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.