We have had a steady week of improvements in Abbey's health.

 Her diet was advanced from clear liquid to full liquid to mechanical soft (we didn't know there was such a thing either) to a regular diet.  This transition was done to give her digestive system time to adjust to how the small intestine was connected to the liver to act as the bile duct during her last surgery. 

Monday, January 21st, Abb started to really complain of back pain. We tried warm packs, massages, changing positions in the bed, moving to sit in the chair and up walking as much as she could handle.  But there was little relief, so this affected her ability to sleep and relax.  It was also a sad day because Liss had to go back home to work on Tuesday.  She had been there since last Wednesday.  It made everyone cry when she left.  Randy and I finally talked Abb into trying to sleep sitting in the rocking chair they have in the room.  We moved it over by the door because Abb was still connected to a pole for her IV's.  I had somehow got myself trapped by the bed and wall and Randy was sitting on the bed with his foot holding the chair back in a reclined position so it wouldn't rock.  Neither one of us dared to move for fear we would wake her up and it had taken us quite a while to convince her to try it and she was now asleep.  So for a little while I just sat on the floor and then after about an hour I did the army crawl under the sink and behind her chair so that I could move over to the bed.  Randy was still in a half sit-up on the bed holding her chair.  The nurse came in at midnight to do vitals and the door bumped the chair and woke Abb up so it was back to the bed.

Tuesday Abb had an IV in each arm that started to really bother her and had to be removed.  The nurses said that sometimes the veins just get tired from all of the medicines that are pushed through them.  She had to have one of those removed and placed in a different position on her arm.  Abb mentioned today that this week was the start of our 8th week away from home and her and I have only spent 2 nights at home during that time.  I didn't want to say, but I had been thinking the same thing but we just try and say we are one day closer to going home now.  

Sunday my parents, Ty and Zac came down for a visit and we were glad that they were able to briefly see a special family that was our neighbors across the hall, the Reynold Family (Team Kenton).  Sunday was a great day because Kenton was finally able to go home and so many of us lined the halls of the hospital and clapped and cheered and cried as he and his sweet family was able to leave the hospital.  We had been following their story on Facebook and knew the circumstances that he was leaving under, but we were hopeful and excited for the time he would be able to be home.  Today we learned that he had passed away.  Our hearts were so sad and each time we walk out of our room we see his door and think of him.  As you walk around the hospital and look in each room you can't help but realize you are not the only one going through trials.  Every door, every room, every parent you pass in the hall is going through something they didn't think they could handle or should have to do.  Thanks Reynolds Family for touching our lives.

Wednesday we had bothered enough people about Abb's back that they brought in an air pump that would add a support system in the bed.  We also requested physical therapy and they came and was able to give her some exercises to do.  We feel like we are starting to definitely know enough about things to be dangerous.  We question the nurses and ask for a lot of clarifications from the doctors on what is the plan for Abb.  Our only focus no matter what toes we may step on is getting Abb the best care.  The staff has been terrific from those that clean the room to those who deliver her meals.  But we always are a little nervous at nurse change which is 7 in the morning and at night.   The pain pump went away today and now Abb would be on oral pain killers.  This was probably the hardest night, she was crying in pain with no relief.  I climbed in bed with her and Randy propped up pillows against me so that she could lay more comfortably.  Except for my snoring, which I will deny everyone was finally able to get a few hours of sleep.  Abb said she would even move her arm and Dad would jump up and be right over by her wondering if he could do anything.  Today Dr. Meyers who was the surgeon who removed Abbey's liver came by at the request of the surgeon who had done her latest surgery to check on the drains.  It was good to see her, we have not seen her since the transplant and a flood of emotions and feelings came back.  I just kept wiping my eyes.  She removed both of the drains which are just tubes with a ball on the end that any excess fluid or blood from the surgery goes into these.  It is a great step to have those removed.  Barbie, our social worker was also in the room and after Dr. Meyers posed for a picture with Abb we all noticed as she hugged her that she had a tear in her eye.  She said what a journey you have had Abb and I'm glad I was a part of it. 

Thursday Dr. Molly came by who is on call from the liver team and gave us the great news that Abb would be able to be discharged Friday back to Ronald McDonald's.  We were thrilled.  Liss had brought some fleece down to make blankets on Wednesday but Abb just didn't feel good.  She wanted to make one for a girl we had met who had a liver transplant the same night that Abb had her second surgery.  So we worked on this and a card to give her before we were to leave.  She is always trying to think of things she can do for others that are there even though I know her back is still in pain.  All IV's were removed so all she has is her pic line and she was thrilled to be able to put on a shirt with her pajama pants.  I went out and asked our nurse to contact Music Therapy because this has been such a wonderful thing for Abb.  Rebecca who has been there for us each time was able to come up and sing for her.  Friday would be the last day of her internship at PCMC and Abb's last day at the hospital so she said it was a perfect way for her to end her assignment.  She laughed when she saw the life size Taylor Swift in the room and we thought she would have loved to hear us all (Randy) included singing her songs.  I think Randy and I got a little carried away on one song with him on the African drums and me with the shakers......  GREAT DAY!!!

Friday Dr. Molly said to Abb, you are such a brave girl! Now we just had to get the antiobiotics arranged, home health care called to set up lab draws and then we could leave.  The infectious disease team at PCMC had been in contact with us and had cultured the bile duct that was removed and felt like Abb needed to be on an additional antiobiotic.  I am thankful for all the medicine that is available, but it is heartbreaking to see her take so many. It was about 4:00 when we were finally given the go ahead to leave.  And yes as you may imagine we were given some second glances as we carried Taylor back to the car.  We bought a massager, icy hot and used the heating pad but it was still a long night but we have more options for making her comfortable here at Ronald McDonald's.

Saturday there was still more pain so Randy reached out to our neighbor Sharik Peck. We were not able to find the massager he suggested so he offered to come down and help.  What a blessing! I know that the weather was very foggy and this took time away from his family but we appreciated seeing him and Cheryl.  It made us all more homesick to see their familiar faces.  Sharik worked with Abb on some techniques for about an hour.  He is so caring and calming that we all felt better (he even helped Liss with her headache) after his visit.  He was able to help Randy give Abb a priesthood blessing to ask our Heavenly Father to ease her pain and help in her healing.  Thanks Peck's we appreciate your friendship and concern for Abb.

Sunday was a pretty uneventful day.  Randy and I have been overly anxious to put it lightly with Abb.   Each time she even acts like she may not feel well we are asking her.  Well she told us that she promises to tell us if she is not feeling well but we just can't keep staring at her and asking her questions all day long.  We will try........ One mountain we had to climb was Abb's hair.  She had it in a pony tail that was braided the whole hospital visit.  From her moving her head around it had made the biggest rats nest that Liss and I could hardly dare even look at it.  We started the washing process and Liss said that it took her over 2 hours to comb out her hair.  She really thought she would have to call our hairdresser about cutting it out.  I think I know how dreadlocks start.  She looked so good after her hair was fixed.  Liss did a pedicure and manicure on her and just spent time talking with Abb and I know that is the best therapy around.  They sure love each other and Liss has been here through it all.  Randy has mentioned on several occasions, thank goodness for Liss.  We have tried to think of how one of us could leave and go back to work but this has really been something neither one of us could have handled alone.  I am so grateful that we have been able to go through this together. 

Clinic visit on Monday went great.  All of our favorite people were there Dr. Jensen, Sharon and Barbie.  Labs were drawn that morning and everything was going steadily down which is just what they want to happen.  We have an ultrasound scheduled for tomorrow (last one) to compare to the one 2 weeks ago after her surgery.  She will also be getting out the 28 staples, she said it will be a lot better last time there were 42.

We have labs Thursday morning and if everything is fine we will be able to come home for the weekend and return on Sunday.  I hate to even get excited yet, it seems like I do everything with guarded optimism.

Abb is in great spirits and it constantly making lists of the things she can't wait to do when she is back home.  I can't wait to be there to check each thing off with her.

I want to thank the great people that I work with at USDA-ARS.  Many of my responsibilities are being handled by great employees who already have a full load without this added assignment.  They always send their concern and love and it has been comforting to not have this additional worry.  Thanks again!!

When we decided to name our blog Abbey Owen's Journey I had no idea the road we would travel.  Since the last post we have had a trial of our faith, felt the depths of despair, prayed, fasted, received priesthood blessings, and eventually put our heavy hearts in our Heavenly Father's hands.

We had anticipated our clinic visit on January 11th but it was cancelled due to weather. Abbey really looks forward to these visits and had spent the morning fixing her hair and picking out her outfit. This is really the only place that she goes, so she makes the best of it.  She was sad, so we decided to go for a ride anyway up to the hospital to visit the gift store.  She says up there she doesn't feel strange wearing her mask because other people have theirs on too. 

 She was looking forward to Saturday because Liss was coming with crafts and staying for the weekend.  As soon as Liss arrives, Randy and I become invisible, she loves her sister so much. Knowing this, we knew that something was off that morning.  Abb said she was tired and wanted to get back in bed with me.  She never takes a nap and rarely sleeps in.  Randy immediately called to check on her lab results and found that her hematocrit was low and her liver numbers had climbed significantly. This was almost identical to what had happened the previous weekend.  We were told to immediately bring her back to the hospital. By now Liss had arrived and brought in the greatest thing.  Abb and I thought, what in the world is she carrying in.  It was taller than her and wrapped in plastic garbage bags.  Abb couldn't even guess what it could possibly be and then she just started to laugh. The whole body shaking huge grin type of laugh.  She had unwrapped a life size photo stand-able Taylor Swift!!!  Now they could be inseparable. Thanks Kelleen Smith!! And what's even better as Randy goes back to the apt late at night it scares him every time. Tomorrow she is going to join us in room 4413.

Sunday January 13th they scheduled Abb for another endoscopy and liver biopsy.  The endoscopy showed no blood leakage at the bile duct but they saw mild liver rejection so she was given a large dose  of steroids which is the course of action for this.  Monday after the radiologist and liver team examined it again they all felt there was no rejection but still the ongoing infection she was being treated for. But that didn't solve the question of where she was bleeding and the drops in her hematocrit. She was doing so well they asked if we wanted to be discharged but Randy said no he felt like we needed to stay longer.  Tuesday it was decided that she would have a specialized endoscopy that could go into the bile duct and see if there was a narrowing or other problem.  The scheduling at the University of Utah would take a few days so we were just to wait.  That night Abb complained about her stomach and threw up and again her blood pressure and hematocrit plummeted.  Thank goodness we were still at the hospital.  This time we could also see that she was physically losing blood.  They decided to do a CT scan with contrast to compare to the one completed 9 days prior.

The conclusion was completely heartbreaking.  She would need immediate surgery to remove the aneurysm which had doubled in size on her hepatic artery.  The same surgeon that had performed her transplant along with his clinic partner from the University of Utah would be operating on Abb.  I can't even find words to express how this felt.  To tell Abb what she would have to endure yet again and this time she would experience all of the pain.  She asked "will I have staples again, the drains, a catheter, more IV's, am I going to be okay this time, could I die?" The surgeons came to our area and on the computer showed us the complicated and risky surgery that would have to take place.  As you looked around at the other doctors present you could see the seriousness in each face and also that they were not certain of the outcome.  I just couldn't even be brave, I climbed in Abbey's bed and just held her in my arms and we cried.  She has worn 2 necklaces from the minute she could, one from her Aunt Tami that has a heart with an angel in it and also a necklace a jeweler from Trolley Square gave her after he met us at the Ronald McDonald House.  She got a watch for Christmas and she had that and her Primary Children's bracelet on.  As Liss and I took these off our hearts were breaking, we put her in the gown and I climbed back in the hospital bed for the ride down to surgery.  I just couldn't get out, I still don't know how I was ever able to leave her.  I could see the surgeon looking at us from a distance as we said our good byes.  My parents were also there and her grandpa was able to help Randy give her a priesthood blessing.  As we somehow walked to the waiting room for what they told us could be a surgery longer than her initial liver transplant I think all of our minds were racing and we were trying to have faith not fear.  We were again in the same empty waiting room watching the phones on the counter hoping they would ring with an update, all of us glancing at the clock every few minutes.  Liss and I were given priesthood blessings and we also kneeled many times in prayer to ask our Heavenly Father to look down on Abbey and to direct the hands of the surgeons.  The surgery started at 6:00 pm and we got our first update around 7:15 that she was stable and they had made the incision and was starting.  We received updates in person from our liver doctor who was in the surgery and he would  explain what had been completed.  We would listen for any noise to come down the hall and one of us would jump up as he approached.  None of us had eaten all day and we were constantly saying prayers to ourselves.  We finally received word about 1:30 am that the surgery had been completed and the doctor would be meeting with us soon.  I reminded Liss and Randy that after her liver transplant when he had spoken to us he just told us like it was no sugar coating.  I had prepared myself to just lower my head and plug my ears if I needed to.  As he walked in he had a huge smile on his face.  He said first of all her liver looks beautiful.  There had been concern that they would start looking for another liver for Abb so this was comforting news.  He took a blank paper and started to draw a picture of the procedure that his experienced hands had performed.  He said this was the best surgery he has ever done.  I know that he would not exaggerate.  He removed a piece of hepatic artery and replaced it with a donor vessel and also removed the bile duct and brought a piece of small intestine up to attach to the liver.  We asked him how many times he had performed this type of procedure and he replied "once before, and the patient passed away within 5 minutes of the procedure due to the aneurysm rupturing."  How do you express to someone the thanks you have, as he left we again knelt and thanked our Heavenly Father for the miracle we felt had happened.
Abb was moved to PICU and we were able to see her about 2:30 am and her grandparents who I am sure this set a record for being up this late headed to the motel.   Liss stayed in the room with Abb and Randy and I went to our 4th floor room for a few hours of sleep.  It was so good to see her again.
This road has been hard the last few days since surgery she has had major abdominal surgery and is in pain.  She was able to have the breathing tube removed early Thursday morning and we were quickly moved back to the 4th floor.  She still has not been able to eat anything but ice chips and was glad today to have the Andersen tube removed from her nose which takes the contents from the stomach.  Going into surgery she just had the one pic line but she now had an IV in her neck and two on her right arm and two more added to her left arm.  Those have been removed over the last couple of days leaving just 2 now.  Today after labs was the first time that we kind of took a little breathe, her hematocrit was stable and her liver numbers were declining.  Abb is able to control her pain with a pump which has helped her try and stay ahead of the pain.  
Our only focus and goal now is to help Abb be comfortable and start on her recovery.  We are constantly thinking of the tender mercies even during this difficult week.  If they would have focused on the specialized endoscopy and not done the CT scan they would have never found that the aneurysm had doubled in size.  If we would have left the hospital what could have happened.  We are so blessed that we have been healthy and been able to remain at her side to help her.  
We love Abb so much and this week we felt the magnitude of that love.  We talked about all of the great traits that she has; brave, strong, kind, funny, sweet, nice, pretty, creative, content, artistic, and friendly.  

And even through this additional trial she has endured and never lost her spirit.  

WE LOVE OUR ABB!

Thanks for everything you all have done and are doing for us.  I don't just say this each time for something so say, we are truly touched and lifted by all of your concern and loving gestures.

The Owen Family

I have loved sharing our experiences with all of our family and friends and the thoughts of what I wanted to say were never hard to find.  But, after I posted the news of Abbey's setback I just haven't had the heart to give an update. 

Sorry. 

Friday we were supposed to do our regular home health care visit with lab draw and then head for wonderful home.  At our clinic visit on Wednesday Abbey had the pic line in her arm removed the LAST thing standing in her way of a shower with nothing covered in plastic to protect from the water.  We were all excited, especially Abb.  She was nervous because now all of her lab draws would be a poke.  We have a routine every morning so that we can have her eat breakfast before the labs and her medicine which has to be taken right at 8 am and 8 pm.  So when she woke up around 5 and said her stomach hurt as I talked to her we decided she was probably a little hungry and nervous and that was what she was feeling.  I gave her a small bowl of cereal and then the nurse was at the door.  As she sat in the chair she said I just don't feel good and the bucket was ready and she threw up.  We called the clinic and they said to try and have her take her rejection medicine and hopefully keep it down for 30 minutes which she was able to do before she threw up again.  She asked to go to the bathroom and as we made it to the bathroom her legs just buckled and she fainted.  The clinic said to quickly bring her in and said it should be by ambulance.  As we arrived at Primary's ER they quickly assessed her and she then threw up again, but it was blood this time.  She was having trouble maintaining her blood pressure and so they quickly put in 2 IV's and it was determined that she would need a blood transfusion.  Her liver numbers went crazy.  The two numbers they track had gone from in the 40's to over 500.  They ordered an ultrasound to try and see if they could locate any source of the blood. I just can't even describe the horrible pit in my stomach, could this really be happening she was doing so well and feeling great.  Had we missed a sign, did we not do something, was we starting all over again?  Complete anguish is the only way to describe it.  And as time went on there was only more questions as to what was going on and what had gone on than there were answers. 

As she rested and we waited for her vital signs to stabilize to move to the intensive care the child life specialist at the hospital asked if there was anything Abb would like and she said is music therapy available and soon Rebecca appeared.  She was the same person who had been there the day we left the hospital and sang Taylor Swift songs to Abb.  She remembered Abbey and started to softly sing all of the Taylor Swift songs she knew.  She even followed us up to the CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care Unit) and continued to sing to Abb for a few more minutes while she got settled there.  The PICU (Primary Intensive Care Unit) was so full of RSV and flu that they thought with Abbey's compromised immune system she would be safer there.  It was determined that Abb would need an endoscopy and also a liver biopsy to help in determining what was going on.  As this day went on I realized that one thing that was different was that Abb was very aware of everything that was going on and we were sharing in her pain and worry.  When we had been waiting for the liver transplant because of the extent of her diseased liver she suffered from encephalopathy which makes it so your mind is kind of in a fog.  Wait and worry is what we did...and continue to do.  The results of the endoscopy showed some irritation in the bile duct and that it could be the source of the bleeding which cannot be fixed by surgery.  This was not a common thing and they really couldn't tell us anything more then.  Because of the biopsy Abb had to spend the night on her side (which was not facing the TV) next to a baby who was recovering from spinal meningitis with only a curtain dividing us so it was a very long restless night. 

Saturday was just a day of waiting.....for test results, to be able to finally eat, and to be moved to the 4th floor ICS (Immunocompromised Services Unit) and her own room.  The results from the biopsy showed no rejection as initially thought, but an infection.  Her numbers had improved but they were not sure if it was the high dose of steroids or the antibiotics that had helped.  Randy had blown up a purple hospital glove and we were playing with it to pass the time.  Abb had 3 IV's now and they were placed so she couldn't move either arm so she was getting pretty good at using her long legs to keep it in the air.  We were finally moved around 7:00 pm that night and as I watched the news at 10:00 I wondered if our delay was to give Justin Bieber time to visit Millie whose room was just around the corner from Abbey's.  I noticed a cute paper on her door that said please don't ask Millie about her kiss with JB, Millie doesn't kiss and tell!!

We fasted for Abb on Sunday and just waited for any news of what was the next step.  We learned that she would need to have a pic line put back in :( and also they wanted to do an MRI on Monday to watch the flow of blood in the arteries around her liver.  

Monday morning they told her at 4 am that she couldn't eat or drink anything and that she could only take small sips to take her medicines. This was so she could have sedation as the pic line was placed. But we were never given a time and the day just kept dragging on and on. We played BS a card game and tried to make the time go by. They did remove 2 of the IV's so she was able to itch her own nose! They finally came to have her transferred to imaging at 3:00 for the MRI. They had given her the option of sedation for this but then told her she could only have it for one procedure and she felt like she could lay still for 30 minutes.  She watched a movie on MRI and felt she could do it and then they changed to a CT with the injection so they could track the blood flow. After this the pic was placed and I knew that the sedation was going to be at the minimal amount possible and she was so brave. They said do you want to know what we are doing and she said yes. Right after her transplant one of the first days that the doctors did rounds and came to her room they asked her if they should just speak to her parents outside of her room and she quickly said no I want you to tell me I want to understand. So each conversation about her she has been involved and ask questions and she often corrects us on things that have been said! So they talked her through each step of the pic line and as she squeezed my hand and closed her eyes I just thought how amazing. So the pic line was in and we ordered her dinner which arrived just as our social worker Barb came in for a visit.  I have mentioned her previously in the blog and Abb was so happy to see her and excited for the flip flops she had brought for her from Hawaii.  We said Abb just eat while you visit and she said no that is bad manners so she just waited until the visit was over at about 7:00 to eat!!

Tuesday we were told that there are two possible aneurysms at the connection site on the hepatic artery.  They are waiting to further discuss this with the transplant surgeon and the radiologist to determine what if anything needs to be done.  Each day her liver numbers have improved and gone down which is very encouraging.  We were discharged back to the Ronald McDonald house as soon as possible because of the risk of Abb catching anything that could hinder her progress. 

Each place we were at the ER, CICU, and ICS everyone remembered Abbey.  They would stop by to say hi and wish her well and she was so gracious as they would say you probably don't remember me but she would say thanks for helping me get better.  As Abb would look for people she remembered she said isn't it weird how important people become to you that you have only know for a short amount of time.  I said that is the same for you Abbey you have made such an impression on so many people here with your sweet spirit, courage and no one will be able to forget your beautiful hair and smile!

We don't have any future plans for now except a clinic visit tomorrow which will probably give us a clearer picture.  We want to again thank everyone for your love and concern, meals and prayers!

Love,
The Owen's

They told us there would be ups and downs with Abbey and her transplant. So sad to say we had a setback today and Abbey is back in the intensive care unit. The doctors are working diligently to stabilize her liver numbers that today became elevated after she started throwing up. We would appreciate your prayers.

The Owen's

Happy New Year, 2013!

We were able to go home again for New Year's Eve and Day.  We ate, played games and tried to stay awake to welcome in a new year. And like everyone else made some resolutions!

I have a new perspective on a few things and I am going to make sure that I follow through on these.  When we heard the words transplant, and donor and the hope we had that Abbey could receive a liver, I felt greedy. I know that last year when I renewed my driver's license I did not choose to be a donor and yet I was hoping and praying that a family or person somewhere had choose to be a donor.  In the hospital environment you feel and see the worry, despair and helplessness of families and to know that somewhere there was a life ending and a family devastated was overwhelming.  Abbey and I have been trying to write a letter to the donor family.  She said today how do we even find the right words to say what we need to say, the words just don't sound important enough.  We will do our best to express the love and thankfulness we have to someone we don't know and may never know but has made the most profound miracle in our lives.

Another thing I will do is continue to give blood and also start to give plasma.  Abbey was very anemic and required multiple blood transfusions and also received plasma on several occasions.  It was life saving and I am thankful to all who have donated on other's behalf. 

Our experience at Primary Children's Hospital has been so wonderful.  We have felt like we have been in the arms of angels as we have been there.  As we were in the PICU (Intensive Care Unit) many of our family and friends came to offer support.  There was a large waiting room there that they would sit together in.  I can't describe the feeling as we would walk in there to see the love and concern on their faces.  It just had such a reverence and as we often kneeled together in prayer it just seemed like it was our room.  As we walked through there after Abbey had been moved to the ICS unit I was so surprised how it was now full of multiple families and that feeling that had been there for us was now gone. 

Another experience that comes to my mind often is of the night when Abbey was taken into surgery.  She was on continual dialysis now and had a breathing tube and their main concern that day had been for her vitals to remain at a constant safe level.  We had not met the surgeon yet who would remove Abbey's liver and prepare her for her donor liver.  It was around 12:30 am and Randy, Liss and I were sitting in a waiting room and Dr. Meyer's walked in.  She introduced herself and then said to us that she did not realize just how sick Abbey was and then she pointed toward heaven and said we are going to need help from above.  As she spoke these words there were tears in her eyes and I know it will sound strange but she just seemed to have a glow about her.  There was such love and concern and she had just met us and Abbey.  We saw her a couple of days later but was told that she only works on a very limited basis and that she is truly the best and we were lucky to have had her.  I know there was no luck involved. 

We were assigned a social worker (Barb) who has become I'm sure a life long friend.  The Sunday that Abbey arrived at the hospital and it was determined that she would need a liver we had to meet with her to be interviewed to be placed on the transplant list.  Our immediate family had to answer pages of required questions and then also speak to a pharmacist who told us the medications that would be required before Abbey could officially be listed.  Because of her efforts Abbey was able to be listed by 1:00 am on Monday morning.  We would look forward to her visits, she brought us her Elf movie and books and her own daughter's Nintendo DS for Abbey to play with.  She made the arrangements for our stay at the Ronald McDonald House, which we are very grateful for. 

The Ronald McDonald House only has two long term apartments and again things worked out that when we needed the apartment there was one vacant.  When we returned from our Christmas trip home there was a folded letter under our door that on the outside simply said room 415.  The letter was on Christmas stationery and told the story of Jeremy whose family stayed here in 1991.  He had a heart defect and passed away when he was 6 months old. They expressed how they felt that it takes a special child to be able to go through physical trials and also special families who must endure the ups and downs of watching a loved one suffer.  Because of this they wanted to ease the burden of a family and had paid for two nights of our stay here.  We thought they must have been doing this every year since 1991.  Everyday there are either families or organizations that provide meals to the families that are staying here.  You just can't imagine how that helps to know that you can have a home cooked meal that is already prepared after a long day at the hospital.   Their brochure states a home away from home and this has certainly been true for us.

So for a few of my resolutions; become a donor, give blood, donate plasma, give back to Primary Children's Hospital and Ronald McDonald House.

We had a clinic visit yesterday and we received the best news ever! Friday Abbey will be released to go home...to Richmond the best place with the best people on earth!

"All journeys eventually end in the same place, home."

-Chris Geiger

~We love you all and look forward to seeing you soon!~

 

The Owen's