The Mitchells: Ella Update as of Friday 9:45 a.m.....

Friday, May 12, 2006

Ella Update as of Friday 9:45 a.m.....

I talk to Andrea at 5:45 this morning and she was getting ready to go down and see her baby Ella. She called me at 8:00 when she got back to er room and Ella did good through the night holding steady in critical. She had her blood and platelet transfusions done last night and seems to be doing fine with those so far. She has no changes, but right now nothing is better than something bad. She is a little fighter and is trying to get well. PLEASE DO NOT CALL ANDREA OR JOE, they are getting calls and their hearts skip a beat everytime their phones ring. That is the way the NICU staff gets a hold of them. They still want NO visitors as well. They will be spending as much time down with Ella today as they can. My mom and I are getting ready to head up there now and I will update as I get information. Thank you for continued prayer and Ella is definently feeling the power of prayer. Love- Sara

4 comments:

Anonymous said...: Dear Lord, make this time so special for Andrea and Joe as they tend to baby Ella; let Ella hear and know their voices; let Ella feel their love and give even baby Ella an awareness of Your love and healing power. As Andrea and Joe pray, sing and read to Ella, give these young parents a peace about your plan for their lives. Let those amazingly strong bonds of motherhood reach through the glass of the bassinet - connect Ella and Andrea in a supernatural way - give Andrea comfort and strength. Lord, it seems like baby Ella smiled in her first picture - give Andrea lots of Ella "smiles" during these next few hours. God, just continue to hold this family close to your heart and give them assurances that you will always be with them. And, by the way, I ask that you use this family and this experience to touch the lives of nurses, doctors and other patients who watch this faithful, prayerful family lean on You. Let them be a witness to all who cross their paths. Heal Ella.; 9:17 AM
Unknown said...: You don't know me but I am a friend of Katherine Kramer's. I am praying that God will give baby Ella the strength to hold on. I am praying with you. . .; 9:31 AM
Debbie said...: Andrea, Joe, Ella, Sara, and All the Family: We are all praying for you. My family, my church group and everyone I have talked to about Sweet Baby Ella. You are all being lifted up to Him and we are praying that He grant you all the grace, strength and peace you need right now. Of course, Ella's health is first and foremost. We love you and Thank you Sara for keeping us posted. Love, Debbie; 11:21 AM
The Farells said...: Dear Joe, Andrea, and precious Ella,
Our prayer for you these past two days is from Psalm 31:
"Lord, incline Your ear to the Mitchells, rescue Ella quickly; be to them a rock of strength, a strongfold to save them. For you are their rock and their fortress; For Your name's sake You will lead this family and guide them. Into your hand I commit Ella and Andrea and Joe, You have ransomed them, O LORD, God of truth."
We love you, Mitchells, and we are on our knees asking that God would continue to hold you in His hand.
Glen and Lydia; 12:19 PM

Ella's Story

Elizabeth "Ella" Hope Mitchell was born on May 10, 2006 at 3:45pm...by 5am the following morning the whole world turned upside down. The doctors came in to inform us that while Ella had been resting in the Newborn Nursery, she began to have irregular breathing and seizures. It was touch and go for the next 3 days. We were told several times that she probably would not make it alive through the ordeal. She had contracted Group Beta Strep which had resulted in meningitis. Due to the seizures and the infection we had no idea what the long-term effects would be. After Ella spent a long and trying month in the NICU we came home to see where the effects of her illness had left us all.

A few months later, almost a year, we had an official long-term diagnosis...Ella has Cerebral Palsy. She is a happy and loving child. She struggles with physical delays, cognitive delays and all sorts of things that have come and go.

2-eye surgeries to correct lazy eye
3-EEG's to check for siezures
5-MRI/MRV/MRA to check actual brain damage
3-CT scans for brain stuff
1-G-button/feeding tube surgically put in (and then Ella removed herself)
10 (approx)-Swallow Studies
1-Scoliosis Study
2-Kidney Reflux tests
2-Upper GI tests
1-24 hr reflux test
8-hearing tests
countless UTI tests
seemingly a million developmental tests
a hand splint
bath chair
adaptive stroller/wheelchair
stander
gait trainer
AFO's

ha, not to mention all of the therapist...currently: OT 2X/week, PT 3X/week (2 land, 1 horse), ST 3X/week (2 oral motor, 1 speech), develomental 1X/week, vision 2x/month, and we are about to start ACCDAT camp.

As of 4/8/2009.