Our brave girl, Elizabeth

Back home today!! (7days post op)

2011-11-12T16:55:00.008+08:00

Dear friends,

I am happy to report that Z's recovery has been nothing short of miraculous.

The doctors were so pleased with her progress we were able to discharge today - just 3 days after extubation! Praise the Lord!

Before leaving hospital she was still unable to walk on her own, but within hours of reaching home she's already walking quite quickly by herself I had to stop her in case she fell down!

One of the many things that touched my heart was that Z received reassurance from Jesus again - she told me he hugged her "tight" and according to Z said "I love you" when she was in surgery.

That just moved me to tears as I know our Lord and Saviour was there reassuring and comforting her when she was not able to see, hear or feel human touch.

Our little fighter did so well during the entire hospitalization. Not a single tear during setting of IV plugs, insertion of drains, removal of wires, getting her throat and nose suctioned repeatedly causing her to retch. She took every procedure in her stride and wasn't until after everything was removed and done on the last day, that she wanted lots of cuddles.

Thank you for all your faithful prayers and support

I believe that it is through the prayers of many that have moved the hands of God, so that Z has had such a successful surgery and recovery. As she rests and recuperates at home we continue to give thanks for His faithfulness, for the blessing of such skillful surgeons, caring hospital staff, and so many wonderful people in our life.

We pray for total healing of all her wounds and incisions with no complications, and strengthening of her body so that she may soon join her friends back at school.

I hope Z's testimony will always be an encouragement and blessing to others.

And this is not yet the end of our story :D

God Bless,

Elaine

Post op update (day 4)

2011-11-07T21:59:00.003+08:00

Dear friends,

Thank you for all your prayers.

Lizzie went though open heart surgery on Friday 4th Nov - starting at around 9:00am.

After 9 hours she was out and taken to the pediatric ICU at National University Hospital.

She remained under sedation, and her chest was left open to allow swelling to subside - with her exposed heart protected by a piece of plastic dressing.

On Sunday 6th Nov in the evening the surgeons managed to successfully close her chest after having drained about 1L of accumulated fluid from her abdomen.

Today Monday 7th Nov, Lizzie though still heavily sedated has started to open her eyes and struggle to move her body more and more. At this point the doctors are looking to tail down the sedation, remove her breathing tube and also start chest physio tomorrow.

Hopefully then she'll be able to fully regain consciousness soon.

Here are some pictures of Z the evening BEFORE the surgery.

God Bless,

Elaine

Total correction open heart surgery scheduled for the morning of Friday Nov 4th 2011

2011-10-30T21:27:00.004+08:00

Dear friends,

I ask for your prayers at this time as we are getting ready to admit Lizzie to hospital the day before the surgery.

This is the major operation we have been waiting for her whole life, and by God’s grace she has grown into a loving, cheerful girl, with a wonderful personality and a very brave heart.

The main objectives of the surgery is to remove the two BT shunts (from her previous surgeries), and completely correct the existing defects – large VSD (hole between the lower chambers), and the placement of a Hancock graft (synthetic vessel with porcine valve) to replace the congenitally missing pulmonary artery. We have been advised, during the recent consults with the cardio-thoracic surgeon, that the Hancock graft would be used, as longevity far surpasses that of a graft vessel taken from a human donor, which may last only as far as 5-10 years. In some cases we were told, that with the Hancock graft, some have reported good function as long as 20 years.

We are told that in the first few days following the surgery, a lot of swelling is anticipated, hence they surgeons will not be able to close her chest for up to a few days. We ask for your prayers during this critical time.

We are preparing to spend at least 2 weeks in the hospital – with the 1st week in the paeds ICU. So I would ask that you pray for stamina and supernatural healing for my little girl as we cross this major hurdle.

Thank you for continuing to check back on our blog and for your kind thoughts and prayers for Z.

God Bless,

Elaine

Recovering well at home

2010-10-16T21:57:00.003+08:00

Dear friends, the cardiac catheterization was done successfully with no complications. Thank you for your prayer support and concern for Z.

She did very well and was a good girl through it all – even when the doctors had to set the IV plug in her hand, our brave girl didn’t even shed a single tear.

Z took everything in her stride, as she has become so familiar with visiting the hospital over the years, she was very relaxed. I give thanks to God for her calmness and confidence!

According to Z’s cardiologist, Prof Quek, both her shunts are functioning well, and are not blocked. The total correction surgery need not be so soon as we thought, but it depends on Z’s need for oxygen. According to him, delaying the open heart surgery for as long as possible is advisable, as the pulmonary artery graft could last in her body from as short as 5 years, or as long as 10 years or beyond. She is in the Lord’s hands.

During the hospital stay, Z did manage to have some fun on the playground…

and eat french fries…

We discharged from the hospital the next evening at 7pm. We were exhausted but happy to be back in our own bed. Lizzie told me “I’m so happy to be at home with you Mummy!”.

She has also been very good keeping still so as to not disturb her healing wounds, and even helped me to change her dressing!

Lizzie in charge of opening the tegaderm…

There it is! landed on her chin

Z's sticker reward chart

Plus she got the two stickers required to complete the set of 10 on her sticker chart to get her reward…. See how happy she is??

Meanwhile she is aware of the dressings, and is so cute, as she walks very carefully taking v small steps. Thank God she did not complain of anymore pain by this evening, and is now sleeping soundly.

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness.

God Bless,

Elaine

Cardiac catheterization scheduled

2010-10-13T22:29:00.002+08:00

Dear friends, the hospital has confirmed that the procedure will be done under General Anaesthetic on Friday 15th October early in the morning at 8:00am.

I ask for your prayers for the procedure and the post operative recovery period to be smooth and speedy. I will be updating the blog again after her discharge.

Thank you to everyone for the prayers and encouragement – I’m sure it will be over before we know it!

God Bless,

Elaine

Hospitalization scheduled on 14th October 2010

2010-09-15T19:34:00.012+08:00

Dearest friends,

I just want to thank you for your help and support during the last 3 months. For those of you that are aware of our situation - it was a difficult time for myself and Lizzie, but with the love of our close friends and family, and with God's guidance and protection, we are doing very well, and Lizzie has even gained almost 1.5kg!

To those who have shared so much with us, in your time, resources and care - and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and we love you all very much.

As you have figured out from the title of this post - we have to be admitted next week for a cardiac catheterization. In short, it is NOT a surgery as such, but kind of like doing an investigation or probing/scope of the heart. But it IS invasive, and will require Lizzie to be under General Anaesthesia. For those of you who want to find out more in detail - go to http://www.medicinenet.com/cardiac_catheterization/article.htm

Lizzie will be admitted at NUH at 3pm on 14 October, and will stay the night, so that the doctors will be able to run all the necessary tests before the actual procedure on the 15th.

So I humbly ask once more for your prayers.
That the procedure will go smoothly from beginning of the admission, to the catheterization procedure, to the discharge. I ask that you pray specifically that no complications will arise, and that Lizzie will recover quickly from the whole procedure, as we are hoping to be discharged on the same day if possible.

On a lighter note, before I sign off, Lizzie celebrated her birthday on Aug 9 and we had a lovely Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cake which she just loved to bits.

God Bless,
Elaine

Conversations with Lizzie

2010-06-18T12:56:00.007+08:00

Dear friends,

I just wanted to share something that deeply touched my heart recently, and will be encouragement to those of you who are fellow believers.

Last Sunday, I was talking to Lizzie and it went something like this:

Mummy : Lizzie have you seen any angels protecting our house?

Lizzie : No angels. Only Jesus.

Mummy : Where was Jesus? Downstairs?

Lizzie : No, in my room.

Mummy : What did Jesus say to Lizzie???

Lizzie : Jesus hug me and say “be well” (she literally said those words)

Mummy : Oh! That’s wonderful. Did you feel happy when Jesus hugged you?

Lizzie : Yes, I am very happy.

Mummy : What else did Jesus say ?

Lizzie : He said must wear spectacles

I thought I would test her out a bit and ask her what Jesus looked like. To my surprise and awe, she told me that his eyes were white, and he was wearing a dress. Not pants, but a dress. A white dress.

PTL!! This is consistent with Christ’s appearance in heavenly form.

“…the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire…” Rev 2:18

“…His garment was white as snow…” Dan 7:9

making cupcakes

Because of her encounter, her transition into wearing spectacles has been an amazingly smooth one, despite being down with the flu and having to get used to wearing the spectacles at the same time – she’s our cheerful, bubbly girl once more.

God Bless,

Elaine

Update 26 may 2010 - A small victory

2010-05-26T11:09:00.005+08:00

Lizzie insisting on wearing her white "flower girl" shoes with her PJ

Hi everyone, we brought Lizzie for her appointment with the cardiologist on Monday (24 May) and it was a bitter-sweet visit for us. We are so relieved and happy to hear that the cardiologist is still comfortable with her oxygen level, albeit lower. He thinks that she is not in desperate need of a surgery in the short term. However, he wants to do an invasive procedure on Lizzie sometime this year to assess the conditions of the 2 shunts (tubes from the previous surgeries) supporting her blood flow to the heart.

We were also told that while the major surgery that Lizzie has to go through in the medium term will correct her missing-artery issue, there are cases where the donor artery may only last 5 years (we were previously told that it lasts for 10 to 15 years). When that happens, Lizzie will be back on the operating table. That is a great blow to what we are already preparing ourselves to accept for Lizzie's life.

To us, the stake has just been raised. High-risk open-heart surgeries for the rest of her life every 5 to 10 years!! This thought brought us down on our knees, begging God for mercy and a much-needed miracle for Lizzie.

While we pray fervently and unceasingly for her well-being, we treasure our moments with Lizzie. We do what we can to let her lead a fulfilling and God-honouring life. Lizzie is looking forward to being a flower-girl for the first time on 31 May. She takes her practice very seriously.

Never thought I have to deal with a boy dragging my daughter down the aisle so soon!!!

Lizzie also visited a farm with her school friends on 25 May. I went along and had a great time with her. We sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars and Ba Ba Black Sheep on the bus home. These are simple things I will always remember and thank God for.

Lizzie and the terrapins

Update - 20 May 2010: A time of waiting

2010-05-20T13:07:00.006+08:00

Dear friends, thank you for the many encouraging messages and prayers for Lizzie. We treasure each and every one of them.

Playing dress up

Lizzie's oxygen level is still pretty much a roller coaster ride with good times of 80+% and bad times of 50+%. We pray for God's grace to be with her especially during times of de-saturation so that nothing drastic will happen. This is a time of waiting, and of prayer, as we look towards her appointment with the cardiologist next week.

Apprentice chef

Lizzie continues her daily activities, oblivious of her condition. It breaks our hearts to think about what may possibly come her way. Whatever she has to go through, we will be right by her side. We pray that you will help us pray for her too.

Update - 10 May 2010

2010-05-10T10:26:00.004+08:00

Our first reaction to Lizzie's decreasing oxygen level was to meet her cardiologist immediately to come up with a remedial plan for LIzzie. However, after calming down a little, we decided that the first thing to do is not to run to anyone but God. We will keep the appointment on 24 May so that we can pray for her.

We are more vigilant in monitoring Lizzie's condition and are taking readings of her oxygen everyday. We noticed that it is lower when she is awake, at around 68 to 74%. When she sleeps, her oxygen level is higher at around 78 to 82%. We are collating this data to meet her cardiologist on 24 May.

Please therefore pray that in the short term, Lizzie's oxygen level will improve, especially during her waking hours when she is quite active (as a 4-year-old) so that her cardiologist and surgeons will not immediately require her to go under the knife. And, for the longer term, for God to heal her of this heart condition so that the need for a major operation will pass by her, not just this time, but for good.

Lizzie enjoying a little drizzle in her ladybird gumboots

Why we are praying for a miracle

2010-05-07T16:48:00.004+08:00

Dear friends, thank you for reading this blog. Knowing that you read it gives us motivation enough to keep blogging about Lizzie's progress. We will also be using this blog to keep all our friends updated of any procedures and developments in future. Having the comfort that our daughter is covered by your prayers means a lot to us. We know that prayers will move the hand of God, who is always merciful and loving.

I also want to explain why we have been stubbornly praying for a miracle, instead of trusting medical science to take care of Lizzie's conditions. We do believe that God can heal us through doctors and surgeons, and such professionals and their knowledge are God-sent. In Lizzie's case, the experts are saying that they can operate on her when necessary to put in a human graft (a donor artery) to address the issue of the missing pulmonary artery. In the same operation, they will also rectify the VSD (simply, a hole) in her heart.
What these do not address are:
1. donor graft is not permanent. It may calcify and require replacements, every 10 to 15 years. For a 4-year-old, that will mean many surgeries for the rest of her life.
2. Her chromosome defects and her calcium deficiency will be permanent.
3. She will be on life-long medication which will have other side-effects.

In short, medical science cannot do a lot for Lizzie.

We therefore covet your kind prayers for her in the following areas:
1. A creative miracle from God to correct her heart, chromosome and calcium conditions.
2. No more surgeries. Even though Lizzie has gone through 2 surgeries since birth, she hates surgeries, as do her mommy and daddy.

"All I asked, Oh Lord, is a pulmonary artery and no more surgeries... and lots of marshmallows!"

We believe that God hears us and loves Lizzie. Her condition and her healing will be a testimony of that. There is nothing too great for our Almighty God and His everlasting love. His healing will be perfect in timing and in purpose. Thank you for your prayers.

Prayer request

2010-05-06T23:45:00.009+08:00

Dear friends,

In the past few months our Lizzie has changed in so many ways - her physical and mental development have just surprised us on a daily basis, and we give thanks for that.

This month, however, we would like to ask for your prayers for Lizzie's oxygen levels.
We are very concerned and a little disheartened at the sudden drop recently - her normal levels are above 75%, but in the last few days it has come down to the low 70's, and she's occasionally looking blue during these episodes.

We know that God's will and his plan for her is sovereign, but we are still praying that Lizzie would not need to have the open heart surgery at this time, and that this low oxygen will not affect her irreversibly in anyway. We are praying for His grace and mercy to be upon her, and for us, as her parents to have the wisdom to make the right decisions and care for her to the best of our abilities.

We have been experiencing the joys of normal parents with a normal child in the last few months - as Lizzie is actually catching up with her classmates and able to really communicate with us, she also started ballet lessons (which she loves), and we have even gotten her chronic constipation problem successfully under control.

We are sad that just when things seem to have gotten to the point of normalcy, have may have to return to the situation of a pending surgery once again. Dealing with fluctuating oxygen levels has always been stressful for us, but we are determined to stay focused and continue to entrust her life into God's hands.

God bless you all.

Elaine

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

2010-02-17T11:14:00.007+08:00

Dear Friends,

How time has flown by, and once again I'm struggling to get this posted on time!

We've just had a very festive Chinese New Year, with Lizzie enjoying her very first school field trip to Chinatown - the teachers organised two busloads of preschoolers to walk through the streets of the night market, and even buy their own souvenir.

Then they spent weeks practising for a CNY concert which was performed in their school carpark. Though it was in the blazing hot sun, the kids put on a good effort, and the parents were ever enthusiastic with their cameras and camcorders - I was no different!

CHINATOWN FIELDTRIP

"Flamingo" class photo

Its fun being a tourist

"Nian nian you yue"

"I love you tiger"

First day of CNY

Hooooray!

Just making sure Mummy trimmed my hair properly

Thanks Aunty Sheryl for designing my rockin' T-shirt

Everyone remember to say grace before we eat!

Thank you Jesus for the food....

SCHOOL CNY CONCERT

Sitting with my two pals - Shevaun & Hon Wei

Can you spot the three buddies? They have their arms around each other!

Hope you enjoyed these photos and videos - we are deeply touched to know that you are still supporting us in prayer and that someone is actually reading our posts. It does prompt me to keep this blog up to date!

Blessed Chinese New Year to you and your families.

God Bless,

Elaine

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-31T17:32:00.012+08:00

Dear friends,

Once again, the new year is almost upon us and we can't believe how time has swept by so quickly.

This year has brought many ups and downs, but through it all, God has been faithful to us, most of all to
Lizzie, for whom this year has passed without any major emergencies, or the need for any surgery.

Our little one started pre-school in September and has shown great progress in her social and physical development.
Best of all we are pleased to report that she is communicating more clearly and uses words that often surprise us (perhaps because we have underestimated her abililities?), and as a parent its these little things that bring us great joy.

Sometimes as I observe her play and interact with her friends, I silently thank the Lord for allowing her to come as far as she has. All the while we are always aware that God is the one in control of every situation, and as we make plans for the future, we are constantly reminded that tomorrow it can all be easily taken away, according to His perfect will - so we should never take things for granted.

So as we approach the new year I am wondering what it will hold for us.
We continue to hold on to His promises for comfort and healing, and that the plans that He has for us will give us hope and a future. We try to instill in Lizzie a love for God and His Word, and to teach her that in every situation there is a reason to give Him thanks, and to pray unceasingly.

We are well aware of the complicated road that lies ahead and we have not given up our prayers for a miracle - there was a verse which spoke to me (Jn9:3)- about a blind man, and the reason for his affliction. Jesus answered that the true purpose of his disability was not because of punishment, nor was it because of anything anyone had done, but solely that the works of God would be manifest in him. Therefore we are submitting our daughter into His hands that whatever He has instore for her will be for His glory.

We give thanks that Lizzies eyes have been fine this past year - she is squinting less, vision is still normal, and her constipation is getting sorted out gradually.)

Lizzie getting her eyes checked

So as 2009 draws to a close (I am literally typing this on New Year's Eve to get in one last final post before 2010!) we want to remember those of you whom we have not seen for a while, those of you who were once close, those that prayed with us, who helped us in various ways, and those with which we have lost touch.

We just want to let you know that you are not forgotten, but we do remember you and think of you now and then with fondness and gratitude. You know who you are. We are sorry for not keeping in touch more often, but hope that in 2010 you and your families will be blessed, and that it will be a time for old ties will be renewed.

God Bless,

Elaine, Simon & Lizzie

Last week's rush to the A&E

2009-09-15T14:00:00.011+08:00

Dear friends,

Thanks for all the prayers and concern after the scare we had last week.

Lizzie has been suffering the effects of chronic constipation - turned acute.

She was suddenly in a lot of pain - and kept pointing to her tummy and told me "Mummy, pain".

Within half an hour, she was screaming and crying non stop (completely out of character for her), and her blood pressure suddenly plummetted (due to the pain), and she was shivering and white as a sheet. We think the only thing keeping her from passing out from the pain, was that her screaming and crying kept her blood pressure up.

We hurried to NUH A&E (thankfully Simon and myself were at home at the time), and she was seen to pretty quickly. Thank God for the reassuring familiar faces of her doctors.

She had her system flushed out was able to be discharged after having some oxygen by mask, and a rest on the trolley bed. Lizzie was so exhausted she slept for 2 hours straight after reaching home.

We definitely learnt a lot from this experience (having been used to watching out for blueness, her turning white gave us a big fright).

We recently saw her paediatrician who also gave us reassuring and encouraging news - despite her constipation, her cognitive development seems to not be too far behind her peers (as we previously thought). Height and weight is also within the average range for her age. Praise the Lord!

We are in talks with her paediatric gastroenterologist on how to manage, and hopefully solve her long term severe constipation problem.

We just pray that it will not worsen, but she will be able to grow out of it, and recover completely, without anymore medication or hospital treatment.

Meanwhile all of this happened to coincide with her first weeks at preschool - and we are happy to report that she is crying less and less each day, and gaining confidence and lots of friends at school. We want to be able to let her 'fly' on her own, and hope that she will be able to settle in quickly and without any lingering fear or insecurity.

Little ballerina Lizzie

Playing in her pajamas

Lizzie, Abi & Jonan

First day of preschool - with teacher Miss Sisi

Father & daughter

With Mummy @MRT station

We continue to commit her life, her wellbeing and her character into God's hands, and thank you for praying with us all these years. Everyone's prayers have not only touched us, but also have helped our little Lizzie become the bright cheerful girl that she has become today.

God Bless,

Elaine

Lizzie is a BIG girl!

2009-08-18T15:24:00.017+08:00

Dearest friends

It has been a while since our last posting, and since then we have seen some big changes in our little one.

Firstly, to update you on the recent medical appointments -

Eye doctor review - we are told that she is ok for now, and that her eyes are not getting worse (in terms of her squint and her vision) and that everything still remains in normal range. Praise the Lord!

Cardiac review - recent scan of her heart shows that everything is still holding up well, and that her shunts are functioning correctly. The surgeon told us that the next operation (her open heart corrective surgery) will probably still be in 1-2 years time.

Lizzie having her echocardiography done

On a lighter note - this month Lizzie has learnt to ride her tricycle properly, and we'll probably have some pics on the next post :)

Grandma is trying to teach her some Mandarin - (as Mummy's spoken Chinese is non-existant, and Daddy has always found it painful) we hope she'll pick it up well!

Lizzie @home

Cheeky monkey @school

Lizzie likes to clean!

My purple drink "BOT-TLE"

Lizzie loves "Ting-Ting" the tortoise-next-door

Lizzie @Gymboree

HEE HEE HEE!

Lizzie does the splits!

I love playing with lego blocks

As always we continue to ask for your prayers and thank everyone for their continued support and friendship.

God Bless,

Elaine

Lizzie goes to the bird park

2009-04-09T14:22:00.022+08:00

Dearest friends,

We recently brought Lizzie to see her paediatrician, and was advised to consult an eye specialist, as she is developing a bit of a squint, and the doctor suspected that she may be short sighted.

So we went to the childrens' eye specialist, and after the first lot of tests we were told she had very severe astigmatism and short sightedness, and that her squint would need surgery! We were completely in shock. ANOTHER SURGERY?!?!

After more detailed testing, to our relief, the eye specialist told us that Lizzie indeed had astigmatism, but it was still within normal limits for her age, and as for her vision, she had long, not short sightedness, which was ALSO within normal limits. Phew! Thank God.

However, she warned if her squint does not improve, or worsens, she may need to go ahead with surgery on her eyes to correct it.

We will have to return for a review in 3 months to see if things get better.

Please pray for Lizzie that she will have normal eyesight, and that she will not have to undergo anymore surgeries than is necessary.

I'll have what Mummy and Daddy are having....

Oh well, I'll settle for water again....

Its tough without a bendy straw....

Freeze! its Inspector Lizzie!

We recently brought Lizzie to Jurong Bird Park - she really enjoyed herself, pointing at all the birds and giving us a good workout (lugging around Lizzie's pram, Lizzie's bag, and Lizzie).

Liza-bird & Mummy

Liza-bird & Grandma checking out scary huge fish.

Father & daughter taking a quiet stroll

Rainbow lorrikeets in a row

"The World's Most Dangerous Creature"

Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day. Lizzie: "Slurp!"

"I've got chocolate where?"

"Ah, nevermind..."

Thank you for blessing us with your prayers, and for encouraging us to continue this blog. We continue to ask for your prayers for Lizzie, during this time, her condition is stable, but we recognise that she still has a long road ahead of her, and we want to remember to look towards God for guidance and direction every step of the way.

God Bless,

Elaine

Updated pictures of Lizzie in various activities!

2009-03-27T14:26:00.008+08:00

Dear friends, thank you for your prayers and keep a watch over Lizzie's progress. Lizzie is well and by God's grace, is prospering in all sense of the word :D

Lizzie watching her DVD -->

<-- Lizzie relaxing with flowers in hand

Lizzie still watching DVD, with Mommy -->

<-- Lizzie posing at home

Lizzie playing in the tub -->

<-- Lizzie, before she snatched the camera

Singapore Idol Lizzie -->

<-- Japanese Geisha Lizzie

Looking forward to a 2nd Lizzieful Christmas

2008-12-01T10:07:00.015+08:00

Dear friends, warmest greetings in the best time of the year, Christmas time!! Elaine and I are involved in a personal project that seems to be taking more of our time than expected for the past 2 years, hence the low frequency of our postings. Hopefully, it will be over soon.

Lizzie having a teddy moment

We have been monitoring Lizzie's O2 level and I am glad to say that her O2 has been hovering around 80 to 85%, which is far better than a year ago at 70 to 75%. We thank God for His grace over this girl, who is full of energy, cheer and spirit.

Lizzie acting cute.

As we approach the 2nd Christmas with Lizzie, we want to thank one and all for keeping Lizzie in prayers. We treasure every moment with her, realising how precious and fragile life can be, especially without God's grace. Each day that Lizzie lives to play, grow and even be naughty is a day of grace from God. Indeed, His grace is sufficient for us.

Lizzie and mommy in church

We may complain about how naughty Lizzie is or why she is still not speaking at 27 months, but we are secretly thankful that God has blessed this child with many things, including her cheerfulness and her relative health (compared to a year ago). What God has shown us in the past 3 years has given us hope that there is more grace for Lizzie, that the major open-heart surgery may even be unnecessary, if only God is willing. As her parents, we can only pray and hope, but as God's children, we dare to claim it for our child.

Discussing world events with Daddy

Teen outreach - my calling?

As we look forward to many years ahead with Lizzie, we greatly treasure your precious prayers for her well-being and her future. As her parents, we are praying that all these efforts will not be in vain, not for the sake of having another life on earth. We are constantly praying that she will grow up to be a purposeful servant for God, and her life to be a testimony to show how personal and how intimate our God is.

This Christmas will be more fun as Lizzie can now comprehend occasions, enjoy company and especially, toys! We are trying to fight off overzealous grandparents and even aunties buying the entire toy shop for Lizzie. So much for a zen-style house! We are also putting up the Christmas tree as soon as we are settled in so that she can enjoy it. To everyone reading this, may God's love be your Christmas cheer and His peace be your sparkle at all times.

Blessed Christmas and God bless.

2008-10-09T17:27:00.007+08:00

Dear friends, thank you for checking this blog from time to time and keeping track of Lizzie’s progress. We, as her parents, are most grateful for your constant prayers for her.

Lizzie in Bunny's clothings -->

We brought Lizzie for reviews with her pediatrician and cardiologist on Monday (and for my colleagues reading this, I was only there during lunch time). Both doctors were surprised by how much Lizzie has grown in the last few months and how much progress she has made in terms of growth and development. Lizzie has caught up with the average Singapore girl her age in terms of weight (12.2kg) and height (86cm). In both categories, she is at 50 percentile (so our girl is just the right height and weight :D). During the visit, the nurses also took blood from Lizzie and gave her vaccination jabs. We were very surprised that Lizzie did not shed a single tear while these happened (this may be a problem when it comes to disciplining her though :P) We thank God for His grace over this child, that despite her condition and what she had gone through, she was able to catch up in growth and seems to be sufficiently resilient. We also want to give thanks for Lizzie’s appetite for solid food, which has been improving (vs 100% milk 3 months back). Given that Lizzie's O2 level is holding well at 82 to 85%, her cardiologist does not foresee any surgeries in the coming months. This is a great relief for us and a big thanksgiving.

Lizzie making a fashion statement, with diaper

"Dear God, .... " Prayer in progress

In recent weeks, Lizzie has surprised us with what she understands and does. For example, she managed to correctly point out each number on her alpha-numeric floor mat when we asked her. She is able to say PaPa and MaMa and has learnt what these mean. Most rewarding was Lizzie learning to pray. She now prays with her eyes closed (with occasional peeps) and only opens them when she hears the word “Amen”. We pray that this little girl will know God in her heart and learn to lean on God.

Lizzie's sincere prayer

We asked for your continued precious prayers for Lizzie as we look forward to miraclous healing from God. We know He is able and we wait for His timing.

God bless,

Lizzie daddy

Happy Birthday Lizzie

2008-09-04T19:26:00.011+08:00

Dear friends,

Just last month Lizzie celebrated her 2nd birthday, though with less festivities than last year, it was a very enjoyable and quiet time at home with family and our cg family.

Our little princess has made some progress with her speech - after telling her to start talking before she turns two - she suprised us on the eve of her birthday by softly uttering "MAMA" and "PAPA"! It brought tears to our eyes....

Update with our latest cardiologist visit - Lizzies oxygen saturations are holding, and she is on track with her physical growth and mental development. We praise the Lord, for such a gentle girl - she has her extremely cheeky and mischevious moments too. We are trying real hard not to spoil her, but she has such a friendly and sociable character, that even complete strangers find her hard to resist!

Mummy, Daddy & Lizzie

We brought Lizzie to the zoo for the first time, and she enjoyed seeing all the animals up close - the rhinos, giraffes, lions, jaguars, even the giant tortoises.

Lizzie & Grandma with giant tortoise statue

While we continue to pray for her condition to be lifted, and we recognise and give thanks to the Lord for giving her strong immune system - which has so far proved to withstand even very bad bouts of cold and flu, and she has only fallen sick once this year, recovering on her own within days.

Lizzie loves playing soccer!

Lizzie enjoying an episode of 'Dora the Explorer'

Thank you brothers and sisters for your continued friendship, support and prayers.

God bless,
Elaine

Countdown to Year 3

2008-07-17T10:21:00.006+08:00

Hello everyone, it has been a long time since Elaine and I updated Lizzie's blog. Must say the guilt of not writing has finally driven me to do so. We owe it to everyone who have been praying for Lizzie so faithfully to at least update you on the latest happenings. Lizzie will be 2 years old next month. We are entering into year 3. It is exciting, rewarding and also, uncertain.

We brought Lizzie for medical reviews last Monday and yesterday. The cardiologist and surgeon both thinks that Lizzie is doing well and there will not be any surgery for the short term. Praise God!! They are still keep to plan of doing the major open-heart surgery when Lizzie is 4 or 5 years old. While that seems far away, we are asking for prayers that God will heal Lizzie before it comes to that. We know that God is able and His grace is abundant.

Currently, Lizzie's O2 level is around 80%, but she does turn blue when she plays too much, which is very often now that she is a cheeky playful toddler. We are enjoying every moment with this active marathon walker, but it does takes a lot out of us, given that her battery is newer and more lasting than our 30+ years old batteries.

Sometimes, as I watch her sleep, and as we pray over her, I asked God if He can take my life as an atonement for all sins in my family and heal my child. If only that can be done, it will be so simple. This is when I realised how God felt towards us, that He gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins. The love of a parent, the love of a creator and the love of God rolled into one. I know that God does not demand a sacrifice for healing, or any form of miracles. His healing comes by grace, not sacrifice. This frustrates me a lot, not being able to do anything for my child but wait. My faith tells me that God knows best for my child and has the best plans for her, yet seeing her suffer is too much to bear. I pray for Lizzie everyday, and everyday, God gives us a happy, cheerful child who has no clue what lies ahead of her. We pray that you will also help us pray, with prayers that will move God's hand.

Thank you and God bless.

Youth Olympic 2010... here comes Lizzie!

2008-03-26T12:14:00.006+08:00

Hello everyone, I am glad to write about what happen this month. It has been a joyful month in terms of our time with Lizzie, by God's grace. We brought Lizzie swimming several times. Given the frequency, we cannot resist getting her a new swim suit. She looks all set for the water, and maybe... youth olympic 2010!! :))

Lizzie loves the water so much that she couldn't wait to go in. She will cling on to us and splashed water happily. These are the precious moments we treasure so much.

We also brought her to Bishan Park on afternoon for a walk and play "pop-the-bubbles", one of Lizzie's great thrills. (see her video below!!) Lizzie looks cool with her sun glasses on her head, doesn't she? I know, I know, I am praising her too much... do bear with me... I am sure those with children will understand :)

On a more serious note, we want to thank God for His faithfulness. Lizzie's O2 has been holding steady in the high 70s when she is awake and active and in the low 80s when she is asleep. We are still praying for a breakthrough in her condition and continue to believe that God has created her in her special way for a purpose, for His glory. We wait for God's plans to be revealed in His perfect timing. We also thank you for continuing to uphold Lizzie in prayers as we do not know what is next. We are still living moment by moment, enjoying her innocent giggles and waiting.

God bless, Simon & Elaine.

Lizzie is well and growing. Praise God!

2008-02-17T21:19:00.005+08:00

Hi everyone, it has been some time since Elaine and I post. I know many have been wondering what happened since Lizzie surgery. I apologize not letting you know sooner.

Lizzie has come a long way from waking up angry after the surgery cos of the pain and discomfort she felt. Now, she is finally back to her cheeky and playful self, tormenting Daddy and Mommy every day (and we joyfully accept it). Lizzie’s O2 level improved by about 10% after the surgery and currently stands in the range of low 70s to low 80s. She was up and about in her cheongsum, collecting ang pows this Chinese New Year!!

Between the time she was discharged and now, we were dealing with her surgical wounds, one of which took more than 2 weeks to heal. Thank God, all her wounds healed well, and they are neater than her previous surgical scars. I want to thank you again for praying. Each day we hear her laughter, we know in our hearts that it came as a result of your prayers moving the hand of God. Lizzie is a miracle in our lives and our prayer is that she will be a testimony for God to many.

On a lighter note, we are planning to bring Lizzie swimming again this coming week, since she enjoys water a lot. It will be fun for all, so look out for more Lizzie shots.

Here’s wishing you a belated but blessed new year!!!

God bless,
Simon

Lizzie is discharged from hospital

2008-01-23T21:23:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,

I would have posted this sooner, but we have been so busy with Lizzie since her discharge from paeds ICU on Monday 21/01/08. Instead of discharging to the normal wards, we decided that once Lizzie no longer required intensive care, we were able to nurse her at home - with the permission from our cardiologist and surgeon.

Lizzie Day 3 - still restrained

Lizzie taking solids on Day 4

Lizzie taking feeds well on Day 4

Because of the deep surgical wounds, Lizzie can't really move around very much, mainly getting carried by myself, Simon and grandma. She seems to be a bit more fearful of falling, and clings to us tightly. Stranger anxiety seems to have developed as well.
We went for post op review today with her cardiologist - all the dressings were replaced, and we saw that the op site was healing very well. Praise the Lord.

Last night when she slept, Lizzie's oxygen was between 79 and 85 most of the time.
In the day time, it seems to be in the 70s.

Lizzie at home Day4

Lizzie gives us a big grin today Day6 -in her pram at the review appointment

Giggling Lizzie watching mummy blow bubbles

We are very thankful that our little girl has started giggling and smiling lots today, and we hope and pray that she will continue to regain her confidence and her outgoing personality.

God Bless,

Elaine

Post op recovery update

2008-01-19T00:09:00.001+08:00

Dearest friends,

Thank you for your continued prayers. The last few days have left us exhausted physically, and emotionally. Since the last posting by Simon, we've been taking shifts camping at the PICU, catching a few hours sleep at night. We thank God for preserving our health and preventing us from falling sick during this time.

Day 1 (Thursday 17 January)

We were admitted to Ward 47 in the afternoon - Lizzie had to have blood taken for tests in preparation for her op. Already her limbs are chubby, and finding a blood vessel on her was very difficult for the doctors. So for a normally straight-forward procedure of setting a plug (inserting a needle into a vein in order to set a tube in it), it took at multiple tries of inserting and reinserting needles into her arms, legs, hands and feet, until Lizzie was so traumatised, afterwards she would cry whenever a nurse or doctor came near. Unfortunately after that when we thought she could rest, one of the blood samples was lost, and Lizzie had to endure yet another round of needles pricking into her. She cried so hard and vomitted a few times, but Simon and I were there to reassure and restrain her as best as we could. We managed to get home leave that night, to return early the next day.

Lizzie is opens her eyes and sees Elmo!

Day2 *SURGERY DAY* (Friday 18 January)

5:30am the next morning I had to bathe Lizzie in the antiseptic wash given by the ward, and she kept falling asleep in the bath! We reached the hospital by 7:ooam, and immediately the doctors had to re-set a new plug. Again, as needles were repeatedly inserted and removed in the attempt to locate Lizzie's tiny veins, we were feeling so much pain for her even before her operation. Finally a vein was found, and a plug was set - the pictures Simon posted of us carrying her in the hospital playground was just moments before they wheeled her off to the operation theatre. You can see one of her feet bound up (inside is the plug)

Going into surgery

As I walked with her through the hospital corridors to the operating theatre, I prayed silently that God would protect her from all complications, and that His spirit would fill that theatre, and Lizzie would not be fearful. I was allowed to accompany her into the operating room, and she was in good spirits- playing with the docs and nurses. She was so tired that she fell asleep in my arms before they gave her the gas.

After the surgery

It was three hours later we got news that the operation was successful - in the first two hours, her surgery was delayed because no one could insert a line into her blood vessels. They finally had to take a major blood vessel at her groin - which will result in scarring, but had to be done nonetheless. Her surgeon informed us the actual operation had only taken about an hour to complete. We give thanks to the Lord for no complications, and no need for blood transfusion. AMEN! Praise the Lord!

Lizzie & Mummy

Lizzie & Daddy

Post op in the ICU

Finally we were able to see our little one in the PICU - we were suprised and happy to see that the intubation had been removed (this is normally left in a day or two longer, but Lizzie was strong enough to breathe on her own - praise the Lord!), and she was no longer sedated. It broke our hearts to see her in pain, and hear her whimpering softly, but we also rejoiced in knowledge that God had made her such a strong girl. A fighter!

Day3 *TODAY* (Saturday 19 January)

At 6:00am Lizzie's eyes were wide open, and with the only leg unrestrained managed to kick off all her blankets. The surgical team and Prof CN Lee came to see her soon after - Lizzie glared at everyone (myself and Simon included). To everyone's suprise, the chest drainage tube was quickly removed, and Lizzie was able to start drinking milk again.

Lizzie in PICU

Now as I am typing this, I am sitting by Lizzie's bedside. Occasionally one of the monitors would sound, or Lizzie would stir, and whimper and cry in her sleep. I am faced with the reality that although she has had a successful op, there is a long road of recovery ahead.
We ask that you continue to pray along with us as we cast all our cares and anxieties upon Him.

Our prayer requests:

1/ That the Lord will cause all of Lizzie's surgical wounds to heal quickly and with no complication or infection, and that they will not cause her too much pain.

2/ That Lizzie will be able to maintain good oxygen saturations and be able to come off oxygen support soon.

3/ We ask for continued good physical and mental development

4/ That God will protect her from any bad memories of this experience, and she will not be affected by this surgery, but will be back to the cheerful, bubbly, and affectionate girl that she is.

5/ That the Lord will continue to reveal to us His plan for Lizzie, and use her life and testimony for His glory.

6/ That God will continue to protect the health of Lizzie's caregivers (myself, Simon and my mum-in-law).

We would like to give thanks to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for seeing Lizzie through her operation safely, and for bringing into our midst fellow believers to comfort and assure us (from Lizzie's gospelighter Aunties and Uncles, and our beloved ELIM CG family, to old friends from NNICU the Aunty-Nurse Hung Fei and Aunty-Doctor Siok Ying, to a new friend -anaesthetist Aunty-Doctor Avina). Special thank you to Soo San and Francis for your advice, prayers, and loaning us your oxygen equipment. God has brought loving brothers and sisters into our lives in every step of our journey - HE is indeed our Jehova Rapha and Jehova Jireh.

We will continue to update you when we can.
God Bless,

Elaine

Result of Lizzie's operation

2008-01-18T12:51:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone, we just spoke to the surgeon a few minutes ago. The op is a success!!! Lizzie's current O2 saturation is above 90%!!!! Praise the Lord!!! And thank you everyone for your prayers... from the bottom of our hearts as well as Lizzie's!!!

One side comment the surgeon made was Lizzie is so chubby that they took almost 2 hours and still not able to insert a line into her blood vessel. They had to instead put a tube into a major blood vessel at her groin. Our chubby little princess :)

We thank the Lord for a smooth operation and we continue to pray for a speedy recovery free from any complications. During this period, we have also received an answered prayer and encouragements. Lizzie's fourth and fifth teeth have erupted, after a break that made even lizziemommy (who's a dentist) worried that Digeorge's Syndrome may cause Lizzie to have missing teeth. That has been one of our personal prayers for her. We have also received encouragements from friends overseas as well as some we have not been in touch with for some time. Praise God for assuring us that He is in control always and sends encouragements when we need them most.

Lizzie will be sedated for the next 1 to 2 days. For those who are thinking of sending anything to Lizzie, please don't. It already means a lot to us that you are reading this blog and praying for her.

We will continue to keep you updated!!

God bless,

Simon

Surgery postponed to 18 Jan 11.30am

2008-01-14T15:50:00.001+08:00

Hi everyone, Elaine and I sincerely thank you for the many prayers and encouragements since our posting. As much as it pains us to submit our child to God’s will in her life, we know that His grace will see Lizzie through the most difficult and painful moments of her life (as well as ours) and His peace will be with our family as we go through this period.

We also want to inform you that the surgeon rescheduled the operation last week to 17 Jan PM and then again today to 11.30am on 18 January. Please continue to pray and also that there will be no more delays for Lizzie’s operation.

We want to add one more item to our prayer list posted on 9 Jan. Before the surgery, Lizzie will need to be admitted 1 day earlier. They may need to put a drip on her, which means that she will be bound, considering how active she is now. Please pray that God will put a spirit of stillness and calmness in her so that she will not be fearful or fidgety.

Most sincerely, thank you for your prayers. God bless you.

2008-01-09T00:48:00.000+08:00

A belated Christmas and New Year greetings to you. We apologize for the lack of communication and greetings for the past 2 months.
This is posting is way overdue but still in time for Lizzie’s surgery on 14 January. I hope that this will reach everyone, especially those who is not yet aware of Lizzie’s current situation. We asked for your kind prayers and trust that our collective prayers will move the hand of God.

Let me elaborate how this surgery comes about in such a short time. In early November 07, Lizzie’s cardiologist reviewed her and discovered that her O2 level is low at 62%. We were shocked that it has dipped so low without us noticing. We have been looking at the colour of her lips, finger tips and toes and the colour had been good till then. Since then, we bought a new pulse oximeter to use it on Lizzie to be absolutely sure. It is indeed true that her O2 has dipped with her growth and heightened activity.

Since that review with the cardiologist, life has become more stressful. Lizzie is on O2 support almost ¾ of the day and we do not allow her to crawl or play as much. Most of the time, my mom, Elaine and I will share the load of holding Lizzie in front of the TV to watch Barney, Elmo and other kids’ DVDs, hence keeping her still and more importantly her O2 at an acceptable level, with the help of O2 tanks or O2 concentrator. I have never imagined learning more nursery rhythms and children’s songs now than when I was a kid.

The next review with the cardiologist at the end of November confirmed that Lizzie will require a 2nd shunt to be inserted on her left side to support her body’s growing need for O2. While we know this is coming, the reality still hit us hard. Thinking about how much she has already gone through and what lies ahead just tear our hearts to pieces. Apart from another series of scars on her body, we are also disheartened that this is another step towards her open-heart surgery. We are praying for a miracle for our daughter.

The past 2 months have been tough for us both physically and emotionally. Our daily routines, apart from work, are centred on Lizzie and maintaining her O2 level above the acceptable level (of 65%). Any desaturation will immediately put us on high alert and the nasal cannula (the tube that dispenses O2) immediately goes on Lizzie’s face. This happens several times a day as well as at night. We have no time left for anything, much less Christmas and New Year celebrations (so please forgive us for not sending any seasons greetings). There wasn’t much celebration mood left in the house anyway. Our quality of life went down as we are not able to go out of the house much, considering that Lizzie will need O2 any time. Lizzie is very frustrated too, having to be restrained constantly at a stage where other kids her age are learning to walk, play and talk. We spent most of our time in front of the TV so that we can keep the O2 cannula and the oximeter probe on her.

We tried to rationalize why this is happening and whether we could have prevented it. Of course, we can’t but we tried anyway. While we continue to trust that God’s plans for us and Lizzie is sovereign and will ultimately work out, we admit that we do feel fearful of the coming events. The only thing we can do for our daughter is to pray for her and to get as many people to pray for her as we can. Please pray for our little girl when you have some time. Here’s our prayer requests:

1. That God will heal Lizzie miraculously before this 2nd shunt operation, if this is according to His will. We do not want to insist that this is the only way but we will want God’s will to be done in Lizzie’s life, no matter what is the outcome.

2. If the operation is going through on 14 January, 9am, please pray that God’s hand will guide the surgeon and protect Lizzie from harm or any complications. We pray that the operation will be done smoothly and swiftly.

3. We also pray that Lizzie’s recovery will be in double-quick time and her stay in NUH will be short. This is not only because we anxious about her recovery. There are always many medical students around and they always asked to examine her due to her peculiar condition. Both Lizzie and us cannot get much rest at times. We also fear higher risk of infections and complications as more people touch her during this period.

4. Please also pray that God will sustain us physically as we need to care for Lizzie in hospital and at home. Caring for Lizzie now is already a 24-hour job. It will only get more intensive immediately after the operation.

I want to thank everyone who have been supportive and understanding towards us since Lizzie was born. We appreciate the support, care and encouragements with sincere gratitude.

God bless you and may your new year be filled with blessings, peace, joy and grace!!

Simon & Elaine

2007-10-23T11:59:00.000+08:00

Dear all, I sincerely thank you for keeping track of Lizzie's progress and tuning in to this website every now and then to see how little Miss-chievous is doing.

We brought Lizzie to see her cardiologist and geneticist yesterday. There are some good news that Lizzie is developing well and slowly catching with her peers in her physical development. However, it seems that her O2 level has dipped significantly to 62%. The cardiologist did a scan on Lizzie yesterday and thinks that her shunt may be getting too small for her. There is a likelihood that she may need to have another shunt on the left side. Her cardiologist will be discussing her case with the team, including Lizzie's surgeon and make a decision whether to proceed with the surgery and when.

We were very disheartened at the prospect of this cheerful, innocent little girl going for another surgery. We hate to think that the surgery will dampen her cheerful spirit. We were brought back to the days when we watched her day and night in NICU and agonizing over her condition. If only we can take her place for this suffering.

We desperately ask for your prayers for Lizzie. We want God to heal her completely so that there is no necessity for this coming surgery or any future surgeries. By faith, we know this is possible with God. By faith, we also know that God hears our prayers. By faith, we know God will heal her. We ask for your prayers alongside so that our prayers will hasten God's healing for Lizzie.

We have also claimed on God's promises for Lizzie's healing:

Psalm 34:10 - those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
2 Kings 20:5 - I have heard your prayers and seen your tears; I will heal you.
2 Chronicles 7:14 - If My people, who are called My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Jeremiah 17:14 - Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are the One I praise.
Jeremiah 30:17 - But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.
Psalm 145:18 - The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.
Hebrew 13:5 - Never will I leave, never will I forsake you.

Thank you for your prayers. We are deeply touched.

God bless!

At home with Lizzie

2007-09-21T13:56:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,

This update comes just shortly after Lizzie turned 13months old!We reached a couple more milestones this month.

Favourite games she likes to play are 'row,row, row your boat', peekaboo, and bouncing on mummy and daddy's tummies playing riding horsey - always gives her the giggles

In the morning, when my Mum-in-law takes over 'Lizzie duty', she actually guides my MIL over to the DVD player and starts gesturing and mumbling for her favourite music VCD to be played -Sesame Street Beginnings- Lizzie loves this disc, some really nice songs in there. Another good one is the Praise Baby volume 1 worship music VCD.

Lizzie sticking her tongue out

(shes been doing it a lot lately...)

Lizzie enjoying a car-ride

"Cool" Lizzie

Lizzie can brush her own hair, brush mummy's hair, and brush Elmo's fur. She has been able to put her blocks into its container, and bring them out again when we ask her to.

The other day I asked Lizzie, who was holding a block - to "give it to Mummy". She then handed me the block right into my open hand.
When she picked up a second block, again I said to her "give it to Mummy" - this time Lizzie chucked the block as hard as she could to the other side of the room, looked at me and gave a mischevious grin and then giggled hysterically. Hmmmm.

Cheeky-monkey

Lizzie is pretty good at imitating what us adults do everyday, and babbles non stop to herself, her toys and anyone else willing to listen to what she has to say.

As for her first word (no, it wasn't Elmo) - Im not really sure what counts as a first word.
A whole real grownup word? or baby's abbreviation of a word?
So far I think she started to say "Dada" a couple of weeks ago, but has since stopped.
When I picked her up last week, she breathed "Mama" into my face. But alas that was also a one-off. I guess impatient Mummy and hopeful Daddy will have to wait a little longer.

Last month Lizzie learnt how to do some hand signs, but now even "fishy-fishy" hardly makes an appearance. I read in a parenting book that this is not a sign that the infant has forgotten it, but rather, is moving on to bigger and better things.
Apparently this is true, or maybe I think she may have gotten sick of us asking her to do the cute hand signs repeatedly just to entertain us adults. Our girl is no performing monkey!

A really cute thing happened the other week when we were out, a little girl has having her top changed by her mum, and Lizzie took one look at her and started doing the sign for "shame-shame" - you know the one we all learnt as kids, where you stroke your cheek with a finger?
So Lizzie saw this topless kid, and spontaneously did the sign.
Apparently my mum-in-law had taught her this one as well.

Smiling for the camera

We are STILL waiting for teeth to come out - lil bub didn't get to gum her 1st birthday cake either (I'm still putting a ban on refined sugar and empty carbs).

Lizzie is continuing to grow and feed well - she's having her regular three solid meals a day, and still drinking loads of milk. Those chubby cheeks seem to be reaching their maximum potential! Lizzie also seems to have favoured crawling over cruising, probably because she's more stable on her fours, and can get around faster.

Next month we'll be seeing her cardiothoracic surgeon, her physiotherapist, her cardiologist and her paediatrician, so we'll keep you updated then.

Till next month. God Bless you!

Elaine

Happy 1st birthday Lizzie!

2007-08-22T13:10:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,

I've not been able to blog for a while - we've had our hands full with Lizzie ever since her illness in July, but thank God, she recovered quickly and she's been growing in leaps and bounds.

After her recovery, our girl has mastered crawling and standing up at her cot - she is pretty steady, though still loses her balance at times.

We've not given up on the babysigns yet - Lizzie can now do "fishy-fishy", "milk-milk", clapping, waving, kissing, "hello mummy"(She has been observing us using the phone, and started copying us one day, holding her hand up to her ear as if answering the phone. She even tried answering a remote control once! Har har!)

"No this is not a potty - I'm sitting on cousin Shana's BUMBO chair!"

Lizzie's been giving us loads of joy and laughter at home, and we're watching her slowly transform from a helpless baby into a strong, active, opinionated, loud and playful toddler.

'My pal Daddy'

'Me & Mummy'

On August 9 we celebrated Lizzie's 1st birthday with close family, friends, and Lizzie's pals - Anisha, cousin Shana, and newborn baby Charis.
Lizzie was so excited and happy to receive so much attention, she didn't want to sleep at all that night! Farewell to Anisha, (Mum)Thushanti and (Dad)Chandana - hope you guys are enjoying Melbourne!
Thankyou everyone for all the wonderful birthday gifts.

'One, two, three - blow!!"

(L to R)Babies Anisha, Lizzie & Shana

Mummies Thushanthi, Elaine & Sheryl

(L to R) Babies Charis, Anisha & Lizzie

Mummies Belinda, Thushanti & Elaine

Lizzie sitting ON her presents!

Shortly before her birthday, my mum in law and Simon brought Lizzie down to see the physiotherapist (aka 'naughty-uncle'). We were thrilled to be told that Lizzie is doing extremely well - so much so, that she no longer requires monthly physiotherapy! Her back and chest muscles are strengthening well, and she is making good progress with her cruising and crawling. The doctors want to see her again in October, and possibly start planning for cardiac catheterization. We are asking for your prayers for a creative miracle for Lizzie, as we continue to believe and trust in the Lord God Jesus Christ. God bless you all,

Elaine

Lizzie in hospital

2007-07-21T09:09:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,

We just want to update you on the last 48 hours - our little girl, was down with a very high fever on Thursday night, she threw up for more than an hour straight. Phelgm was threatening to block her airway - and she was pale and breathless. We were alarmed to see that her hands and feet were turning blue, and her pulse-oximeter showed that she was dipping to below 50% oxygen levels. We rushed her down to the A+E at NUH late on Thursday night, and was admitted to ward 48.

Lizzie with high fever on Thursday night

The diagnosis was Viral Bronchiolitis. Thank God, the chest x-ray showed no sign of pneumonia.

That night was extremely tiring and stressful - Simon and I stayed over with her, but didn't have much rest, as parents have to look after their own kids in the ward.
Lizzie had two sessions of suctioning down her throat and nose, and was put on oxygen and monitored overnight.

Her oxygen picked up, and stabilized by Friday morning, though her feeds were down, and it was a struggle to feed her medication (she is currently on 6 different meds) as Lizzie would refuse to take any of her fever medication due to the strong taste. It took as long as 2 1/2 hours just to feed one dose. Because of her refusal to drink, the risk of dehydration would have the potential to cause blockage of her heart shunt. The nurses almost had to insert a nasogastric tube to feed her - but just at the very last minute, Lizzie drank down her medicines.

By Friday late afternoon, we made the decision to discharge her, as we all were not getting enough rest, with all the noise from other crying children, and the constant disruptions by students trying to examine her (Lizzie was something of a star attraction with groups of med students and trainee specialists on rounds because of her complicated medical history, they all wanted to hear what a BT shunt with persistant PDA sounded like).

Lizzie on Friday morning (oxygen levels stable)

For those of you who have never stayed in a normal paediatric ward - basically Simon and I were expected to care for Lizzie ourselves - change her, feed her, give medication, monitor oxygen, give oxygen facemask, spongebathe her etc. The nurses are only there to measure out the meds, mix the milk formula, take her temperature and change her bedsheet!!!

The critical issue keeping Lizzie warded was her oxygen level, and her ability to drink milk/meds. By the second day, her oxygen was stablized, and we were successful in keeping her hydrated - Prof Quek (Lizzie's cardiologist) was agreeable to let us bring her home to care for her ther (his reason was that he knew we have all the oxygen and equiptment at home, and we have the ability and enough experience to care for her safely at home). We were very grateful to be able to discharge by 5pm yesterday, but promised to bring her back if there were any complications.

It was so good to be home, in our own bed. Lizzie could sense this and immediately relaxed and slept in her cot peacefully. She would wake occasionally to cough out phlegm or indicate to us her throat/nose is blocked and we have been suctioning her airways quite successfully on our own. I am glad we made the decision to come home, as we were basically doing the exact same thing in hospital, only paying ward charges, and sleeping on creaky hammocks and plastic chairs.
Now I'm not saying that it is pointless to go to the hospital, as it was necessary for her to be warded when she took a turn for the worst on Thursday night. However, once she stabilized, it makes more sense to care for her at home.

Thank you to all our friends, family and spiritual family (ELIM family&Ebenezer, Gospelighters, Maria & your church) who supported us in prayer and gave us verses to meditate on. For reminding us that we ought to rejoice and delight in our trials and suffering, and continue to give thanks to the one who made us, is sustaining us, and who heals us.

Just want to share some of the verses I received (Thanks Liz and Tracy!)
"I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving" Ps 69:30
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble you preserve my life..." Ps 138:7
"For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you" Isa 41:13

We want to give thanks to God for all the docs and nurses who helped us and even gave us a word of reassurance when they saw our distress.

We want to ask that you continue to uphold our little girl in prayer, as she is still sick and needs to be closely monitored and cared for. Please pray for wisdom and guidance for us at this time.

I have to say, that Lizzie was an extremely good girl through this whole ordeal. She didn't cry or fuss (only when she was vomiting or couldn't breathe). She slept well, and tried to drink her milk when she could breathe). We continue to give thanks to the Lord for her, and for her temperament, as the situation could have been a lot more stressful with an uncooperative child.

Just as my mother in-law always says "when a child is sick, after they recover - they will become smarter and learn new things" *(easily dismissed as an old-wives' tale, I am happy to report that this is true - Lizzie mastered waving bye-bye at the doctors, and learnt to clap her hands by Friday morning!!!).

God bless,
Elaine

Lizzie is 11 months old!

2007-07-13T22:57:00.000+08:00

Dearest friends,

Lizzie is now 11 months old, and she's been growing and developing very quickly into an active and mischieveous toddler.
The doctors have informed us that they want to do a cardiac catheterization procedure shortly after her 1st birthday. The purpose is to determine whether she needs to have her shunt replaced so soon, or even for total correction. However, the original target, was for her to be at least 20kg before the open heart surgery. Simon and I are still praying for God's intervention, that Lizzie will grow stronger day by day, and that she will not have to go through anymore operations. We will keep you all updated as the time draws near. Thank you to all our friends and family for the prayers and support - we appreciate every single one!

Lizzie attempting to crawl

Though she's been gaining weight steadily, and her hair developing lovely curls around the nape of her neck - she's still sans teeth! Developmentally she's on track, and she's started to cruise, holding on to the coffeetable, and edge of the playpen. Lizzie often tries to crawl, but after getting up on her fours, she'd change her mind and end up rolling over onto her back.

"Hee"

"I'm a big girl now"

We give thanks to God daily, for her cheerful nature - this girl loves a good giggle, and seems to really enjoy listening to music. When she hears a rockin' beat - she loves to jump up and down, and wiggle her body around, flapping her arms and shouting out loud!

Munching on the cot

"I can pull myself up now!"

Lizzie also loves to interact with other children and toddlers - she would stare in facination at other crying babies in church. The other week at Lighthouse, one toddler came over and started playing with Lizzie's pram toy - to which Lizzie gave a long stare, and batted the intruding hands away, much to our amusement. Hopefully she will learn to share her toys!

"What r u lookin' at?"

A visit to the physiotherapist last Monday was reassuring, as Lizzie's physiotherapist informed us that he was very pleased with her progress. Her upper arm muscles are a little more developed, and her back and chest muscles have improved as well. Thank God! all those exercises have paid off - though Lizzie might not think so!
For those of you who wonder what kind of physiotherapy Lizzie has to go through - mainly a series of exercises and postures to help strengthen core and limb muscles, and to improve her overall stamina and cardiovascular health. Regular physiotherapy also help's Lizzie to catch up in terms of her physical growth and development. We managed to capture a few pics during the recent session as you can see below...

At the start of physio session- all smiles

"Hey, playing with cars on my knees is fun"

"Who's that cute baby? "

"I hate this part!!"

"No, I mean I hate THIS part"

" I want my DADDY!!"

Lizzie being cuddled on Daddy's shoulder post physio :)

In the past few months Lizzie has been on oral lactulose (Lactus) twice a day, and this has really helped to regulate her bowel movements. We're still slowly weaning her off it, hopefully with enough fruits and veges we can stop the Lactus eventually.

Next month we'll be celebrating the nation's and Lizzie's first birthday - so until then...
God Bless!

Elaine

Lizzie goes swimming!

2007-06-07T17:45:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,
As you can see, Lizzie's been doing so well that we decided to bring her out for a swim! Yesterday we brought her to an indoor pool - the water was warm, and Lizzie was so curious and excited - she couldn't wait to get in.

Her first time in a swimming pool was enjoyable for all of us - we brought her rubber duckies that can squirt water, and some pails to play - Lizzie was so excitedly splashing that she didn't even mind when she splashed herself in the face! (Recommended reading for infant swimming- "Learn to swim" by Rob & Kathy McKay) We tried some simple water-confidence exercises, including passing between mummy and daddy. Lizzie discovered that she could float and kept trying to float on her belly.

Lizzie prefers 'belly time' in water

Check out those baby-abs!

Lizzie & Daddy

Also, we are pleased to announce, that Lizzie is no longer suffering the effects of constipation. She's been on regular 'Lactus' for the past 2 weeks, and she's been having normal bowel movements every day now. We'll be tapering her dosage 0.5ml each day at a time and hopefully will be able to withdraw it gradually. Thank you for all your advice and prayers.

Its only 3 days away from Lizzie's 10th month birthday, and already she's pretty good at self-feeding baby biscuits. Sometimes big chunks break off, and she chokes easily on them, but usually, mummy, daddy or grandma are around to swiftly remove them before it happens.

Lizzie sneaking a biscuit

Oh no! I'm caught!

Can I have some more?

We've introduced a bedtime routine, in the hopes that Lizzie will not only get to sleep early, but sleep through. The good news is, Lizzie is getting to bed by 8pm every night, but unfortunately still wakes up at regular intervals throughout the night.

We discovered a great invention - the nighttime nappy!!

Wow this thing can really absorb. We use the Fitti nighttime nappy on Lizzie, and it really does help her sleep undisturbed by a wet nappy. Brilliant.

Lizzie's next appointment with her cardiologist is coming up this Monday. We don't know if any scan is scheduled, but please continue to pray for Lizzie, that we will have our prayers answered.

We ask for healing for our baby girl - for complete restoration of her chromosomes and heart defects. As we continue to pray in faith, we want to thank God for sustaining and strengthening her, and for making her such a joyful child.

God Bless,

Elaine

Home-movies

2007-06-01T10:39:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,

Since the beginning of May, Lizzie has been able to pull herself up to stand next to her cot. She's also been spoon feeding for the last 4 months- and she loves it! Hope you enjoy these videos as much as we did :)

God Bless,

Elaine

Lizzie stands!

Spoon feeding

Lizzie-tiger pounces on crunchy bag

Giggling baby

Growin' Up

2007-05-24T17:50:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,

Lizzie is now nine months old! We can hardly believe how time has flown. Last week's visit to the docs, Lizzie weighed in at 7.22kg - no wonder we've been feeling the strain on our arm when we carry her. She's been having quite a bit of phlegm and gets choked on it easily. It's pretty nerve wracking when we're out in public and your baby starts choking, and vomits, but thank God, every time it happens, she is able to recover quickly, and is back to her cheerful self again in no time.

Thankyou Aunty Yvonne for my lovely backpack!

Recently we had a scary episode in when we were out, and her airway actually got blocked, and she started turning blue. We prayed and managed to clear it. But on the way home, on the express-way, she started gagging again - we couldn't stop the car, as traffic was heavy, and we were on the middle lane - so all we could do was call out to Jesus.

Once again the Lord restored her, and within seconds she began breathing on her own.
Thank God!

On the 6th of April, Lizzie managed to turn over fully onto her belly, and pull her arms out from under her body to support herself (previously she wasn't able to do this, and typically she would roll over, trap her arms under herself, and start calling for help!).

Lizzie has started to pull herself to standing position - her favourite place is at the side of the cot. With a little support on the sides, she's able to stand!

Can't wait to have teeth!

Our girl is becoming real playful (or a terror - when mum and dad are sleep-deprived), just last night the thing that amused her the most was her toy 'turtle-friend' with another toy placed on his head. Everytime the smaller toy dropped off her turtle's head, she would giggle like it was the funniest thing in the world. She also insists on having her own way - wanting to be carried on demand, refusing to spend a single second on her belly (hence the need for 'belly time' everyday), choosing only certain toys to play with, and refusing to take her medicines.

But all in all, it is extremely fun to watch her interact with her toys and people around her.
Even in church, she has taken to watching the older kids running around, gets very excited and 'calls out' to them.

Pouty-pout-pout

We even discovered other people teaching ASL to their toddlers - one little girl signed 'please' and pointed to Lizzie's caterpillar. After letting her play with it, she signed 'thank you'.
Lizzie can sign 'milk-milk' and 'no more', so we're still working on 'mummy' and 'daddy'.

She still keeps saying "Mam-mam" or "Mum-mum" and has the uncanny knack for shaking her head "no" at the right times (like, when we ask her "is Lizzie a naughty girl?")

Playing with her favourite balloon

Now we are full-swing into feeding solids, and she just loves her apple/pear/peach/name a fruit with cereal. Grandma Molly's been making home cooked baby food for Lizzie too, and she seems to love sweet potato and mixed veg.

Serious spoon action

Distracted again!

All done! BURP!

We discovered that rice cereal causes more constipation, because of lower fibre content, so we switched to oat/wheat cereal and it seems to have contributed to the overall improved condition.

Until.... she got constipated again!!!

Now Lizzie is on daily 'Lactus' and we're praying that this will be for the short term, as we want her to 'go' naturally, and well... she's just not liking the taste of it, and putting up fight everytime we try to medicate her.

We finally went to see Dr Marion Aw, a paediatric gastroenterologist, to find out what was going on. She found that a tear was causing Lizzie pain, and made her scared of straining. She suggested we increase the 'Lactus' dose, and continue using it until Lizzie was comfortable with normal bowel movements again. After changing her formula more than four times - we tried out Mamil, Similac, Enfalac A+, Promil - and finally settled on NAN (no palm oil). Still no conclusion!! We're running out of formula to try :(

Other mums and dads out there - if you've got advice with regards to formula we welcome your comments!

In the meantime, please continue to pray for our little girl, that her heart, pulmonary artery and calcium levels will be restored, and that she will have no more constipation, or blockage of her airway.

As we dedicate this blog to our loving Father in heaven, we want to acknowlege His presence in Lizzie's life, in keeping her safe, and in limiting the defects of Di Georges Syndrome to her calcium deficiency and congenital heart defects.

As you can see, she's a happy, healthy, thriving little girl, and she's bringing us joy every single day.

Thank you for your prayers and God Bless,

Elaine

Visit to the A&E

2007-04-23T14:59:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,

So far we've been weaning Lizzie on to solid foods for about a month now, and she seems to take to pretty much anything (pureed carrots, pumpkins, banana, pear, peach etc). Though she’s eating well – still no sign of teeth! But we think it may be quite soon, because shes biting everything she can get her hands on, and her chin is constantly wet with dribble.

We had a bit of a scare about two weeks ago, when the docs suspected her shunt got blocked. We had to bring Lizzie in for scanning, and the doctor that scanned her heart said the shunt appeared narrower at one end, although the blood flow through the shunt was very good.
We prayed that the shunt would not be blocked or even narrowed, and we were to told to continue monitoring her oxygen. Should the saturations lower to the 60s, Lizzie would have to be admitted to hospital for heparin (a much stronger blood thinning medicine) to be administered. Although in the hospital the dosage would be controlled, thinning the blood would prevent clotting, in babies, the way they wriggle and flail their arms and legs around would put them in possible risk of internal and external bleeding. So we’ve been praying for good oxygen saturations, and that Lizzie would not have to spend any time in hospital.

Lizzie and her piyo-piyo teether

Lizzie's first hairclip

That is, until the thing we worried about least, became a problem.
Last week she had very bad constipation.
Now I know this is supposed to be normal for babies, but she was straining so hard and bleed into her nappy, we got pretty anxious and worried.
We tried exercises, like bicycling her legs. We tried feeding her papaya, banana and prune juice. We gave her loads of water, and added extra water to her formula, still it did not budge.
Over two days she strained with blood, and towards the end, it must have been quite painful - she cried. Our girl is usually pretty strong, so it was a sign from her, that it was getting bad. So on Friday night I bought the liquid glycerine, and tried to administer it myself, but she was crying so hard, I was scared that I would make it worse, and there was more and more bleeding.

Finally we decided to take her to the NUH Children's A&E that night, and she was given a suppository, and oral lactulose. The bleeding was because of a tear, but the doc said she would be ok. She managed to ‘clear the blockage’ in the middle of the night – there we were, at 4am, Simon was holding her hands and legs, I was applying anaesthetic gel to her bum (as the doctor instructed) to ease the pain, and Lizzie strained till she was red in the face, with tears streaming down.

Lizzie still made it to church on Saturday -

here's Daddy making sure she drinks her water!

Ironically, next day she suffered a few rounds of diarrhoea with bleeding, but we were told this was to be expected. I guess it was the effects of the laxative.
The main concern right now, is that she is not dehydrated by the whole episode, as this could cause clogging of her shunt.
We are closely monitoring her – and current oxygen saturations are back up again at 78-82% Praise the Lord!

So in the meantime, we did some research as to what caused the ‘problem’ and found out that it could have something to do with her formula, Dumex, which contains palm oil. So we switched to Similac, which is supposedly makes it easier for babies to relieve themselves...... and we’re still waiting for the results.

Thanks everyone! especially our beloved ELIM CG for praying!
God Bless,
Elaine

Lizzie is 8 months old!

2007-04-17T09:41:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,

We just brought Lizzie to see her doctor and physiotherapist yesterday, in terms of development, she is about equivalent to a 6 month old, which they say is okay, because of the 2 months spent in hospital, is her corrected age. The physiotherapist made her do "push-ups" and other belly exercises that Lizzie did not like! She cried so hard, tears were rolling down, but we knew it was for her own good - to help strengthen her muscles, heart and lungs. She did not like that "naughty-uncle". She was so 'man-ja' and kept raising up her arms to ask us to cuddle her after that. She's also mastered her 'pitiful-look' - pouting her lips and blinking her eyes, accompanied by soft whimpering, which we fall for everytime :)

Check up with her genetic/paediatrician confirmed that she is doing well.
Weight-wise she is within the 10th percentile, and height-wise, she is between the 10th to 25th percentile range. Lizzie-girl is taking after her mummy and daddy in terms of height.

Lizzie likes to play the piano with Kong-kong

We put her on the oxygen monitor last night, and the reading was really quite low, much to our dismay. It was around the low 70s, which was a sudden drop.
We've been praying that this does not reflect any changes to her heart condition, but that the low reading is just a temporary fluctuation in her O2 levels. We ask that you please include Lizzie in your prayers.

Despite what we see in test results and monitor readings, we continue to commit Lizzie to the Lord, and trust that His will is perfect and will be for the good of all those who love Him.
We take comfort that Lizzie still appears pink and healthy, as you can see from the pictures above (Thanks for the colourful caterpillar and my 'blingage' Uncle Tim & Aunty Jen!), she is active and growing well.

Sleepy Lizzie drinking milk

We're once again attending at Lighthouse Evangelism, at the Miracle Service every Saturday. Thanks to the loving and caring gospelighters who regularly interceed for us - we are grateful for all of you (especially Aunty Jane, Joanna and Tracy).
Last week, we received prayer from senior Pastor Rony, and we were touched by his care and compassion.
We want to give God the Glory and thank all of you for your prayers and support.

God Bless,
Elaine

Lizzie's Testimony

2007-04-10T11:57:00.000+08:00

Dear friends,

We are in the process of sharing Lizzie's written testimony, and also preparing to share to our church congregation our story. PLMC is releasing a book of testimonies of its church members, so Simon and I submitted Lizzie's story to be included.

We made a promise to God, that we would testify for Him, both in Lighthouse and in PLMC, and we decided it was time. We believe it is an act of faith to do so, even before we see the healing take place, but our little Lizzie has been growing and developing so well, that the life we see in her is a miracle in itself, and a testament to God's faithfulness.

We will be transferring the whole contents of the yahoo group website to this new location, so all future postings will be at this blog. We realised having a blog would be easier for our friends and family to access, see pictures and post comments, and we will also try to post more often! Do subscribe to receive updates through email. Pictures can be accessed through the link- Lizzie's photo archive.

Again, we thank you for all your prayers and well wishes.

God bless you!

Elaine, Simon & Lizzie

Milestones @7.5 months

2007-03-20T09:38:00.000+08:00

Dearest friends, it has been a while since we've updated the website, and since the last posting, Lizzie has been making great progress. Last visit to the paediatrician and cardiologist confirm that Lizzie is on par with normal children in terms of growth and development. Her reflexes and developmental milestones are normal as well, and we thank God for that.

Last Saturday (17th March) was my Dad's birthday, Lizzie suprised us by sitting up, unsupported (for a good few minutes) the first time. As you can see on pic, she's got her arms raised up, and balancing very well with strong back muscles. Everytime Lizzie goes to the hospital for her vaccinations, she is a brave baby, and doesn't cry very long after she's given a jab. Also despite the doctors' expectations that she would turn blue, Lizzie has been able to maintain her colour and oxygen saturation well, even after a long crying episode. The recent echocardio scan shows that the PDA is still open, and the shunt is still functioning well. The cardiologist informed us that we may be looking at the next operation when she is about 20kg, or later, depending on the blood flow to the heart. The shunt may have to be replaced earlier, in another op, and a cardiac catheterization procedure will be conducted after age 1, in order to determine when it is necessary.

Lizzie is quickly developing her own personality, and is becoming a very cheeky, playful baby. She's quickly outgrowing her cot mobile - she's learnt to catch the animals with her feet, pass them to her hands and yanks the whole entire mobile down with a couple of hard pulls. Lizzie's favourite toy is a rattling balloon - which serves as a great distraction during those times when nothing seems to pacify her. Like all babies, she loves to pull anything and everything within her reach and put it in her mouth. We are still praying fervently for God's intervention, and though Lizzie seems to be growing and developing well, with good oxygen saturations, we know that more challenges and trials lie ahead. We thank you all for your continued prayers, support and friendship,and most of all we want to give thanks to our Father in heaven for giving us Lizzie, and joy we experience in the little things each day.

With Love, Elaine

Lizzie's First Christmas

2006-12-28T10:18:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, Lizzie is now 4.5 months old, and has been growing and developing well, despite all that she's gone through. She's reached many milestones which are normal for babies her age, and we thank God for that. Lizzie is learning how to grab toys (her favourites are butterflies and red objects), and especially loves to play on her musical 'piano' gym which hangs over her - she's able to reach out and 'play piano' much to mummy and daddy's amusement. Lizzie's also quite an expressive little girl, she likes to smile, giggle and squeal real loud, and will often demand to be carried. We've also noticed that she's not only a very gentle girl, but also a very happy girl. This is one aspect of her character that Simon and I committed to prayer before and during my pregnancy, and we know that God has answered our prayers with a joyful child :) Recently Simon and my mum-in-law brought Lizzie in for her usual hospital reviews, and they happened to scan her kidneys. We were told that one of her kidneys had calcium deposits or stones. This was cause for concern, as Lizzie is on calcium supplements due to low calcium levels. We were told to return the next day for amore detailed scan of the kidneys, so that night we prayed hard, that God would spare Lizzie the need for any more medical procedures or medications. The next day I brought her in, together with my mum-in-law, they scanned Lizzie again - she cried so hard during the scan, but shewas a good girl and kept still for the doctors. We were so thankful and relieved - for detailed scan showed that the stones had indeed disappeared. We continue to pray and ask for total and complete healing for our Lizzie, and that she will not have to undergo anymore procedures. We know that nothing is impossible with our Lord Jesus Christ, and continue to trust and lean on Him. We thank you all for supporting us and Lizzie through your prayers, encouragement, friendship, and most of all for being a part of our testimony.
God Bless, Elaine

Lizzie's Infant Baptism

2006-12-08T09:26:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, Lizzie will be baptized on 17 Dec 06 at Paya Lebar Methodist Church (5 Boundary Road) at the 11.15am service. After months of agonizing over her conditions and fervent prayers, this day will be a great milestone for us as parents, and for many of you who kept us and Lizzie in prayers. Do come and join us if you can.
God bless, Simon

God is still faithful to us

2006-10-26T14:27:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, I am sorry for the silence since Lizzie came home with us. Ms.Lizzie is keeping daddy and mommy very busy with dirty diapers and many feeds... much to our pleasure. :) Lizzie went for her reviews with the surgeon and the cardiologist on 10 and 11 August. Both commented that Lizzie is very pink, which is a good sign of healthy blood flow. However, the pulse oximeter showed that Lizzie's O2 level is only around 70. It was recommended that Lizzie stay on the O2 concentrator every night until the level is higher. We brought Lizzie to see the cardiologist again on 23 August and the results are the same - very pinkish but O2 level at 70. The cardiologist, seemingly satisfied with her condition, commented she is healthy and not showing any sign of physical distress. Her O2 level may possibly stay at this level without much change. We can take her off the O2 concentrator at night if we feel comfortable enough. On the same day, we met the genetic paediatrician, Dr. Denise Goh. As Lizzie was having her scan done, Denise did not get to see Lizzie that day. She commented that her (extensive) experience with Digeorge's (DG)Syndrome children shows that most are able to attend normal schools but they are unlikely to be the top achievers. Mild cases of DG will not be obvious to the layman, although she can spot them, after having seen many cases. She agreed to follow up with Lizzie's care on a long term basis to ensure that Lizzie gets her necessary medication, therapy and anything else as necessary. Elaine brought Lizzie to see Denise yesterday (25 Oct). Denise was surprised to see that Lizzie actually looks normal. We are very thankful with that comment, coming from someone who is trained in this field. Denise also checked Lizzie for her reflexes and other symptoms of DG. Denise thinks that Lizzie is healthy apart from her heart defects and calcium deficiency. Yesterday night, we did not put Lizzie on the O2 concentrator at all. We checked her colour every 3 hours and she is as pink as ever. Lizzie slept as soundly as before and did not show any sign of turning blue or had difficulty in breathing. This are exciting moments for us and answers to some of our prayers. We have been praying that God will not only heal Lizzie of her heart defects and chromosome disorder, He will also not allow her physical and mental developments to be affected. We are thankful for this confirmation that Lizzie is not physically affected, apart from her size. From our daily interaction with Lizzie, we can also tell that she is slowly sizing up her daddy, mommy and grandma and know to what extent she can demand things. She even have different sounds and cries to express different emotions. We know that our prayers (and yours) are working and will continue reach the courts of Heaven and the ears of Jesus. We thank you for your prayers. They are most precious to us and Lizzie. We know in our hearts that one day, God will heal Lizzie of all defects and disorders. Thank you. We will keep you posted of her developments.
God bless, Simon & Elaine

Lizzie's homecoming!!!

2006-10-06T13:20:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, Lizzie will be discharged directly from the Paeds ICU tomorrow (7Oct). While her O2 level still fluctuates a bit, the docs are confident that it will improve as her lungs develop further. Meanwhile, they will arrange for some O2 concentrator device to come home with Lizzie for use when applicable. I thank you for praying for Lizzie. All your prayers and encouragements touched our hearts and let us know that God is near, even in our darkest days. He sent you to be our comforters and weare most grateful. We saw her surgery wound yesterday. It stretches from under her right arm to mid-way round her back. There are 2 other puncture holes where tubes were inserted. By God's grace, these are healing well. We have a long journey ahead with regards to Lizzie's heart condition, but we will leave it in the hand of God. Elaine and I asked that if you wish to visit, do let us know in advance as Lizzie still need lots of rest. I am sorry if this sounds snobbish. We appreciate your well wishes and care but we just want to be extra careful with Lizzie. Thank you for your kind support during this difficult period. I will continue to update you on Lizzie's development through this website. God bless you, Simon & Elaine

Lizzie back in Paediatric ICU

2006-10-04T11:33:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, After 2 nights in the normal ward, Lizzie is transferred back to Paediatric ICU. Lizzie's O2 level has been dropping and went below 60 on several occasions, especially at night. The past 2 nights were a struggle for Elaine and myself as we took turns to watch over with Lizzie. Besides the lack of sleep, observing Lizzie's desperate attempt to breathe, O2 level plunging and several rounds of choking were very despressing for us. After seeing her O2 levels this morning, Prof Quek decided to step her back up to Peads ICU. Lizzie is back in Ward 46A, with a O2 tube into her nostrils to push up her O2 level. While we have the peace of mind to know that she will be better taken care of in PICU, we are also thrown off-track. There goes our hope to bring Lizzie back home this week (which Prof Quek thought was going to happen). We asked for your prayers, that Lizzie will be able to breathe without tubes, and that she will not desaturate or choke easily. Pray that God will heal her so that we can bring our baby home. Thanks for your prayers, Simon & Elaine

Lizzie stepped down to normal ward

2006-10-02T15:14:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, Elaine just informed me at 3pm today that all machines and tubes are taken off. Lizzie is completely free from medication and machines. Her O2 level is hovering in the mid 80s. Lizzie will be stepped down to a normal ward today. It's ward 47. We know that we are going to bring Lizzie home very soon.... after almost 2 months. Lizzie will finally get to see her own bed and all the toys that everyone bought for her!! We thank God for all these and we thank you for your constant prayers and encouragement. We know that this is just the beginning of the battle for Lizzie and us but we also know that God is sovereign and He will provide us with the grace for what the future holds. This website will continue as long as there is a need for future surgeries. Thank you for being a part of Lizzie's first days. You will certainly see more of her in the coming days!!
God bless you all, Simon & Elaine

Update - 28 Sep

2006-09-28T09:29:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, I thank you for your prayers for Lizzie. I know you prayed becos Lizzie is much better this morning. Thank you!! With additional O2 thru' the ventilator (40%), Lizzie's O2 level was in the 80s when I visited her this morning. The surgical team came by and said that they will try to remove the ventilator this morning. It's about time, cos Lizzie's been making suckling noises(asking for pacifier or, better, milk bottle!!). Elaine and I thank God that despite not acceding to our request for no surgery, He made this surgery count. Lizzie is pink as a lobster and quite alert now. She was about to look at mummy, daddy and visitors. She opened her eyes and look when I called her name. Before I left NUH this morning, the docs came in and switched the ventilator to unassisted mode. Lizzie is breathing on her own!!! They also reduced the O2 to 30%. Although her O2 level dropped to 70, the docs are confident that she will be about to manage it on her own. Lizzie's finally getting her pacifier. We are praying that she will be discharged from Paediatric ICU this weekend to a normal ward. We will update you again. Thanks for your prayers.
God bless, Simon

Lizzie in critical condition

2006-09-27T09:27:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, I went to see my Little Lizzie this morning. She opened her eyes for a while but they are not focused. The nurse told me that her O2 level has been in the 60s. When I was there, it dipped to the 50s. The registrar and professor were called in. When I left the hospital, they were still trying to improve her O2 level. The prof told me they will still go ahead to remove the ventilator today.
Please pray for Lizzie that:
1. there will be no further desaturation of her O2 level. Pray that God will open up all the air passages and her lungs so that oxygenated blood will flow freely and her O2 level will rise.
2. the current low O2 level will not affect her brain or her physical development. No part of her body will be affected as God provides the grace for her not just to survive, but to live victoriously.
Thanks for praying.
May God bless you too. Simon

Surgery done on 25 Sep

2006-09-26T09:45:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, we saw Lizzie for a long time on 24 Sep.
She kept her eyes open for the longest time - 5 hours straight. We can tell that she is tired but she refused to close her eyes. It seemed that she could sense something is going on and wanted us to see her eyes before they close for a long while. The memory of that day is so precious to us (I have uploaded those pictures in Day 47). Lizzie went thru' the surgery to implant an artifical stem to aid blood flow to her heart. She is now sedated and intubated (a tube inserted thru' her mouth to her lungs to aid breathing). According to the Docs, the surgery went well. However, Lizzie has lots of tubes and insertions into her arms and legs. The number of electronic devices hooked up to her tiny body is depressing. Elaine and I are hoping that these devices will be taken off Lizzie in the next few days as she grow stronger and heals. More importantly, we are hoping that she will be able to breathe on her own so that they will take her off the ventilator. Once she is off the ventilator, they will stop the sedation and we can see Lizzie's sparkly eyes again. Please pray for our little Lizzie. She has gone thru' so much for a 48-day old baby, barely full sized.
Thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers.
God bless,Simon & Elaine

Final scan before surgery

2006-09-22T15:04:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, the cardiologist scanned Lizzie today at our request before the surgery on Monday. The disapointment continues. Lizzie's condition is the same. Still nothing from God. Elaine and I spoke to the surgeon this morning and confirmed that the surgery will be done on Monday morning, probably around 8.30am. It will be approximately 2 hours long. The procedure is to put an artificial stem on the right side of Lizzie's heart to provide more blood flow from the lung to the heart. Following the surgery, Lizzie will be warded in a different ward for recovery. She will also be on medication, although mild, permanently. The surgeon is not able to tell us that this will surely be the only operation needed before the open-heart surgery when Lizzie is 20kg. Subsequent follow-up surgeries may be necessary before that. Please pray for God's grace and mercy for our little Lizzie. She is sleeping soundly every day (otherwise crying angrily for her pacifier!!), oblivious of the surgeries she need to face for years to come.
PS: Please do not come down, or send us anything. We appreciate allthe gifts and visits with great gratitude, but we really only need your prayers for Lizzie.
Thanks, Simon & Elaine

Surgery date confirmed

2006-09-20T15:37:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, the Docs had a meeting today and confirmed that they are operating on Lizzie on Monday, 25 September.
Your kind prayers are most appreciated.
Thanks, Simon & Elaine

Possible surgery on 22 Sep - Pls pray!!

2006-09-19T13:17:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, Lizzie is into her 42nd day today and she is still in Neonatal ICU. Her condition is stable but her O2 level fluctuates from the high 80s to low 90s (higher better) to low 60s. Earlier on (in Day 6 or so), the Docs have started medication to keep her PDA open for oxygenated blood to flow from her lungs to her heart. That medication has since been increased to the maximum. On the night of 3rd October (Sunday), we received a call from the Prof handling Lizzie's case, saying that she will most probably be operated on in the morning of 4th October because her O2 level remained low for the past few hours. Fortunately, Lizzie's O2 level rose and stabilized overnight, thus negating the need for emergency surgery. Since then, the Docs have tried many things to get her O2 level up. They tried enclosing her head in a box filled with O2, bloodtransfusion, treatments of possible infections and even put an O2 tube in her nostrils. Her O2 level still fluctuates daily between the high 60s to the high 80s. I see Lizzie every day in the morning before work and again in the evening after work. The most precious moments were those when her eyes are open. They are so bright and sparkly and Lizzie will look at me very intensely as if she has a lot to tell me. Sometimes when I look into Lizzie's eyes, I can see the pain she is enduring. It is as if she is asking me for help. If you are a parent, you will know that it is very torturous to know that your child is suffering, and you are powerless to do anything for her. The thought of her suffering tears me up from within every single day. If I can give my life for hers, I will not hesitate even for a second. If only there is a way to trade my heart and chromosomes with hers….Elaine and I prayed for Lizzie every time we see her in ICU. We prayed for her every night. We prayed for her on every journey to the hospital. Yet, God has not come to her. Before her birth, we prayed that God will heal her, but every scan showed no positive results. We prayed that God will heal her at birth, but Lizzie was born with congenital heart defects and Digeorge's Syndrome. We prayed that God will heal her without medication or surgery, but the Docs have already started the medication on her and it has reached the maximum dosage. Yesterday, we learnt that the surgeons are making arrangements for Lizzie's surgery this Friday. WHERE IS GOD?!! WHY IS HE SILENT?!! It is not that we do not believe in medical science. If God choose to heal her through a surgery, so be it. However, the surgeries I am talking about here involve putting artificial tube to replace her missing pulmonary artery. As she grows, they will replace this small tube with a larger one, hence another open heart surgery (when she is 3 or 4 years old). There may yet be another surgery when she is a teenager. In addition to the risks involved, these surgeries mean that she cannot be active and cannot live life as a normal healthy person. These surgeries also do not do solve any effects of Digeorge's Syndrome. It is particularly hurtful when I read the bible and listen to worship songs. The bible tells me that God is loving, faithful and merciful. That God hears the cry of His people and come to their aid. That God is faithful and will not forsake His people. That Godwill send His angels to guard His people that their feet will not strike a stone. That God has plans for His people that will prosper them and not harm them. How is He showing His faithfulness to my child and my family? To a life that is created to bring Him glory? I have asked God for nothing but for children to glorify Him. Why doesGod allow my child to suffer for the rest of her life? What glory is there for God that Lizzie is weak or even disabled? What good are we to God if our time and resources are taken up to take care of Lizzie instead of serving Him? How will pre-believers see us? What purpose does it serve when these pre-believers see God's people suffering unexplainably and endlessly? Elaine and I are beyond desperation. When we thought we have reached the lowest point in our lives, Lizzie's situation got worse. When will these end? How much more does God think we can take? How much longer does God allow Lizzie to suffer? Are we not God's people? What are we supposed to think and do? We are struggling every day between having faith and hoping in God, seeing the reality of Lizzie's suffering and her O2 level dipping and friends thinking that we are in denial. I am sorry for venting and complaining. While I am extremely frustrated, I am still holding on to my faith in a God I have knew for the past 18 years. Please pray for Lizzie, that the surgery this Friday will not be necessary because God has intervened.
Thanks and God bless, Simon

Where are you, God?

2006-08-24T10:46:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, Lizzie has been in the Neonatal ICU since 9 August. Apart from the heart conditions, the docs are also taking precautions over the effects of Digeorge's Syndrome. Among the effects is immunodeficiency. Only limited persons are allowed in the NICU and we have to wash our hands before going near Lizzie. For Lizzie, we also have to wear masks for added precaution. After the paediatric cardiologist scanned her, he concluded that the main artery supplying oxygenated blood from the lung to the heart is missing. With this, the heart will not be able to send oxygen to the other parts of the body. The obvious sign is that she will turn blue (hence the term blue babies). Lizzie hasn't turned blue cos she is relying on a artery branch ("PDA") which exist in all newborns as the replacement artery for this function. Typically, this branch will close within 48 hours of birth. On the monitors, we are keeping close watch over the O2 level. Anything below 80 is bad.The first 3 days went by without much fuss as Lizzie's PDA served her well. On the fourth day, the O2 level began to drop, crossing the 80 level very frequently. Finally, at 10:30pm, the docs decided to start the medication which will enlarge her blood vessels, including the PDA. This meant that Lizzie is a step closer to surgery. There is also a risk that the medication will cause respiratory problems. The next morning, Lizzie's O2 level rose to 96 and she wasn't facing any respiratory problems. We were relieved....temporarily. The docs mentioned that the medication is kept to the minimum level (0.01) and is working in keeping the PDA open. Two days went by and Lizzie's O2 level started dropping again. The docs increased the medication dosage to 0.02. Another day went by and the O2 level went down yet again. This time the docs increased the medication to 0.04. This worked for a while and soon, the medication was raised to 0.06. The maximum dosage is 0.10. Lizzie's O2 level was holding up in the range of 89 to 91 for 2days. The docs came and told us each day we visited Lizzie that she is doing very well. The calcium level is holding up and they are reducing the calcium supplements for her. Her blood platlet count is good. We were overjoyed. Lizzie's PDA is staying open and there are little signs of Digeorge's Syndrome. We thank God for hearing and answering our prayers. On 20 Aug 2006, Lizzie's O2 level is on the move again and this time, it plunged to 70 and hovered around 75 to 78. After more than 1/2 hour, the doc decided to increase her medication. I am not sure what is the current dosage, but I know it is now in the high level. Our faith level has also been fluctuating with Lizzie's O2 level, especially during times when we prayed and the O2 level dipped further. We are still hoping and waiting for God's hand to move in our lives. Where is our God? Elaine and I sometimes feel disappointed that it is not God who sustain our little baby's life but medication. We visit Lizzie in NUH daily. Seeing her being hooked up with tubes and sensors and the constantly changing numbers on the monitors just make our hearts sink to new lows everyday. We do see small victories each day, of Lizzie opening her eyes, of her finally drinking milk from the bottle instead of the tube that leads into her stomach, of hearing the sound of her cries, etc. But we yearn for more. We know that our God is not just one who give us small temporal victories. He is a God of impossibles. We yearn for a deep healing touch from God that will heal Lizzie of her congenital heart defects and Digeorge's Syndrome. We prayed that our child's life will not be sustained by medication and surgeries, but the medication has already started. We are holding on to our prayers that the medication will be reduced and eventually taken off and there will be no surgery for our child. As long as the docs have not performed surgery on Lizzie, we are holding on. Having said that, the cardiologist has already mentioned that he is only waiting for Lizzie to put on enough weight (to atleast 2.5kg) before he will operate on her. Lizzie is now 2.0kg. Thank you for your kind prayers for our Lizzie. Time is running short.
God bless, Simon

Lizzie has arrived!!!!!

2006-08-21T14:46:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone, Lizzie has arrived. Elaine gave birth to Elizabeth Lee on the 9 August 2006, at 8:09AM. Lizzie is still in Neonatal ICU, with the congenital heart condition and suspected immune deficiency. She is currently on medication to keep her blood vessels enlarged so that enough oxygenated blood flows through her body.
Please pray that: 1. One of Lizzie's blood vessels, called PDA, will remain open. This is the one replacing her main artery from the lung to her heart.
2. For God's intervention that her heart will be made new so that there is no need for surgery or prolonged medication.
3. For God's protection over her mental and physical developments sothat these areas are not affected in any ways. In Psalms, God told me that He hears the cry of His people and He will answer them. The righteous will have many troubles but God will deliver him from them all. I am holding on to a fainting hope that He is my God and He hears my cry. God has to heal Lizzie soon, before the paediatric cardiologist decides that it is time for surgery.
Thanks for your prayers, Simon

1 month left to Lizzie's birth

2006-07-28T09:00:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, Thank for your encouragements, well-wishes and prayers these past months. Elaine and I are holding up strong and praying everyday for Lizzie. I also welcome those who just joined this webpage. May our testimony help to bring you closer to God. Today is the 28th July. Lizzie's expected delivery date (EDD) is 27 August. We have exactly 1 month.
I humbly ask for your prayers in the following areas:
1. In the last scan by the Antenatal Diagnostic Centre specialist, Lizzie is small for her age (34 weeks). The specialist has scheduled another scan this coming Thursday to determine if Lizzie is in distress. If she is, they will want to induce labour and bring her out earlier. We do not want her in the incubator. Elaine wants to carry her to full term and allow each part of her body to grow to properly. Please pray that God will make her grow to normal size, so that there will not be any pre-term delivery.
2. In the last scan in Gleneagles, the paediatric cardiologist told us there is no improvement. The hole in her heart (VSD) is enlarged and the artery leading from the lung to the heart (pulmonary artery)is small and hardly visible. He will not see Lizzie again until after the birth.
From the lessons in the bible and many personal testimonies of God's deliverance, I've learnt that God comes when you least expect it and at a time when His actions speaks the loudest. While we only have 1 month left, He only needs a moment to heal my child. I have also learnt that in Jesus' time, everyone who came to Jesus was healed.He is our Healer, our loving and compassionate Saviour and our Deliverer. I do not doubt Jesus will heal Lizzie, only a matter of His perfect time.
3. As I mentioned, Lizzie is also diagnosed with Digeorge's Syndrome. Elaine and I have been praying that this syndrome (as well as Fallot and/or Taussig Bing Syndromes) will be removed in Jesus' name. We continue to believe that the name of Jesus is greater than any other names, including the names of these syndromes and so these syndromes will be removed. Please pray for the removal of these syndromes from Lizzie. I know I am asking a lot from you. These are our desperate prayers to God and we asked that if you can, pray not just for us, but with us for Lizzie. Your prayers are the greatest thing you can do for us and we thank you.
May God bless you. With heartfelt thanks, Simon & Elaine

Basis for having children

2006-05-16T15:04:00.000+08:00

We have been praying for a child for some time. Each time, we prayed that God will provide us with not just a child, but one who will grow up to glorify Him and serve Him wholly. Since Elaine told me she is pregnant, I have been searching the bible for a verse of dedication. God led me to this verse: 1 Samuel 1:28 - "So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord. And he will worship the Lord there." I read the whole chapter and meditated on it. I claim this verse for my future child. This is what the Lord revealed to me:
1 Samuel 1 is about Hannah and how God gave her a child at the end. There are several points that we can all take note as future parents. Verse 7 - "This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went to the house of the Lord,"…Despite God "closing her womb" and did not grant her any children, Hannah went to the house of the Lord year after year. Her persistence in seeking God is also reiterated in Jesus' parable about a man who persisted in asking for 3 loaves of bread from his neighbour at midnight and finally received them. We need to continually remind ourselves of God's perfect timing, infinite wisdom, limitless power and everlasting love so that we can continue to worship Him, praise Him and seek Him despite our situations and despite unanswered prayers. Verse 10 - "In bitterness of soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord." If Hannah had thought that God cannot help her, she would have stopped pleading with God. Despite her disappointments year after year, Hannah continued praying to the Lord. This showed how hardcore her faith in God is. There is no doubt in her mind that God can grant her a child, it is only whether God is willing or not. Verse 11 - "O Lord Almighty, if you will look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget me but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life…." Hannah understood the meaning of procreation. To bring forth future generations of godly servants who will serve God wholeheartedly. On top of that, she took a further step by promising to dedicate her son's life wholly to God's work. That is not just a noble act. It should be the basis for Christians to bear children and to bring up their children in God-fearing manner. While Hannah's example is drastic, we as future Christian parents should know that having children is not a personal desire alone. Bringing up children to be godly servants of God is our calling as parents, and in this respect, many Christians fail. We need to have the right mindset to be godly parents for our future children and to equip ourselves to raise them and instill in them the ways of God. I believed that many parents face problems with their children's behaviours, health, poor conduct or poor results in schools, etc,because they failed to dedicate their children to God. They did not ask God to mould their children and claim these young lives for God. They are raising their children with a selfish mentality of being great doctors or lawyers, instead of pastors, missionaries or evangelists. Verses 27, 28 - "I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him." 28 "So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord." When the time came, Hannah lived up to her end of the bargain. She brought young Samuel, as young as one-year old, to the temple to live there forever to learn to serve. While this may be an extreme example, it shows how important it is for us to honour our promises to God. I continue to claim this verse 1 Samuel 1:28 for my daughter Elizabeth and I trust that God will be pleased with her. I hold onto my faith that my God is a faithful, loving God and will heal our daughter, so that she can be a great servant of God and a great testimony of God's faithfulness.
Simon

Discovery of Digeorge's Syndrome

2006-05-10T14:10:00.001+08:00

Dear friends, Thank you for your kind and encouraging words and prayers for our baby. Your encouragements and prayers have kept our faith strong. I do not wish to burden you with constant email requests and prayers. This will be the last email from us to update you before we tell you of good things from God. Yesterday, our situation just got worse. Lizzie's condition is the worst you can expect. The result of the amnio-fluid analysis showed that in addition to the multiple heart defects, Lizzie has DiGeorge's Syndrome, which is a form of chromosome deficiency resulting in retardation, deformation, thyroid and immune system deficiency. With the new findings, the gyne suggested that we reconsider our options for this pregnancy. We were beyond devastation... when God turned away from His children. Yesterday night, we struggled to bring ourselves to the Touch Jesus He Heals! healing meeting at Living Hope Methodist Church. When we sang praises to God, we cried. It is not easy to worship Him. We worship Him nonetheless.
I was reminded of several things yesterday:
1. The amnio fluid was extracted from Elaine's womb on the 26 April,before we went on our knees in prayer. I only asked for your prayers on the 2 May. We have been praying every day for our baby and have appropriated God's healing for her. Our God will heal His children,and His timing is perfect.
2. Our God is greater than any heart defects and deficiencies. While we submit to the opinions of experts, we hold on dearly to God's promise that we, as His children, can ask anything in His name, and He will give us the desires of our heart.
3. Jesus has removed all condemnation from His people at the cross. God's children and His children's children shall not be condemned by diseases, sickness and defects. We are fearfully and wonderfully made so that we can serve our God and glorify His name. We want to claim this for our baby, so that she can grow healthily as a servantof God.
4. The worst to happen to our baby has happened. From now on, Lizzie is relying on the grace of our living God for the restoration of her body. She will be His testimony to us.

We sincerely thank you for your kind prayers over our baby. That is all we need from you to move the Hand of God.
Whatever the outcome, glory be to God.
Simon & Elaine

Discovery of Taussig Bing Anomaly

2006-04-30T14:10:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, as some of you may know and some don't, Elaine is now 5 months pregnant with our baby girl, Elizabeth. It has been a wonderful and amazing 5 months for us as first-time parents, observing God's hands at work. Before Elaine was pregnant, we have been praying for God to give us a child so that we can raise the future generation of kingdom citizens. We prayed every day for her, that she will be a child who will glorify God. This joy was taken away last week through a dramatic turn of events which I want to tell you because we believe that God wants this to be a testimony to many people. I am not sending this to you so that you can sympathize with us or comfort us, but that you will pray for little Lizzie and tell this to others. God wants the life of others changed, and if it takes our child's life to do this, we will accept it. Last Tuesday (25 April), we went to NUH for a scheduled scan of the baby. Everything about Lizzie, her head, her hands, her legs, are perfectly formed. The gynae told me to expect a tall girl because she has long legs. Half way thru' the scan, the gynea detected a gap in Lizzie's heart. We were sent for another scan on the same day and it is confirmed that there is a hole in her heart. We were devastated. On Wednesday, we were sent to a NUH specialist for further scanning to see if there are other defects. It turned out that the hole is the smallest problem. Lizzie is diagnosed with Fallot's tetralogy, which is a group of 4 major defects of the heart. With that, our hearts were crushed. On Friday, we sought a second opinion from a pediatric cardiologist. He is recommended by NUH as well as a church friend. He scanned Elaine's tummy for more than 1 hr and said it is worse than he thought. Lizzie does not have Fallot's. The defect is rarer than Fallot's and more tricky to treat. Besides the gap in her heart, the main artery leading from the lungs to her heart is underdeveloped and not leading to the right place in her heart. Effectively, she will not be able to breathe the moment she arrives in this world. Lizzie's chances of survival to term is good, but there will be at least one open heart surgery within the first week of her birth to temporarily fix the problem. When she is 3 or 4, there will be a major open heart surgery to close the hole and put a tube to direct the blood flow from her lungs to her heart. The mortality rate of each surgery range from 5% to 40%. Naturally, we are crushed to receive bad news almost every day about our baby. We felt hopeless and abandoned by God. After much reflections and prayers over the weekend, we are more at peace with what's been happening. We want to trust our God to heal Lizzie and restore her heart before she is born. We trust our God to bless His people and so we know Lizzie will be born a healthy baby, formed in the image of God. We trust that she will not need to undergo surgeries because God will heal her. We covet for your prayers for our baby girl. We also asked that you tell your friends about Lizzie, even your non-believing friends. We believe that God wants this to be a testimony for Him. Please tell as many pple as you know. It will be with great joy in future when I send you the news that Lizzie is healed. We thank you for your prayers for our baby girl and be a part of this testimony. Not only do we know that our baby is prayed for, we feel so comforted that we have you to support us in our times of need.
God is good, all the time.
God bless,Simon