After many changes :-), Lauren & Matt have officially
named their baby girl Life Lucia Larsen.
Her name was inspired from John 1:4...
"In Him was life, and that life was the light of men."
(Lucia means "light.")
keep praying for their family, urgent prayers, as life has developed a level 3 brain bleed (4 being the highest), and they are having to slowly ween her from the ECMO that is sustaining her, as the machine can cause more brain damage with the bleed. this is such a scary time for lauren & matt. pray for protection and healing for baby life, and for peace and comfort for lauren & matt. pray with expectation and with hope.
lauren, matt & baby gracen life larsen
lauren is a friend of mine from high school. she and her husband, matt, were blessed with their first child, a little girl, at almost midnight on thursday, july 31st. after several complications during pregnancy (including pre-term labor at 24 weeks), lauren and matt were so relieved to meet their baby girl, gracen life.
they quickly learned, though, that "life," as they are calling her, was not as healthy as they could have prayed... she was diagnosed with not only one, but three life-threatening conditions: a horrible infection (which lauren is also suffering from), pulmonary hypertension and rds (respiratory distress sydrome). the doctors gave gracen life a 50% chance of survival. lauren and matt were devastated and terrified.
but still, they had hope.
as their sweet baby girl was rushed to the NICU at children's hospital, lauren & matt waited and prayed. there were many risks during the transport, including cardiac arrest. baby life made it to children's with only a scare, and then endured a very critical surgery to implant a device called an ECMO (basically being her heart, lungs and kidneys while she is still fighting). lauren was still fighting her infection, but was discharged to be with her husband and baby at children's. the doctors said that if baby life could fight off her infection, that she would have a chance at recovery and survival... but they also said she was "not out of the woods, yet." lauren and matt were fearful.
but still, they had hope.
baby life is now 3 days old, and while her tiny body is being supported by this huge machine, she is fighting strong. her oxygen levels have stabilized at 98 (which is very good). so far, there have been no strokes, no brain bleeds, no cardiac arrests, no brain damage... all which are very common in pre-term babies and babies who have the conditions which gracen life is suffering from. lauren and matt are weary and desperately want to hold their baby and bring her home...
...and still, they have hope.
please join with me in praying for this sweet couple and their baby girl. i can't imagine what they must be going through, and i can only hope that my faith and joy in the Lord would not be crushed if i knew there was a chance i could lose my sweet emma kate. lauren and matt have been a beautiful picture of faith and joy in the midst of turmoil. their trust in God's sovereignty is incredible and so encouraging.
this is lauren's plea:
"pray for Life. pray for healing from her infection, for the ECMO to work and for complete restoration. God has been so gracious to us. we covet your prayers."
click here to read more about lauren, matt and baby larsen and the journey that God has taken them on over the last few months. be ready to shed some tears and be inspired.
No comments:
Post a Comment