Thank you so much to everyone who is praying for Marley! We wanted to use this site to keep family and friends updated on how she is doing. We appreciate your love, support, and most of all - your prayers!
On Monday, August 30th, Savannah went in for her weekly checkup at 36 weeks pregnant. During her ultrasound the doctor noticed something unusual in Marley's brain, which turned out to be an aneurysm. This was by far the scariest day of our lives. We had no idea what any of this meant, but we were immediately scheduled to go see a Cardiologist on Tuesday so they could check on Marley's heart to see if there were any signs of heart failure, and then scheduled to see the Neurologist on Wednesday for them to review the aneurysm in her brain.
On Tuesday, the Cardiologist noticed that Marley had an enlarged heart, but that her heart seemed to still be functioning properly. He confirmed that the enlarged heart was due to an extremely rare and potentially life threatening condition called Vein of Galen Malformation (VOGM). We spent the next day researching everything we could find about VOGM, which was extremely scary. VOGM is so rare that although there is some information online, there is not a lot, and most results show very terrible outcomes.
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Vein of Galen Malformation is a type of rare blood vessel abnormality inside the brain. In VOGM, misshapen arteries in the brain connect directly with veins, instead of connecting with capillaries which will slow blood flow. This causes a rush of high pressure blood into the veins.
This extra pressure in the veins can cause a number of problems:
- The rush of blood toward the heart and lungs forces the heart to work overtime to get blood to the rest of the body. This can lead to congestive heart failure. - Blood pressure in the arteries from the heart to the lungs may rise, causing a serious condition called pulmonary hypertension. - The high pressure in the veins can prevent the infant’s brain from draining adequately. This can lead to widespread brain injury and sometimes causes severe loss of tissue in the brain. - Some infants can develop hydrocephalous (an enlarged head) if the VOGM blocks the normal flow of fluid in the brain. If not diagnosed and treated early, VOGM can cause severe problems and may even be life threatening.
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On Wednesday morning we went to a Neuro surgeon at CHOA to talk to him about what they were seeing in her brain, but found out we really needed an MRI done after birth to get a better picture of how bad the malformation was.
At this point, we scheduled a c-section for September 13th because Marley's delivery needed to be controlled with the right doctors in place. Well, we quickly found out God had a different plan. On Wednesday evening, Savannah's legs started to swell and her blood pressure was up. We called the doctor to see what we should do and she wanted us to come in to get some tests done. It turned out that she was testing positive for some small signs of preeclampsia and needed to deliver for her and Marley's best outcomes, so we quickly scheduled a c-section for the next morning.
The next morning, and only 3 days after receiving the news of Marley's diagnosis, she was born! On September 2nd at 10:41, although terrified her heart could start failing after birth, we were the happiest we have ever been. Marley came into this world with a full head of thick, black hair, weighing 4lbs 12oz.
We will be posting all updates on how Marley is doing as well as some pictures. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We can't wait for Marley to meet you all!
We wanted to let you all know that Marley celebrated her first birthday a few weeks ago and we are so grateful for how well she is doing. Looking back at the past year has us filled with many emotions, most of which is gratitude. We are so thankful for all of the prayers you prayed for Marley, Savannah, and I. We truly believe in the power of prayer and believe that God can perform the impossible. We are seeing that everyday as we watch Marley continue to grow and progress.
I am posting today because we are fervently asking God to perform another miracle. This time, however, for a little girl named Hayden. Yesterday one of our friends and his wife gave birth to their beautiful little girl, Hayden, who after birth started experiencing some neurological issues. They just received news that her MRI is showing significant brain damage and abnormalities due to a lack of oxygen this past week in utero. Their doctor told them that it is going to take a miracle for her to live any sort of normal life.
We believe in the power of prayer. We believe in miracles. We have seen God perform miracles in Marley's life. Now we are asking for you to please join us as we pray for Hayden. Prayers that her brain and body will be healed. Prayers
for a miracle. We also pray for peace, comfort, and guidance for our friends as they navigate this journey.
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