5-2-19

May 2nd Day 46 on ECMO
Walker took a step back today...he is now back on the vent with O2 increased from 28% to 60% and the ECMO sweep has gone from 1 up to 9. His lungs got tired and began to retain CO2 throughout the night.  As the refrain goes on the ECMO unit, “two steps forward one step back is still a step forward”.  It’s an easy cliche to say but much harder to actually live it especially at this level of intensity.

While the work that is done on this unit, ECMO CVICU at Advent Health, is cutting edge and one of best in the country and has saved Walker's life, it is still a very hard process to watch for the parents/family members and very hard on the patients as well.  We would say brutal in fact.  But worth every tough minute when you consider the alternatives. Five years ago this type of treatment did not exist and this ECMO unit is only 18 months old. 

What it is like to be Walker's parents (from Dave):
Being Walker's parents right now is a complicated balancing act between taking care of him and trying to take care of yourself, between staying positive and strong for Walker and managing a deeply painful aching heart,  between managing the sometimes overwhelming level of care he needs, and managing the business of your life.   One thing I do know is that this has changed all of us in ways we will only discover down the road.   Today we ask for prayer specifically that Walker's lungs will continue to improve and that his kidneys will restart when the timing is right. Protect him Lord from all bacteria, virus, and disease so that they will die upon touching his body. Thank you Father for today, tomorrow, and what you will do in the future for Walker.

Please continue to share this site as we are still a bit short of our goal.   A step backwards means more hospital time.  Thanks to all of you for loving this family!