Greetings from quarantine! A year ago, if you had told me we would experiencing a global pandemic, stuck in our homes and unable to sit at Olive + Oak and celebrate Stella’s one year anniversary since the Fontan, I don’t know what I would have said?! Strange times, my friends. But I just want to start by saying a huge thank you to every single person that has reached out to check on Stella/our family since this virus started to spread. Most of you know that children with CHD are at a greater risk of developing complications if they were infected by COVID-19 (just like most other viruses or the flu) so we are taking every precaution to protect our little heart warrior. And we are doing great! The kids attitudes on the whole are positive (unless you ask them what they think about their substitute teacher😏) As always, we appreciate the love you extend to us.
One year ago today we were just getting around to seeing our newly pink lady in her room in the Heart Center. Her surgery had been a success, her surgeon had discovered and repaired an additional complication we didn’t know about before surgery, and we were breathing a sigh of relief. Since then, every day has just gotten better and better with our little miracle girl. Like I said in my last post, she is just the happiest child around. Back in the good ole days before school was canceled, her teachers would just marvel at her upbeat personality and how completely happy and go-with-the-flow she always is. She is just a blessing (how many blog posts can I mention that Stella is blessed to be a blessing?)
I honestly don’t have that much to update you all on. We are healthy, home and trying live life without feeling too anxious, knowing a complication could be right around the corner. But I’ve been holding out on you with a REALLY COOL story about a random act of kindness from a group of complete strangers. So if you need a good news story, here you go:
In January, my office received a package addressed to me. This was odd, because I don’t think I’ve ever received mail at work, let alone a package. Included in it was the most extraordinary portrait of Stella from an artist in Texas, and a letter from a gentleman by the name of Lytle Norton. In the letter, Lytle reminded me of a conversation we had on the phone in August of 2016, while he was visiting his Godson who at the time was inpatient at Cardinal Glennon and recovering from open heart surgery. Lytle had randomly wandered into the Ronald McDonald room where he met my mom’s friend who was volunteering. Lytle shared that he had a son born with HLHS in the 1980’s, when medicine wasn’t as advanced, and that because of his own experience having a child with a heart defect he felt compelled to come to St. Louis and support his friend.
My mom’s friend couldn’t believe she was meeting someone who also had a child born with HLHS and called me, and Lytle and I were able to speak on the phone. I told him how Stella was doing, that we were Christ followers and that I kept a blog with updates about her progress. If I’m being honest, I barely remember the conversation other than it was really sweet.
Little did I know, Lytle became one of Stella’s biggest cheerleaders and prayer warriors. He took her story home to his town in Texas, and he shared it with his church congregation. They were all moved by the connection we made and the details about our Stella bean, and they all began to pray for her. Before Stella’s Fontan a year ago, they held a special prayer vigil just for her. So while I was at my church in St. Louis, surrounded by all my favorite people and praying for her surgery ahead, a group of total strangers were doing the exact same thing for a little girl they had never even met.
Lytle and his church have continued to follow Stella’s story ever since, and after my last post 6 months after the Fontan, Lytle again shared our good news with his church friends as well as some photos of Stella. Upon hearing the update and seeing the picture of Stella on her first day of school, an artist in the church decided to create a portrait of Stella as a gift for our family. Little did he know that picture he chose was my favorite picture of Stella I’ve ever taken.
All of this led up to January 10th, 2020, when I opened a package with the picture below included, and the nicest letter I’ve ever received from my new friend, Lytle. It took me a few passes to even read it, I was crying so hard. It’s honestly still overwhelming today, 4 months later. We are so moved by Lytle, the artist that captured Stella’s little fighting smirk, Mr. Lindsey, and the Singing Oaks Church of Christ in Denton, Texas.
I’ve been able to speak and text with Lytle a couple times since we received his gift. Not a day goes by I don’t think about the random love and kindness he chose to show us. When he spoke to his congregation he quoted my blog from a year ago before her surgery, and with Easter approaching, I am reminded of how scared I was. It’s funny how much easier it was to pray when I need something. Now even amidst a global pandemic, I’m barely keeping up. But hearing and seeing my own words read back to me have me ready to focus on what this coming Sunday means, and make sure my kids remember what we are celebrating and that we have a healing Savior that loves us, died for us, and was made new for us. The world may be a total mess, but this world is temporary anyways. It’s hard to think about what tomorrow is going to look like ... or when life will be “normal.” But today I’m choosing to think about an eternal home where social distancing could never exist.
If you need a virtual home on Easter, I’d love for you to join me for online church at The Gathering at 10:45 am.
Finally, if you are still reading this, I’d be remiss not to mention a campaign the foundation I work for launched on April 6th, which benefits local heart families now affected by COVID-19. Our goal is to raise $40,000 in honor of the 40,000 children diagnosed with a CHD every year. All the funds raised will go to a Rapid Relief Fund for local heart families affected by the crisis. In addition, we are also providing free therapy sessions for these families, as well as to the staff in the Heart Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, who are so bravely putting their own health at risk to care for their patients. You can read more about it here:
The most gorgeous portrait of our sweet girl ❤️
The nicest letter I’ve ever received
BRAVO!!!
ReplyDeleteWe love you!