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When I found out I was pregnant with Louie it was one of the happiest times of my life. When i went to my first ultra sound to find out how the baby was growing and developing I was so excited. I couldnt wait to find out if I was having a boy. I just knew I was though. It felt liked a boy and when I dreamed about having the baby it was always a boy. Sure enough it was. The nurse doing the ultra sound looked at me smiled and said; your right mom its a boy! I was crying tears of joy. I was so excited to be having a baby boy. The nurse continued doing the ultra sound smiling and showing me all of my baby. His arms, eyes, nose, mouth, hands, fingers, feet, and toes. But just as quickly as she smiled at me to tell me it was a boy she stopped smiling, stopped talking, and the color ran from her face. I asked what was wrong? I could see something was terribly wrong. She just said im going to have the doctor come in. My tears of joy quickly turned to tears or horror. I was so frightened. I just wanted someone to tell me that my baby was ok. Unfortunetly i wasnt going to get my wish. After the doctor came in and took the longest 20 mins of my life to look at the ultrasound i was told that there was an obstruction in the babys small intestine and that it was cutting the blood flow off to the intestine. They wouldn't know how bad it was or how much damage was done til he was born. So we scheduled a c sectin for when I was thirty six weeks then the baby would have surgery to remove the obstruction. So for the rest of my pregnancy I went to weekly appointments and ultra sounds to monitor my baby which at about 27 weeks was named Louis Ryland Morris.
I was 34 weeks pregnant and doing laundry when I started having really bad pains which at the time i thought were gas pains.:) I tried to use the bathroom and saw blood. I knew i was in labor. I went to the hospital and 7 hours an 7 mins later i was holding the most beautiful baby boy I had ever seen in my life. I didnt get to hold him long. He was taken to be cleaned up and to get ready to be transferred to the hospial where he was having surgery. MCV in richmond, VA. Louie had his first of many many surgeries when he was six hours old. Then we found out that Louie was born with something called jejunal and ileal atresia and microcolon. He had to have a resection of the atretic intestine which left him with only 13cm of small intestine. This meant that he would not be able to eat and would be on TPN "iv nutrition". Louie had a g-tube in his stomach to drain his stomach acids so he wouldnt continually throw it up. He had a central line in his upper left leg that he recieved his TPN and and medicine he needed. Everything had to be given IV he couldnt absorb anything orally or through the gtube. Louie did very well. He developed like any baby would. In August of 2002 we flew to pittsburgh to be evaluated to see if Louie would be a cantidate for a small bowel transplant. We spent a week in pittsburgh seeing many doctors and having lots of tests done. We flew home and and about week later we found out that Louie was being listed for a isolated small bowel transplant. We were so excited but anxious about how long the wait might be. While Louie waited for a donor he was in and out of the hospital with multiple central line infections. He was so sick so many times and barely made it through. He went into septic shock and we were not given much hope he would pull through. He was on full life support and his top layers of skin on his hands, feet,lips, back of his head, nose, etc. turned black and died from the infection. The doctors warned us that he may lose fingers and toes from the infection killing his skin and tissue. The doctors tried everything they could but Louie was not getting better. Then one doctor came to me and sat me down. He said they had a drug thats been used and succesful in turning around the effects of septic shock but that it had only been used in adults not children. The one bad side effect was that it could cause Louie to bleed out. The doctor said he would be monitored carfully for any signs of bleeding and he thought this was Louies only hope. If we decided to try it Louie would be the first child to recieve this medication. Knowing this was the only hope we decided to give it a try. It was like a miracle drug. Almost immediately we could see the skin getting color back and the dead skin peeling revealing health pink skin underneath. His blood pressure started improving and they started weening him off some of the medicine. The next twenty four hours we couldnt belive how quickly he seemed to recover. Three days later he was waking up and they started weeing him of the vent. He had a scar on the back of his head and his top lip from the septic shock but lost no fingers or toes. He quickly recovered and was out of the PICU and ready to go home. After that scare they thought that another infection might kill him so he was moved to the top of the waiting list. And then on febuary 25 we got a call and we had a donor. We flew to pittsburgh that night and began preparations for transplant. Then the next morning on Febuary 26 2003 Louie recieved his transplant. Louie did well immediatly after his transplant. he spent very little time in the ICU and came off the vent very quickly. It was just amazing how well he did. About a month after his transplant we were allowed to leave the hospital! We stayed at the residence inn pittsburgh and the ronald mcdonald house shady side. Thanks to both the hotel for there very low rates for families who are out of town for medical care at childrens and the ronald mcdonald house for everything they offer families, we were made to feel more like at home than patients at a near by hospital. Louie continued to well for months. We were in out of the hospital with mild rejection and a couple line infections, which sounds bad to "normal" people, but to my transplant families you know this is no big deal for our kids. One day out of nowhere Louie was eating a bag of chips while we were in the hospital for if i remember correctly was mild rejection. He just sorta started having trouble breathing then kinda passed out. The nurses immediatly called a code. He was in cardiac and respiratory arrest. It took over 40 minutes for the doctors and nurses to bring him back. Louie had to learn to do everything over again. Sit up, stay on his knees, crawl, walk, everything. One thing didn't change he was still the happiest little boy anyone could ever meet. He was able to learn to redo everything, except walk. With the help of a walker that we decorated with stickers and red and blue ribbons Louie was on his way. Louie did well for awhile, but was in and out of the hospital with infections, rejections, and he had a couple more episodes of arrests. The doctors did everything they could to find out why he was going into full arrets. They werent able to give me an answer. On 6/12/2005 less than a week from taking a trip to new kent va to visit family and friends Louie went into full arrest while we were at home watching The Incredible Hulk together. Everything was done that possibly could have been done but Louie was ready to go home to be with the lord, and so my baby became an angel. R.I.P my beautiful baby boy.
If tears could build a stairway,
and memories a lane.
Id walk right up to heaven,
to bring you home again.
No farewell words were spoken,
no time to say goodbye.
You were gone before I knew it,
and only God knows why.
My heart still aches in sadness,
and secret tears still flow.
What it meant to lose you,
no one will ever know.
You and Angels around Gods happy throne,
I would have held you longer if I had only known.
Don't Worry Mommy
Mommy please don't be sad,
I miss you so much too.
It's beautiful here,
but I worry a lot about you.
I sleep with angels watching me...
there is only love up here.
I am never lonely or afraid
because God is so very near.
I walk with Jesus every day,
He is very kind and loving.
Don't worry Mom, He holds my hand
when we cross a golden street.
I never cry or hurt myself.
I see Grandpa every day.
I play and laugh and sing a lot
and I hear you when you pray.
Please Mommy, don't be mad at God,
you see He loves me too.
And even though you are not with me,
I am really still with you.
Journal
10/9/09 7:30pm To everyone that still visits Louies page and guestbook, thank you. I cant tell you what it means. im sorry its taken me so long to update Louies page. Its hard. Even know over 4 yrs later i still am balling my eyes out doing this. Everyone who was a part of Louies life knows how lucky we are. I know you will never forget him. I love Ya'll.
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