Our family has been getting a lot of questions regarding Bella’s upcoming surgery,
so I am going to explain it as best I can.

On Friday, June 21st at 7:30am, Bella will have surgery on BOTH her feet.

The bones in her feet are basically growing at almost a 90 degree angle. Inward. Her feet are so pronated inward that if we continued to allow the bones to grow as they are, she would eventually not be able to walk.

The surgery will encompass a number of things::

* they will literally break the bones in both of her feet and re-align them so that the bones from her ankles will align with the bones in her toes, as they should.

* they will shave the bone in her feet and ankles, to remove any bone that is off in the wrong direction.

* they will stretch her Achilles Tendon and elongate it so that she has a normal range of motion. We hope this will obliterate the pain she feels in her calves and hips.

Bella will be in non-walking casts on both legs for 4-6 weeks. She will then slowly progress to less and less restrictive casts.

And if that were not enough for a nine-year-old, there is more….

Bella had a kidney transplant when she was 15 mos. old.

She has my husband’s adult kidney in her belly.

And as a result of this, she has a very compromised immune system.

And as a result of THAT, she is at a high risk for the following with this surgery::

* her blood pressure canNOT go below a certain number while in surgery as it would compromise her blood flow. This is because she has a nine-year-old heart pumping blood to an adult kidney. This will be quite a challenge for the surgical team to accomplish.

* her compromised immune system puts her at a much higher risk for all kinds of infections.

* she has a much higher risk for blood clots which will make her recovery quite risky when she will be basically bed-ridden for 4-6 weeks at least.

* we have NEVER gone through a surgery without a life-threatening complication. We would love to break that streak this time.

So, as you can imagine, we are in great need of prayers and good thoughts.
I will be Bella’s nurse for the summer. My duties are quite extensive, from watching for signs of clots or infection, to transferring Bella between bed, wheelchair, bathroom, couch, etc. My duties will also include finding creative ways to entertain Bella, to be her encourager and her earthly strength, and shoulder for tears that will inevitably flow.

I am honored to have this role in her life, and I am very aware of the weariness of my soul that comes with it, having lived it time and time again with my precious daughter. And Martin, as well, feels the burden as he works hard to provide for all of us, aware that the financial toll is always there.

So, Dear Village,  

We covet your prayers.

Prayers for Peace.

Prayers for Joy.

Prayers of Comfort.

Prayers against complications, infections, blood clots, despair.

And we thank you.

That deep, full, all-encompassing kind of gratitude that brings tears and smiles at the same time.

We are so very grateful.

And I know – with every fiber of my being – that God is somewhere in the midst of it.