Dinner With Friends

Joe and I are super excited to be attending "Dinner with Friends" this Saturday!  By now you all know how much we value and love the Ronald McDonald House!  This special place is a tremendous asset to our community and we know first hand how their services bless families in crisis.

I encourage you to click on the event and scroll down to the bottom and simply read how this wonderful fundraiser came about.

Dinner with Friends

But before you go I want to share a little more about how the RMH has blessed our family.

While the RMH has 47 guestrooms that provide a "home away from home" for families like ours with a child in medical crisis, most people are unaware that they are not only for overnight guests!  The RMH also provides 3 FREE meals a day to any parent with a child admitted into Rady's Children's Hospital.  How amazing is that!  Whether you are there for a day, a week, a month, or longer they will take care of all your meal needs!

Our family was so blessed by these meals that we have gone back a few times each year to provide them for others.  On some of the hardest days of my life a complete stranger took care of my basic needs.  They gave their time and money to feed me...how beautiful is that?  There were days when I entered the house so broken and scared.  There were times when it was hard to look those serving me in the eye for fear of completely falling apart and there were times when I wanted to make a connection and share our story.  But each day a different group of volunteers took care of me and I find so much beauty in their service.

So please do me a favor...head over to the site above and read about how these two guys, Carlos & Matt, began this wonderful fundraiser benefiting our families "Home Away from Home".

If you would like to attend the event...great!  Joe and I will be there and even get to share a few minutes of our story!  If you can't make the event but would like to contribute any amount that is wonderful!  I usually get around 100 hits on each post so if everyone who read this blog donated even $5 we could help support this fundraiser and raise $500!  And lastly is you could share this event and challenge on your Facebook page we can spread the word to others who may be interested and just need an invitation!

The Ronald McDonald House has seen our family through 2 open heart surgeries, a cardiac catheterization, an oral surgery, and 2 unplanned hospitalizations.  And while I would love to remain on the volunteer side of the counter, I know with Stephen's 3rd surgery looming that we will soon find ourselves in line to receive again.  It is a painful place to be but I am grateful to know that when the times comes we will be well taken care of.

Thank you all for continued prayers for our precious son and thank you for letting me blab over and over about the Ronald McDonald House and the special place it has in our hearts =)

With Much Love & Gratitude,

Kim

Heartiversary

 Taken a few days after his surgery

Today marks Stephen's 3rd "heartiversary".  In the CHD world many parents celebrate the anniversary of a significant open heart surgery (OHS).  April 26th, 2012 was the date of Stephen's first.  This was by far the worst day of my life.  My baby was just 10 days old when I had to watch them wheel him away from me.  He should have been at home in my arms...not on a table in an operating room.  The mere thought of what they had to do to him was, and is, too much for me to handle.  He was so little, so innocent and yet faced with such a steep hill to climb.  
It is strange having a "medically fragile" child with a condition that is so "hidden".  Most people will never know or grasp the true miracle that he is.  The fact that Stephen never required a g-tube or fortified milk alone was a miracle.  Unlike most heart babies he never struggled to put on weight and even grew himself a few chins =)  Simply put... Stephen is the "best case scenario" for his condition.  I get asked often if he is "done" or "fixed" and if the next surgery will be the last one.  The hard truth is that there is currently no cure for Stephen's condition.  All 3 planned surgeries are considered palliative.  Other than a 3rd OHS we truly don't know what the future holds.  

While we are trying to decide the timing of his 3rd surgery, and seeking opinions, the thought of him having to go through it all again just breaks me.  It breaks me to think about all that he will have to endure for a third time and what we will have to say to him in preparation for the big day.  How do you even begin to put it in words?  It is incredibly painful to watch your baby be wheeled away and it breaks me to think about how we will have to let go and hand him over once again and how he will have to wake up in such a different state then when they put him to sleep.  Stephen is so full of joy and I don't want anything to take that away from him.  It breaks me to think that there will be days where I won't see a smile on his face. 

And while I know that this is all just "sometime in the future" I find myself broken.

There is a possibility that this reality may be sooner than I would like.  We will be meeting with a surgeon in May and discussing our options regarding the timing of the Fontan surgery.  Though as one cardiologist has put it...
"We don't know the answers re: Fontan timing. There is essentially no compelling literature to support early or late. Keep in mind that you are trying to decide between two sub-optimal (at best) options."  

That is the truth.  We have 2 "sub-optimal...at best" options.  Stephens heart will most likely never be made whole on this side of eternity.  I know he looks great and seems normal, and in some ways he is, but the truth is that Stephen will most likely always have an upward hill to climb.  This breaks me!

 Taken a few days after his surgery

But as I learned April 26, 2012, when I am broken... His power is made perfect.  Never before did I rely upon my God than the day of Stephen's first surgery.  It was the first time in my life that I felt, and was, completely and utterly out of control.  My son's life was placed in someone else's hands.  His heart, the size of a walnut, was removed and operated on. Never before had I so desperately cry out to the Lord as I did that day.  And in my brokenness, and through the tears, I very clearly felt God's presence and knew that irregardless of the outcome Hope would remain.  When I am weak...He is strong.   

And this is my prayer.  That God would continue to shape and mold me through these trials. That His power would be made perfect in my weakness and that His grace would be sufficient.  I pray that he would help guide us in decision making and give Stephen, and all of us, the strength and peace to get through road ahead.  I pray that Stephen's joy will always remain and that God would continue to use this amazing little man to touch the hearts and lives of others.  And I pray that Stephen will trust in our Lord all of the days of His life and that he would dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

So please continue to pray for our little heart hero.  He still has an uphill battle. 
 

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’

Happy Heartiversary Buddy!

You are strong, brave and joyful and you have made your mommy such a better person.  

May God continue to bless you and mold your sweet little heart to follow Him! 

Birthday Celebrations Part 2

THE PARTY!!!!

Stephen chose to have a Disney Cars Birthday party...actually in his words he wanted a "Lightning & Mater party"!  I had fun (as always) running with the theme and making decorations.  

I also had a little way too much fun making a backdrop and props for a photo booth!  It was a hit with the kids...and adults!

Stephen had a blast jumping in a bounce house, playing with friends, taking silly pictures and opening presents!  He was a little shy when everyone started singing "Happy Birthday" but he loved his brownie and ice cream =)  And he got a Mike Trout Angels jersey like the rest of his siblings!  He has now worn it 2 days in a row and doesn't want to take it off.  Don't tell Trout..but he thought it was Philip River's Angels jersey ;)  

Stephen has talked about his birthday and party all week :)  He even asked me how long until he turns 7 (his favorite number).  He is growing up so fast and I am trying to soak all of these moments in.  It is hard watching my "baby" not be a baby anymore.  He is such a big boy these days! 

Thank you to all who have prayed for Stephen and our family these past three years.  I know many of you still have the heart magnet on your fridge and faithfully pray for our son and we are so grateful that you do!   Please continue to pray for wisdom in upcoming surgeries (I will have an update in a few days of where we are at) and that this little guy never looses his joy!

God Bless!

Birthday Celebrations Part 1

We have a blast celebrating Stephen turning 3....and he LOVED every minute of it!  On his birthday he woke up to decorations and a few presents.  We got him a new lightening McQueen scooter, a Dusty figurine from Planes Fire & Rescue and some school books.  In true Stephen fashion he immediately chose to "play" with his favorite...schoolwork!  This kid asks to do school work EVERY day.  I have put my foot down and say no on weekends so I can get a break ;)

This video doesn't capture his excitement but I thought it was so cute that he was wondering where "all the people" were to watch him open his presents =)

After our birthday tradition of sprinkle pancakes for breakfast we took off for Legoland!  Once you turn 3 you are allowed to go on a super fun ride where you get to drive a little car all by yourself. This kid was in heaven and went on it 7 times!

All in all we had a GREAT time and after 6 hours of fun this kid was OUT on the way home!!!

We had such a great time celebrating Stephen and he loved every minute of it!  He would proudly walk around and say "I 3!" or "It's my Birfday"  (yes I spelled it like he pronounces it) =)

I shed a few tears times as I sat and watched him glow with excitement.  This little guy has gone through so much and yet remains so full of joy.  I am so very blessed to be his mommy and I can hardly believe that my baby is 3!  

Happy Birthday Buddy!

3 years ago a beautiful soul entered this world and his life forever changed mine.  The anniversary of his birth brings such a mixed bag of emotions.  It is with sincere gratitude that I look back on these past 3 years and thank the Lord for Stephen's life.  While so many heart heros fail to see their first birthday, Stephen has seen 3 and I know how blessed we are.

Each year I go back and read through the blog posts from the beginning.  They tell a beautiful story of the bravest little guy I know and capture so many of our raw emotions.  They show our cries to God as well as our praises.  They bring me to tears and yet bring joy to my heart.  It has been a hard journey but also a beautiful one.

This picture below shows the 10 seconds I got to hold my baby on the day of his birth.  He had been in this world for a good 20 minutes before I even saw a glimpse of his face and it would be days before he would be in my arms again.

There was a team of 11 doctors, nurses, specialists, respiratory therapists, and a transport team that crowded the delivery room.  They immediately placed IV's and wires on his tiny little body.  While most moms wait to hear their babies weight and height, I waited to hear he was stable and able to be moved.  The first glimpse I had of his face came from a photo Joe was able to sneak on his phone.   I then found myself for the next few hours stuck in one hospital while my baby and husband were in another...a heartbreaking place to be.  I was relieved when they finally let Joe wheel me down to Radys to be with him.  I sat for hours in a wheel chair next to his bed.  There was nothing I could do for him but sit and pray.  At this point he was slightly struggling and even little noises would agitate him and cause his oxygen saturations to drop.  So I sat and prayed...and snuck in his first picture with his daddy =)

While this day was in so many ways a struggle, it is such a blessing to be sitting here 3 years later with so much to be thankful for and so much to celebrate!  God has walked this road with us every step of the way.  He has been our rock and our refuge and we would not be who we are today without Him.  I am so thankful for the life and provision he has granted Stephen and I pray that he would continue to strengthen his heart and use Stephen's journey for His glory.

There is also so much to celebrate today!  We celebrate his life and all of the joy he has brought to our lives!  We celebrate the obstacles he has overcome and the strength he has shown.  We celebrate the impact his life has made and how God has done "immeasurably more" than we could have dreamed.  We celebrate Stephen!  In all his wonderful silliness we celebrate Stephen today!

As per Stephen's request we will be spending the day at Legoland!  He has been counting down all week (with help from his siblings) for today.  He is sooooo excited for his birthday and that just makes it extra special for me =)

He has grown so much these past few months!  He still LOVES school work and asks to do it EVERY day.  He knows almost all of his letters and numbers and loves to count.  He is completely done with diapers, sleeps in the bottom bunk, can peddle his tricycle by himself and hits a baseball pitched at him.  To a mom who was told he would most likely be delayed...these are all little miracles!

So today I wish my little buddy a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

My God continue to bless his life and grant many more Birthdays to come!

Easter Festivities

I have been far too busy to write and well... I don't like that.  I find that writing and jotting down my thoughts can be extremely therapeutic yet with 4 kids, homeschooling, loads of laundry and hubby I care to spend time with sometimes my only therapy is chocolate =)

I did however want to find the time to share with you my wonderful and slightly chaotic Easter festivities.  I would like to thank all of those who gave their time and money to make our Easter Carnival at the San Diego Ronald McDonald House another success.  We truly could not have done it without ALL OF YOU!!!

For the entire week leading to Easter my house looked like this.  I take that back...this is when it was "clean".  For much of the week the floor was not visible! As my good friend Wendy stated it looked like Easter threw up at my house!  But, with the help of others, we made and wrapped 120 Easter baskets!!!  And these weren't just any old Easter baskets...they were AMAZING!  They were baskets that parents would wish they could give their children...heck they were baskets my children wished I would give them =)

This is where it gets real for me.  I know to some it may seem like I go overboard, or put too much time into it, but I know the pain and hurt these families are feeling and I know the joy and relief these baskets can bring.

Last Saturday I handed a basket to a mom in tears who was so grateful and relieved she would be able to give her daughter this gift.  She shared how 4 days prior she would have never had expected to be spending this holiday in the hospital.  That Wednesday her daughter (who is 6) went in for a MRI and by the next morning she was in surgery to begin cancer treatment.  In a flash her life was forever changed.  My heart broke, as it always does when I hear these types of stories, but it is also the driving fuel for my passion in this ministry.  These families are hurting.  Many of them have a child with a life threatening medical crisis and they need a glimpse of hope, a moment of relief... and JESUS!!

God has given me a heart and passion for this place.  It is a place where broken people can come in and feel supported and loved.  Where volunteers, people you don't even know, take their time to provide your basic needs when you need it most.

I know all too well how important a place like the Ronald McDonald House is to our community. These people serve families in crisis...and we were just one of them.  It brings tears to my eyes to think back on the days we needed the House.  Put it this way... the day Stephen had his first open heart surgery a group of volunteers were there to feed me.  I didn't know them, they didn't know me, but they fed me.  This past December when Stephen went in for his oral surgery I was a mess.  Joe and I had not eaten so once they took Stephen back into the operating room we went to the House to get breakfast.  I couldn't even stand in the line.  It felt terrible to be on the other side of the buffet table.  I have been so used to serving these past 3 years that I had almost forgot what it felt like to be in need.  I broke down and while I standing there in tears a lady came and gave me a hug and prayed for me.  It is moments like these that keep me coming back.  I want to be that comfort and support to someone when they need it most.  Whether it is providing the meal, making blankets, putting together a carnival or making super awesome Easter Baskets, I want to serve these families and I feel incredibly blessed to have a church of supporters behind me =)


On a lighter note (I'm sentimental... I can't help it) I am going to back up and fill you in on what we did April 4th.

The day before Easter about 45 of us from Riverview went down to the Ronald McDonald House to make/serve dinner and put on an Easter Carnival and Egg Hunt!  Outside we had 10 carnival style games, face painting, a photo booth, popcorn, cotton candy, nachos and a bounce house/slide combo! It was a joy serving alongside of so many wonderful families and I loved watching all of the little ones get involved!

With a last minute AMAZING donation by our church I was able to help put 36 baskets together specially made for the parents and families in the NICU (a place near and dear to my heart).  Each basket contained a stuffed animal, blanket, socks/beanie and some candy/snacks for the parents.  These baskets were given out to the parents on Easter morning and I received a text from my friend Erin (who is a NICU nurse at Rady's) that the parents were super grateful and blessed by the unexpected gift =)  We also brought over 30 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to the nurses and doctors...because they can use a little love too!


And as an added little bonus to the baskets, a sticker was placed on all 120 of them reading...

Happy Easter!

With Love in Christ,

Riverview Church

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade" 1 Peter 1:3-4

My prayer is that these baskets, and the conversations that so many of us had with parents that day, will plant a seed in their hearts...and that one day that seed will grow =)

Again, THANK YOU all who helped in anyway (time, money & prayers) to make this day possible.  It is hard to believe in a few short days my miracle baby will be turning 3...God has greatly blessed us with his life and I pray that He would continue to use it to touch the hearts and lives of others!

With Much Love & Gratitude In Christ,

The Russell Family