as possible at the hospital with him. It quickly became obvious to us that we were not alone. There were many babies in this intensive care. All with some form of congenital heart defect. Many worse than Asher. Monday morning came way too fast, and before we knew it Chelsea was wheeling Asher down the long hallway to the surgery. They took him from her and she broke down. My heart felt like it broke too to see my baby in such pain and to think of what was to come for Asher. For six hours we waited, getting periodic updates like, he is on the bypass machine, he is doing well, he is off the bypass machine, just finishing up, etc, etc,During this time I felt the power of prayer..for the first time I actually "felt" the power of those who were praying for us and Asher and I knew peace. The pediatric heart surgeon came to see us and was very excited as to how well the surgery had gone. We felt relieved but had no idea what was to come as our little baby tried to recover from this tramatic assault on his little body. In the days that followed we waited and rejoiced in every milestone that told us he might one day come home. They extibated him, and we learned how to read all the monitors he was connected to. we knew when his oxygen was in trouble, and we held our breaths till it returned to normal. We tried to be patient until he could be moved out of the intensive care, we cried many tears of worry and frustration and watched around us as those in similar circumstances cried the same tears. We marveled at the wonderful nurses and doctors who were so very compassionate and caring not just for Asher but for us as well. We felt many times over those days that guardian angels dwell in the cicu of Primary Children's hospital. The day finally came when he was to move to the surgical ward and out of the cicu and we rejoiced once again. I was so glad I could be there for Willie and Chelsea so they could get some relief. I was able to spend the nights there when he was withdrawing from the powerful narcotics he was given. Just to hold him while they left his system, for there was truly no way to comfort him. But he was healing and all looked well it was just going to take some time, so we wished for time to pass quickly. The day finally came for him to come home, a month and a week after his birth and oh how happy were were,such joy filled out hearts, but we were all worried and wondered if we could take care of this little boy who had so many needs. After they arrived at the apartment so did all nurse and technichans who had to set everything up for him. Feeding tubes, oxygen and monitors were all part of him coming home. I looked and Chelsea and could see she was overwhelmed with it all. I just told her take day by day or hour by hour if she had to, and they began learning how to care for and become Ashers parents. The two weeks previous to him coming home Alan had come for a visit and it was a welcome relief to me.
we managed to do a few things away from the hospital,but one day got called in an emergency to come to the hospital quickly.Asher had a seizure...when Chelsea was there by herself ...it was so scary for her. Alan and I had been lunching on temple square and had to grab the trax. It was a four larger block walk to the station...we ran there as quickly as we could and found Chelsea very distressed when we got to the hospital. It turned out after much testing that his calcium levels had dropped ,which was common after surgery ,that had caused the seizure. Alan and I managed to take in a session at the Salt Lake temple and that was where, sitting in the celestial room ,I felt peace and that everything would be fine I wasn't sure what fine would mean but I knew he was in the Lord's hands. After a week Alan returned home and Erin and Shannon arrived for a week. They were a welcome sight as they provided relief for all of us and stayed over night at the hospital so we could all get some much needed rest. After Asher came home Shannon quickly figured out his feeding machine and took over training Chelsea and making sure his feeds were done right and on time. By the time she went back home Chelsea was confident in being able to do this for Asher, and was very grateful for her sisters.The time quickly came for me to return home and again I thought my heart would break literally. I had become quite bonded to my little grandson.
This was how some of our time together was spent. He loved to sleep in my arms and it so relaxed me when he did, that I nodded off too.The day I left I cried so many tears.. I felt so torn knowing I needed to come home but wanting to stay with Willie, Chelsea and Asher. When we got in the car to drive to the airport... I looked at Chelsea and said" I could be really angry at you right now for moving here!" but in my heart knowing that if she had not moved she might have never met Willie or had Asher to begin with.
So I came home and they became more experienced being Ashers parents. Chelsea had to go back to work and Willies sister Malia came from the Marshall Islands to care for Asher. Life fell into a pattern for them and they looked to the day Asher would have his first surgery to start the repair on his cleft and on December 28th 2012 he started that journey with a very successful surgery.
Yesterday February 13th 2013 he had to go for tests for his hearing and to check on his heart surgery.
They did not turn out the way Chelsea and Willie hoped for. He has extensive hearing loss and has developed a condition that might require another open heart surgery in the not too distant future. So today once again I feel broken hearted. I find myself wondering what the future holds for my sweet grandson and his parents. Now they get to worry once again that they might lose their sweet child. I know we need to have faith and trust in the Lord and in his plan and I am trying, but today it is very hard. I know none of us knows how long our stay on this earth may be..I also know the pain of losing a child. So yet again we will fast and pray, give many blessings, love Asher with all our heart and try very hard to trust in the Lord and in His plan.
we managed to do a few things away from the hospital,but one day got called in an emergency to come to the hospital quickly.Asher had a seizure...when Chelsea was there by herself ...it was so scary for her. Alan and I had been lunching on temple square and had to grab the trax. It was a four larger block walk to the station...we ran there as quickly as we could and found Chelsea very distressed when we got to the hospital. It turned out after much testing that his calcium levels had dropped ,which was common after surgery ,that had caused the seizure. Alan and I managed to take in a session at the Salt Lake temple and that was where, sitting in the celestial room ,I felt peace and that everything would be fine I wasn't sure what fine would mean but I knew he was in the Lord's hands. After a week Alan returned home and Erin and Shannon arrived for a week. They were a welcome sight as they provided relief for all of us and stayed over night at the hospital so we could all get some much needed rest. After Asher came home Shannon quickly figured out his feeding machine and took over training Chelsea and making sure his feeds were done right and on time. By the time she went back home Chelsea was confident in being able to do this for Asher, and was very grateful for her sisters.The time quickly came for me to return home and again I thought my heart would break literally. I had become quite bonded to my little grandson.
This was how some of our time together was spent. He loved to sleep in my arms and it so relaxed me when he did, that I nodded off too.The day I left I cried so many tears.. I felt so torn knowing I needed to come home but wanting to stay with Willie, Chelsea and Asher. When we got in the car to drive to the airport... I looked at Chelsea and said" I could be really angry at you right now for moving here!" but in my heart knowing that if she had not moved she might have never met Willie or had Asher to begin with.
So I came home and they became more experienced being Ashers parents. Chelsea had to go back to work and Willies sister Malia came from the Marshall Islands to care for Asher. Life fell into a pattern for them and they looked to the day Asher would have his first surgery to start the repair on his cleft and on December 28th 2012 he started that journey with a very successful surgery.
Yesterday February 13th 2013 he had to go for tests for his hearing and to check on his heart surgery.
They did not turn out the way Chelsea and Willie hoped for. He has extensive hearing loss and has developed a condition that might require another open heart surgery in the not too distant future. So today once again I feel broken hearted. I find myself wondering what the future holds for my sweet grandson and his parents. Now they get to worry once again that they might lose their sweet child. I know we need to have faith and trust in the Lord and in his plan and I am trying, but today it is very hard. I know none of us knows how long our stay on this earth may be..I also know the pain of losing a child. So yet again we will fast and pray, give many blessings, love Asher with all our heart and try very hard to trust in the Lord and in His plan.
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