A Day To Never Forget

It is roughly 9 hours post surgery. Nolan is in critical, but stable condition. He is doing very well and continues improvement by the hour. There are two nurses in here at a time watching over him. Constant monitoring is going on, lab draws, tests, med changes, cleaning and changing dressings, adjusting medications, etc. It is busy, but very peaceful and a sense of happiness. Anywhere we walk in the cardiac units everyone is so happy and cheering...it's a celebration. The thought of it chokes me up how much these people care for our little guy. And SO soon we get to celebrate Faith. We were neighbors on 8a and I believe we will be neighbors in the CICU. It is like the McLaughlin's and Gibson's were meant to be together on this journey. We can help each other through the ups and downs in the coming weeks. Our situations are TOTALLY different, but, when it comes to the fact that our children are having a chance at life because of two families who made a selfless decision to donate their child's organs, there, we are the same. Faith and Nolan get a chance...again, here come my tears.

I will go into more detail about what the coming days hold tomorrow. I am mentally kind of tapped out and I just want my brain to go. I am beginning to get emotional about it all. Thinking about where we started, to where we are today. Looking at his chest you can see a heart beat. It is surreal knowing that this was not the heart he was born with, but one of another innocent child. As happy as I am, there is a part of me on the inside that aches. January 23 we will always celebrate that child's life whose heart lives on in our son. And January 24 we will always celebrate Nolan's Heart Day. It is a new start to life for him.

However, we have a long, bumpy road ahead of us. I am not expecting this to be smooth sailing. I have learned that it is rare when it comes to these circumstances. SO, it's back to taking life hour by hour. Seeing him laying there, no VAD...I can see his chest and the core of his body. He is a big boy! His chest is open and they have a thick piece of plastic over it...acting as skin. You can see his NEW heart beating...alone...with no help. (he does have pacers on his heart because they want it to be beating at a certain rate) It is all...so amazing. The power of modern medicine and the importance of organ donation takes on a whole new meaning in my life. An organ is priceless...as is life.

I am going to sit here and just let life sink in. We may meet my parents, sister and other friends out for some drinks and decompress a little. Nolan will be heavily sedated until his chest is closed, which may be done tomorrow. He should be extubated no later than Monday. THEN, the real recovery begins.

Rest in peace to the sweet angel who saved my son's life. You are now apart of our family and we will always celebrate you. January 24 will always mark a day in life as a reminder of why we have kids, why it's important to love and why giving to others is what makes this world a better place.

I will provide updates tonight if anything major changes...other than that, I will update tomorrow!

HAPPY HEART DAY TO OUR SWEET NOLAN! You are amazing and doing great! So proud.

#nhos