Pray for Finley Paul!

I'm sure most of you have heard that my brother and Meredith welcomed their second son into the world around 4pm yesterday, January 23rd. His name is Finley Paul and he looks just like his older brother, JT.

I was not able to be there right when he was born, but I made it up there about 2 hours after his birth. A few minutes before I got to the hospital I had talked to my brother, and he told me that they had taken Finn back to the nursery for his bath, and while in the nursery he had stop breathing. This was a complete shock to all of us, because for the first two hours he showed no signs of trouble or distress. So, when I finally made it to the hospital (in the midst of all the chaos) they were moving him to the NICU, for further evaluation.

After moving him to the NICU and after more numerous "not breathing" moments they scheduled him for a CAT scan. John and Meredith both were by his side the whole time. The results of the CAT scan came back and after the neonatologist was able to look at them he was able to determine that Finn had actually suffered from a stroke and that there was bleeding on his brain. The actual time of the stroke is unknown, but the bleeding in his brain was what was causing him to stop breathing because it was in the area of the brain that controls his breathing.



This news was not at all what anyone was expecting, especially John and Meredith after spending two wonderful and happy hours with their new son. John and Meredith are very upset and in need of everyone's prayers!

This morning I picked my mom and dad up from the airport and we went straight to the hospital. They had made arrangements to transfer Finn to Denver Children's hospital, for more extensive testing and to meet with a neurologist. John rode with Finn in the ambulance while Meredith was waiting to be discharged.










Wednesday 3:37 pm
As of right now, Finn is at Children's and will be having an uneventful night, until tomorrow when the tests will be begin. Meredith and her mother will be spending the night with Finn, so John can go home to rest and spend some time with JT. My parents will be spending the night with him tonight and helping with JT.

I am praying for a complete healing for Finn, because I know that our God is a God of miracles and healing! I'm believing for it, and I would like for all of you to believe along with me! I am boldly approaching God's thrown and EXPECTING a miracle.....not asking.....EXPECTING!!!!

I will try to keep you all up to date on the latest news and happenings so that you all know how to keep praying. Thank you all for your prayers, calls, emails and offererings, they are very much appreciated!!!! Love you!

Wednesday 8:10pm
I just got back from picking my brother and my dad up from the hospital. They have both been up there all day, along with Meredith and her mother. There was not much done as far as tests today, but my brother was able to talk with the neurologist. According to my brother she is one of the best in the country, so that has been one thing that has eased his mind. She was able to look at Finn and talk a little bit of his prognosis.

First, she said that the damage from the stroke is effecting his right side. A normal, average person would not be able to look at him and notice any kind of effect. She said that she is able to see, because she is experienced and knows what to look for, that his right side is moving a bit slower than his left. Like I said, not a real noticable effect. She will know more tomorrow after they do an EKG and an MRI. She said that he will definitely not be 100%, and may be delayed with certain things, but that she thinks there is much hope for him. She said that a baby having a stroke and an adult having a stroke are two different things. A baby's neurotransmitters and brain function are not as developed and learned as an adult, so those areas that have been damaged will never be, but the others (as they develop) will be able to compensate for the ones damaged. She also said that he will probably be a lefty as he grows up, because that will be his stronger more defined side.

I feel as if I'm leaving something out, but I can't remember what it is as of right now. My grandmother looked up what the name, Finley means and shared it with my mother today.

Finley means : fair-haired soldier

If you know my brother and his wife then you are aware that they both have fair hair, and their children share that same trait. I believe that Finley is living his name right now and fighting just like a soldier!

Thursday, Jan. 25th
I'm hesitant to even make this post, because I'm not really sure I have a whole lot of solid news for ya'll. I spent most of the day up at the hospital hoping to be there for the tests and for the results, but for those of you that are familiar with hospitals you know that they don't really stay on schedule.

I arrived at the hospital as they were finishing up the EEG test on Finn. The results for the EEG test were not back until as I was about to leave around 4:30pm. The test was able to show them that he had one episode of an electrical seizure within his brain. These types of seizures do not necessarily make themselves physically apparent, so the test was the only way we were able to know that it had occurred. After learning this they were able to give Finn some medicine to prevent the seizures from occurring again.

John and Meredith were able to hold him today for the first time since after his birth. They did the MRI after I left around 5:30pm, and we will get the results of that test tomorrow.

I talked to my mom a few minutes ago and she said that they did remove the ventilator tube from his mouth tonight and that they will be watching him closely tonight to make sure that he is able to breath on his own.

Continue to pray for postive results on the MRI test tomorrow and that he is able to breath on his own through the night and into tomorrow. Thank you, to all of you who are praying! Keep it up!