Happy Heart Anniversary & Prayer Requests

This week I have a couple of special adoptive families who have children undergoing open-heart surgery (see bottom of this post for prayer requests). The timing is amazing because we are also celebrating Josie's 2 year heart anniversary. On April 22, 2008 we spent the day at the University of Michigan hospital in pre-op.

Josie would be undergoing surgery early the next morning for Tetralogy of Fallot. We spent the evening in a hotel outside of Ann Arbor holding onto her, praying, talking about the day(s) to come… unsure of what God’s plan for us was… or for Josie. In some ways, April 23rd is more important than Josie's gotcha day (if that makes any sense).

I remember barely sleeping that night, worrying whether would we be giving our daughter back to God. We hadn’t even been home a month from China and we were completely in love with this child. Chris and I were scared at the risks, but we knew the quality of life would be forever changed once her heart was repaired.

At 22 months of age, she was wearing size 9 month clothes. The simplest of activities (even eating) caused her to pant and become short of breath. Her lips and toes would often turn blue. Sleeping was less than a pleasant experience…picture constant spinning around in my bed and crying out all night long. Chris often referred to her as our little clock.

This surgery was going to be the beginning of a new life for her. It was everything she deserved.

God gave us our miracle the next day. He healed Josie’s heart through the work of an amazing surgeon (Dr. Ohye) and medical team.

See this post for details on her hospitalization.

Two years have passed and unless you knew her prior to her surgery, or saw her chest scar, you’d never know that she was once so very sick.

This week
We thank God for the gift of life!
We thank God for the gift of Josie!
We especially thank God for the incredible medical team at
Mott Children's Hospital!

Please continue to keep this family in prayer as their daughter Jiliang
undergoes open-heart surgery Tuesday morning.

I also ask that you keep this family in your prayers. Their son Andrew undergoes open-heart surgery on Thursday this week.

Blessings to all the families who have chosen SN adoptions.
It's amazing life-changing journey.