Faith to Move a Mountain

In November of 2011, I started this blog as a sort of journal to chronicle the events of our son Quinton's adoption. Quinton is a little boy who was born with an extra special something. Quinton has down syndrome and was given up at birth by his parents because he has down syndrome. His birth parents must not have had any idea what a blessing he would be or I am sure they would not have given him up. Unfortunately in Eastern Europe (Quinton is from Ukraine) people with disabilities are not accepted in society and at the age of 4-6, they are sent to adult mental institutions where most of them die :( Although it breaks my heart that his parents have missed out on such a joyful little boy, God has used this unfortunate situation to bless us with a gift greater than I could have ever imagined: the gift of our first child. If you ever considered adoption-do it! Don't let money deter you. God provided over $20,000 for us to adopt Quinton. We were not fully funded until 50 minutes before we boarded our plane to Ukraine. If you have never considered adoption, go back to the beginning of this blog and read. You will see what a blessing adoption really is. Many people tell us that we are angels for rescuing Quinton, but the honest truth is this: Quinton has given me far more that I will ever be able to give him. He is my little miracle, my silly bug, my baby boy, my love. HE IS MY LIFE!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

News From the Cardiologist

When we first committed to adopt Quinton, we knew that he had a heart condition called an open oval window. After having him checked by his pediatrician, he was referred to the pediatric cardiologist. Both the pediatrician and the cardiologist said that Quinton's heart murmur was very faint and thought to be very "innocent" and something he would likely outgrow. Quinton had an EKG done and even after the results of that came back, the cardiologist still believed that his heart was healthy. There were no signs of hypertension or arrhythmia. He sent us into the next room to have an ultrasound done to confirm that the murmur was indeed innocent. Quinton was a champ through the entire 20 minute ultrasound (his daddy might just tell you otherwise though-Quinton may have peed on his leg LOL). We went back to the office so that the dr. could review the ultrasound pics. When he came back in, he had a diagram in his hand and I knew that the murmur was not so innocent. Surprisingly, Quinton does have what is called an atrial septal defect (ASD). The hole in his heart is about 4mm and will most likely require surgery. The ultrasounds showed that one side of Quinton's heart is enlarged. There is too much blood flow due to the hole, so one side is having to work much harder than the other. The good news is that the defect is in a good place and the surgeon will likely be able to repair it through a procedure called a heart catheterization. Instead of having to cut his chest open as they would in open heart surgery, they will go up through an artery in his leg and follow it up to his heart and repair the hole that way. This is a one day surgery and if all goes well, will only require a one night stay in the hospital. We will go back to the cardiologist in January of 2013. At this time the hole is not affecting his oxygen or energy, so the doctor would like to give the hole every chance to close on its own. So, for now we are in the clear and will revisit surgery when Quinton is closer to 3 years old. This is definitely not the news we were hoping for, but we are very thankful that open heart surgery is not in the future for our little guy.

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS:
While I hopefully have your attention, our family is going to be fundraising for another sweet orphan who is listed on Reece's Rainbow  (the same organization that helped us find Quinton). Her name is Katelyn. She is 5 years old and has down syndrome. Unfortunately, she has already been transferred to an adult mental institution. Her time is running out. At these institutions, an unthinkable amount of people die within a year because they are left in their cribs, oftentimes with no one to feed them or change their diapers. They lay all day-head banging and repeatedly hitting themselves. Katelyn lays there alone without a mommy and daddy and it breaks my heart. She is so tiny and so sweet. I just know that if we raise enough money, an adoptive family will step forward to be hers. The Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree lasts from November 1st to December 31st. During this time we will be working diligently to raise Katelyn's grant by $1000. This is where you come in. Maybe you are not in a position to adopt, but you can still help. I would like to host a satellite bake sale during the month of November. Would you be willing to host a bake sale in your area and donate the proceeds to Katelyn's grant? It is super easy. Just talk to your network of friends and host a bake sale at your work, church, girl/boy scout troop etc. and deposit what you make into Katelyn's fund. As a small incentive,  I will offer 10 free entries to my advent giveaway coming in December (also benefiting Katelyn). I will also send you a batch of homemade goodies and if you donate at least $35 you will receive a beautiful ornament with Katelyn's picture on it. I know that I have some very dedicated readers who have just as much of a love for Quinton as we do, so would you please consider helping me raise money for Katelyn so that she can find a family and bless the socks off of another family as Quinton has blessed us? If so, please  email me at millerdec804 at yahoo dot com or comment below. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

Playing before seeing the doctor. 





I will leave you with a few pictures of Quinton at the cardiologist. You can see what he thought about being hooked up to all of those wires ;)

5 comments:

  1. Aww poor baby with all those wires! :( We will be praying the hole closes on it's own!!

    Also, I emailed you regarding Katelyn!

    Have a blessed day!

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  2. I'm sorry you didn't get the news you had hoped for, but glad it is still good news. I am hoping for it to close on its own.

    He is so cute, it is amazing how much he has changed in the short time you've had him.

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  3. Love that you are helping miss Kaitlyn, would you mind emailing me. I wanted to ask you a few questions. d a n c o l e @ charter.net

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  4. Just wanted to say "Hi" from After the Rainbow. If you need anything or just want to talk to other families who have "been there", please don't hesitate to contact me or to post on the After the Rainbow Yahoo Group (shoot me an email if you're not a member yet).

    Blessings,
    Rachel Whitmire
    Post-Adoption Care Coordinator
    Reece's Rainbow Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry
    www.reecesrainbow.org
    Rachel@reecesrainbow.org

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  5. It was so great to meet you and Quinton at the Buddy Walk! He is such a doll baby, I fell in love instantly. :) So glad he doesn't have to have immediate heart surgery but we'll be praying for his heart just the same. Let us know if you need anything...we're in the same city, after all!

    Heather
    hfletcher912@yahoo.com

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