Today has been a very rough day for me and my mommy and daddy. I have been bleeding a lot today and the doctors are trying to figure out why. They changed my Echmo machine thinking maybe that was it. They are also giving me medicine in case it is an infection. Needless to say they did not try to get me off my machine today. My mommy and daddy and all my friends have been praying a lot. Hopefully tonight will go well and tomorrow will be a much better day. Please remember to say a prayer for me.
Love, Drew and Family
Watch me Grow
My Story
Hello, my name is Andrew Wade Jackson. My friends call me Drew. When my mommy was 17 weeks pregnant they found out that I have a severe heart defect called an unbalanced atrioventricular septal defect. This means I have holes in the septal wall of my heart and that only 1 of my 2 ventricles is working properly. This heart defect was caused by trisomy 21 often known as Downs Syndrome.
I was born in Kalispell on July 10th and 3 hours after birth took my first plane ride to Seattle. I was there for 10 days as they monitored my heart. Then I went home to Kalispell to be with my family.
On September 10th I was set to have a pulmonary band surgery which is normally a low risk surgery. However, they were not able to do this surgery and had to begin the "Norwood" series of surgeries. My first surgery was Sept. 11th. Early in the morning I went into surgery spending 4 hours on the heart and lung by-pass machine. When it was time to come off they could not get my heart and lungs started again. I went on a life support machine called ECMO which takes the blood from the body, gives it oxygen and sends it back. This machine would be my best friend for the next 12 days and ultimately saved my life. After many days on life support, many more in the CICU, and a while on the floor I was able to return home. At home I was on oxygen full time, had a feeding tube, and many medications. On April 28th, 2009 I had my second open heart surgery, the Glenn. This surgery was not near as eventful as the first and we were able to return home after only 15 days away. At home things have gone well. I am now without oxygen and without my feeding tube. Currently my Cardiologist is watching me closly as we wait for my next open heart surgery, the Fontan. This will take place between the ages of three and five. My mommy and daddy are nervous as this surgery is more major than the last. Given the complexity of my heart, my past history of issues, and my trisomy 21 make my surgerys more difficult. However, my mommy and daddy trust in the Lord and the Power of Prayer.
August of 2011 we decided to move to Seattle to be closer to Childrens and are adjusting to life in the big city. On Tuesday July 31st I will have my next major open heart surgery. Please remember to say a prayer for me.
Thank you for visiting my site.
Here are a few statistics about my life from July 10, 2008 to July 24,2012:
Days lived at Childrens: 55
Days in ICU: 33
Days on Life Support: 17
2 Open Heart Surgery(Complete with Heart and Lung By-Pass machine)
1 Heart Surgery
3 Heart Cauterization
1 Life Flight(Kalispell to Seattle)
1 Ambulance Ride(Kalispell Hospital to Airport)
3 Trips to Seattle
1 Cardiac Arrest(Complete with CPR and Epinephrine-This saved my life)
To many Echocardiograms to count
To many trips to Cardiologist to count
To many blood transfusions to count
Please say a prayer for me.
Love, Baby Drew and Family
I was born in Kalispell on July 10th and 3 hours after birth took my first plane ride to Seattle. I was there for 10 days as they monitored my heart. Then I went home to Kalispell to be with my family.
On September 10th I was set to have a pulmonary band surgery which is normally a low risk surgery. However, they were not able to do this surgery and had to begin the "Norwood" series of surgeries. My first surgery was Sept. 11th. Early in the morning I went into surgery spending 4 hours on the heart and lung by-pass machine. When it was time to come off they could not get my heart and lungs started again. I went on a life support machine called ECMO which takes the blood from the body, gives it oxygen and sends it back. This machine would be my best friend for the next 12 days and ultimately saved my life. After many days on life support, many more in the CICU, and a while on the floor I was able to return home. At home I was on oxygen full time, had a feeding tube, and many medications. On April 28th, 2009 I had my second open heart surgery, the Glenn. This surgery was not near as eventful as the first and we were able to return home after only 15 days away. At home things have gone well. I am now without oxygen and without my feeding tube. Currently my Cardiologist is watching me closly as we wait for my next open heart surgery, the Fontan. This will take place between the ages of three and five. My mommy and daddy are nervous as this surgery is more major than the last. Given the complexity of my heart, my past history of issues, and my trisomy 21 make my surgerys more difficult. However, my mommy and daddy trust in the Lord and the Power of Prayer.
August of 2011 we decided to move to Seattle to be closer to Childrens and are adjusting to life in the big city. On Tuesday July 31st I will have my next major open heart surgery. Please remember to say a prayer for me.
Thank you for visiting my site.
Here are a few statistics about my life from July 10, 2008 to July 24,2012:
Days lived at Childrens: 55
Days in ICU: 33
Days on Life Support: 17
2 Open Heart Surgery(Complete with Heart and Lung By-Pass machine)
1 Heart Surgery
3 Heart Cauterization
1 Life Flight(Kalispell to Seattle)
1 Ambulance Ride(Kalispell Hospital to Airport)
3 Trips to Seattle
1 Cardiac Arrest(Complete with CPR and Epinephrine-This saved my life)
To many Echocardiograms to count
To many trips to Cardiologist to count
To many blood transfusions to count
Please say a prayer for me.
Love, Baby Drew and Family
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7 comments:
Though we don't know you, we were sent to pray for you by a very special little boy that's in the same hospital you are.
Max asked us to pray for you and we are praying for healing and health for you, and peace and energy for your parents.
May God's blessing shine through in this difficult time.
Derek and Anna Thornton
Bellingham, WA
Drew...God created you with a plan in mind. He knows what He is doing, even when it is hard for us adults to grasp the plan. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future" Jeremiah 29.11 I will pray this verse over you! You are a tough man! I will pray and pray for you until you get to go home and play with your sisters!!!
Stacey and Taw,
There are no words! I'll come by tomarrow, let me know how I can help. Can I take the girls to play, get you food, loan you my car for a day?
I am praying!!!
Shannon
As a praying firend from Christ the King Community Church, I want to send good thoughts and an assurance that God is with you and loves baby Drew, and all his family. So glad to know that you are also there to support Sam and Shannon. Isn't it amazing how God puts us all in the right spot at the right moment? Angel hugs to all! Lori Gardner, Everson, WA
I am sorry to hear about your bad day Drew. God is watching over you so you get some sleep. I will continue to pray for you. I love you.
Tawna
Dear Drew and Family,
I am sorry you are having a hard time. I was hoping to hear that everything was a breeze. I have been praying for you every day. Taw, I was thinking of you while we were at the Bronco game and wishing you and Stacy were there with us. Maybe someday we can go to a game together. You are all in our thought and prayers.
Love,
Tim, Kelly, Tia, and Lauryn
Max sent me to your blog. We will add you to our small group prayer list tonight when we meet, to our personal prayers and to our church prayer list. We are from Anchorage, AK.. We will pray that your heart will become stronger each day and that God will touch your little body in a special way.
Karla and Chuck Tyler
Anchorage, AK
Praying for you tonight, Drew, Momma and Daddy.
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