Megan continues to do well...

It has been a while since I've written and I'm sorry.  Live is back to normal and very busy.  I haven't written because I assumed my followers had probably made the switch over to Megan's blog http://meganrmoss.blogspot.com/ and didn't need to hear from me.

Oh well, I am writing today to let you know that Megan is enjoying her new life in Nashville, TN with her husband, Nathan Johnson.  Yes, in case you haven't heard, after a year of courtship, Megan married her new best friend, Nathan Johnson on Saturday, October 29, 2011, in Nashville, TN.

Megan is not a traditionalist and did not want the traditional wedding.  So an outside wedding in the backyard of my sister and brother-in-love's place in Nashville, TN was planned for October 29th.  My biggest fear was that weather at the end of October was very unpredictable.  As October rolled on we had one beautiful day and Saturday after another.  Could these good days last one more week.  Megan believed that if God could give her a heart, He could give her a beautiful wedding day.  I believed that, but wasn't sure if God thought the weather was as important as a life that needed a new heart.

Wednesday before the wedding, the weather began to change.  By Thursday the temp was dropping and rain was falling.  The outside rehearsal was held inside because it was pouring outside and the temp was nearing 40 degrees.  The weather forecast was good for Saturday, but it wasn't looking too promising.  We did what we could to prepare for the wedding, went to bed around mid-night, and trusted God for a beautiful wedding day.

Saturday morning, Kathie and I woke at 6am to begin decorating the tables.   I went outside first and found that besides a very heavy frost, all the rain that had fallen the day before, had frozen and all the tables were covered in ice.  For two and half hours I used kitchen tools and a blow dryer to break the ice and dry the tables so friends and family could help us get the table clothes on and prepared for a 12 noon wedding.  At 8:30 is was still only 35 degrees, but the tables were getting decorated and we decided we could deal with the cold.  The sun was up and shinning through a misting fog which made for some beautiful early morning pictures.  By 11am temperatures were rising, everything was looking beautiful.  God was giving us that perfect day.

At 12 noon, the wedding party began the procession and then Megan and I appeared from behind to hand held antique doors and walked down the grass isles.  The sun was shining brightly, the temp was a very comfortable 60 some degrees and Megan's wedding day was in her words, "This is more beautiful than I even imagined it to be."  (picture link below)

God came through again for our precious Megan.

Megan's Heart, by Sharon Bushey (my sister) has been accepted by a publisher and will be available for purchase in early Spring 2012.  Be watching the blog for the launching of the book.

Wayne Moss

PRICELESS!!!

The day our sweet Megan has dreamed of....a day a year and a half ago none of us thought we would see....but thanks to a unknown heart donor and a FAITHFUL GOD who is still in the miracle business a day that was nothing short of PRICELESS!!! Congratulations to my precious girl Megan and to her best friend turned husband Nathan!!

By: Deborah Laffoon Long

Photos: 126

Megan's one year follow up story will be aired tonight (Friday) at 10pm on KSDK Channel 5.  It was delayed because of all the spring storms, floods, and other pressing news.  Better late than never.  Also be watching for the Barnes Jewish billboards with Megan's picture that will be going up all over town in a few days.  God is still at work in bringing people to Him through her 'Miracle Story'.

A Year Ago Today...

I've been glancing at my watch all day and remembering what was happening each moment last year on this day. Although they had increased Megan's oxygen Friday evening she still struggled through the night to breathe.  Saturday was one x-ray and blood test after another.  At 9:30 am we learned she had pneumonia and that meant she was too sick to receive a heart even if one became available.  Our time was up according to science.  But we and our friends kept praying and fasting and believing that God could still come through.  The next five hours were a desperate battle for her life.  The family came together and pleaded before God to save Megan's life.  What we didn't know was that 1000's of children, teens, and adults around the world were doing the same thing.  Some we knew, but many we did't know.  Strangers that heard about Megan's struggle, just felt led to pray earnestly for this girl they didn't know.

By 1:00 pm, the atmosphere in Megan's room was heavy with the feeling of death. Doctors, nurses, techs, everyone had that same look.  The look that told us Meg only had a few more minutes or hours to live.   Around 2:00 pm, they decided to change one of Megan's IV ports.  It was suppose to be a simple procedure of about 15 minutes.  Well, so much for 'simple'.  When the old port was pulled, the new one refused to go in.  They tried and tried, but nothing was working.  Megan was bleeding everywhere and even woke during the procedure. They had allowed Kathie, Mandi, and I to stay in the room during this procedure.  Kathie and Mandi where under the sanitary cloth holding Meg's hand and urging her to lay still.  I was breaking inside crying out to God to help the doctors and to take care of my girl.  An hour and a half later, the procedure was complete, but blood was everywhere and still coming.  After several bandages and pressure from a 5 pound sand bag, the bleeding was stopped.

Little did we know that just a few minutes after this procedure was complete, the Mid-America Transplant Center had received word of a heart being available for Megan Moss.  Dr. Ewald was notified and he started the process of testing the new heart even though, at the time, he was aware that Megan was too sick to make it through a surgery.  Thus all the x-rays and more blood test during the next few hours.  We didn't know about the donor heart, but they did and were hoping and praying that Megan's white blood count (pneumonia) and temperature would come down so she could receive the heart.

Megan had been out of it most of the day.  She was on a suction mask for oxygen and didn't have strength to talk, so when she needed to say something, she would write it on a pad.  About 6pm, she motioned for the pad and wrote, 'How can I eat?'  Eat?  You want something to eat?' asked her mom.  Meg replied, 'YES'.   This girl hadn't ask for food in weeks.  What was happening?  Permission was granted and she ate a bowl of pudding and drank some juice.  More tests showed her temp back to normal and her white blood count was coming down.

More x-rays and more bloods tests and Megan is bright eyed and clear minded even though she was still struggling to breathe.  At 9:30pm Dr. Ewald entered the room with a grin from ear to ear.  "We have accepted a heart on your behalf, if you want it."  'If we want it? Sure we want it!'  Megan pulled back her mask and whispered, "I want to sign, I want to sign."

Twelve very long hours and we went from death and doom, to LIFE and VICTORY!  We can't thank all of our family, friends, and followers enough for all the prayers and messages of encouragment that carried us through the most difficult day of our lives.  May God BLESS you for your obedience to 'PARTICIPATE IN THE MIRACLE.'

On this day we must also not forget Megan's donor family.  We are celebrating life, they are grieving a death of a loved one.  God, be with them today as they are remembering a year ago and the loss they suffered.  I also pray that this year will give us the opportunity to meet Megan's donor family.

 

A Year Later

4/16/11  Last year at MAX (7 state teen sports/talent competition meet), a 1000 kids prayed for the healing of a dying girl they didn't know.  Today at MAX, a 1000 kids stood to their feet and applauded while a very healthy and healed Megan walked to the podium to thank her prayer warriors for standing in the gap for her last year.  Different teens came to us and told us, that although they didn't know Megan personally, after the prayer last year, they didn't forget her, but followed her story and continue to pray each day that Megan will never have any complications with her new heart.  Thank you Jesus, for the 'family of God.'  
'HE STILL MOVES STONES.'

Waiting for Meg to get home after her first day of work in 15 months and 7 days. She has returned to the Ritz part time and will slowly move into full time. So thankful for the Ritz Carlton during this whole ordeal. They have been incredible.

The American Heart Association just posted the videos from the Go Red for Women Luncheon. Part 3 comes up first so make sure you watch all three parts in order. www.youtube.com/user/americanheartstl

What an amazing event! Megan's story was told by video and then Kathie, Megan, and I were able to express our thanks to the American Heart Association and present a plea to give to AHA. These are pictures from KMOV. We will post the video as soon as it is available.

Go Red for Women luncheon

www.kmov.com

Jan 18, 2011: It is Meg's 9 month heart birthday today.  Last year this time she was just starting her downhill spiral of weight loss and bad days were beginning to out number the good ones. We are so thankful for God's miracle in her life and for all who chose to 'participate in the miracle'.