Michelle is being removed from life support sometime today.
Please pray that God’s will be done – this is now out of our hands.
Hopefully His will is that Michelle’s death can bring the hope of life to many others.
Our entire family would like to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers throughout this difficult journey – each and every one of you has helped us more than you will ever know.
(Facebook link: https://tinyurl.com/y8t33a2x)
Michelle is still “overbreathing” the ventilator, but her numbers are going down. We have signed the paperwork to start the organ donation process; it will be several more hours before they do anything else. Right now they are looking for matches – the people in the most need of her organs. In addition to her lungs, kidneys, pancreas, liver, and intestines (we have to wait to know if they can take her heart), they can now extract bone marrow and the uterus in addition to all of the tissue.
It would be wonderful if Michelle’s gift was somehow able to allow another young woman the chance to get pregnant. In the midst of all of this sorrow, to know that a completely new life might come into the world is a joyful thing, indeed.
Your continued thoughts and prayers have given us strength; you will never know what a lifeline they have been to our family at this sad and difficult time. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful souls surrounding us and holding us up with their love.
(Facebook link: https://tinyurl.com/y9xzuhgt)
We were able to meet with the neurosurgeon last night, and he confirmed what we pretty much had already guessed – Michelle’s brain has been severely and irreversibly damaged. Her Glasgow Coma Score yesterday was a 4 (and that was being generous) – the lowest score on that scale is a 3. Fortunately, he thinks that she would be an excellent candidate for organ donation – we will be meeting with the transplant team in the next couple of days to see where we go from here. It is a bittersweet blessing – Michelle will no longer be here, but hopefully she will be able to live on in others, and their families will not have to experience what we are now going through.
If anyone wants to come say goodbye to Michelle, she is in Room A7 at the CHI St Joseph Regional Medical Center in Bryan, Texas. We had several visitors yesterday, and Paul said that it was much easier passing time with friends and family than sitting around feeling helpless.
We will be having a memorial service for Michelle when we get back to Fort Worth, so please don’t feel as if you have to travel all that way.
On a more personal note, I would like to thank everyone who left a message here yesterday. Your love and kindness have been a true comfort to me and my family at this most difficult time. We are humbled by the outpouring of love from so many of our friends and family – you will never know how much you have eased our pain. We are truly grateful. Thank you all so very, very much.
(Facebook link: https://tinyurl.com/y8uz4yfb)
Our family could really use your prayers right now – our daughter, Michelle, was taken last night to CHI St Joseph Hospital in Bryan, Texas. She is currently in the ICU on life support, and there is not going to be a good outcome. We are with her now, and will be here with her throughout this journey. Thank you so much.
(Facebook link: https://tinyurl.com/ya3znpy7)
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Twenty-five years ago today, a spirited whirlwind of a girl blew into our lives:
Watch out, world – this one is loaded for bear…..
….and we have never been the same. Where has all that time gone?
God has a wicked sense of humor – ask any family that has more than two kids, and they will tell you that the third kid threw them for a loop. Just when you think you have the whole “parenting” thing figured out – you’re thinking you know everything there is to know about raising kids – the third one comes along, and you realize that you don’t have the first CLUE…..
By the time Sarah came along, we had been parents for 6 years. Poor Sarah got the “leftovers” – we were a lot calmer about things, but we were also just plain tired. Rachel was starting kindergarten and Michelle was only a year old, so Sarah got whatever energy we could muster up at the end of the day.
Thirty-seven years ago today, two starry-eyed kids said “I do”….
To my wonderful husband, Paul – thank you for all of the special memories, and for making me so incredibly happy.
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This came out in 1996 – the first time I saw it, I almost fell off of the couch, I was laughing so hard.
All these years later, it still makes me giggle 😛
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Continue reading
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It’s so hard to believe that it’s been 26 years since we welcomed our second daughter into the world. Where has the time gone? Our little girl has grown into a beautiful young woman, but it seems like just yesterday we were welcoming her into the world.
Not my real parents – they don’t want their faces shown, so I got to pick a random picture of any old couple (That’ll teach ’em…..)
On this day 58 years ago, my Mom and Dad tied the knot.
I’m glad they did, ‘cuz otherwise, I wouldn’t be here….
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“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Today marks the anniversary of the first manned Moon landing. Those of us who are old enough to remember seeing it live can still recall the awe and wonder of that moment when Neil Armstrong stepped down and set foot where no man had gone before.
The Fat Lady Has Sung
Koch's Tour 