Sleep well, my precious angel! God has great plans for you!... a HOPE, and a FUTURE!
Doctors have been astounded that Rachel could still be alive, in light of the reports from China. But they refused, with us, to sign her off as "inoperable" and leave her there to die. With much thanks due to these wonderful physicians, Rachel was rushed home for another "opinion"! And today, that opinion is in... The little girl deemed "inoperable" and sent to the orphanage to die almost 7 years ago, was today proclaimed OPERABLE!!! There is much HOPE that after a series of open heart surgeries... we can look forward to many happy years together as a forever family! There are more tests to be done to completely figure out Rachel's very unusual "anatomy", but the echocardiogram revealed that though she has only one ventricle, and one functioning atrium, along with a whopping ASD, transposed "something", and plumbing flowing into and out of her heart in the wrong places... there is still HOPE! And a lot of it! Ironically, we have been told all along that one of the things that would prevent possible surgical interventions would be if the pressure in her lungs was too high. This could do unrepairable damage. BUT GOD... the one who fashioned her little heart, has actually protected her through something that could have proven fatal for the "average" heart patient. Rachel has pulmonary stenosis... That means that the arteries that send blood from her heart to her lungs are very narrow. What would have meant death to most of us, God actually used to preserve her precious life! Because of those narrowing arteries flowing from her heart to her lungs... the pressure on her lungs has been minimal. This makes surgery a very viable option! She's a "half-hearted" little girl, but what she has (the left side!), is strong and has willingly done the work for her body and her lungs for over 7 years now! A lot of "re-plumbing" and patching needs to occur, but she is in the hands of an incredible group of doctors who believe that God has preserved her life for a purpose and a future!
We are beside ourselves with delight!!! And yet, not even slightly surprised! Though my heart jumped for joy at hearing this wonderful news, I felt deep inside as if I'd known it all along... God's incredible mercy and grace, displayed so immeasurably in my life has taught me to expect the miraculous... to expect the immeasurably more than I could ask or even imagine! What a mighty God I serve!!!
We have been admitted to the hospital for further testing... an MRI tomorrow morning and then a possible heart cath to determine exactly how to proceed with surgery on her heart. As I type, my sweet angel is sound asleep in the big hospital bed beside my insanely little recliner "bed". She looks like a princess asleep on her throne... and I am rather enjoying spoiling her by propping her up on fluffy pillows and surrounding her with snuggly blankets and sheets. I want her to feel like the little Princess she is! What an honor it is for me to have the opportunity to be Mommy to this little girl that God so obviously has "big" plans for... I believe that she will change the world for Christ and am beyond grateful for my front row seat for such a God-inspired occasion!
And you, my friends, who have been used by God to provide a way to get Rachel home and even an abundance to help with the expenses of the healing she needs. You've stood in the gap for us and for Rachel! Sleep well tonight! God's got this one! :-) Stand back and be utterly amazed!
Signing off to join my princess in dreamy sleep! I have to believe that tonight all of our dreamy dreams just might be coming true!!!
