My Life So Far....
- Michael G. Melton
- Small City, utah, United States
- I am a very happy,energetic two yr old who loves to laugh and play games I like to sing and dance, And playing with my older brother Tierell & my Mom & Dad Whom I love Very Much!!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Donations
If you would like to contribute to Michaels cause you can donate at Mountain America in Vernal, UT under the Name Michael Melton's Fund. Care of James Melton.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Michael is born
Michael was born Nov. 21, 2006, at the U of U hospital in Salt Lake City, UT with the heart condition Hypo plastic Left Heart Syndrome which means that he only has half a heart.
He was my third attempt at becoming a mother, twice before I had lost my little ones before they were given a chance at life.
He is a miracle baby and we are grateful for him every day. He has endured more in the first delicate moments of life that any child should ever be asked to. He is our brave little hero.
The first time we saw our brand new son was through the plastic walls of an incubator.
We were allowed to hold his tiny hand for a brief few seconds before they took him to Primary Children’s Medical Center. We were not able to hold him for eight more hours.
He had his first open heart surgery at three days old. I was still admitted to the hospital so we had to go from one hospital to another to see him. This first surgery went well and we got to take him home Dec. 23, 2006. That was the best Christmas present ever! We continued to make trips from home to SLC every two weeks for a year for checkups. Just to make sure he was doing ok.
Jan. 2007 we discovered that his pulmonary artery was not big enough and that he was not getting enough blood flow to his body.
Feb. 2007 we had his first Heart Cath.
He was only two months old.
During the procedure to place the stent to open that artery it blocked all the blood flow, they had to open the stent before it was placed properly. The procedure started out badly.
After at least 30 unsuccessful attempts to place an IV anywhere in his teeny body; they ended up slicing open his little foot to reach the artery to place the IV.
I was heartbroken and helpless and filled with frustration. Beside myself with guilt and grief and had no way of explaining to my child that it was all to keep him alive. It was all because I loved him so much. I was inconsolable, incapable of watching him being tortured. I had to leave the hospital I was no longer able to remain calm for his sake or anyone else’s at that point.
At 3am his heart stopped. He was clinically dead for more than 6 min. They administered C.P.R. and chest compressions. Our brave little man once again cheated death.
The morning brought no relief to this miserable ordeal.
His chest x-ray confirmed our worst fear. It showed that the stent was not in place, it was now in his ascending aorta. We were devastated. They had to go back in and try again. First taking out the badly placed stent and putting in two new ones.
This process gave him a blood clot in his femoral artery blocking all blood flow to his left leg; resulting in his entire leg turning black. Then when they took out the stent in the ascending aorta the tricuspid valve was damaged causing it to leak. The blood thinners they gave him to break up the clot in his leg worked all too well. When the clot broke up it went straight to his brain. This caused our tiny two month old baby to have a stroke. After this they did a multitude of brain scans on him after which they told us he would now be blind. The clot had killed the part of the brain that interpreted sight. They also told us that his brain looked a little small. That he may be a slow learner.
We stayed for three weeks to get him stable enough to come home. We tried a surgery called an arteal fistula to keep him from having to have another open heart surgery!
April 2007
The dreaded day had arrived, the day we were filled with so many different emotions we were anxious, terrified and hopeful all at the same time. Today is the day our four month old boy has his second open heart surgery.
We were not allowed to go into the OR with him so at 7:30 am they took him from my arms and into surgery, my brave little man had to face this colossal affair all alone. And we wait……..
At 12 pm we had our first update.
They told us that they could not stop the bleeding and his heart would not pump on its own.
By 5pm the bleeding had stopped but they had to give him a pace maker to keep him going.
At 5:30pm we got to see him. He made it! Another battle won!
Another three weeks in the hospital. We finally got to take him home.
May of 2008 he had his third open heart surgery to try to fix the tricuspid valve that got ripped up during the stent retrieval. It went well and seemed to help him. We only had to stay 11 days this time.
Aug. 2008 we have decided to have ear tubes put in. Michael was not passing his hearing testes and he kept getting ear infections. He was doing really well we decided to go ahead and have them put in, a procedure that for a normal boy would mean 30 min and go home. After it was done he would not wake up. Three hours later he was on 9 liters of oxygen and his levels were in the 60's (very low) so we were admitted to the ICU. We spent 11 days.
Dec. 2008 he got RSV. He had been off the oxygen for a while and one day he just went downhill and we had him tested. Since then he has had to stay on the hose.
April 2009 I took Michael to his cardiology apt. He'd had another heart cath about a month before.
They results were grim to say the least. They told us that there is nothing more they can do to help Michael. We are currently looking at a heart transplant. But with his body size it will be a challenge to find a heart small enough to fit him and since he is still doing well at home with meds. We aren’t even able to put him on the transplant list unless he is to get seriously ill to the point of hospitalization.
Michael has fought to make it. He is two years and seven months old.
He is the joy of our life.
Everything they said about him, that he would be blind, that he would be a slow learner, and that he wouldn’t make it. He has proven them wrong. We would like to give him the opportunity to continue to prove the “experts” wrong. They overlooked the most significant thing, the will of a child and our inability to give up on him.
A boy with so much life inside him, so much fight and happiness, it is hard to think that he fights for his precious little life every day.
When we become mothers all we wish for is a healthy baby, maybe we want a boy more than the girl or vice versa. But ultimately we wish for our baby to be healthy. I wish for one more day, that tomorrow like yesterday I will see him smile and tell me “Mommy I Love You.” To kiss his face and feel his tiny arms around my neck.
To see his face light up over a new experience, even to see him throw a fit and pout like a normal kid. We are given this rare chance to be parents that some people don’t ever get to experience. I am holding on to it with all my might.
I am aware how precious it is and how easily it could be taken from me.
We struggle everyday to give Michael the care he needs while trying to provide as normal life as possible for his older brother; just trying to give him a typical life of a seven year old, while spending weeks on end with family members because we are taking Michael to appointment after appointment. Watching his parents distraught with grief and trying to explain to him everything that accompanies our situation. That, on its own is monumental task. How they both act life its normal and cope so well is beyond us. Tierell is the best big brother to Michael.
He is amazingly understanding for anyone let alone a child. He is always willing to help with anything for Michael or just to be protective over him. It’s heartwarming to watch them together. The bond between them is unimaginably strong.
But to make our fragile situation worse a few months ago my husband lost his job; we now pay out of pocket for the insurance that use to help with all the medical bills. It has become overwhelming and we can’t keep up anymore.
Even though times are hard and we are all struggling with our own battles. We ask that you look inside your heart to help so that we can buy an oxygen concentrator for him so that we do not have to continue renting. And Michael can have a few more moments at life. Any tiny little bit will truly help.
But if you can’t give monetarily please, after reading Michaels story take a look at your own life, your children’s lives, your grandchildren’s, your parents, grandparents ……….. Anyone you love and hold dear. Know that life is precious fleeting thing. So live it with all your might and love with all your heart!
Live today like it was your last! Michael does.
Please keep us in your prayers as we will do for others in hardships.
He was my third attempt at becoming a mother, twice before I had lost my little ones before they were given a chance at life.
He is a miracle baby and we are grateful for him every day. He has endured more in the first delicate moments of life that any child should ever be asked to. He is our brave little hero.
The first time we saw our brand new son was through the plastic walls of an incubator.
We were allowed to hold his tiny hand for a brief few seconds before they took him to Primary Children’s Medical Center. We were not able to hold him for eight more hours.
He had his first open heart surgery at three days old. I was still admitted to the hospital so we had to go from one hospital to another to see him. This first surgery went well and we got to take him home Dec. 23, 2006. That was the best Christmas present ever! We continued to make trips from home to SLC every two weeks for a year for checkups. Just to make sure he was doing ok.
Jan. 2007 we discovered that his pulmonary artery was not big enough and that he was not getting enough blood flow to his body.
Feb. 2007 we had his first Heart Cath.
He was only two months old.
During the procedure to place the stent to open that artery it blocked all the blood flow, they had to open the stent before it was placed properly. The procedure started out badly.
After at least 30 unsuccessful attempts to place an IV anywhere in his teeny body; they ended up slicing open his little foot to reach the artery to place the IV.
I was heartbroken and helpless and filled with frustration. Beside myself with guilt and grief and had no way of explaining to my child that it was all to keep him alive. It was all because I loved him so much. I was inconsolable, incapable of watching him being tortured. I had to leave the hospital I was no longer able to remain calm for his sake or anyone else’s at that point.
At 3am his heart stopped. He was clinically dead for more than 6 min. They administered C.P.R. and chest compressions. Our brave little man once again cheated death.
The morning brought no relief to this miserable ordeal.
His chest x-ray confirmed our worst fear. It showed that the stent was not in place, it was now in his ascending aorta. We were devastated. They had to go back in and try again. First taking out the badly placed stent and putting in two new ones.
This process gave him a blood clot in his femoral artery blocking all blood flow to his left leg; resulting in his entire leg turning black. Then when they took out the stent in the ascending aorta the tricuspid valve was damaged causing it to leak. The blood thinners they gave him to break up the clot in his leg worked all too well. When the clot broke up it went straight to his brain. This caused our tiny two month old baby to have a stroke. After this they did a multitude of brain scans on him after which they told us he would now be blind. The clot had killed the part of the brain that interpreted sight. They also told us that his brain looked a little small. That he may be a slow learner.
We stayed for three weeks to get him stable enough to come home. We tried a surgery called an arteal fistula to keep him from having to have another open heart surgery!
April 2007
The dreaded day had arrived, the day we were filled with so many different emotions we were anxious, terrified and hopeful all at the same time. Today is the day our four month old boy has his second open heart surgery.
We were not allowed to go into the OR with him so at 7:30 am they took him from my arms and into surgery, my brave little man had to face this colossal affair all alone. And we wait……..
At 12 pm we had our first update.
They told us that they could not stop the bleeding and his heart would not pump on its own.
By 5pm the bleeding had stopped but they had to give him a pace maker to keep him going.
At 5:30pm we got to see him. He made it! Another battle won!
Another three weeks in the hospital. We finally got to take him home.
May of 2008 he had his third open heart surgery to try to fix the tricuspid valve that got ripped up during the stent retrieval. It went well and seemed to help him. We only had to stay 11 days this time.
Aug. 2008 we have decided to have ear tubes put in. Michael was not passing his hearing testes and he kept getting ear infections. He was doing really well we decided to go ahead and have them put in, a procedure that for a normal boy would mean 30 min and go home. After it was done he would not wake up. Three hours later he was on 9 liters of oxygen and his levels were in the 60's (very low) so we were admitted to the ICU. We spent 11 days.
Dec. 2008 he got RSV. He had been off the oxygen for a while and one day he just went downhill and we had him tested. Since then he has had to stay on the hose.
April 2009 I took Michael to his cardiology apt. He'd had another heart cath about a month before.
They results were grim to say the least. They told us that there is nothing more they can do to help Michael. We are currently looking at a heart transplant. But with his body size it will be a challenge to find a heart small enough to fit him and since he is still doing well at home with meds. We aren’t even able to put him on the transplant list unless he is to get seriously ill to the point of hospitalization.
Michael has fought to make it. He is two years and seven months old.
He is the joy of our life.
Everything they said about him, that he would be blind, that he would be a slow learner, and that he wouldn’t make it. He has proven them wrong. We would like to give him the opportunity to continue to prove the “experts” wrong. They overlooked the most significant thing, the will of a child and our inability to give up on him.
A boy with so much life inside him, so much fight and happiness, it is hard to think that he fights for his precious little life every day.
When we become mothers all we wish for is a healthy baby, maybe we want a boy more than the girl or vice versa. But ultimately we wish for our baby to be healthy. I wish for one more day, that tomorrow like yesterday I will see him smile and tell me “Mommy I Love You.” To kiss his face and feel his tiny arms around my neck.
To see his face light up over a new experience, even to see him throw a fit and pout like a normal kid. We are given this rare chance to be parents that some people don’t ever get to experience. I am holding on to it with all my might.
I am aware how precious it is and how easily it could be taken from me.
We struggle everyday to give Michael the care he needs while trying to provide as normal life as possible for his older brother; just trying to give him a typical life of a seven year old, while spending weeks on end with family members because we are taking Michael to appointment after appointment. Watching his parents distraught with grief and trying to explain to him everything that accompanies our situation. That, on its own is monumental task. How they both act life its normal and cope so well is beyond us. Tierell is the best big brother to Michael.
He is amazingly understanding for anyone let alone a child. He is always willing to help with anything for Michael or just to be protective over him. It’s heartwarming to watch them together. The bond between them is unimaginably strong.
But to make our fragile situation worse a few months ago my husband lost his job; we now pay out of pocket for the insurance that use to help with all the medical bills. It has become overwhelming and we can’t keep up anymore.
Even though times are hard and we are all struggling with our own battles. We ask that you look inside your heart to help so that we can buy an oxygen concentrator for him so that we do not have to continue renting. And Michael can have a few more moments at life. Any tiny little bit will truly help.
But if you can’t give monetarily please, after reading Michaels story take a look at your own life, your children’s lives, your grandchildren’s, your parents, grandparents ……….. Anyone you love and hold dear. Know that life is precious fleeting thing. So live it with all your might and love with all your heart!
Live today like it was your last! Michael does.
Please keep us in your prayers as we will do for others in hardships.
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