Madi & Me

I've been wanting to post these pictures for some time. I finally had the one scanned (since it's OLD) and found a "matching" picture to post with it. When Madi saw the picture of me as a little girl, she asked if it was her.

Since we are on the topic of Madi, I wanted to ask you to pray for her. When she was born, there was a small valve to her heart that did not close. This is called PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus). It happens to approximately 3,000 babies each year and is twice as common in girls than in boys. This valve is an "extra" valve that babies have until they are born. It is supposed to close at or shortly after birth. Since this valve was not made to be opened after birth, it has rougher insides that can catch bateria and cause infections.

It is a miracle that it was even found. The pediatrician heard a heart murmur and wanted her checked out. While at the specialists, the open valve was discovered on the ultrasound. She has to have it looked at yearly to see if it closes on its own (which is possible -- even more possible with prayer). If it does not close within a few years, they will have to operate to close it.

Tuesday, February 3 at 1:50 pm EST is her appointment. Please join us in praying that first and foremost the Lord's will be done. We are praying that the valve will close on it's own to avoid surgery. (Makenna had minor surgery at 3 years old, and I would like to avoid another if possible!) A side note . . . she'll have to have an EKG also. I can guarantee she won't like having all kinds of stickers and wires hooked up to her! We're also praying she'll be calm throughout the testing. Thank you in advance for your prayers, and we will keep you updated.