Tuesday, April 17, 2007

A Fresh Perspective


Brilliant blue skies frame a radiant sun today in Chapel Hill. There's not a cloud in the sky & spring's flowers brighten the landscape with splashes of color. Even from within the halls of UNC's Intensive Care Unit, no one will argue that this is in fact a beautiful day.

Arriving at the hospital this morning, I learned of a delightful change in Isaac's care: he's been moved to a new room! Just a few doors down on the PICU, our sweet boy now has the corner room with two windows! Natural light floods his room & we can enjoy greater views of the blue skies outside. It may seem like a small change, but after seven weeks in the same room, we gladly welcome the change of scenery. Now Isaac has four new ceiling butterflies to make friends with. :)

Isaac remains stable & looks fabulous! As of this morning, he measures 50 cm & 4.3 kg! (19.7 in. & 9.5 lbs.) He's gained almost two whole pounds since birth! What a fighter! Our goals remain nutrition & weaning from the vent. At this point, we're waiting for his ND tube to get into his intestines as it is currently coiled in his stomach. Until then, Isaac is receiving IV nutrition & will begin receiving lipids today at 6p. Respiratory therapy has gone down again on his rate & so far, Isaac has responded fabulously! Since this change, his blood gas has actually improved - pH & CO2 levels ideal & his lactate is now 1.4!!! Only .2 to go until it's in normal range! Thank you, Lord! The incision from the diaphragm surgery continues to heal nicely & he's back to his old silly self now that the chest tube is out. Once he's been weaned from the vent, narcotics, & tolerates his feeds, we'll be able to address issues such as the hernia, cleft palate & test hearing in his left ear.

God continues to show Himself strong & faithful towards our family, strengthening our sweet boy & meeting our unspoken needs. Through Isaac's journey, He is changing so many lives - ourselves, those who care for Isaac here at UNC, & everyone who has shared in praying for our sweet boy. Only our great God is able to take something so dire & use it to show His love & glory! Amen & Amen!!!

How to Pray for Isaac::
::tolerance to feeds & adequate nutrition
::successful weaning off the vent w/o need for more surgery or a trach
::protection against new infections

Some shots of Isaac's new room:

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!!!

WE GIVE HIM ALL THE PRAISE!!

THE TRUELOVES

Anonymous said...

Praise The Lord!I know Isaac will really enjoy the natural light coming into his room! We will continue to pray!!

Love & Prayers,

Bryant & Hilary

Anonymous said...

Praise God for all thats being done. I know the move to the new room is refreshing - just another way of God showing us all on how He is taking care of everything. Everything from the moment Isaac was born and going thru battles up to giving sweet boy a "view of the world" that thru God's miracle and grace, baby Isaac will get to one day go venture. I'm so happy for y'all. Everyday prayers are being said to the Lord and every day God is answering them .. He's such a faithful God and loves us so much. I will continue to pray & praise God for this journey that God is walking with you all through. His healing is not only touching sweet boy Isaac, but its also touching people throughout the countries in ways they need healing to get closer to God. I thank God for your continued faithfulness to Him and your continued sharing/updates with all of us.

Anonymous said...

Isaac's new room looks very nice. I love sunlight. That will help him grow! Thank you over and over again for sharing this journey. What a faith builder it has been. We continue to pray for all of you. You are so very special and loved! When things were so critical with Isaac, and you posted the picture of Jordan and Isaac looking into each others eyes, I printed two copies of that picture. One is posted on the refrigerator, so that every time it is opened, Isaac is prayed for. The other copy is taped in my Bible on Psalm 91 ~ cradled in the Word symbolically as I pray for the three of you to be cradled up to God. I also write verses that speak to me about your situation on the back of that picture. This is the verse written on it now: "Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14 Waiting is so hard, especially as painful things happen to Isaac while he is being treated. I am praying for your strength and your courage to stay the course. I am also praying that you have joy and happiness,and even very soon a light heart.
Patty

Anonymous said...

That is totally awsome that hes doing so much better!! Im glad hes getting to see the beatiful outside from the window instead of staring at the wall all the time: )
GOD bless you guys.
Love you all!

Anonymous said...

How glorious to have God's light shining in on Isaac! His room looks so much cheerier, almost like the light at the end of the tunnel is finally in sight! The corner has been turned, complete healing and going home with mommy and daddy are closer with each day now! Thank you for continuing in sharing your journey with us. We praise GOD with you for Isaac and for the walking testimony you all are! And we continue to pray him up and out of the valley to the mountain tops where we will all shout praises to God for the miracle of Isaac!!

Anonymous said...

What a blessing!

anita said...

Still praying, Kids! Love you guys!!

Gina Witcher / Runnermom4 said...

Wow! I still stand in awe of God! I cry at every positive update. God is so good!

Heavenly Father, Perfect Healer,

We stand in awe of you. Thank you for caring about the smallest details, giving Isaac (therfore Patience and Jordan) a new room. I know I would love the view because I love your creation. Thank you for the amazing report on Isaac. Thank you for hearing our prayers and for continuing to answer.

You know all that needs to be done for Isaac to be restored to full health and we pray that you would let us coninue to see you in all those details.

We pray for continued tolerance to feeds & adequate nutrition. We pray for a successful weaning off the vent w/o need for more surgery or a trach. And we pray for protection against new infections.

We pray all these things in your Mighty Name!

Aubrey said...

Hooray for the new digs! Praise God for this precious little boy who is touching so many to the glory of Him!

Anonymous said...

Praise God for this miracle. How awesome is He that He gives you all these blessings. I will continue to pray for Isaac. I pray that everything will continue to move in a positive direction. Way to go on the Lactate Levels!

Anonymous said...

Isaac is so adorable even with those tubes on him you can't help but smile when you look at his picture. I love you guys, miss you very much.


Love,
Fernanda & Patrick Veloso

Anonymous said...

I pray dear heavenly father that Isaac has tolerance to feed & gets adequate nutrition and he will soon be weaning off the vent w/o need for more surgery and for protection against any infections. We continue to pray each and every day. We thank you Patience and Jordan for sharing Isaac's story and your faithfulness. It truly is BEAUTIFUL and it has changed so many lives.

Anonymous said...

We have a WONDERFUL and AWESOME GOD! Let's praise him at all times!! I'm so happy to hear that little Isaac is doing better, may the Lord continue to strengthening him.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
Dianett

Anonymous said...

:)

STILL PRAYING!

Anonymous said...

We look forward to coming home from work to get our Isaac updates. We thank God for what he is doing and what he will do in the future.

Duane & Kelli

Anonymous said...

God is showing Isaac this beautiful world outside his window; this world that he'll continue to make a change in as he grows and heals and becomes the man of God he'll someday be. God has blessed you and blesses all of us each day through you. You are such an insiration. We continue to pray as we have done. I also pray that those who don't believe in the power of prayer would read your blog. GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS EVERYDAY.

cceeyore said...

Sunlight can make all the difference in the world! Let that boy see outside as much as you can!

Lord, thank you for your blessings! You gave little Isaac life so that he would make an impact in our world...and what an impact he has made for you in just 7 weeks! The next hundred years are going to be amazing to watch as he shares his testimony, and the testimony of his parents, to the world! Praise be to You for everything you have done! Keep your hand on his little life...and continue to strengthen the doctors and nurses who care for him. Keep his Mommy & Daddy safe in your arms. In Jesus name, Amen!

Anonymous said...

Praise the Lord that Isaac is doing so well. His new room is so bright and cheerful! Still praying for Isaac and you guys daily.

Love in Christ,
Taneha

Anonymous said...

Psalm 150:1-6

Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Praise the Lord for all He has done for Isaac.

As the psalmist says we praise Him for his "acts of power" and "his surpassing greatness" He is demonstrating his power. He is far greater than anything or anyone.

How wonderful it is that Jordan and Patience have shared their journey with us and allowed us to join them together in praising our Lord. We are praising Him everywhere in every way - as the psalmist says with instruments - and via the Internet!

Jordan and Patience, not just with the words of their blog, but also with their lives and their works, bring praise to You, our great and all-powerful God.

P.S.
Isaac's little orange teddy bear is very cute, always close by, like a good friend.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Lord for all the wonderful blessings you have bestowed on the Leino family.Isaac has turned the corner and we are all watching and praying that his progress continues. The sunlight coming through the windows of his room is shinning bright, just as God is shinning on him.
Our family is now in a tough situation, and we are praying that God will help us through a tough time as well. My Godson Travis is about to welcome his first child into the world alot earlier than expected. Courtney, the mother has been diagnosed with Preeclampsia, and has been admitted to Sentara Norfolk General in Norfolk,Va. Today when they did an ultrasound,the baby boy(Travis Aiden Cooksey) is weighing about 4 pounds, and they believe the will have to take him tomorrow by C-section two months early. Hopefully the Lord will shine on him and bring him into the world successfully. I know you have alot on your plate Patience, but if you have time, we could use some of your faith and prayers sent this way. I have told Travis about baby Isaac, and it has given him some hope that his son will soon arrive without too many complications. The Leino Family and this blog have been a great testimony of what God can do for all who believe. What an AWESOME GOD!!!!!!!!
Pam, Chesapeake, Va

Anonymous said...

Praise God !!! It is so wonderful to hear that Isaac is responding so well to the surgery and that his lactate level is only .2 from normal. I will pray that Isaac continues to improve everyday and that God would continue to show His great power in Isaac's life. Nikki

Jennifer said...

I know firsthand that God hears prayers and performs miracles. Our grandson, Owen, was diagnosed pre birth with a fatal skeletal dysplasia. He is alive and thriving thanks to the prayers and support from so many people, people we didn't even know. I am dedicated to returning those prayers and will remember your sweet little Isaac (what a doll!) in my prayers each day. Best wishes as he travels toward healing.

Anonymous said...

We are so glad is answering all of our prayers. Praise God for he is awesome! We pray everyday for this little sweet boy.

We Love you,
Jim & Carol (C3)

Anonymous said...

Shout to the North and the South, Sing to the East and West....

Awesome news! You all remain in our prayers. Isaac's new room look all bright and happy. We pray God will use the sunlight to continue to heal Isaac.

The Tilson's

Unknown said...

Praises to the Great I Am! God is so awesome! We rejoice in this good news and Isaac's continued improvements. What a little trooper this little boy is. The bright sunny room is wonderful. We will continue to pray for all of the things you mentioned. The dream of Isaac running up and down the isles at C3 church with Jordan chasing after him is slowly, but surely coming true. I want you to know Your son is BEAUTIFUL! We love printing all of the photos for our refrigerator so we think of little Isaac many times throughout the day. Isaac is quite the celebrity with people from all of the world. He has already impacted so many lives and restored faith in so many. God bless you wonderful family!
Lynn & Ronnie

Anonymous said...

Praise God! We'll keep praying. It was great to see Jordan this weekend.

In Him,
Bruce, Cindy, and David

Anonymous said...

I've never doubted God's ability and desire to heal Isaac. I've seen God in action too many times and have studied His promises to ever believe otherwise. It is never God's will for his children to suffer from any form of sickness or disease. He is an awesome God!

I will continue to pray for Isaac's hernia situation, the cleft palate and that his hearing in his left ear will be completely normal. Also, that he will be able to come off the vent soon. I already know in my spirit that Isaac will no longer need surgery. I've been praying about that since his last one. I've also been praying against infections. This baby is definitely ready to come home soon - PRAISE GOD!!!!

This has been a long, tiring journey for the three of you. My prayers have included asking that God's mercy be upon you all to bring this ordeal to an end soon. And, that Isaac will be able eat without complications. It's just a matter of time now.

Ken and I are rejoicing with you in your victory. There is nothing like the bond between a parent and a child. Children are the most precious gift God could ever give us. We are so very happy for you all.

Rebecca VanderWerff

Anonymous said...

Pam in Chesapeake, Va,

Your grandson, Travis Aiden Cooksey, will be included in my prayers. Thank you for sharing that information.

Have your Godson and his wife look up healing scriptures. Then, have them confess those scriptures over the baby daily. And praise God daily for the baby's healing. We are to speak into existence those things that "be not as though they were." And, we have been instructed in His Word to "not fear an evil report." God is always on time!

God wants us to stand on His Word. He is not a man that He should lie, and He is faithful to see to it that His Word never fails us. His promises to us will never be broken because He simply cannot go back on His Word.

Your sister in Christ,
Rebecca VanderWerff

Anonymous said...

Friends in India rejoice with you today. What a wonderful and good report you ahve shared with us! God is doing amazing things and we are so glad to hear that Isaac has grown so much. He is an amazing young boy. It wont be long now until he will be at home, pulling down curtains and riding his favorite cycle through your living room. Then comes the roller skating down stairs and superhearos everywhere. Oh, how we love boys and you are going to love getting to see your grow up just as much. God bless you. We will share this wonderful news with all who had been praying and will pray him home for you!
Rachel Pawar

The Atkinson 6 said...

That is wonderful! We are so happy for your family!

We are anxiously waiting the day that we all can see your beautiful son!

God is good all the time,
all the time God is good!

Keeping you all in our thoughts and prayers!

David and Erika

Unknown said...

What awesome news!! Isaac's weight gain sounds wonderful. 2 pounds! Praise be to God for the miracles He is working with your little man. We are so happy for you and are continuing to pray for your family.
~ Rhonda & Doug Pearce

Anonymous said...

Heavenly sunlight
Heavenly sunlight
Flooding my soul with glory divine
Hallelujah, I am rejoicing...
Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.

I love your new room. Another significant blessing!