3-yr.-old girl needs LOTS of prayers..........

[Soapets]

Please go to the CarePages web site and type in Leilasmith (http://www.carepages.com/home.jsp?seed=230640&ClusterNodeID=2&tlcx1=chsomaha&tlcx2=496176) to see her story. Leila is a very special three-year-old girl with lots of spunk and determination! I know her and her family from my church. They need lots and lots and lots of prayers, and I couldn't think of anyone more appropriate to ask for prayers from than the Pet Talk community!

If/when you go to the web site, you'll need to go to where it says to visit a carepage. If you aren't registered, you'll have to register your e-mail address and a username. Then when it asks you whose carepage you want to visit, type in "Leilasmith" with no spaces. It will take you to her page. She has been in the hospital for over 3 weeks for heart surgery and complications. She was only supposed to be there for about one week.

Thanks.

Deb

[Soapets]

I just spoke to Leila's father, and nothing has changed. I will be visiting her and them at the hospital later this afternoon.

Deb

[Karen]

She will be in our prayers. Give her a kiss from us.

[Soapets]

I visited with Leila's parents at the Hospital this afternoon. Leila was sleeping and I just got to peek in at her briefly before I left. Her parents told me it's OK for me to give out the information about her CarePage to anyone whom might be interested, and to keep praying and asking for lots of prayers. I told them I had been on the CarePages site before, for Samantha Potts, and had been directed there from this site, and have been keeping little Sammy in my prayers as well. They said they greatly appreciate any and all messages of support, and PRAYERS, from anybody---strangers to them or not---and have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support even from people whom they don't know.

Leila had spiked a fever of 103 during the night, and had vomited a few times, and had been given some medication that had a side effect of making her tired. She was asleep the entire time I was there, and we visited in a little waiting room nearby so we wouldn't awaken her. She is so small for her age, but such a fighter. Her life expectancy is not real long even if she does survive this. The oldest person alive who has gone through the procedures she's had is in their early 20's, and it is unknown how long it will last. She may be a candidate for a heart transplant at some time in the future, but for now these surgeries are the best option for her. Heart transplant patients with her condition don't usually live past the age of 15 years, for some reason.

I guess that's about all for now. Thank you in advance for your prayers for Leila and her family.

Deb

[Soapets]

Leila had a good day today, according to her mother's post on her CarePages message board. HOPEFULLY things will continue to improve and Leila will be able to return home yet this week. They are waiting for the results of the Holter Monitor 24 hour heartbeat readings. They will find out then whether or not Leila will need a pacemaker before being released. If she DOESN'T need one yet, it will be something they will monitor her for over time and she may need one at some point in the future.

Leila's parents have so much faith! Their posts are very inspirational to read, on the message board on Leila's CarePages site. If you haven't checked this site out yet, please feel free to do so. And please continue to offer up prayers for Leila and her family.

Thanks.

Deb

[Logan]

I will definitely add Leila to my prayer list and go check the Care Pages, right away. I'm sorry I didn't see this before. :o

Logan

[Soapets]

Thanks. I checked her CarePages when I got home from work, and her mother writes that Leila started having some breathing problems during the night, coughing, some fluid buildup in her left chest cavity, and looking "puffy" again. So now they won't be removing the IV or the chest tube very soon, except to maybe replace the chest tube with another one.

Please keep little Leila and her family in your prayers. I am a strong believer that prayers can help, and the more, the better.

Thanks.

Deb

[caseysmom]

Deb, That breaks my heart. I went to her care page and I am crying right now thinking that beautiful little girl won't get to experience all the joy she should in her life, poor baby.

I hope she defies the odds. She will be in my thoughts and prayers.

[Soapets]

Yes, I think her parents must be on an emotional rollercoaster that never seems to end. I appreciate your taking the time to read about her, and keeping her in your thoughts and prayers.

I watch Leila in our church Nursery on Sunday mornings, and for our church's Young Adult group meetings sometimes, and she is such a sweet little girl! She can't talk because her vocal cords have been damaged, she is blind in one eye, and she can't walk yet. But she is very smart. She understands what is said to her, and she communicates to us with sign language. She donated a book about sign language to our Nursery not long after she started coming there. She has learned to crawl, and can stand and walk with some assistance. She likes to be held, and she likes to play, and look at books. Her giggle is really cute, too---and catching!

Again, I'd like to ask for as many prayers for Leila and her family as possible. There can never be too many. And THANK YOU to those who are already keeping her in your prayers. They DO HELP!

Deb

[Soapets]

Here is what Leila's mother wrote in her CarePages update today:

"It's like a circus around here!

A lot has happened in a couple days. Although we were pretty optomistic about getting out a couple days ago - Leila once again showed her colors and let us know she wasn't ready. She started retaining fluid again Monday night and by Tuesday morning she was showing accumulation in her chest on an x-ray. It was determined that the area where her current chest tube was located had stopped draining and she needed a new chest tube. So this morning a new chest tube was placed - this time on her left side - and it draining with abundance.

We have not heard from the doctors on her Holter test yet, maybe no news is good news. Hopefully we will know more by the end of the day.

Tomorrow we see an ENT who will scope her throat to see if they can find some reason for her gagging and no eating.

So again we are in a holding pattern until these issues are all settled. She definintely needs her IV Lasix still, she definitely needs a chest tube for drainage, and she is definitely not eating yet due to something going on in her GI tract. So home is postponed until further notice.

We will post more later today.

Marci, Daren, and Leila with a new tube"


Please continue to keep this family in your prayers.............

Deb