Goodbye, 2008!

What a Year ....

* Without a doubt, the highlight for us was having sweet little Lily placed in our arms on 9/22/08 in Changsha, Hunan, China and then delivering her into Hannah's arms on 10/1/2008. We have seen Lily grow & blossom in so many ways in just three short months since we came home!! She is constantly happy, unless of course electronic objects are witheld from her hands. Since being over at the Slazas', she has been enjoying Matthew's iPhone (she even unlocked it the other day), the stero, computer, Wii remotes and TV remotes!?!?!!! I know without a doubt that God's timing was absolutely perfect & He planned this precious daughter for our family since the before the beginning of time. We see His hand in our L-O-N-G wait for Lily ... it was HIS timing even if it wasn't ours during the waiting process. I can't imagine if we had been in China when Hannah got sick or if this started just before we were to leave for China. God knew & it was worth every day of waiting while He was teaching my heart to trust Him more & more with all my heart. The faith journey of waiting for Lily is helping me in these days of Hannah's illness. I know I can trust the Lord even though I do NOT understand any of this situation.

* For me, the year was filled with many annoying medical issues: dislocated shoulder, bell's palsy, shingles & let's see, now major hair loss -- not sure why but I am looking more & more like my bald Dad every single day. Oy!

* June 7th was a terrible day as Hannah's dear Aunt Roisin lost her tough & long battle against breast cancer. A day hasn't gone by that I haven't thought of her. She will always be remembered & always be loved. I know she is in the presence of the Lord but selfishly I still want her HERE continuing to be the mom to her three precious girls and the amazing friend that she was!!

* Hannah had many firsts in 2008: finishing kindergarten, learning to ride a bike, learning to read, starting first grade & BECOMING A SISTER!!!!!!! She has always been a special girl but the past month she has just downright amazed me as she has had to endure SOOOOOOO much!! She has had 3 bone marrow biopsies, a surgery to have a port implanted, CAT Scan, x-rays, needles for blood draws, shots many times, bad side effects from medicines & so much more. It is just unbelievable when I think of how positive & happy her heart continues to be. She knows that it could be years before her "bone marrow comes back from vacation". She is adjusting her mind that she will have to practice A LOT of PATIENCE, like she did while waiting 3 years for her sister to arrive. I can only imagine how God is going to use these "patience lessons" with Hannah. He has amazing plans for her life & I am grateful that I get to be a part!!!

Scrapbook Pages

I have been keeping my mind off things by digitally scrapbooking from here at the hospital.

Let me know if you want in on this awesome scrapbook software ... i have connections ... just email me at eriksenvp at gmail dot com.

All the best from the other end of the hall in the hospital where I am getting a better wireless signal while Hannah is sound asleep!

An Evening Filled with Giggles ..

Hannah has been so happy this evening with lots of giggles & even few outfit changes :-). The side effects from her serum sickness are subsiding from the increased dosage of Prednisone. She still has fevers that come & go all day / night but she is getting adjusted to taking Tylenol many times a day.

I snuck our dog, Joy, into the hospital room tonight for a brief visit. Having that sweet dog here for a while was such a lift to Hannah's spirits!!! Right now I am eating my favorite NY Pizza -- thank you Brenda & Jason -- it is so yummy! It was breakfast & lunch for me yesterday & tonight a late night snack! I L-O-V-E it, 24/7!! Only thin crust pizza for this East Coast girl!

The nurse tonight asked Hannah what she wanted to be when she grows up & what came next was truly the quote of the month: "I want to be a lab person that tests the poopy & pee-pee". Oh my goodness -- the nurse & I both fell over laughing -- can you imagine?!?! What happened to teacher or actress? I guess she has really adapted to life here in the hospital environment. Ha.ha!!!

Right now Hannah is singing along to the movie Hairspray & enjoying herself. I can tell she is feeling sooo much better than 2 days ago. Thank you, Lord!!

Hannah's blood count numbers continue to be dangerously low (which is what we expect with Aplastic Anemia). She will be getting a transfusion of platelets tomorrow since her numbers are about 30,000 right now. For a healthy person, the normal range starts at numbers of about 140,000.

Thank you to everyone that continues to encourage us on this difficult journey. We feel your prayers & feel sustained by God's grace during these days.

All God's best --

Day 4 @ Kaiser Fontana

Hannah had a day of high temperatures & feeling downright miserable from all the soreness in her body from the serum sickness. The morphine did help a lot but when she needed to get out of her bed she was still sore! Her fever came down enough tonight (it is now currently back up over 101) that she had a brief visit from her sister, which the nurses weren't too happy about but I feel it is a necessity for Lily to make regular apperances!

While Hannah slept a lot today, I spent a lot of time scrapbooking from my hospital bed. I got 13 pages done that I am calling,"The faces of Hannah: 2008". For some reason I can't upload the pages from our new room (bad signal or something). I will try to upload some when I am home at some point.

Hannah has been very quiet today. I know I am the same way when I don't feel well. Right now she is actually sitting in a chair watching Monsters, Inc. She hasn't wanted to really do anything all day -- understandably!!! I don't push her -- when she feels good we have fun, when she feels bad I am fine to just be here in the room with her.

Our nurses today & this evening have been wonderful & they are keeping a close eye on all of Hannah's needs / medications (they literally spend 24/7 switching IV lines to all the stuff she has to take right now!!). I am very thankful I am not in charge of figuring out what medications she needs to take & when. It gives me peace of mind to know that she is getting such great care.

I was thinking today about Hannah's case being watched over by Dr. Neal Young, the world's leading expert on Aplastic Anemia. It struck me that even though we have Dr. Young, we have the True Leading Expert on ALL THINGS -- the King of Kings, that is watching over our every need!!! Thank you, Lord!!

All God's best from Hannah's Suite --

8AM Update of My Little Hannah

Poor Hannah was actually in quite a bit of pain last night. Her doc here just talked to the doc at NIH, Dr. Young, & they decided it looks like Hannah has developed Serum Sickness -- which can occur after the ATG treatment. They are going to increase her Prednisone dosage to reverse the serum sickness.

Just pray Hannah won't be in pain during this time. It broke my heart to see her hurting so much last night (after 4 weeks of her feeling so good during most of this experience). I will make sure she gets pain meds & if the hospital won't get what will work for her, you are going to see me on the street corner buying something so fast it will make the nurses heads spin :-)

Thanks for prayers & love -- keep it all coming!!

Update @ 2:45AM

Hannah has been running a temp all night. It's up to 103 & she is not feeling very comfortable. Please pray that her fever will come down quickly & she will feel better.

Day 3: The Suite Life of Hannah Fontana

Hannah with Lily, who is enjoying the Wii remote!

We all enjoyed spanish rice, black beans & papusas for dinner - thank you so much Michael & Dawn!!! Hannah had a normal temperature all day until this evening around 5pm. Since then she has been hovering around 101 even with Tylenol on board. Right now she is as snug as a bug in a rug in the bed next to me.... looking so sweet as she sleeps with her pink cheeks. She has a few side effects from the treatment she got -- she has a bit of a rash & tender joints. This is a known side effect called "serum sickness" & is treated with increased dosage of Prednisone (the dreaded steroid!!)

Tonight we got moved to the room we were in when we stayed here at the beginning of the month. We are back to the Pediatric Oncology unit which is much more secluded & away from anyone with illnesses that Hannah could actually catch. I know the Dr is very relieved to know that Hannah is moved back to room #1302. It took a lot of time to get the furniture arranged just how we like it, get the pictures off the other walls & back up on these walls, etc but now we are completely settled for however long we have to stay during this visit.

I spoke with the doctor this evening about what she had mentioned to Jim regarding Hannah possibly staying 4 - 5 weeks. The way she put it was that she can't imagine letting Hannah go with her blood count numbers the way they are. She said Hannah isn't just "aplastic" her bone marrow is virtually empty. Hannah is at an incredibly high, high risk for infections, high blood pressure problems (b/c of the medications she is on), gut problems & bleeding issues, etc. Dr. Horvath wants Hannah here so she can monitor every detail of Hannah's health 24/7. Truly what more could a Mom ask for in a doctor -- she is amazing!! If Hannah presents any complications, she will be transferred to Kaiser Sunset in Los Angeles because they have a Pediatric ICU and that is where Hannah will immediately need to be. She said that typically Aplastic Anemia is very dramatic -- Hannah has been very blessed to be so "healthy" considering how poor bone marrow function.

Let's just say, after the words of truth from the Dr. Horvath, I won't be pushing for Hannah to have an early discharge. Whenever the hospital feels it is safe for Hannah to go home, we'll go.

In the midst of that conversation, I was encouraged to hear that we can hope to see Hannah's blood count numbers start to improve in as soon as 6 weeks after the ATG treatment she received in Maryland. That would be a miracle!!! Please pray that the Lord would begin the restoration process of Hannah's bone marrow in a matter of weeks (even though it takes months to fully recover after the marrow starts functioning a bit).

I have not discussed with Hannah yet that we will probably be living in Fontana for some time. As the days progress towards the 5 - 7 day mark we will talk about it. She knows she will be here for at least 5 - 7 days. So this Friday we'll be having a chat about the month of January and all the fun we are going to have as we camp out at the hospital together! I have to keep things on the up & up to make all of this as "depression-free" as I possibly can for a 7 year old girl who would otherwise be out playing with friends!

Every day that we get Hannah through without complications is a major reason to celebrate!!! I have to continue to just take it one day at a time & trust in the Lord with all my heart. I have to say that this experience has definitely touched Hannah in a very special way. Her heart seems to have been really softened in a new way towards the Lord since this all started. Praise God for that - He is working out His purposes for Hannah (and all of us!).

Hannah loves getting mail. It doesn't have to be anything fancy & it doesn't need to be a gift of ANY sort -- just draw her a picture, have your kids draw her a picture, send her a quick note, send her snapshots of your kids, whatever! She just loves getting mail - period. So to all you that like to send mail, please do so! I swear that I am not asking for gifts -- just send cards / mail -- she'll love it!!

Thanks so much to all you letter writers & all the people that are lifting Hannah's healing up to the Lord!! I can't imagine how many people are praying -- I know it is a lot of you. Thank you!!!!!

All God's best from Hannah's Suite @ Kaiser --

Day 2: "Hannah Fontana", Episode Dos

Hannah was up several times last night with a fever, bathroom trips, etc. Once Jim came around 9am I slept soundly here in the room until 1pm even though there was lots of activity going on. Hannah had a fever of about 101 all night but this morning her temperature climbed up to 103.9. The nurses gave Hannah Tylenol & put lots of cold towels all over her. That seemed to do the trick & she was back under 101 for the rest of the day. Currently her temp. is just a bit over normal. She is on 3 IV anti-biotics. While I was sleeping the morning away the dr. told Jim today that Hannah will probably be here for 4 -5 weeks?! I need to find out more about that & why the doctor thinks we will be here that long.

Honestly I will do whatever is best for Hannah. If that means we live at the hospital for weeks on end, so be it. She is happy playing with the Wii she got for Christmas, doing crafts (today she decorated magnet crafts) & eating Del Taco bean & cheese burritos. The food in this hospital is so pitiful .. really. I don't complain much but someone needs to have a talk with the hospital about improving the nutrition program. I am here enough I think I'll make a visit to the person running this place. Something needs to change in the food dept ... and fast! I already bought a new shower head for the shower here on the pediatric floor. Us moms & dads of sick kids shouldn't have to stand under a trickle of water while showering at the hospital! :-)

Lily is doing amazing & truly is doing so great with being in a bit of a current "shared custody" situation with Aunt Kim & Uncle Kevin. She is happy to see us & definitely knows who her mommy, sissy & daddy are. I have to thank Kim for reminding her many times a day with pictures of mommy, daddy & Hannah. When we come to get her she doesn't act at all like anything is wrong. I have to say that without a doubt God blessed us with EXACTLY the perfect daughter for our family. He knew we'd be going through this & that Lily would need to be a happy, joyful & very flexible baby.

Over the past month I have had a lot of reflections on my 7+ years of motherhood. Of course there are things I would change and regrets but overall I am so satisfied with what kind of a mom I have been to Hannah. I am so thankful to the Lord for the wonderful example of my mom & that I can carry the legacy of being a wholesome, fun, loving, kind, caring mom. Hannah has been a constant joy (well, maybe not "constant" ... it wasn't joyous the day she had a full on meltdown in the Miami airport & went potty on my lap .. literally!!!). I have told her daily how special she is, how beautiful she is & how I love her to the moon-around-the sun-back-to-the-moon-and-around-again. I am so thankful for the fact that when she was born my priorities totally shifted and I could volunteer at her school, have play dates with her friends, make tea parties with her, go on a lot of vacations together, have movie nights together, go to Chuck E Cheese so many times we know the workers & even take her with me to meetings at church when they ended past her bedtime. I don't regret all the times I didn't take her to pre-school because we had "mother / daughter days" or the times we just slept late because in my opinion pre-school wasn't something to kill myself over -- meaning set my alarm clock!! I don't regret that she slept on our floor last year for about six months. Kim said it was just a stage & she was right -- it was just a stage & now, I am so thankful I never tried to beat stages out of Hannah's life.

We had a visit today from Pastor Glenn Gunderson & his wife, Kimberly. It was so great to see them & have Glenn pray over sweet Hannah. We are so blessed by our church community, Pomona First Baptist!!! It is a "community" even though it is a big church, it still has a small feel. They have been an amazing encouragement to us during this time and during our difficult & long wait for Lily!

Hannah also had a visit tonight from Lily & cousin, Katie. I was able to bring them both to the hospital with me & then Jim took them back.

We are getting settled in to our new room. Most of the pictures are hung on the walls. "Camp Hannah" banner is back up on the wall. Hannah's doctor is completely wonderful & sooo incredibly caring. She just dotes over Hannah - even called Hannah on Christmas day!!?!

In the midst of this difficult trial, I am being totally sustained by God's AMAZING grace and His Mercy which is new EVERY morning. I can't imagine going through this without knowing the overwhelming love of our Heavenly Father. He is definitely my EVER PRESENT HELP IN TIMES OF TROUBLE!!!! Thank you, Lord!!!!

Home for Christmas & Back to the Hospital

Hannah & I flew home on Christmas Eve -- no problems with the flight & she was great about wearing her mask for the day of travel. We arrived at LAX to Jim and Lily and our dear Spangle-family waiting for us!! Lily was very, very curious to see Hannah with the mask on - she wasn't sure what was covering her sister's face but she was very happy to see Hannah.

On Christmas Eve, Lily fell asleep in my arms as I rocked her to sleep ... I thought of it as her first Christmas gift to me ever and one that I will never forget!

When we drove up to the house on Christmas Eve, Hannah was so surprised to see the Christmas lights up on the house and the tree in the living room (thank you Slazas' for some serious last minute decorating!!). Hannah had one present under the tree from "Santa" and about 25 others that were sent from friends, dropped off on our porch, or just showed up somehow! It blew my mind to see her opening present after present. It was a special childhood experience for her in the midst of her life being turned upside down! I know presents have nothing to do with Jesus being the ultimate gift for the world ... but it was special for her to be spoiled like that.

Now, fast forward to this morning, 12/26 -- we woke up today & Hannah had a temperature of 100.4. For most of us, that would be no problem but in the world of Aplastic Anemia a fever is no ordinary adventure. I gave her Tylenol (as directed by the docs at NIH). After an hour, her fever had gone to 101, so we jumped in the car to get to the hospital. Jim got Lily back to Aunt Kim's where she happily jumped right back into Uncle Kevin's arms. I thought maybe we'd be at the hospital for a few hours or maybe overnight but her Pediatric Hematologist told us we will be here 5 - 7 days before she will even talk about discharging Hannah.

I have to say, as usual, Hannah has been simply amazing with a positive attitude & a happy heart. She didn't get upset at all when we discussed staying here except for being sad that she wouldn't be home with Lily. The positive side is that we are not across the country so we will bring Lily in for regular visits as long as Lily is 100% healthy.

Tonight, please pray for sweet Hannah as she gets settled into a new un-decorated (not for long!) hospital room. Pray the treatment she got at the NIH will work & that her bone marrow will begin working in record time.

Two nights before we left Maryland, I spent time online reading about Aplastic Anemia .. that was a big mistake for this Mommy's heart. I haven't slept very well since before that night. Please pray that I (we) would just continue to trust in the Lord with all my (our) of heart(s) as we journey this road of medical jargon & medical statistics. Truly none of it matters when we know that our lives are firmly secure in the healing hands of our Heavenly Father!

All God's best from Hannah Fontana's new suite at Kaiser Hospital ~

Goodbye, Maryland ...

I am very tired right now but I wanted to give a quick post before we leave Maryland. We survived the water main break in Bethesda that made national news today ... the water looks gross but besides that life is normal at the NIH.

I am so grateful to the Lord for opening the doors for us to come to the NIH & to now be going home for Christmas together!!

For the past 3 years at Christmas you probably heard me saying "next Christmas we will have Lily". This Christmas we have our sweet-precious-darling-love-a-girl, Lily, home from China & it was just breaking my heart to think of us all not being together. Thank you, Lord, for answering the desire of my heart to bring our family together for Christmas 2008!!!

Since the start of Hannah's illness on December 1st it has overwhelmed me to be the recipient of so much generosity & kindness. God has used so, so, so, so, so many of you to encourage us & support us during this trial. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU! My mom and sisters are simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! (and you, too, Dad!!)

We will be back to the NIH in March for follow up. Any cards & packages that we missed on this trip (because we are leaving early) will be waiting for Hannah when we get here in March. :-)


Please continue to pray that Hannah's bone marrow "will come back from vacation" -- pray that this treatment she received will start to work!

Hannah has a special message to all of our friends in the real world & in "blog-land" --

The best Christmas present ever...

Lily says the best Christmas present ever would be to see my mommy, daddy and Hannah all at the same time!!!  She can't wait for Christmas Eve!!!  

Lily will stay busy pushing her popper and laughing!  She is so much fun to play with.  It is a good thing she isn't food, we would all eat her up!!

Hurry home mommy and big sissy, I can't wait to see you!!!!!  

Lily and Aunt Kim

All I want for Christmas is ....

to be at home with both of my girls!!!! Guess what? Dreams do come true! The doctor is switching Hannah to oral anti-biotics so that we can fly home on Christmas Eve!

I am beyond thankful!!!! Just last night I was really feeling sad that we weren't all going to be together ... thank you, Lord!!!!

Tickets are set & we will fly direct from Dulles to LAX on Christmas Eve. We land @ 4:40 ... just in time to spend Christmas Eve together & be home together on Christmas!!!!

The doctors here will be working with Hannah's doctors at home to coordinate her care at home & her weekly transfusions.

My mom drove down from Philadelphia as soon as she heard we were going to leave on Wednesday. My mom will be here until we leave on Wednesday -- we are all off to the Inn to make Christmas cookies & hang out. Aunt Miriam is still here & worked all day on crafts with Hannah ...fun, fun in Maryland :-)!

Sunday @ NIH

Not much to report except that today marks one week since we flew to Maryland. Hannah was very tired today. Aunt Rachel asked Hannah if she was feeling like a rabbit from all the rabbit cells she received in the ATG Therapy (it was funny!!). Hannah twitched her nose & hopped around the room like a bunny ... we all had a good laugh!

At the Children's Inn tonight we had dinner with Aunt Rachel, cousin Sarah & Aunt Miriam. The dinner was brought in by a group of volunteers ... and so yummy!! After dinner there was a Build A Bear workshop for all the kids at the Inn. Hannah got to pick out a stuffed animal, outfit, etc...just like at the Build A Bear store. It was fun for Hannah even though she was exhausted by the time we left the Inn to come back to the hospital.

Pray Hannah will do well this week on the medication she continues to have to take. She is done with the ATG therapy but she is still taking a lot of stuff. She is SOOOO sick of having to swallow pills. I feel terrible for her ... my little girl with the happy heart was crying a lot this morning when the AM pills showed up. Heart breaking ... I wish I could make all this go away for her.

As I blog, Hannah is receiving a transfusion of red blood cells & watching a movie on Disney Channel. She is such a sweetie pie & it just breaks my heart for her to be going through all of this. I am very ready to be back home ... just over a week until we can go back to California!!

Day #5 of Treatment

Hello from a dark & quiet hospital room at the NIH -- Hannah is sleeping after a very fun day with her Aunt Miriam. My sister, Miriam, flew in from Indianapolis yesterday to spend the weekend with us.

Hannah tolerated day #5 of treatment without any major problems! Thank you, Lord for getting us through this week!! I am so thankful!!

Hannah was able to enjoy a movie with Miriam, paint and even shop online with a gift card that Miriam gave her for Limited2!! I, on the other hand, spent almost the entire day sleeping (5 hours at the Children's Inn)!

Hannah got a pass from the dr. to leave the hospital for the first time since we checked in last Monday. We all went to the Children's Inn this evening for 2 hours. I know she loved being out of the hospital & having some time to explore the Inn. We came back to the hospital for dinner & for Hannah to get meds, have blood drawn & receive a platelet transfusion.

Mom went back to Philadelphia this morning to spend a few days at home...she promises to come back before we go to California! Aunt Rachel went home yesterday & will be back on Sunday with my niece, Sarah. I can't thank them enough for EVERYTHING they have done throughout this ordeal. My family is AMAZING .. helpful in practical ways & emotionally supportive. It doesn't get better than being a "Links" girl.

It is so great to see all the pics of Lily posted on the blog ... it keeps us going to know that such a love-bug is back home! Thank you, to all of the Slazas' for loving on Lily so much while we are gone!! Hannah & I are missing Lily a lot!! Hannah & I talked & laughed last night about her sweet little sister & all the funny things that Lily does. We were cracking up at the way Lily tries to head-butt Hannah when she holds her. Hannah says she is going to sleep in Lily's room when we get back home. Truly, I don't care where Hannah sleeps ... I just want her sleeping at home!!!!

All God's best --

Debbie, Hannah & Aunt Miriam at the NIH

Still having fun!

Lily has been a perfect little model for us to try on her numerous outfits and all the different head bows.  She has decided she does not like to wear any of the bows on her head, instead of letting them go to waste Matthew and Uncle Kevin are wearing them for her.  Lily cracked up laughing with that deep chuckle laugh.  It was so cute!!!! Of course, everything is so cute!

A ride around the room on the bouncy ball is great fun too!  Lily is doing great, taking several steps on her own each day.  She is continuing to eat well, poop well and laugh lots!

Lots of hugs and kisses to Hannah, mommy and daddy from Lily!

Aunt Kim

Treatment Explanation

If my post last night about Hannah's treatment didn't make sense to you, you were not alone ... even my sister was a bit confused when I wrote that Hannah was over 1/2 way through her treatment.

In my very, very non-medical terms, here is the deal: the treatment Hannah is currently getting is called "ATG". The ATG she is getting is made of cells from rabbit (yes, think easter bunny) that work to suppress her immune system. This treatment is given by IV over 5 days. The goal is, by suppressing her immune system then her immune system will stop fighting against her bone marrow. If this treatment works then her cell counts (white, red blood cells & platelets) will start to rise in the next few months. She is on IV antibiotics so we won't be able to check out of this hospital for at least 11 more days. If after the IV antibiotics are done & her infections are gone, we will be able to go back home (and by home, I understand that to mean, our house ... not the hospital in California!).

The doctors here tell us that we probably won't see any improvement in her condition for at least a few months. The fastest they have ever seen cell counts go up is 2 months but it can take up to 6 months. During the time we are waiting for her counts to go up she will be kept out of school & restricted with certain activities, places she can go & eating certain foods. Besides the Dr restrictions & major germ precautions, my understanding is that she will be at home & living life as normal as possible for a 7 year old girl.

If her counts don't rise from the ATG then the next course of action is a bone marrow transplant. I can't even think about that. This whole thing is still so totally, totally unbelievable to me. I am learning, in a new way, to just take it one day at a time & not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Truly, that is all I can do as I trust in the Lord.

Right now Hannah is getting day #4 of her ATG medication. It goes in through IV over about 4 hours. She is sound asleep on the couch. We were up until 3am having fun watching a movie. Hannah loved it ... Trace, tell Taylor, thank you!!

Hannah woke up around 8:30am in a very, very happy mood. I think she has adjusted to this hospital. It took a few days to start to feel comfortable here after being so used to the hospital in California. This morning we snuggled in the hospital bed, talked, ate breakfast & played catch. Then my mom & Rachel came over from the Children's Inn across the street. Of course, crazy Aunt Rachel, always up to something, wore her elf slippers -- Hannah had a good laugh!!

OK, hope that clears things up ... I am off to put on some make-up. The nurses might not recognize me today since I am out of my pj's & about to add some make-up to the face. :-)!

3rd Day of Treatment

This is Debbie in the hospital room with Hannah & Aunt Rachel, who arrived this afternoon with an alligator hat on her head. Enjoy some pictures of Hannah with Aunt Rachel & NiNi (Grandma).

Treatment went just as well today as it did yesterday -- thank you, LORD!! I am soooo glad to be through 3 out of 5 days of this treatment program. I know that this treatment is just the beginning of Hannah's road to recovery but it feels good to be at least over 1/2 way through these medications. She started another antibiotic today for a different infection she is fighting. At this point, the greatest risk for Hannah is infection -- her body just doesn't have enough white blood cells to fight anything. I know I keep saying it, but am I just so grateful to be at the NIH -- they are totally on top of every medical / health detail for Hannah. I have never been so proud of the way our tax dollars are being spent as they are here at the NIH. Because Hannah is a part of NIH research for Aplastic Anemia treatment, these treatments are paid for by tax dollars ... another HUGE praise!!

Last night I was so encouraged to read from day #17 in my 31 Days of Praise the following: "So I rest in the fact that You have me in this place for this day, and I praise You that You will faithfully guide me throughout life to just where You want me to be, as I seek to do Your will. And most important of all is my place in You. How delighted I am to have You as my dwelling place where I can settle down, feel secure and be content anywhere on earth ... You are my blessed home, "where I can enter and be at rest even when all around and above is a sea of trouble" (Andrew Murray). How my soul delights to hide in the secret of Your presence ... to take refuge in the shadow of Your wings, to eat at Your table, to drink my fill of the river of Your delights."

No matter how scattered our family might be is this Christmas season, all that matters is our place with the Lord. He is our true home. He is our refuge at all times & as we wait on His healing hand for our Hannah.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

Blessings from the NIH with Hananh & Aunt Rachel as we jam to Hannah's favorite hip hop music!!

P.S. -- Hannah got Dr. Neal Young's autograph today when he came to visit the room. It was Hannah's first time meeting him since she was asleep the other day when he came in. He is the world's leader in pioneering treatment for this disease. I think the paparazzi should be stalking people like him -- forget Hollywood, here is someone actually making a difference in the world!

Still such a joy!!

Lily is praying for you Hannah!  She misses you and can't wait to see you soon!!

Lily continues to be a joy to all.  She keeps us laughing and looking for new fun things to play. She is still improving in soccer as well as taking on new adventures.  She is trying to take steps....and can't understand why Auntie Kim keeps picking her up?!  She really wants to run with the rest of them.  

We looked at pictures today of big sissy, mommy and daddy.  Lily lights up when she sees all your faces.  She pats you a few times and says, ma...and then squawks loud.  

We remind her daily that mommy, daddy and big sissy Hannah love her very much. 

Aunt Kim

2nd Day of Treatment

Hi there, this is Debbie in the hospital room with sleeping Hannah and my wonderful Mom.

I am soooo thankful to report that today went SOOOOOO much better than yesterday's treatment. I'd say today was about a million times better!

Thank you so much for so many people praying for little Hannah. The treatment started around 12:30 because she had to receive a platelet transfusion before her treatment could start. She had no major side effects today from the treatment other than a few minor things but nothing of discomfort to her ... thank you, Lord!!

We love seeing pictures & video of Lily up on the blog!!! It helps to know that there is so much joy bundled up in that little 15 month old waiting for us when we get back home!! Truly, I just couldn't ask for 2 sweeter daughters. Kim, you are so right, as you wrote yesterday: God does give good gifts!!

Love to all from us at the National Institute of Health,

Debbie, Grandma & Hannah Rose :-)

P.S. -- It still amazes me the miracle of Hannah getting into this incredible medical facility! Hannah is being cared for by the best Aplastic Anemia team in the world -- thank you, Lord!!

Lily plays soccer!

Aunt Kim here....

Lily is in training to be a soccer star.  She walks around kicking the ball and smiling at how well she is doing.  We have determined she is ambidextrous, either foot works great.  Michael is especially happy that she is showing a significant interest in soccer and seems to be improving daily.  We will start working on goal kicks tonight.  Go Lily!!!

Lily wants Hannah to know she misses her and loves her very much.  She can't wait to play soccer with big sissy.  

Lily Sha Sha Hope

It doesn't feel right to be posting how much fun we are having with Lily when poor Hannah has had such a hard day. We love you Hannah and these smiles from Lily are for YOU!!!

Lily reminds us everyday that God gives good gifts! Our heart breaks over big sissy and constant prayers are a part of our day. Lily can't wait to see her Hannah, Mommy and Daddy soon.

The Lilster has gone for many Chariot rides today......if the kids stop pulling her around in the Chariot (laundry basket) she squawks at them to get moving!! She calls all the shots and we delight in being her willing servants! We are having so much fun spoiling her and letting her be the little china doll princess.

She loves her bath time too! When we clap we can also splash water everywhere! Yippee...

We love and miss you all, Aunt Kim

1st Day of Treatment

This is Debbie .. I truly don't have much to say except this was a really hard day. Just pray for sweet little Hannah to be healed & that this treatment will work. Blood cultures revealed that she does have a serious blood infection & so she just started on a 14 day IV antibiotic.

Jim headed back to California for work.

I am still in shock from everything Hannah is going through & will have to go endure to get through this. I know it is just God's grace that is holding me up. Thank you to everyone that is praying & encouraging us through this storm. We love our friends, family & network of people that are praying ... many that we have never even met! Thank you.

With the sleeping princess in her pink leopard print pj's --

Debbie

"I lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven & earth. He will not let your foot slip -- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121: 1-4

NIH = "National Institute of ......HANNAH"

I am here in the hospital room with sleeping Hannah. She had a long, long exhausting day of port accessing, doctors, nurses, CT Scan & bone marrow biopsy. Not to mention that she didn't eat or drink until 4pm because of having to fast for the biopsy. She did amazingly well ... truly, she is just an incredible little girl! By God's grace, she is handling everything that is coming at without any complaining or grumbling -- such an example to me!!! Her nurse today told her that all the nurses are going to be fighting over her because she is such a great patient.

Regarding her condition: her bone marrow, again, was found to be empty. With that said, the NIH will begin her 5 day IV treatment tomorrow morning. The night nurse just left our room & went over some of the side effects that she anticipates Hannah might have. They include everything from high fevers to sharp drops in temperature, vomiting, flu like symptoms, achy joints, rash, etc. She said it will most likely be a pretty rough week for our Hannah but that the doctors & nurses will do everything they can to help Hannah with the side effects -- ie, benadryl, demeral, anti-naseau medicince. I haven't prepared Hannah for the side effects so I will talk to her in the morning about what might happen over the next few days. The night nurse told me that Hannah is one of the best cases of Aplastic Anemia she has ever seen. She said usually by the time patients get to the NIH they have already had complications, such as infections, from the Aplastic Anemia. Thank you, Lord, that Hannah is not having any complications ...and the CT Scan showed NO infections!!!

Thank you for your prayers for Hannah today!! The Lord is so faithful & I am so grateful for the way He guided us to the NIH. I cannot believe that just about 100 hours ago we found out we were coming & now she her treatment is about to begin ... nothing short of a miracle!!!!

Please pray for Hannah tomorrow as she starts the treatment around 10am. Pray that the Lord would give me the right words for Hannah as I talk with her prior to treatment starting. Pray that she would experience minimal side effects from the drugs .... and that the drugs would work to restart her bone marrow!!!! These drugs are effective in 3 out of 4 kids.

A funny thing today for all you parents / teachers: Today I was explaining to Hannah that the doctors were doing tests today to determine what kind of drugs she needs to be taking. I guess I should have used the word "medications" not "drugs" because Hannah said, "Mom, drugs are not good for you!" So, good job PTA, your Red Ribbon efforts paid off for Hannah :-)!

Lily, your happy face on the blog made our day!!! We all love seeing your adorable smile!! We miss you & love you SOOOOO much!!! Life is not the same without our Sha-Sha! Keep the posts coming...we love hearing what you are up to!

L in Lily is for laughing!

Lily is doing great!! Yes, that is a big laugh....she cracks herself up! She starts laughing and we all join in. We clap for her and she laughs more! What a happy baby, she is such a joy!! I can truly see how she is just like her big sissy. Full of life!!

She is standing more and more on her own. Katie walks her around and she will stop and let go of Katie's fingers. She hasn't tried to take a step yet but I am sure it is coming. We are trying not to encourage that so before she can, we pick her up! What a surprise huh?!?!

She has eaten well today, some Mexican rice and beans, mandarin oranges, cheese, toast, apple bar....we are just waiting for the next poop!!

Uncle Kevin is home today since there was so much snow on the pass going up to the high desert he couldn't get to work(15 frwy is closed). Lily LOVES seeing Uncle Kevin! I think she has won his heart.

We love you guys and miss you! We are praying for Hannah daily, hourly, minutely (is that a word?)

Love, Aunt Kim

Arrived at the National Institute of Health

Hannah's doctor at Kaiser Fontana came in to greet us at 4:30am this morning. She came to the hospital early to give Hannah a kiss goodbye & to see us off to the NIH. I think Hannah won over the staff at Kaiser....what do you think?

We had a safe day of travel. Hannah slept on both flights & wore a protective mask all day. She is such a good girl & didn't complain at all about having to wear a mask during the day of travel. A group of friends from church surprised us at the airport to pray over Hannah before we departed. What a blessing to be greeted by you all at 5:30am ... thank you!!!

Thank you, Lord, that we are staying for free at The Children's Inn at NIH. It is located directly across the street from where Hannah will be receiving treatment at NIH so we will all be very close to eachother. I will be staying in the hospital room with Hannah every night while my mom & Jim will stay at The Children's Inn. My dad & sister drove down from Philadelphia to pick us up at the Baltimore airport -- thank you!!! My sister greeted Hannah with a crazy looking hat on her head & red light up blinking glasses. All I can say is Rachel accomplished her mission & Hannah thought it was very funny!! Tonight at The Children's Inn, there was a special home cooked Sunday dinner that was brought in by a local Kiwanis Club. Everything was delicious & we arrived just as dinner was being served -- what a blessing after a long day of travel.

Please pray for tomorrow as we check in to the NIH clinic at 7:30am. Pray for Hannah tomorrow that she would feel God's peace as we meet dr's & nurses & begin our "Maryland Adventure". Pray for the doctors to have wisdom as they begin to work with our little miss Hannah.

We don't know how long we will be staying in Maryland but we are pretty sure we will be here at least 2 weeks. Hannah's address while we are here is as follows:

Hannah Eriksen
The Children's Inn at NIH
Room #2A6
7 West Drive
Bethesda, MD 20814-1509

We are all tired & off to bed as we have an early day tomorrow.

Lily, we love you sooooo much and thank God for bringing happy little you into our lives!!! We know you are having so much fun at Camp Slazas getting treated like the perfect little China princess that you are!

Blessings from (the VERY secure & safe, think "Fort Knox") NIH --

Jim, Debbie, Hannah & NiNi (Grandma)

Lily misses Hannah

Hi Hannah, Deb and Jim,

Aunt Kim here...

Lily is doing great! She misses her big sissy, Mom and Dad already.

Little miss Lily is still eating non stop, pee-youing and playing peekaboo. We can't get enough of her! Her smile is infectious.

Actually right now she is taking a little nap so we could upload some pictures.

We are so thankful you are safely in Maryland. We are praying for a smooth, quick recovery for Hannah and tell Dr. Young we are praying for him too.

We love you all miss you tons and are praying for a quick return home!!!

xoxoxoxo

Hannah Fontana in Pictures

Here are some of the pictures I took during our stay at Kaiser Fontana.






It looks like we are actually leaving Fontana, CA ... we took down all the pictures & photos from Hannah's hospital room & we are packed for Maryland. Thanks to Kim & Kevin for bringing a truck to the hospital to bring home ALL of Hannah's stuff! :-)

Again, a huge thank you to those of you that have sent cards, gifts, pictures, photos, etc. We are so blessed to be supported by so many during this time & we truly feel the Lord's hand of guidance as we leave for Maryland.

Prayer Request

We are asking for prayer that Hannah will be protected from infection as she travels on Sunday. She is extremely vulnerable at this time.

Pray for an easy travel day from southern California to Maryland: flights on time and smooth sailing through security.

Pray for Lily's heart to be connected to Jim, Debbie and Hannah as they'll be separated during this time.
~Aunt Rachel

Hopeful

This is Debbie -- I haven't had internet access at the hospital over the last 2 days so I was very out of the loop with all the posts my sister was making to the blog. My focus has soley been hanging out here at the hospital with Hannah, taking care of things for her & trying to help her navigate the waters of her extended hospital stay. I am SOOOO thankful to my sister Rachel for all the posts she made to the blog & for the connection she was able to make with Dr. Neil Young at the National Institute of Health. The Lord has just blown opened the doors for us to take Hannah to Bethesda, MD for her treatment. It was a miracle today how quickly things moved for Jim to connect with Dr. Young at the NIH & for Hannah to be accepted to the program. We have our tickets booked to fly to Maryland early, early Sunday morning. Please pray for Hannah as we travel. She cannot get sick!!!!


Hannah was very sad that we are leaving this hospital. She has become very adjusted to the staff here & particularly with the Child Life Therapist, Claudia! I don't know what we would have done here without Claudia. She has helped explain every test & procedure to Hannah. Claudia came in to our room today to explain to Hannah about going to a new hospital. She even prepared a backpack for Hannah filled with special goodies for Hannah to take with her!

Hannah is doing extremely well considering her very, very low blood counts. Her doctors here are just amazed at how good she looks, how much energy she has & how happy her stay has been in the hospital. The doctor explained that the treatment Hannah will receive might be a bit of a rocky road. I don't have all the details yet of side effects she might have from her treatment but I am starting to anticipate a much more dramatic hospital stay in Maryland. Please pray that Hannah's body tolerates the medication well & that she has minimal side effects!!!! We will handle things as they come but I know it will just break my heart if I have to see her in pain or hurting! Our current hospital stay has been "easy", in the sense that we have just been basically camped out in a bit of isolation together. I don't know if I am making any sense but she hasn't had a lot of drama while we have been here.


A HUGE thanks to everyone that emailed with contacts for different hospitals / doctors. I am just amazed at the connections the Lord has made for us! There are no words to express my overwhelming gratitude to a woman that I have never met, Lisa Young, that connected us to Dr. Neil Young at NIH. She is a friend of Bridgette Ridenour's, who is a friend of mine through Arbonne out in the Palm Springs area.

Miss Lily Sha-Sha will be staying with her Slazas family. They are doting over her every single need. I think we might have to fight them pretty hard to get her back once we are home!! They will be posting with Lily updates on this blog. The total selfish part of me wants to take Lily with us to Maryland but I know she will just be juggled around & won't be get the attention she needs & deserves. I am so thankful to the Lord that when we brought her home from China on October 1st it was virtually "transition-free". Lily blended into our family perfectly & she continues to be the easiest baby in the world. I am trusting the Lord that we will have a similar transition once we get back from Maryland.

For right now, we are living in a fog of medical care & basic needs. Before we know it, it will be 2009 and Lord willing, we will all be home together 100% healthy ... and then we will celebrate our first Christmas together as a family of four!

Pray for sweet Hannah & pray for the bone marrow to respond well to the treatments at the National Institute of Health!!!! Thank you, again, to everyone for your comments, love & encouragement. We are overwhelmed by all the people that have been helping us in these uncharted waters.

We Are In!!!!

Hannah has been accepted into the National Institute of Health's program. She will be under the care of Dr. Neal Young. He's the world's expert on Hannah's rare condition.

She must check in by Sunday evening at 7PM.
Jim is in the process of working on the flight details.

WE ARE SO HAPPY!!!
WE ARE SO HOPEFUL!!!
THIS IS A GIFT!!!

Prayer requests:
1. Pray that Hannah will not get infection. Her little body can't take it right now.

2. Pray for the flight to be smooth and problem free. (Hannah will be required to wear a mask as a preventative measure. Debbie, Jim and Grandma will be traveling with Hannah).

3. Pray for Lily. Our newest addition will be with the Slazis family in California while Hannah receives her treatments in Maryland. Thank you Slazis'!!! I don't know what we'd do without you!!

Thank you everyone for your efforts. We are overwhelmed with love and concern from so many people all over the world.

~Aunt Rachel

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

I have an overwhelming amount of e-mails!! Thank you. I can't respond to everyone, but I will try in time. Please be patient with me.

We were able to get in touch with Dr. Neal Young, the world's leading expert in Aplastic Anemia at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Jim spoke directly with Dr. Young this morning. This was an answer to our prayers.

Thank you to each person who has e-mailed me. We are so grateful for the many ways people have pulled together here!

THANK YOU BRIDGETTE RIDENOUR & LISA YOUNG. I am so grateful for the connection and strings you could pull on behalf of our sweet, dear Hannah!

Jim and Debbie are figuring out what is the best plan of attack here.
Please pray for clarity of mind in the decision making process. This is a lot to digest.

~Aunt Rachel

Thank you. Keep 'em coming!

Thank you for the numerous e-mails trying to get Hannah connected to the team who can give her the best care! Don't get me wrong, she's currently in a great place with a wonderful team. Because Aplastic Anemia is rare, it's important we get her in the care of an expert with experience and knowledge of the latest treatments.

If you have personal connections to the hospitals/Institutions mentioned in the previous post, please e-mail me personally at: Raychk@comcast.net, re: Helping Hannah.

Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you to the many people who responded.
Thank you to the many people who have sent cards, notes, letters, etc.
Thank you to the many people who are fervently praying.
Thank you to the many people who have brought meals to the hospital.
Thank you to the many people who have offered to help in anyway.

We are blessed by each of you.

~Aunt Rachel

We Need Your Help!

Aunt Rachel here again. At this point, Hannah is receiving supportive care. She's receiving blood cells and platelets regulary and a steady stream of antibiotics to prevent infection. We need your help in finding out the best treatment plan for Hannah.

We need to find a personal connection at one of the following places:

National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute or
University of Texas at Houston

If you know someone at any of the above places, please contact me privately at Raychk@comcast.net, re: Helping Hannah. I am hoping to receive a lot of e-mails and will get back to everyone when I'm able.

Contact your family and friends!
We need your help!

Hannah is currently in recovery from her bone marrow biopsy. They should be bringing her back to her room soon. Thanks for your cards, balloons, activities, stuffed animals, food and well wishes.
Hannah's room is looking very cozy.
What a blessing.
What a bummer that it has to be this way.

"Hannah Fontana"

Hannah Fontana seems appropriate since we are camped out at the hospital in Fontana, CA!

Just some bullet points from today --

* Hannah had a terrible night of sleep last night so as you can imagine, it made for a bit of a harder day but overall she continues to do very well with a good attitude in the hospital.

* Red blood cells were transfused this morning, she will be getting platelets at 5am tomorrow morning.

* She is going for a second bone marrow biopsy tomorrow at 9:30AM. Please pray for her as she goes into the OR for this procedure. The doctor is going to try to get a better biopsy than the one that was taken last week. After we get the report back from pathology we should be able to make some decisions for her treatment by the end of this week.

* My family & Jim are doing research for treatment options. They are looking into what is available at St. Judes, MD Anderson, USC and John's Hopkins. We will go ANYWHERE to get the best, most advanced treatment available! I don't care if I have to camp out in a tent in front of the hospital, we will go to where ever we need to go to give Hannah the best chance for recovery.

* I went home today for a shower & a good cry. I can't lose it in front of Hannah so it was good to get out of the hospital for a bit. I stopped at our PO Box & as I was opening the box I was thinking, 'I sure hope there is something for Hannah in here.' When I opened the box, cards for Hannah spilled out!!! I was so happy for her as she absolutely loves getting mail & loves reading ALL of the cards & pictures! Thank you to everyone that has sent something to our Hannah (even those that we have never met!!)! I can't thank everyone enough!!!


* I went to dinner tonight with Lily & tried to pretend for an hour that life was just normal. She is such a sweet, smart little pumpkin & it was such a joy to be with the little honey!!


"Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help and He will say: Here I am." Isaiah 58:9

One Week @ the Hospital

Today marks one week since Hannah was admitted to the hospital. The bad thing today was having the needle in Hannah's port changed. While we are in the hospital, this will be done once a week. It was painful for Hannah b/c the port site is still very tender from when they placed the port in her chest last week. Hannah cried & was shaking ... but honestly she did amazing. The nurses swore that the 1st time they change the needle is the worst, so hopefully next time will be better.

Hannah's blood count numbers are still down very low so she'll probably be getting red blood cells & platelets tomorrow.

Hannah had a visit from 2 therapy dogs this morning. It really lifted her spirits to have Sammy & Athena come visit her. You could just hear the complete happiness in her voice as she visited with these adorable therapy dogs!! I am so thankful for the volunteers that take the time to come to the Pediatric unit to visit the sick kids with their dogs. What a gift to be able to make a child happy in such circumstances!

We got permission from Hannah's doctor to have the Children's Pastor from our church come visit Hannah. She came in with many, many treats & about 150 homemade cards from the kids at church! It greatly lifted Hannah's spirits to have Lois visit her & to pray over her!!!

Hannah's room looks more & more like a home -- there are pictures, photos & cards all over the walls, balloons galore, pink comforters on the beds and stuffed animals everywhere. I don't know how we could make things any cozier unless I had wall to wall carpeting installed.

Lily came tonight for a visit. It is so good for Hannah to see her sister even if she can't hold her.

Jim left on a business trip until Wednesday. My mom came & spent most of the day with us. Hannah & my mom played Crash Bandicout for about 5 hours.....yes, 5 hours!!!! My mom is so into it & honestly, it is sooo great for Hannah to have someone who can come into the room who loves doing something that she loves doing. I am a bit illiterate with the playstation :-)

Please, please, please keep praying for sweet Hannah -- pray for a miracle with her bone marrow!!

Isaiah 40:11 says, "He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young."

Sunday at the Hospital

Hannah woke up this morning in good spirits... thank you, Lord! We wrote out a schedule for the day & that REALLY seemed to help her navigate the emotions of being stuck in a hospital room. Her white blood cell count was at 300 & her hemoglobin was a bit lower but her platelet count was up since she had a transfusion yesterday. We are still asking God for a miracle of her bone marrow to start working all on its own.

Some major highlights for Hannah today:

#1: A surprise visit from her sister, little Lily Sha!!! Hannah was SOOOOOO incredibly happy to see her sister! She hasn't spent any time with her in almost a week so it gave us such joy to see the sisters reunited ... even if it was only for a few minutes. Hannah was beside herself with happiness as she tickled Lily & got her to laugh.

#2: Spanish rice from Michael Abasta ... oh my goodness!!! Hannah is so happy to have, as she describes, "the best Spanish rice in the entire world!!!!" She had it at lunch and a tiny amount again just before just going to bed.

#3: Hannah walked the hallway for about 15 minutes tonight. She walked with Grandma back & forth in the restricted pediatric area. Grandma pushed the "octopus", as we call her IV stand. Hannah hasn't left her room since last Monday when we arrived .. so it was a big deal just to walk back & forth in front of her room & the few rooms around hers.

#4: Hannah received many packages today from friends at church. Thank you so much to everyone that has been so thoughtful & kind. I know I will never get thank you notes sent to those of you that have been good to us ... I am not even going to try. I don't need guilt for not sending them at a time like this ... just know that we are thankful!!!!!

#5: When the nurse came in at 6AM to take Hannah's blood this morning, she didn't even wake up b/c they can take the blood from her port without having to poke her at all. When she got up she thought the nurse hadn't taken her blood. Thank you, Lord, for this port that is making her care so much easier on her!!!

#6: Grandma played Crash Bandicot with Hannah tonight. Hannah loved it & is learning from our in-house gaming expert, Grandma!!!

Life is at a stand still for us right now. Nothing is normal ...or maybe we are just starting a "new normal." What seemed important one week ago, is no longer important. I stopped by Kmart today when I left the hospital to buy Hannah some pj's ... everyone was busy Christmas shopping & it all just seemed to unimportant & minuscule. Here my precious daughter is sick in the hospital & the only thing that matters in the world is getting her better.

Please keep praying for Hannah's bone marrow to kick in & do what it is supposed to be doing!!!!!

Many blessings from Room #1302!

Video of Hannah Dancing

Jim got the video uploaded of Hannah dancing with the Chaplain here at the hospital. This was taken just before they took her to surgery for her port to be implanted. If you watch this video it is just so hard to believe that she is as sick as she is.

Hannah's platelet count was down again this morning so she received a transfusion of platelets for the 3rd time. Her white blood cell count remains at 400 & her red blood cells were a bit lower. Tonight I had a long conversation with Hannah about what the plan is for this week & that many, many, many people are praying for her blood / bone marrow to start working the way that it should. She is starting to ask more questions about what comes after this week. A big question on her mind is, "Will I be here for Christmas?" She spent time today playing cards, playstation, getting her hair done, doing make-up, etc. We are doing everything we can to make this a fun time.

I got out today for a bit & took a nap at home. I woke up from my nap & felt like this was all just a bad dream. I went into Hannah's room at home & just layed on her bed trying to wake myself up from this nightmare. It just seems unreal that one week ago today we were flying home from the best Thanksgiving ever in the mid-west. Life changed fast.

Lily is doing great with our Slazas family. She stayed at home in her own crib on Friday night & I hear the Slazas' were all having withdrawls without Lily being with them. I got to rock Lily to sleep Friday night & then be with her again for few hours today.

It feels like things will settle into a better routine this week now that my mom is here, Hannah's port is in place & we are going to be starting a plan for school work. Hannah thrives with a set schedule so I have to figure out some kind of consistent routine to make the day predictable for her mind.

Please pray specifically for Hannah's spirits to be lifted (even though she is very happy in the video we have observed some lower moments in the past 2 days or so). Please pray for Hannah's bone marrow to begin functioning properly!!!! She & I talked a lot tonight about Jesus' love for us & how much He cares for our every single need. She prayed tonight out loud in a way I have never heard her pray before. I am thankful that the Lord is growing Hannah's heart through this experience. I don't know what the future is but I know that none of this is a surprise to God.

Hannah is disappointed that mail doesn't get delivered on Sundays. She loves getting all the cards & goodies ... so thank you to everyone!!! Please keep praying!!!

Live from the hospital with Hannah

This is Debbie and I am finally connected to the internet on my laptop in the hospital. I will keep this short b/c I am so tired & I know the nurse will be in here in less than 6 hours to draw Hannah's blood for testing.

Today the doctor said that Hannah will most likely be here at least another 5 days - a week for observation & to receive antibiotics through her port. Hannah's blood counts are still dangerously low -- especially, her white blood cells, level of 400.

Her port was implanted last night & it seems to be comfortable at this point. We got back to the room around 9pm last night so she didn't get to sleep until after midnight. Hannah was not her happy usual self this morning so that worried me but she perked up by this afternoon. I think the reality of being in THIS hospital room has started to sink in. I mean, really, we can't even have the door open b/c of germs .. so she is really in an isolated situation. She looks forward to visits from those that come to her room for various reasons: the chaplain, nurses, doctors, counselor, teacher and other staff. Hopefully now with this internet connection on my laptop she'll be able to Skype with her friends & cousins. I know she'd love it!!

Hannah has handled everything this week so well. She cried a lot (and I mean, A LOT!!!!!!!!!!!) when I told her we were going to the hospital but since we got here, she has been amazing. She has been cooperative & pleasant....and truly, a lot of fun. We decided that her room is the party room and we are just going to make every day an adventure even if we are stuck in this hospital room. I will try to attach a video of her dancing with the chaplain just before she left to go to have her port implanted. She has so much energy & life that it is baffling to think that she is soo sick.

This week has been a whirlwind inside a medical bubble. Today I went home for a few hours to take a shower ... and to see sweet Lily. I had dropped Lily off at Aunt Kim's on Monday morning for me to take Hannah to the doctor & I haven't been home with Lily since then! I did see her in the hospital lobby the other day for a few minutes but it was hardly a visit. I have not been able to leave Hannah at any point this week b/c Jim was working & my mom was not here yet. Now that things have settled in a bit, I will be leaving once a day to see Lily & get home. Lily has spent the week at the Slazas' and will be spending a lot more time there. I am convinced she is now half Italian ... she literally smelled like garlic tonight!! Kim said she ate 3 bowls of pasta with homemade sauce at lunch today. I don't doubt it ... the little peanut smelled like a Garlic Honey!!! Hannah will be sooo thrilled when Lily has been over her cold long enough to stop in for a quick visit. I know the sisters are really missing each other!

I can't describe how surreal it is to have had our lives turned completely upside down in such a brief amount of time. I know the Lord knows & I am so thankful that our lives are truly in His hands ... even though I don't understand why any of this is happening. I know that God does give us more than we can handle so that we will rely on Him and His strength rather than ourselves. To say the least, we are relying on only His strength to get through this one day at a time.


Yesterday was a long day b/c Hannah couldn't eat all day while we were waiting for surgery so at one point she set up her room like a game show (she, of course, was the game show host!). Jim, my mom & I all had to list things that were good about the hospital. We had a long list going but a few were: comfy beds, kind nurses, lots of movies to pick from, beds that move up/down/all around ... those are just a few of the things I remember that we listed. In all circumstances there are things to be thankful for!

Please keep praying for sweet little Hannah's bone marrow to begin working properly!!!! Thank you to everyone for nice messages, emails, texts, balloons, cards, signs, pictures, gifts, house cleaning, laundry, food, everything ... you name it, you know who you are & we are SOOOO grateful!!! We have a long road ahead of us but we know that we can trust in the Lord with all our hearts!!!

Hannah's middle name should to be changed to Joy. Once you see this video of her dancing, you'll know why. She is full of life & joy. The hospital chaplain came to pray with her before her surgery & to dance with her ... I can't get the video to upload but I will do it from home ... sorry!

Update on Hannah

Thank you for the many comments on the blog, e-mails, phone calls --- what an amazing community the Eriksen's have surrounding the right now. They feel loved and well cared for.....let's keep it up, gang! Living 3,000 miles away from them and feeling unsure of what to do to help, I'm overwhelmed with the many people who have stepped up to the plate in various ways to help them. You guys (and you know who you are) are just the best!!!

The latest update: there is no update on her physically. Hannah's white blood cell count remains extremely low. We are praying and believing for a miracle! As Debbie pointed out: God parted the Red Sea, He can easily have her bone marrow start producing red & white blood cells and platelets.

Hannah is slowly realizing the gravity of her situation. She is realizing what a long road it's going to be. It's a lot for a 7 year old to digest.

Our sweet, 14 month old Lily, the newest addition to the family, is being cared for by the Slazis family. Lily has developed a virus is unable to visit her big sister. Pray she'll recover quickly.

Jim is working on getting Debbie's laptop to have internet service in the hospital room. Soon, she'll be able to e-mail all of you and put up her own posts. She has some video of Hannah to upload. I can't wait to see her sequel.

Love to all of you. Keep praying. Keep encouraging Jim, Debbie, Hannah and Lily.
~Aunt Rachel

Procedure Completed!

Hannah has successfully had her "port" placed this evening. She's going to celebrate with a milkshake and pancakes. I heard she even did a dance just before the procedure.
What a doll!!

Hannah Update II

Aunt Miriam reporting again....

Hannah is actually still waiting to go into surgery. They are waiting for an OR to become available. They had thought the surgery might be this morning, so Hannah has not been able to eat anything since midnight last night -- she just past the 18 hour mark for no food, but incredibly she is still in good spirits about things.

Hannah Update

Aunt Miriam here with a Hannah update...

Right now, Hannah is in surgery getting a port put in so they can take blood/give medication without needles. She gets bruises extremely easily & they need to take blood/give medication very often so this is the reasoning for putting in a port.

There are 2 very specific prayer requests that Debbie & Jim have for Hannah right now:

1. Pray that Hannah WILL NOT get an infection!!

2. Pray that Hannah's bone marrow will start producing red & white blood cells & platelets to begin the healing process

Grandma Sandy arrived safely from Philadelphia yesterday. Also, Hannah remains to be her joyful, sweet self.

Send Your Cards and Well Wishes to Hannah!!!

Aunt Rachel here, reporting for duty again:

Isn't that video from Hannah amazing? It seems she remains to be her joyful, sweet little-self.

Cards & Pictures are welcomed! Hannah has lots of wall space in her room. We need to wallpaper that room! Please mail to:

Hannah Eriksen
c/o Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center
Hospital and Main Campus
9961 Sierra Ave.
Fontana, CA 92335

For you rule breaker-types: Please don't bother trying to visit. The nurses won't let you past their station. They're protecting Hannah.

Message from Deb: Feel free to text me: (909)261-8448. It's easy to read texts while Hannah's around. I won't always be able to respond, but I'll try. Thanks!!

Update on Hannah from her Mom, Debbie

Hi, it's Deb. Jim is at the hospital with Hannah ... I just came home to shower & grab a bunch more stuff to take back. It is hard to imagine that we just got back from Thanksgiving where Hannah was perfectly fine. How you can go from what seems like perfectly healthy to very, very ill in a matter of days is a total shock.

When we were in Indiana I noticed Hannah had a number of bruises on her body. I attributed it to the fact that we had gone on a 4 mile bike ride the day before we left on our trip. I didn't think much of it ...until she was swimming at the pool at the hotel & we all noticed she had a lot of bruising. When we got back to California, we counted & there were 34 bruises on her body. I called Kaiser Monday morning to set up an appt. with her doctor. We got in right away, had blood work done & they told us we would probably hear something by this coming Friday. Hannah & I went on to have a "mother daughter" day since Lily was with Aunt Kim. Hannah wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese ... so instead of taking her back to school we went to the Chuckster's. I am so overindulgent at times, I got her 100 tokens since she'd done so well with the blood work that they had to do. She told me it was the best day of her life. 2 hours later my doctor was calling me to say pack a bag & come to the hospital right away ..Hannah is very sick. Oh my goodness, my heart has never sank so deep so fast. My sweet little Hannah is the joy of my life. She has given me more laughs & happiness than any mom deserves.

She cried a lot when I told her we were going to the hospital but ever since we got there she has been just amazing. Even today when they explained the bone marrow procedure, she was just incredible. It is a total testament to God's grace!!!!

Please pray for my precious Hannah. We will be at the hospital most of this week & we don't really know how long at this point. We are just taking it one day at a time. No matter what, I know I can lean on Jesus (as my friend Deb Collins sent me in a text today). He is faithful in every way & I know He cares for Hannah with all His heart.

Sweet Lily will be camped out with Aunt Kim & family. She needs to be in one place considering all she has already adjusted to in the past 8 weeks.

Two months ago it was our first dinner together as a family of four. Hard to believe.

Please pray for Hannah's body to respond quickly & for the doctor's to have wisdom. Her nurses are amazing & taking incredible care with precious Hannah.

Hannah requested that I post this little video of her last night in the hospital. Enjoy seeing her give you a tour of her hospital situation :-). She is so stinkin' adorable!!