July 13, 2010
This was Marc's first email to lots of you:
First of all, I would like to introduce to you all our third daughter, Josie LeeAnne Black. Josie came into the world on July 11, 2010 at 3.42 a.m. She weighed in at 7 lbs 12 oz, and is 19.5" long. The labor went quickly, and was preceded by a mad dash to the hospital. I've attached a photo or two of our beautiful baby girl for you see.
Now, to the second part of this note. It is with heavy heart that I write this next portion of this chapter in our lives. Josie came out healthy and strong, and passed her tests with flying colors. Sometime in the course of her being evaluated, someone noticed that the "soft spot" on her head (where the plates of the skull come together) was a little too large, or something like that. So, they ordered an ultra sound, just to check things out. Sometime around 4:00 pm (we've kind of lost track), our journey with Josie took a hard right turn. A doctor came into our room and informed us that the results of the ultra sound were not what they were expecting. Josie has a 6 - 7 cm tumor on her brain, which is causing the swelling in that soft spot on top of her head. She was trasferred to the Neo-Natal Unit in the DeVos Childrens' Hospital Floor here at the Butterworth Campus. Two floors down from us. She is scheduled to have an MRI tonight at 10 pm to gather more information about the tumor. At this point, we have very few details. A pediatric neurologist is meeting with us tomorrow, and I believe an oncologist (cancer dr. ) is getting involved as well. She now has an IV in her umbilical cord stub, as well as one in her foot. She has wires and monitors all over her.
The last two days have been rather long, but got even longer this afternoon. Our hearts are very heavy, and it hurts so terribly bad to see our little one like this, and knowing that she has this thing in her brain. We've been told that it has likely been present for quite some time, and does not likely pose any immediate emergency action. But, they are obviously taking it very seriously and trying to get some more details as soon as possible, so we might determine a proper course of action. The word "surgery" has been tossed out there frequently, but again, it's hard to say until the specialists take a look at the test results.
So, with all of that said, we would desperately covet your prayers as we wade through these deep waters. We desire that God is glorified through this. May we honor Him in our words, thoughts, and actions. We, as human beings, do not know or understand why these things happen, but our God, the Creator of the Universe, holds our little Josie in His hands. He knows the particulars, the why, the how, and the when. Of course, we greatly desire healing, and are praying to that end. But whatever the outcome, may our Lord be glorified. Please pray with us to that end. Please pray that we have the strength, wisdom, and courage to endure, to make wise decisions, and to look to God and others for help. And pray for little Josie, that her body would be strong as she's poked and prodded, and as numerous tests are performed. And pray that she would be healed! Our God is bigger than this tumor.
I will try to keep you all posted as things develop. Thank you to those of you who have already extended your love and support.
This was Marc's first email to lots of you:
First of all, I would like to introduce to you all our third daughter, Josie LeeAnne Black. Josie came into the world on July 11, 2010 at 3.42 a.m. She weighed in at 7 lbs 12 oz, and is 19.5" long. The labor went quickly, and was preceded by a mad dash to the hospital. I've attached a photo or two of our beautiful baby girl for you see.
Now, to the second part of this note. It is with heavy heart that I write this next portion of this chapter in our lives. Josie came out healthy and strong, and passed her tests with flying colors. Sometime in the course of her being evaluated, someone noticed that the "soft spot" on her head (where the plates of the skull come together) was a little too large, or something like that. So, they ordered an ultra sound, just to check things out. Sometime around 4:00 pm (we've kind of lost track), our journey with Josie took a hard right turn. A doctor came into our room and informed us that the results of the ultra sound were not what they were expecting. Josie has a 6 - 7 cm tumor on her brain, which is causing the swelling in that soft spot on top of her head. She was trasferred to the Neo-Natal Unit in the DeVos Childrens' Hospital Floor here at the Butterworth Campus. Two floors down from us. She is scheduled to have an MRI tonight at 10 pm to gather more information about the tumor. At this point, we have very few details. A pediatric neurologist is meeting with us tomorrow, and I believe an oncologist (cancer dr. ) is getting involved as well. She now has an IV in her umbilical cord stub, as well as one in her foot. She has wires and monitors all over her.
The last two days have been rather long, but got even longer this afternoon. Our hearts are very heavy, and it hurts so terribly bad to see our little one like this, and knowing that she has this thing in her brain. We've been told that it has likely been present for quite some time, and does not likely pose any immediate emergency action. But, they are obviously taking it very seriously and trying to get some more details as soon as possible, so we might determine a proper course of action. The word "surgery" has been tossed out there frequently, but again, it's hard to say until the specialists take a look at the test results.
So, with all of that said, we would desperately covet your prayers as we wade through these deep waters. We desire that God is glorified through this. May we honor Him in our words, thoughts, and actions. We, as human beings, do not know or understand why these things happen, but our God, the Creator of the Universe, holds our little Josie in His hands. He knows the particulars, the why, the how, and the when. Of course, we greatly desire healing, and are praying to that end. But whatever the outcome, may our Lord be glorified. Please pray with us to that end. Please pray that we have the strength, wisdom, and courage to endure, to make wise decisions, and to look to God and others for help. And pray for little Josie, that her body would be strong as she's poked and prodded, and as numerous tests are performed. And pray that she would be healed! Our God is bigger than this tumor.
I will try to keep you all posted as things develop. Thank you to those of you who have already extended your love and support.
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