Virginia Ann Updates
| What follows is the series of updates on Virginia Ann's progress from birth through the first few months of her life. Those were certainly trying times, but times like those tend to help mold who we are today. Michelle and I are certainly better for having gone through those times. |
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You can jump to a particular update by clicking one of the links below. | |
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9/20/03 9/24/03 9/25/03 9/28/03 9/29/03 10/1/03 |
| 10/4/03 10/8/03 10/14/03 10/21/03 12/8/03 Editorial Note |
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---September 20, 2003---
Virginia Ann Harrigan was born last night at 7:41pm. She weighed 6lbs. 13oz. and was 20.5 in. long. Virginia Harrigan and Patricia Ann Furr were delighted to hear the name given to the beautiful new baby girl. Mom had a tough day starting at 6:00am and finally gave birth by C-Section. Mom is recovering now and little Virginia Ann (she has a double name in true southern fashion) is in perfect health. I've attached pictures of the beautiful new baby.
I'm sure you'll all get an update later.
Take care.
Patrick
---September 24, 2003---
***** I am sending this message to most everyone I know and perhaps some I really don't know. Please read the following message even if you don't recognize my name. For some this will serve as a comprehensive update. For others this may all be new news. I will therefore tell our story from the beginning. *****
For those of you who do not yet know, my wife Michelle delivered a beautiful baby girl on Friday, September 19, 2003 at Providence Hospital in Mobile, AL. We named her Virginia Ann after her grandmothers, Virginia Harrigan and Patricia Ann Furr. She was the most beautiful little girl you've ever seen. I even posted pictures to my website, www.theharrigans.com to prove it to everyone.
On Sunday morning, Sept. 21, her pediatrician told us that she had heard a heart murmur that she had not noticed before. She would have a cardiologist run some test to verify, but she thought that it was merely a small hole in her heart that would most likely close up rather quickly. It was nothing to worry about so therefore we didn't worry about it. We simply went on like it was nothing, as it usually is.
On Monday morning we packed our things and waited for the cardiologist to come give us the all-clear to head home and introduce little Virginia Ann to her new home. We did not get the news we had hoped for. Virginia Ann was diagnosed with several heart problems. Most were fairly minor, but one, known as a coarctation of the aorta, was very serious and would very likely require surgery. We were shattered to hear that our perfect little girl was in fact very fragile. What we had planned to be a trip home turned out to be a trip across town to the University of South Alabama Children's and Women's Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Our beautiful little baby was hooked up to numerous monitors and stuck with countless needles. We managed to pull a few strings and got a room for Michelle and I to stay in the hospital Monday night. We were able to see Virginia Ann and even hold her at times, but it was certainly not like the times we held her the first few days at Providence. There's something very discomforting about wires and tubes hanging from your little bundle of joy. We managed to get a little sleep between trips to pump breast milk and be with Virginia Ann. The staff at the hospital was wonderful, especially one nurse named Diane who was in the ambulance that picked her up from Providence and tended to her during the two shifts that she worked while we were at Children's and Women's Hospital. Everyone who saw Virginia Ann commented on how beautiful she was.
On Monday, the tests were redone at Children's and Women's and verified the earlier results. While not as severe as it could be, she did indeed have a coarctation of the aorta, a narrowing of the aorta close to the heart which was restricting blood flow to her lower body. At times the nurses and doctors had difficulty finding a pulse in her legs and often could not get a blood pressure reading in them. We were told that our only option was likely surgery to repair the problem and perhaps repair one or more of the other problems at the same time. Unfortunately the surgery could not be done in Mobile. The nearest hospitals that could perform the surgery were in New Orleans, Birmingham and Atlanta. The cardiologist recommended we go to Egleston Hospital in Atlanta. We immediately started making plans to make the trip to Atlanta. In the meantime, Virginia Ann was put on PGE, a medicine that is meant to open up the narrowed aorta as well as open back up an artery that is used only while in the womb that would act as a bypass for the blockage and help even up the pressure in her heart and lungs. That afternoon we had the priest from our church in Monroeville as well as another priest from Mobile baptize Virginia Ann.
After talking with the people in Atlanta, the cardiologist told us that Egleston would send a plane to pick up Virginia Ann on Tuesday, but we would probably not be able to ride with her. Our parents, who had been by our side the entire time, went home on Monday night and decided to head to Atlanta early Tuesday morning. Michelle and I would take another plane to Atlanta after Virginia Ann was loaded and on her way.
On Tuesday morning, we entered the NICU to find that Diane had been assigned to care for Virginia Ann. She was quick to lend us support and offer any assistance she possibly could. She got on the phone to Atlanta and verified the time that they would come to pick up Virginia Ann and found out that one of us and possibly both of us would be able to ride in the plane with Virginia Ann. We were relieved to know that we would be able to be with our little girl for her first plane ride.
Unfortunately, one of the side effects of the PGE is that it can cause apnea whereby the child stops breathing. Though she was placed on a low dose, eventually the cumulative effects of the drug caused Virginia Ann's breathing to become somewhat labored and erratic. The doctor decided to place her on a ventilator, a situation they had warned us about, but we could never be prepared for. We were asked to leave the NICU while the breathing tube was inserted and the transport team was inbound from Atlanta.
The transport team arrived early Tuesday afternoon with an infant transporter that looks like a cross between an incubator and an industrial microwave oven. While a little scary looking, the transporter was a compact unit that could provide all the functions that were currently being performed by machines taking up thirty square feet of floor space in the hospital. The transport team was even better than the staff at Children's and Women's. The nurse was especially good at explaining everything that was going on and calming our fears. She even told us that we would both be able to ride with Virginia Ann in the airplane to Atlanta and even in the ambulance to the hospital when we arrived. Without this great group of people the trip to Atlanta would have been much more difficult. They eventually got Virginia Ann loaded into the transporter and headed for the airport. I noticed tears in Diane's eyes as we left the Hospital.
After about an hour and fifteen minutes we arrived on the ground in Atlanta and made the trip to Egleston Hospital. The cardiac team was waiting on us when we arrived and immediately began running the same tests that had been performed at the other two hospitals. We were later told that they would likely perform surgery to repair the coarctation of the aorta as well as patch a hole in the wall between the two lower chambers of the heart. The surgeons would make the final call on Wednesday and surgery would probably be performed before the end of the week. We were happy to find out that the cardiologist at Egleston did not believe that one of the problems we had been told about in Mobile even existed and one could be fixed with one little stitch. This surgery is done quite often in this hospital and most of the infants are smaller than Virginia Ann, so her chances of a quick recovery are good. We are in very capable hands and thank God that the events of the past few days have unfolded the way they have rather than us not finding the problem until it was likely too late.
It's now 3:00AM ET on Wednesday as sit in a motel room in Atlanta and I can't seem to make myself stop writing. I guess it just helps to get my thoughts out of my head and onto a computer screen. We are extremely grateful for all the support we have received from friends and family and even from total strangers who went out of their way to comfort us. We have received food, cards, phone calls, emails, visits, and many more favors from many of you and many others. But most importantly, you have "flooded heaven" as the priest said yesterday. Your thoughts and prayers have kept us going through it all.
I guess that's the main reason I started writing this email in the first place; to ask you all to pray for my little girl. It's very hard to sit in this motel room while my newborn daughter sits in the hospital alone with tubes and wires hanging from every part of her body. I pray, and I hope you will as well, that my baby will have a problem free surgery and a speedy recovery.
I hope to continue to update you on the progress of Virginia Ann's ordeal. I can't promise to do so on a daily basis, but I will as often as possible. I won't send anything else to everyone, but if you'd like to receive updates, please reply to this email or sign up for my website update. Those that have been getting updates so far will continue to receive them as well.
Thank you for your prayers and God bless you all.
Patrick Harrigan
---September 25, 2003---
Hello everyone.
I must first say how thankful we all are for the support you have shown for us. The response to my first email has truly been overwhelming. It seems like every time I check my email I have 10 or 15 more messages or requests to be added to the update list. In all there are over 150 people on the update list right now. We can truly feel your prayers carrying us through this trying time. We have received many stories of similar circumstances and all are encouraging for our situation. I know we are on prayer lists and chains all over the southeast and have people praying for us as far away as Iraq (including Michelle's brother).
The past couple of days have moved at a snail's pace. It seems that the laws of time and space cease to exist in a hospital waiting room. It feels like Virginia Ann should be a month old by now, but will be only one week old tomorrow. We have all taken turns visiting with Virginia Ann and just trying to comfort her, perhaps comforting ourselves more in the process. We have had several friends and family members come by the hospital to visit. Many friends and even some total strangers who live in the Atlanta area have offered to run errands, bring us food and even opened their homes to us. We appreciate all of the offers, but our family is taking good care of us. It's nice to know we have so many friends if we need them.
We met Virginia Ann's Cardiologist yesterday. He seems to be a very intelligent man and has a great bedside manner. He has taken the time to explain anything we want in plain English. It's nice to have a doctor that doesn't speak over your head. Today we met the surgeon that will be performing the surgery. He too was great at answering any questions we had. The entire staff is top notch. They are taking great care of Virginia Ann and us too.
We were told yesterday that the surgery would probably be done on Friday. We found out today that it would be put off until Monday morning because there were three more urgent surgeries to be done on Friday. It's a mix of emotions. On one hand, we would like to have the surgery done as soon as possible; on the other, it is nice to know that Virginia Ann is stable and strong enough to wait until Monday. The real downside is that we have two more days of waiting. Of all the people in the world, Tom Petty really hit the nail on the head; "The waiting is the hardest part."
Sleep seems to be a little easier to get now that things have settled down a bit, although Michelle refuses to take the time to nap during the day. I know I'll never understand the bond she shares with the child she carried for nine months, but at times I worry more about her health than Virginia Ann's. She is still recovering from a C-Section and isn't taking care of herself like she should. I guess that's to be expected in this situation. You care more about you child's health than your own. I think we're starting to get to her a bit tough. She is getting a little better at doing the things she needs to do.
The surgeon told us today that they would only repair the coarctation on Monday. The VSD, the hole in the lower portion of her heart, is of medium size. With large holes, they generally repair them at the same time, and with smaller holes they generally wait and try to let them close up on their own. Virginia Ann's is borderline. They decided to wait and give it a chance to heal itself, but warned us that she may require the VSD surgery in a few months. The surgeon said that the surgery would be a little safer doing only the one procedure. The coarctation surgery does not require a heart-lung bypass. The VSD repair would require a bypass and the heart-lung machine would have to be turned off to repair the coarctation if they were done at the same time. There is greater risk of damage to her brain while doing both at the same time. Her body will also be better able to tolerate the VSD surgery in a few months. The coarctation surgery also can be done by going in from the side rather than the front of her chest. If she does not require the VSD operation she will be saved a scar on her chest. All in all, I think the doctors are weighing all the options and we feel confident in their decisions.
We were also quite surprised after lunch today to learn that the doctors had removed the breathing tube from Virginia Ann's mouth. She wasn't too happy with the tube and was generally pretty ill. The doctors said that she was breathing fine on her own, so they decided to take her off the ventilator to make her a little more comfortable. It worked. Michelle of course went back to see her after lunch before I did, and when I got into the NICU and saw Michelle holding her with no tubes hanging from her mouth my heart dropped. Michelle was in much better spirits this afternoon as were all of us. I guess it worked for us too. My sweet little baby is just as beautiful as ever. Just proves how strong my little girl is.
It looks as though the next few days will simply be more of the hard stuff . . . waiting. I'd love to be able to get out and enjoy myself a bit, but you just can't enjoy yourself when your child is sitting alone in a hospital waiting on a lifesaving operation. So we'll wait . . . and wait. It really is the hardest part.
Virginia Ann will never remember what she is going through right now. When she wants to know where she got her scars, I'm glad to know that I'll be able to show her all of the emails we've received that prove just how special she is and how the prayers of people everywhere helped pull her through. Thank you all again so much for your prayers and concerns. I know my little angel is going to be just fine because God is with her. You have shown that the power of prayer is truly remarkable.
Until next time . . .
Patrick
P.S. It never stops. As I finished this message I decided to check my email one more time. Yet again there were more responses. We are truly blessed by your loving kindness.
---September 28, 2003---
Hello All.
The big day has finally arrived. Tomorrow Virginia Ann will undergo surgery to repair her coarctation. Anesthesia will begin their work between 7:00 and 7:30 tomorrow morning. The surgeons should begin the operation within an hour later. The surgery should last about 2 to 2-1/2 hours, but it could be as late as noon before we are able to see Virginia Ann after she is taken to the operating room.
I'm sure tonight will be an agonizingly long night, and tomorrow morning will be the longest wait of all, but we will get some much needed relief tomorrow afternoon. I know the surgery will go well. The thousands of people praying for Virginia Ann and the surgeons will keep her from harm. There is no question that God is with her and all of us. This morning, while I was at mass, I could feel God's presence. I know He is with us and has His hands around us all. The power of prayer is strong and God hears our prayers. He has heard all of yours.
Today the priest began his message by saying that sometimes surgeons must take out defects in our body in order to save the rest of our bodies. He was relating to the days readings, but I know it was no coincidence that he said what he said. God was speaking to us through that priest. He was letting us know that He has heard our prayers and is watching over us.
A few days ago we met a family from Lucedale, MS whose son was in a very similar situation to Virginia Ann. He had a coarctation and ASD (basically the same as the VSD, but in the upper portion of the heart). He was born seven months ago and took the same route through Children's and Women's in Mobile, then onto Egleston. The surgery to repair his coarctation went well and last week he underwent surgery to repair the ASD. His father said yesterday that he was fine and he was up playing. I hope that Virginia Ann does not require a second surgery to repair her VSD, but I know that if she does, God will keep her safe and make everything alright.
The past couple of days have pretty much been more of the same. The staff continues to be absolutely wonderful. The cardiologists put Virginia Ann on Lasics today to remove any excess fluid from her lungs. They want her to be as strong as possible for her surgery. Many family and friends have come to visit and bring food and just sit and talk. The phone still rings constantly with people wanting to know how we are. We all do our best to stay occupied to help the time pass. It has been a long weekend, but Monday will soon be here.
I know that some of you may want to send flowers or food, or want to know what you can do to help. Rather than spend money on things that will last only a short while and give momentary pleasure, we ask that you make a donation to the Alabama Log-A-Load for Kids program in honor of Virginia Ann. The program benefits the children's hospitals of Alabama, including USA Children's and Women's Hospital in Mobile. A donation to this organization will help many more families than ours. More information on the program, including a mailing address, is available at www.alaforestry.org/frameset_logload.html. We certainly aren't asking you to do anything and we don't expect you to do a thing, but if you feel compelled, please consider this worthy cause.
Once again, I want to thank you all for the love and support shown to this point, but the journey is far from over. Tomorrow morning, more than ever, Virginia Ann needs your prayers. Please keep her and her surgeons in your thoughts tomorrow morning. I will do my best to update you all as soon as I can get an internet connection.
Thank you all so much.
Patrick
---September 29, 2003---
Hello Everyone.
The surgery was a success and went rather swiftly. The operation started at around 8:30 and was over by 9:40. Virginia Ann is now resting rather soundly. She was hooked back up to a ventilator for surgery as well as many other tubes and IVs. They backed off the rate that they were breathing for her three times earlier today, but recently had to go back up just a bit. When she begins to wake up she should be off the ventilator relatively quickly. Her nurse says that she is still way ahead of schedule.
Now all we can do is wait for her to wake up and pray that her recovery is swift. This wait will be much easier than the others. She is a little swollen, has tubes running out of her mouth and nose, and a few more IVs than before, but inside she is a much healthier little girl this afternoon. Much of the weight has been lifted, which of course makes the wait much more bearable. And of course Virginia Ann's mom and dad are feeling much better this afternoon.
Thank you all again for your hours of prayer and your encouraging words. Virginia Ann's fight is not over, but she is well on her way to becoming a healthy, happy little girl. I'll update you all again soon.
Patrick
P.S. There are over 250 on the update list and thousands on prayer chains everywhere! God is truly with us.
---October 1, 2003---
Hello Again.
Today was quite a day in the life of Virginia Ann Harrigan. We called the hospital this morning before we left the motel and were told that she had been taken off the ventilator. We had expected to have her off a good bit sooner, but after a long day Tuesday, it was welcome relief. After several IV removals she now is left with only one IV and a portable heart rate/respiration monitor. To top it all off we were able to leave the cardiac ICU and are now in a private room in the cardiac step-down unit. If everything goes well, we should be able to head home by Saturday.
As I said, Tuesday was quite a long day. We had hoped that Virginia Ann would be off the respirator by Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning at the latest. Our little lady decided to be a bit lazy and wouldn't wake up well enough to breathe on her own and be taken off the machine. It was a delight to discover that she had finally been taken off this morning. She did have her chest tube and the tube in her nose removed yesterday. That helped a little, but it was still tough seeing her with the respirator.
The list of items removed from her body today seems to go on forever. First the vent tube, then this morning she had IV's removed from one arm, one leg, her neck, and navel, as well as a catheter. This afternoon she had another IV removed from the other arm leaving only one in her left foot. After the surgery she had a total of ten items stuck in her body and now has only one. You can imagine how much better she looks now.
We are now able to feed her with a bottle and tonight we will get to stay in her room with her. The pullout chair and couch aren't as comfortable as the motel bed, but I'll take it any day. Hopefully, she will be able to breast feed tomorrow. Another small step towards home. Today seemed to fly by. Very little waiting and lots of good news.
We are glad to be where we are now and know that our little girl is in much better shape than before, but she is not totally out of the water yet. Her VSD was not repaired and will have to be monitored. If it doesn't begin to heal itself she will require open heart surgery to repair it in a few months or maybe even years. This would mean she would have to be on a heart/lung bypass machine for the surgery. This procedure is fairly routine, but is still open heart surgery. You all helped her get where she is now through your countless prayers. Please don't stop now. With your prayers and God's grace the VSD will close on its own and she will avoid a second operation.
I can't tell you enough how much we appreciate your prayers and kind words. Knowing that thousands of people were praying for Virginia Ann was truly uplifting. I hope that you will continue to lift us all. Virginia Ann will never know most of you, but she will hear often of the thousands who carried here through this difficult time. You are all her guardian angels in our eyes.
I'll let you all know when we are ready to head home and update you of her progress thereafter . The folks in Monroeville will have to prepare for the coming of Virginia Ann. That town will never be the same! Thank you again, and God bless you all.
Until next time . . .
Patrick
---October 4, 2003---
Hello All.
Well, we won't be leaving today, but it looks like we will get to go home tomorrow, provided Virginia Ann continues to eat well. She began to have some eating problems Thursday night and yesterday morning (She kept us up ALL night Thursday night), and we discovered that she had some tummy problems that have now been treated. She did much better yesterday and so far this morning.
Unfortunately, the doctors don't want Virginia Ann having visitors for the first month after surgery, especially children. That means that Mom and Dad will have her to themselves for another three weeks or so. That suits us fine. We'll just have to wait to show her off. Until then, I'll just have to put more pictures on the web page.
Thank you all again for your prayers and support. I know I keep saying that, but I really can't say it enough. Your support has been truly overwhelming. We could never even begin to repay the kindness shown to us during this time. Please continue to pray for her recovery, and that the VSD will heal and Virginia Ann can avoid another surgery on her little body.
Thank you all again and God bless you all.
Patrick
---October 8, 2003---
Hello Everyone.
I originally wrote the following message on Saturday and thought I had sent it out. I discovered yesterday that for some reason it did not send properly, so I am resending it now. I guess this is pretty much two updates in one.
We are all doing great now and Virginia Ann is adjusting well to her new home. She is eating well and is starting to wake up just before time to eat. I'm amazed by how well she has recovered from her surgery. To look at her you would never know anything had ever been wrong. The incision doesn't even seem to bother her. She's healing well and has her first check-up tomorrow with her cardiologist.
I think it's taking Mom and Dad longer to settle in than Virginia Ann. Getting back into the old routine (or maybe the NEW routine) is tough. Especially when I have to leave my beautiful daughter at home and go to work. I guess I'll get used to it eventually.
I will add some new pictures to the web page soon. I'll let you all know when they're up.
Thank you all again for you support. You all mean so much to us.
The original update from Saturday follows.
God Bless,
Patrick
---October 14, 2003---
Hello Everyone.
I know some of you haven't heard from me in quite a while. I have had some problems with many of the addresses rejecting my last couple of emails. I hope this will work a little better. I have broken the update list into two groups. I think the number of recipients (now over 275) has caused some email systems to block my emails as spam.
For those who haven't heard, we are now home and doing great. Virginia Ann is sleeping and eating well. You'd never know she has been through this whole ordeal. Michelle and I are finally able to relax a bit now that we are home and know everything is going to be okay. Virginia Ann had a check-up with the cardiologist in Mobile last Thursday and everything looked great. They are optimistic that the VSD will close on its own and she will not have to undergo the second operation. The Lord is answering our prayers!
I have added a few more pictures to the web site that are a little more recent. I think she gets prettier every day. I hope to add a few more pictures in the next few days.
Keep the prayers coming. Virginia Ann is not out of the woods yet, but your prayers seem to be working.
Also, I'd like to ask you all to pray for two other little girls. A few days ago some friends of ours had twin girls, Isabel and Abigail, born at 24 weeks gestation. The each weighed just over a pound. They will have a long struggle ahead of them, but they are stable now and have a good chance of being normal, healthy children. They are in Children's and Women's Hospital in Mobile and I am sure they are getting the same great care that Virginia Ann received. We have proven that God answers prayers and this family needs yours now. One day, when Isabel, Abigail, and Virginia Ann are all grown up, we'll be able to look back on this time and praise God for the three beautiful miracles he has given us.
Thank you again for all your prayers and support.
God bless you all.
Patrick
---October 21, 2003---
Hello All.
Just a quick update to let you all know that I have put some more pictures up on the web site. I put them up last week, but have neglected to send an update out. I'm sure we'll have a few more to put up soon.
Virginia Ann continues to do well. She's growing like a weed, filling out, and changing every day. We are blessed to have such a beautiful little girl. It is definitely worth all we have gone through to see her smile.
I received an update last week from Isabel and Abigail's grandmother. They are still doing well. They are responding to their parents voices and their family is able to interact with them. I know their family has a long painful road ahead of them. I can only imagine the time that will be spent waiting a praying. Our ordeal was only a couple of weeks. I will definitely be praying for their family. We should all keep them lifted in prayer. I know the Lord will bless them the way He has us.
Keep us all in your prayers as we do you. God bless you all.
Patrick.
---December 8, 2003---
Hello Again Everyone,
I know it's been quite a while since my last update. First things first, I have added some new pictures to the website including some of Virginia Ann's new cousin Maggie. She is the daughter of Michelle's sister Jessica and her husband Ben Parker of Augusta, GA.
Now for the good part. We went to the cardiologist a few weeks ago and she took Virginia Ann off all of her medicine. The only thing she has to take now is a horrible tasting vitamin. At least she only has to take it once a day. The cardiologist also opted not to do an echo to look at Virginia Ann's heart because the last one looked so good. We are scheduled to go back in a couple of months and, if everything looks good, we will go back when Virginia Ann is one year old! All indications are that the VSD (the hole in the heart) is small and will likely close on its own and the repair to the aorta worked perfectly.
Thanksgiving was certainly a time of special thanks around our household. Christmas will certainly be special and a whole new experience as well. We are scheduling an "official" Christening after Christmas with a real ceremony and Godparents (we get to count the first baptism as an "emergency baptism") and look forward to doing all the things that families do with healthy little babies. Virginia Ann is still restricted from being around large crowds and still shouldn't be around many children as she is still prone to illness, but otherwise is able to do and see all the world has to offer.
Virginia Ann never ceases to amaze us. She has started to develop her own personality and is as strong and healthy as any baby you've ever seen. We continue to thank God for all that he has given us. We can certainly count our blessings this holiday season.
Abigail and Isabel are still fighting a tough fight. I won't go into any detail, but Abigail has had some setbacks and needs your prayers now more than ever. With God's grace she will pull through and she and her sister and will live a life of happiness. Please continue to pray for them and their family.
As always, thank you for your prayers and support. May God bless you all this holiday season and throughout the new year.
Patrick
P.S. I will cut these updates down to only major announcements in the future as I know that not everyone wants to know when pictures are added to the website. If you'd like to be updated when pictures are added to the site or anything else changes, please sign up for the updates on the website. If you have signed up for the website updates in the last two weeks, you're already on the list. No need to do it again.
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---Editorial Note---
For those who are curious, little Abigail eventually lost her long battle for survival. Her sister, Isabel is now a perfectly healthy girl and she and Virginia Ann share lots of fun times when they are together. Unfortunatley, distance limits how often they are able to be together. We all lost a part of ourselves when Abigail passed, but Isabel has a very special guardian angel watching over her.
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