Saturday 2nd Update
We have some bad news.
When I came into Will's room this evening... I had this horrible feeling of dread as I looked at him. I knew. Will's swelling has gotten much worse over the past couple of hours. His drain only got out 5 cc's over the course of this afternoon. There's only so much he can pee out.
I asked to talk to the doctor on call. And he said that they have done everything they can do. He didn't think Will was going to make it through the night, and if he did it would only be a day or two. He said that parents tend to have a good perspective on things.
We have moved Will into a private room. Josh and I will hold him. We may start weaning his ventilator and his blood pressure meds, or we may let nature take its course. He is on a lot of pain and sedation meds, so he won't feel anything but our loving arms.
We will let you know what happens. Thank you to everyone for your prayers.
When I came into Will's room this evening... I had this horrible feeling of dread as I looked at him. I knew. Will's swelling has gotten much worse over the past couple of hours. His drain only got out 5 cc's over the course of this afternoon. There's only so much he can pee out.
I asked to talk to the doctor on call. And he said that they have done everything they can do. He didn't think Will was going to make it through the night, and if he did it would only be a day or two. He said that parents tend to have a good perspective on things.
We have moved Will into a private room. Josh and I will hold him. We may start weaning his ventilator and his blood pressure meds, or we may let nature take its course. He is on a lot of pain and sedation meds, so he won't feel anything but our loving arms.
We will let you know what happens. Thank you to everyone for your prayers.
posted by Stephanie Burns @ 8:45 PM
20 Comments:
At 9:06 PM,
Anonymous said…
Lisa Jo, Parks, Wren and I have just gathered together as a family to pray for the three of you. Parks cried when we told him that Will may be going to heaven to be with God soon. He said he thought that Will was going to pull through. And he cried saying, "I never even got to see him."
Then he said a most beautiful thing. He said, "You know that day when Jesus is going to come and take all the believers with him to heaven?" Lisa Jo and I said yes. And Parks said, 'I wish that day was today."
In five short months, in so many ways, WIll has made God known to us in a very real way. I praise God for this, even though I don't understand.
Our hearts are with you. And they are breaking.
Uncle Jay
At 9:22 PM,
Anonymous said…
Dear Stephanie & Josh, We just got the call from your Mom, Nancy. Our hearts are broken as is everyone's. Will has given so much love through his life and his life has not been in vain. One instance is the learning his doctors have gained to help others. God is with you all. We do pray for God to help you all through these next hours...you will receive his strength. I just wish I was with you to hug & hold you. Your strength and fortitude has been awe inspiring for all...so many has been gained from you all. You have such a strong marriage...a pillar to ys all. We love all of you...know we think of you constantly... Know your are in our prayers & thoughts.
Janet, Mike, Lauren & Shannon
At 9:27 PM,
Anonymous said…
The good Lord hold and comfort you... God's Will be done.
At 9:30 PM,
Anonymous said…
Our eyes are filled with tears and are our hearts are hurting with and for you both. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you face the moments and days ahead. May God wrap His loving arms around all 3 of you as y'all wrap your loving arms around Will.
In Him
The Elrods in Memphis--
Chris and Cathy
At 9:35 PM,
MomMom said…
I've just prayed that as Will feels your loving arms around him, you'll feel God's loving arms around you---and, of course, we pray for a miracle for Will.
At 9:45 PM,
Anonymous said…
Words can not express....love, Aunt Janet
At 9:53 PM,
Anonymous said…
Safe in the arms of Jesus...
At 9:54 PM,
Anonymous said…
We love you so much! God loves you even more!!!
Please hold each other tight and love Will for every minute. His courageous battle may almost be over. God is with you and he is holding Will's hand. We pray you can find peace. We pray for your moments with Will. You have all been so courageous and such an inspiration. Please kiss Will and tell him how much we love him! You all mean so much to us and our hearts are so deeply broken. We won't stop praying. I wish I had more words to express how sad we are. We love you and we wish we were with you. Please take care of each other!
May God bless you and be with you.
Love, with all of our hearts,
The Lowrie's
At 10:01 PM,
Anonymous said…
Stephanie and Josh,
Please know that you have so many people praying for you and precious Will. We love you and the wonderful baby you have allowed us all to love.
At 10:12 PM,
Anonymous said…
Our thoughts and prayers, of course, are with you... You will hold to each other and gather your strength together... We will, of course, be here for you... We can, and will, hope and pray for the proper providence... All the host of Heaven are together in their songs and prayers for Will... But, do not think that they are not also singing and praying for you as well... We are here together amazed at the strength that the two of you have shown all of us... I only wish that we all could strive to be the examples that you have given us... Your Mom will be with you soon... In Heart, if not in person... My family, as well, is holding you dear... God will give you strength as you need... We all hope to enjoy angels... We now can say we have, in Will, and his inspiration to us will endure...
Our Love, Prayers, and Hope...
Robert
At 10:18 PM,
Anonymous said…
Dear Stephanie and Josh,
This is Arlene Pearson's sister, Clarinda James writing. Words cannot express nor can I begin to understand the feelings you two must have right now. The only words of comfort that fit at a time like this, and for all times, is from our Great Comforter, our Heavenly Father.
Isaiah 40:11 says, "He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs (Will, Jorianna, Jeremiah) in his arms and carries them close to his heart, he gently leads those that have young (Stephanie and Josh, Ruth and her husband, Judd and Arlene)." When the world around you comes crashing down cling to Psalm 46: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the most High dwells. " May you say with Nahum the prophet, "The Lord is good, a STRONGHOLD in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him."(Nahum 1:7) I am praying that our "God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of compassion and the God of ALL comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."(II Corinthians 1:3-5)
I will continue to pray for you all as will my husband and four children. I showed them Will's pictures today and that helped them to see who they have been praying for.
Clarinda James
At 10:40 PM,
Anonymous said…
Oh, my sweet babies, Right now we do not know if God will choose to work a miracle and lift our baby Will out of this crisis or if he may choose to provide Will an end to all pain and suffering now. This is hard for us to comprehend as a good outcome, because we place so much in our dreams and aspirations for what we wanted this world to hold for our sweet Will. I can only trust this is because this world is all that we know and all that we can understand. We have prayed for God to be merciful and that he give us strength to face whatever the future holds. I love you so very much.
Mom
At 10:46 PM,
Anonymous said…
All I can say now, is I'm sorry and that you are not alone in your grief. I too lost my daughter at UofM on Sept.29,2005. Dr. Bove did her openheart surgery and to make a long story short she wasnt strong enough to recover from it. We also went to a private room after being in PODC for 13 days on ECMO. I hate that you two are going through this, but I know that you were able to talk to the Strausers and Dominicks today. We love them both like family (even though we just met the Strausers). Please know that when it is time for you and your husband to leave the hospital that your baby Will, will give you strength you need to take one step at a time, and one thing that has given me peace is knowing that no matter what my Angel is with me wherever I go and is no longer in any pain. Please remember that you are not alone in this new journey of your lives you are not the first person to go through this and sadly you wont be the last.
Aimee Z.
CP TaylorZoll
At 10:57 PM,
Anonymous said…
We thank you for your blog and update and are in constant prayer.
GGD and GGM Perdue
At 11:24 PM,
Anonymous said…
Josh and Stephanie -
I was so speechless tonight when you came and told us about Will. I can't imagine the feelings that you have right now. You have been incredibly strong thus far. I have stood in awe of your strength since I have been here in Ann Arbor. We barely know you, but because we both have heart babies we have a connection. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. I hope you feel God wrap his loving arms around the both of you and Will tonight. Will has been so blessed to have such amazing parents. He has touched so many by his strength. God has never left his side and will be with him until the very end. You two are very special. Please let us know if there is anything at all that we can do for you.
love your fellow heart family -
the Strausers
At 11:41 PM,
Nana Nancy said…
Dear Stephanie & Josh,
Your phone call earlier this evening...was EXpected; but UNexpected......
Stephanie, as I told you on the phone..........Thank God, He finally made is SO CLEAR, that our Dear Will was in great distress.
You could see it in the unprecedented swelling; it was CLEAR, our Baby Will just needed to be released...
You and Josh, Dr. Bove, his team, his staff, the nurses, at Michigan and Vanderbilt have done all there is to do.
But the hardest thing of all……..to let Go……..and Let God take care of him…
Stephanie and Josh..………….if I may, think of all those folks waiting for Baby Will to come to Heaven………Think how proud Nannie Cox, Pop Pop Cox.. .Nannie Harris (your Dad's grandMom) and your Dad’s grandfather William Blake Harris will be to greet our Baby Will as he arrives in heaven.
You an Josh will have a very special place when you arrive in heaven……meanwhile, just know that our Baby Will is in God’s hands…………..and all of those who have preceded us in heaven……….
I know Josh’s family has a long list of family to greet Baby Will as well.
We all remain ready to do whatever you need, to make it through the difficult hours, days and weeks ahead.
You and Josh have demonstrated a unbelieveable amount of strength these last 5 months..........but now, it's time to let the rest of us hold YOU, just as you have held our Dear Baby Will.
Love you both SO MUCH,
Mom & GrandMommy....
xoxox
PS. Parrish says to say...We will be there for you.
At 12:12 AM,
Anonymous said…
Josh & Stephanie, our hearts are heavy. We know that you will Cherish this moment as you hold your Sweet Will and hold to it.
We are praying that God gives you peace, comfort and strength in faith.
Mark 10:14 Jesus said, "Let the children come to me ... for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." ...:16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
We love Will and you two so much.
Uncle Big O Joe, Aunt Becky, Adam & Andrea
At 1:56 AM,
Jay said…
Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight.
Some are born to sweet delight,
Some are born to endless night.
We are led to believe a lie
When we see not through the eye
Which was born in a night to perish in a night,
When the soul slept in beams of light.
God appears, and God is light
To those poor souls who dwell in night,
But does a human form display
To those who dwell in realms of day.
William Blake
At 2:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
As you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the Good Shepherd is with you...His rod and His staff comfort you.
We love you and hurt for you more than words can say.
Granddad & Grandma Perdue
At 2:21 AM,
Anonymous said…
Josh, Stephanie,
I felt this could have been spoken by Will, if he had the words to tell you himself:
"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day..."(2 Titus 4:6-8)
If ever any one in this world fought the good fight, it was our sweet baby Will. He worked so hard for so long wanting to be with you. Even as we are all heartbroken that it was for such a short time, in the middle of our tears, we know he is now being held in heaven and will never, ever hurt again or want for anything.
I love you.
Mom/Kirk
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