Maggie Update

Here is the latest on Maggie, from her Aunt Lauren. Thanks for checking in on her.

Hey friends...
Can you all take a moment to pray for Maggie this afternoon? Apparently she had a bad morning today, and they were getting pretty worried about what direction she would be taking. She seems to be coming out of the trouble, but they will did an MRI of her brain today & will be going over the results in a an hour or two. What we learn here could determine a lot of her future. Also, they are checking her hearts to make sure it is not leaking.

These are both major hurdles. If we can clear them, we will be feeling REALLY REALLY good! Please pray that her brain is draining the fluid & that she will not have to do the shunt. Also, pray that her heart is strong & leak free!!

God has been so good to us throughout this whole process, and we know he will be faithful. He has plans for this little girl, and we can't wait to see how he is glorified with her life & healing.
In case you haven't been around or in the loop entirely- these are some things God has done for her in the past three days since she was born:

-A membrane protecting her spinal cord from the amniotic fluid appeared when they delivered her. The best eyes in the country had told us she would not have this after looking at it closely on several occasions- but God had different plans!

-Feet that are perfectly shaped & not clubbed!

-Legs that move & kick, and get really mad when you try to put an IV in them. This morning they were trying to put an IV in her foot & when she would yank them out of the nurse's hands when she felt them start rubbing the alcohol on her foot.

-An amazing closure surgery with a beautiful closing. Like a zipper! (Most are horrible & require skin slitting & graphting). The unit at children's say it is the best they have ever seen.

-Doctors that are hopeful that she will retain leg movement & minimal nervous system damage.

-She has control of her number 2's: )

- As of a few hours ago, we were told that the last thing we should hope for is bladder control. It's THE trademark of spina bifida- but she can pee when she wants! She just wet her diaper over the catheter, so they are going to remove it this afternoon!! Yay!

God is good! He loves Maggie more than I do, more than you do, and even more than Brooke & Matt. Let's ask that he continues to listen to our cries & heal our pretty baby!

Maggie Update

Maggie had surgery today to close the opening in her back. Here was part of the newest update we received this afternoon from Brooke's dad:

"About noon an opening came up in the surgical suites here and a team was available to operate and close Maggie’s spinal defect. One of the partners in the neurosurgery team, Dr Sacco, was available. Brooke had identified him earlier in the process as one of the better members of this neurosurgery team. The other option was to wait until late tonight for the operation. In order to minimize the risk of infection to the spinal cord, and to let Maggie healing continue as soon as we could, we elected to have Dr Sacco operate. At 12:30 they moved Maggie to the surgery suite to begin preparation for the procedure. They estimated the anesthesia prep and operation would take about 3 hours. But, after about 2 hours and 15 minutes Dr Sacco came in and told us the operation was completed and he was pleased.

The procedure involves separating the spinal cord from the displaced tissues (muscle, dura, etc) and then re-forming those tissues into the layers of tubes that normally surround the spinal cord. These layers of tissue are each sewn together to make a tube. The skin is then glued together for the final connection. He, and we, are really pleased that the incision is a clean, straight line. Importantly, he said that he feels whatever nerve function she had before surgery should remain after surgery.

Maggie will be coming back to Intensive Care about 4pm today. She will remain intubated for most of the evening, perhaps until the morning. A near term concern for us is for her breathing to improve so her blood oxygen levels can increase. Also, over the next few days the neurology team will be observing her head shape and size, with imaging likely to occur in a couple of days so we can discern how much fluid is being retained in her cranium.

We have been repeatedly told that the next week is our critical time to learn what Maggie’s breathing and brain issues might be. It will be in this time period that we learn what direction her brain functions might be.

We truly ask that your prayers continue to be bold and intense during this time as Maggie needs help."

Update on Baby Maggie

Here is a letter that Brooke's dad, Brant, sent out yesterday after a long day. Praise God for good news! Please continue to pray for this sweet family.

Monday, November 3rd:

This morning Brooke and Matt went to Brooke’s weekly visit with her OB-Gyn, Dr Ehmer. When they took a look at Maggie with the sonogram they immediately noted some significant changes in the past week. Brooke and Matt were immediately sent to the office of Dr. Magee, her perinatologist, for a 2nd opinion.

Three problems were noticed in the sonogram today: First: the amount of fluid in her cranium and the resulting pressure had significantly increased. Second, the amount of amniotic fluid had increased and that indicated she may not be swallowing properly. Third, there appeared to be some change in her feet which made the doctors think they may have starting moving to become more club-like form.

Brooke and Matt went directly to the delivery unit of Baylor, here in Dallas. Dr. Ehmer decided he would finish his day’s work and then perform the C-Section about 4pm. Through the afternoon, family and friends have been gathering until a group of about 25 were present at the time of delivery.Brooke’s C-Section went very well and the medical staff seem happy with the procedure. We were able to briefly see her as they wheeled her down the hall from the operating room to take her to the Baylor NICU unit. The team from Children’s came over to Baylor to receive her, stabilize her, and then prepare her for transport to Children’s.

Once Maggie was delivered we received good news on several accounts. Maggie’s feet are not clubbed. The opening is very low on the Sacrum, S4 to S5. This is lower than we had expected it to be, and may indicate less risk of damage to the nervous system. Her breathing seems to be good. Also, it appears the opening was covered by a thin membrane, which none of the scans and sonagrams had shown. That is fabulous news as the spinal cord appears to have had protection which wasn’t known. But that is probably true in many, many respects. This membrane does have a very small, pinprick, opening that is leaking a little bit of the cerebral spinal fluid.

Because Maggie’s condition is not as severe as expected, primarily due to the existence of the membrane protecting the spinal cord, Children’s has moved her to a lower risk category. The Transport from Baylor to Children’s will occur very soon as is on it’s way to Baylor now.As I write this, Brooke is about to move up to the NICU floor, where she will be able to see Maggie before Maggie heads off to Children’s. She won’t be going alone, as Matt will be accompanying her.

We thank you for all your prayers, comfort and support. Especially for the intense pleadings you have made to God on Maggie’s behalf. It is our belief that your prayers and support have helped her heal.

For those of you that have a Facebook account and are members of the group "Praying for Maggie Cole" there have been some new pictures of her added! Enjoy!

More later as we know what happens!

Brant, for all the family

Please Pray for Baby Maggie

Some of our close friends, Brooke and Matt Cole, have been awaiting the arrival of their little girl, Maggie. Maggie was diagnosed with Spina Bifida a few months ago. Brooke was supposed to have a c-section last week, but it was postponed until this coming Thursday. At their doctor's appointment this morning, the doctors found some troubling signs during the sonogram and decided to go ahead and perform the c-section today. Maggie is scheduled to arrive today at Baylor Hospital shortly after 4 pm, and then will be transported to Children's Hospital within a few hours. She will have surgery on her back to close the opening to her spine within 48 hours of being born, and then possible surgeries later. Please pray for Maggie and her family today and in the next few weeks. Brooke and Matt (and their three precious boys) have already been amazing examples of faith through this situation. Please pray that God continues to give them peace and strength through what is to come.

Our Little Pumpkin in the Patch

The Pumpkin Party

Last week, Anna Lee and I headed to Allen for a Pumpkin Party with some of our friends. It was so much fun! There were 4 moms, 4 toddlers, and 3 babies in all...quite the crowd! The kids all got to decorate pumpkins, decorate Halloween masks, read pumpkin books, watch Halloween movies, and make Halloween cookies. We had such a blast...and were exhausted by naptime! Here are some pictures from the day. I am so thankful for these girls and their kids, and for the fun times we get to have together.

So Many Things to Celebrate!

Our past couple of months have been so busy! It feels like we were traveling or have had company every week at some point. But it has all been for wonderful reasons! We have had a lot of things to celebrate...


My grandmother turned 90 years old this year on October 8th. We all traveled to Sudan, Texas, in the Panhandle of Texas, for a big birthday party for her. It was such a special time. I was amazed at all of the people who came for her party! She had over 100 people come through her door to wish her a Happy Birthday, many of whom she had taught at some point. During her party, she recited from memory the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. Not many 90 year olds that I know can do that...or many 20 year olds for that matter! My grandmother ("Mom" to me and "Great" to Anna Lee) is an amazing woman. She has taught me so much, and continues to teach me as she gets older. She has lost most of her sight and hearing, but chooses to never complain. I am so thankful for her example, and for her 90 years. I look forward many more celebrations with her.

My sister, Kara, has the same birthday as my grandmother (and funny enough, so did my grandfather). Kara got to fly in from Honduras the weekend after her birthday. We had fun getting to know her new boyfriend, Sergio, and I know Anna Lee especially had fun getting to be with Kara. We had cupcakes for Kara's birthday, and Anna Lee helped Kara blow out the candles. If you look carefully at the picture, you will notice Anna Lee's nose getting burned. I think we were all too busy taking pictures to notice that Anna Lee got a little too close while she was blowing the candles out. When she came back up, her nose was black. Oops.

Celebrating in a different way...our friends Sean and Rachel had their new baby girl a few weeks ago. Sweet baby Ava finally arrived, and we have been so excited that she is here-- healthy and as beautiful as could be. Rachel and I love to have (long) girly lunches together, so Anna Lee and I were so excited to add another girl to the mix!

On October 4th, one of my favorite friends in the world got married. Chelsea and Scott tied the knot, and we all got to be there for the celebration. It was an absolutely gorgeous wedding...with beautiful music and flowers....and bride! It was so honoring to the couple, and was especially honoring to God. The reception was a blast...with great food, great music, and great friends. Here is a picture of Chelsea and Scott during their first dance. It was so fun to be a part of such a joyful celebration.