Baby Ervin update - 24 weeks

Hi all:

 

I want to start by saying thank you for all the prayers you are lifting up on our family's behalf. We are beyond grateful. 

 

As you know, a few weeks ago at our 20 ultrasound we discovered that our baby has a rare & serious heart defect. Baby's progress is being followed closely by specialists at Mott & a team of high risk doctors. The chance of losing baby before delivery is high, & the first few days/weeks after birth will be critical. It is pretty daunting situation, to be honest. 

 

Today we had another round of appointments at UM. I am very happy to report that baby's heart condition has not gotten any worse in the past few weeks. Praise God for a stable report! To be clear, there has not been any improvement or healing in the heart defect, but we are thankful that the doctors did not detect any early signs of heart failure today. This is a victory! I have to go for ultrasounds every couple of weeks to check on baby's progress, which really means to check for signs of heart failure. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, but we know we are thankful for another day with our little one happily kicking around in utero.

 

Some of you already know our baby is a girl. (We have two daughters & two sons at home already, which means this little tie-breaker baby puts the ladies in the lead in the Ervin household!) We are naming her Mary Magdalene & calling her Maggie.

 

Again, Greg & I are incredibly thankful for your prayers. Some days the reality of this medical situation is overwhelming & sad & dark. Some days it is hard to be hopeful & my tears are close to the surface. On those days it really feels like the only thing keeping this whole machine running is prayer. Thank you for lifting us up. We feel it. We need it.

 

Gratefully yours,

Jamie