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Shad in Critical Condition after Two Emergency Surgeries
June 4, 2009 by Jeremy
Ten year old Shad is back in ICU after a surprisingly wonderful night last night with his father up in their personal hospital room. Shad spoke with his dad a great deal last night about his excitement to return to Iraq, his eagerness to sit with his mom and play with his little brother and little sister, and his excitement over how many people were going to come visit him upon his return.
But if things do not turn around significantly - and fast - it looks as though many people will come to visit Shad in Iraq, but not in the way we’d all hoped and planned.
Shad’s blood does not respond well to anti-coagulants, being very viscous and subject to so many years of oxygen deficiency. Last night after a sudden bout of diarrhea it seems that Shad became dehydrated very quickly giving rise to blood clots which eventually blocked the flow of blood in his pulmonary artery. His oxygen level quickly decreased as he was rushed to the ICU.
He was quickly admitted to his third surgery in a week where doctors put him back on the “heart and lung” machine and began their third attempt at correcting years of damage.
But three hours after the surgery finished, while resting under heavy sedation in ICU, Shad went into cardiac arrest again and the doctors had to open him up in ICU and perform the fourth surgery on Shad.
As we write this (10pm, Istanbul, 06/04/09) Shad is still in critical condition but his father has lost all hope that he will pull through. Doctors are saying there is a chance, but it is clear that after ten years and four surgeries in one week the odds are severely stacked against him.
In the midst of great grief (real and anticipated) Shad’s father has been very grateful today to Dr. Çiçek, his team, the nursing staff, PLC, and ultimately to God - in whose hands are all things. He has also spent a lot of time telling us how much he has learned from his son about patience, kindness, and caring for others.
In any case, Shad was made to wait ten years too long for these surgeries. But it doesn’t have to be too late for other children in Iraq.
Shad is still alive. And so is our hope.
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Jeremy Courtney lives and loves in Iraq as a co-founder and Executive Director of the Preemptive Love Coalition. He's also the father of two spectacular children, and married to the lovely Jessica Courtney. When not absorbed in PLC work he can be found writing songs and singing about hope and future. |
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3 Responses to “Shad in Critical Condition after Two Emergency Surgeries”
praying.
we hope with joy in a sovereign God.
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