Friday, October 31, 2008

Update on our precious unborn baby...‏

Dear Friends and Family,
Some of you have not heard from us for awhile, and some of you we have been in touch with regularly. I know the following news will be a shock, but we felt the need to call on as many people as possible to pray for us and our unborn child.

Today we went for a level 2 ultrasound to hopefully rule out a 2 vessel cord and to look closer at the right arm. Unfortunately, the news we received was much more devestating than we were expecting. It turns out that the right arm is shortened, but it's the left arm that is significantly deformed. It is missing the radial bone and possibly the fingers. The way the left hand is bent into the arm made it difficult to visualize the fingers. The baby does only have 1 artery (instead of 2) and 1 vein in the umbilical cord. However, the most difficult news was that the baby's brain has an over-abundance of fluid in the ventricals, leading to a larger head. We don't know to what extent how the brain is involved.

Our next step is we are heading down to CHOP on Wed, Nov. 5th to have another intense ultrasound, and echocardiogram of the baby's heart and a MRI of the baby's brain. We will talk to neonatal cardiologists, neurologists, and genetisist while we are there. We will probably have to also have an amiocentesis to determine to what extent the deformities go (chromosomal vs. genetics vs. congenital vs. unknown reason).

As you probably can figure out, this has been extremely difficult for us. We do know that God is in control of everything, and has a purpose in giving us this gift of a child. We are heart broken and need support, so we are asking for alot of prayer support and encouragement. We will keep people updated as we know more.

Much love, Joy, Chris, Josiah, and baby-to-be

Bible verses we must cling to:

Psalm 139:13-16For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my motherʼs womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,intricately woven in the depths of the earth.Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

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