Monday, September 28, 2009

Healing Hands


We had the pleasure of attending a Heart Walk in Charleston this weekend. Allow me to preface this post by stating first and foremost, our acknowledgement of the Lord Jesus as the Great Physician! There is no doubt in our mind that He alone is to be praised for the miracle that we have witnessed in Evie's life. He is the Giver and Sustainer of life, and the One who possesses the power to heal or to extend His loving arm to welcome His little ones home. That being said, it is clear that He uses extremely gifted individuals at times to carry out His purposes....this is one such man!

There is an awed reverence when you stand in this man's presence.
Words fail me.
I worship the ground he walks on.
Im full of emotion that Im unable to convey.
How do you express gratitude to the man who repaired your baby's broken heart?

On the night Evie was diagnosed with a heart defect and whisked away by chopper to MUSC and the nightmare began, emails began pouring in from those praying around the globe for our Evie. A dozen individuals in the medical profession wrote to assure us that Dr. Bradley of MUSC was the best and that we were in excellent hands!

I will never forget being called into the consultation room with Dr. Bradley and his staff following Evie's day in surgery. I remember my heart lodging in my throat when I looked at him for reassurance. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen. Time stood still. I was certain for a sickening moment that He had lost her.
But no, this renowned Physician was just bleary eyed from the exhaustion of six hours in surgery on a heart the size of a strawberry, working to switch arteries no larger than the tip of a ball point pen. Gifted, amazing, brilliant man!

Two days after her surgery, I sat with my baby through the wee hours of the morning. She'd had a traumatic day failing being off the vent and has just been re-intubated. Her scar was infected and splitting open. Irregular heart rhythms plagued her. I felt again that she might not be strong enough to pull through. In ICU, there is a nurse stationed full time at each bed closely monitoring the droning beeping of monitors and infusions of medications. The phone rang at 3:00 am and our nurse was called away. She returned to say that Dr. Bradley had called from his night off at home to check on Evie and adjust her meds. This man never sleeps...clearly, his heart is in his work!
We are indebted and grateful for the healing hands of those who loved and cared for our little miracle girl!

Evie pictured with a couple of the greatest nurses in the world!
Joy and Brenna, you know how dear you are to us!
Evie with two more of her phenomenal Cardiologists this weekend. The walk did her in!...the only way to get a picture where she is not crying with a doctor is to have her completely zonked!
I snapped this picture that evening walking on the beach in Charleston.
Happily-ever-after skipping off into the sunset!
No slowing her down.
No looking back!


This movie is a must see for any heart mom reading this...or anyone else who loves a good tear-jerker! A moving story of men who defy the rules and start a medical revolution. Their patients are known as the "blue babies" - infants suffering from a congenital heart defect that turns them blue as they slowly suffocate. This Dr invents the heart lung bypass that makes open heart surgery possible for babies who would otherwise have no chance at life.

8 comments:

Lacey said...

I'm defintely going to check that movie out. It continues to amaze me that these doctors work on such tiny hearts. They are miracle workers.

Faith M. said...

I feel the same way about Maggie's surgeon. It is impossible to explain how I feel about him. I am on a committee for the CICU at Maggie's hospital and I sometimes hear negative things about him and I hate it! Oh well, I know how much I love him.

Jess said...

I am right there with you about Dr. Bradley. The Lord certainly uses him in great ways! He looked the same way when he talked to us this time after surgery. He had worked on her for 8 hours! I don't think he eats or sleeps. He definitely works and thinks about his babies all the time! When we get off restriction and can go out in public we will have to come visit. I am off work until 10/26!

Jerri said...

Just found your blog! Touching story! Praise God for his healing power!

Three Fold Cord said...

TEARS!!!
Our God is amazing. I am so encouraged and blessed to hear of your Miracle

Heidi Ann said...

I know how speechless you must be in that amazing man's presence. No doubt his knowledge is one of his greatest gifts and that he is inspired.

shannon said...

Your little miracle girl is as precious as can be. And I think it is so wonderful that she remains a part her doctor's lives. I can only imagine how your beautiful child with the broken heart must warm theirs, and serve as a constant reminder of the hope, healing, and miracles that are possible in their line of work.

Faith M. said...

Mandy, I hope you don't mind if I use some of your wording on my blog from this post. I love how you explained your feelings about Evie's dr.

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