| OUR FEBRUARY GROUP IS SET TO LEAVE FOR SURGERY ON FEBRUARY 23RD. WITH THESE STORIES AND THESE IMAGES WE'RE INVITED YOU TO BE A PART OF THE LIFE-SAVING SOLUTION. GET TO KNOW THESE KIDS AND CONSIDER GIVING! |
Daryan Salah Has Passed Away (b. March 20, 2009 - d. September 4, 2009)
September 4, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
This is the post we hoped we’d never write… but Daryan Salah gave up the fight for his life today at 5:40 a.m. in Istanbul, Turkey after over a month in ICU waiting for his lungs to recover. We spoke with Daryan’s mother and father (and extended family) in our Iraq office this morning and wept bitterly with them over the loss of this dear boy.
Like them, we ourselves are looking for meaning in today’s chaos. The earth is broken. There’s got to be more than “making the world a better place.” We do not need a patch… we need an overhaul…
But maybe HOPE still wins today, because even in Daryan’s death hundreds of you around the world have been drawn in by the story of a little boy who might have otherwise been labeled an “enemy.” And in the devastation we’re all reminded that organizations like ours are powerless to do anything but patchwork repair. Overhaul - indeed re-creation - will have to come from somewhere else.
Daryan, you expanded our hearts’ collective capacity to hope. Rest in peace, little brother.
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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. |
Daryan Presented No Signs of Change; Doctors Leave Him Intubated Until Sept. 7th
September 2, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
It seems that medicine isn’t an exact science… and though all signs pointed to an on-schedule extubation on Sept 1, ultimately the doctors decided to hold off. Daryan has been weaned off of some of the medications and the plan was to extubate him within 24-48 hours. That time period has now passed. His next best chance for extubation has been delayed until Sept. 7th at the earliest…
Isn’t it so often true that the most difficult, confusing, stressful periods of life prove to be corrective and life-giving? May it be that way this time with Daryan’s extended stay in ICU.
As you may recall, Daryan was extremely malnurished when we first met him. He had gained little weight since birth and was obviously stunted in his growth. This one month in ICU has been good for his little body. He is bigger now and has maybe twice as much hair than when we admitted him. We are hopeful that his strengthened body will be just what is needed to sustain his breathing once he’s pulled off the ventilator.
We hope to have more information on September 7th. And we hope that we do not have anything new to report before then.
Follow 4-month-old Daryan on Twitter: @daryansalah. Subscribe to Daryan’s updates via RSS here. Follow Daryan’s thread of longer stories (with pictures) on the PLC blog here.
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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. |
Baby Daryan To Receive What Might Be His Last Chance at Life Tomorrow
August 30, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
It’s been over month now that Baby Daryan has been intubated in ICU in Istanbul, Turkey. All of the tests say that his heart is doing great… completely repaired. But the pressure that has built up in his lungs will not come down. Or, more accurately, it has not consistently stayed down.
But tomorrow the doctors hope to try again to extubate Daryan in hopes that his pressures will stay down this time; that he will breath on his own; and that he will live a long life with his completely healthy heart.
We don’t have anything else to say or speculate. The only thing left to do at this point is to hope and pray and believe.
Follow 4-month-old Daryan on Twitter: @daryansalah. Subscribe to Daryan’s updates via RSS here. Follow Daryan’s thread of longer stories (with pictures) on the PLC blog here.
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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. |
An Interactive Graphic Overview of What We’ve Been Up to for the Last Few Years
August 23, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Drag and drop and click and scroll and comment and push and play your way through some of our [online] activity from the last year.
Special Features of Note:
Be sure to Click on Map>Play Events for a Worldwide Conversation of Sorts Between Our Offices Around the World
View fullscreen below for more room to play around!
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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. |
Baby Daryan’s Tenth Day in ICU Sees His Pulmonary Pressures Coming Down; Hopes Rising
August 6, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
The nitrous oxide continues to dilate Daryan’s blood vessels so that his pulmonary pressure continues to come down (which is what it’s supposed to do). But this slow treatment has been grueling for him young mother who mostly just sits in fear and anticipation.
The doctors are very hopeful that when they extubate Daryan today or tomorrow he will respond well and there will be no problems.
Follow 4-month-old Daryan on Twitter: @daryansalah. Subscribe to Daryan’s updates via RSS here. Follow Daryan’s thread of longer stories (with pictures) on the PLC blog here.
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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. |
Daryan Still Intubated in ICU with High Pressure in Lungs - Heart is Doing Well
July 30, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Daryan has had a difficult few days… more than a little baby should ever have to endure as far as we’re concerned. He was extubated the day after his surgery, but the pressure in his lungs began to rise too quickly so they had to reintubate him in order to keep everything under control. Today he is scheduled for another attempt at extubation in hopes that he can breath on his own AND that his pulmonary pressures will stay down.
PLC Family Services Director, Jessica Courtney, took Daryan’s mother out on Istanbul today for a day of shopping and change of scenery. It looks like Daryan still has some fight left in him, but it’s going to take a fight. We knew before bringing Daryan here that it was risky and that the aftermath of the surgery was going to be the most difficult part. Our hopes have risen and fallen this week with this child’s pressures…
We appreciate all you who have given sacrificially to Daryan’s surgery and other’s like him. We appreciate all of the buzz you’ve created on Facebook, Twitter, and your own blogs and websites. Please keep it up… as you’ve seen this week - and as we remember all too keenly with Daryan - there are real lives at stake and a five minute blog post really can change the world.
Follow 4-month-old Daryan on Twitter: @daryansalah. Subscribe to Daryan’s updates via RSS here. Follow Daryan’s thread of longer stories (with pictures) on the PLC blog here.
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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. |
Daryan Alive & Well in ICU After Difficult Surgery - Soon to be Extubated
July 27, 2009 by Jeremy · 1 Comment
After one of the most obviously difficult set of problems we’ve ever seen, we are delighted to celebrate Daryan’s successful surgery, all of the nurses, doctors, and staff at Anadolu Sağlık Merkezi.
The recovery process is still a difficult process. I don’t think any of us will breath that final sigh of relief until Daryan is back in Iraq, gaining weight, and crawling around his house for the very first time. But thankfully, thanks to all your help, that day is much closer to being realized than it has ever been.
Follow 4-month-old Daryan on Twitter: @daryansalah. Subscribe to Daryan’s updates via RSS here. Follow Daryan’s thread of longer stories (with pictures) on the PLC blog here.
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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. |
Daryan in Surgery Right Now Facing 20% Risk of Serious Complications
July 27, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
Daryan’s empty bed. The sight keeps his mother out of the room for the duration of the surgery…
Daryan is about half-way through his surgery with Dr. Sertaç Çiçek (above) and the team. After an estimated 20% risk of serious complications, we are all nervous and eager to hear some good news for Baby Daryan. Unlike the other children, Daryan’s surgery is not being conducted through the chest cavity, but rather through the back. And due to the complicated nature of Daryan’s condition, it’s highly unlike that the doctors will even touch his heart properly, opting instead to work primarily on the vessels coming and going from the heart today.
Another few hours and we should know some news… in the meantime, we wait.
Follow 4-month-old Daryan on Twitter: @daryansalah. Subscribe to Daryan’s updates via RSS here. Follow Daryan’s thread of longer stories (with pictures) on the PLC blog here.
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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. |
Daryan Heads to Surgery in 8 Hours w/ Est. 80% Likelihood of Success
July 26, 2009 by Jeremy · Leave a Comment
After days of watching and waiting for other parents’ children to receive the life-saving heart surgeries they came to receive, Daryan’s turn has come. Daryan will be in surgery at midnight Central Time (just eight hours from the time of this posting).
Unlike most of the other surgeries, however, whose risk factors have been between 5-10%, Daryan’s surgery has a very sobering 20% amount of risk involved (in the surgery itself). Moreover, the ability for this little child to recover from a surgery of this magnitude…. that is something that only God knows.
PLC staff and summer interns have done their best to serve Daryan’s mother (and all of the families) during their wait. Above is PLC co-founder, Jessica Courtney, giving Daryan’s a much needed break from the non-stop responsibilities of motherhood. As Daryan goes to surgery in the morning and recovers in ICU for the following few days, those are no doubt responsibilities she will be happy to take up again as soon as she can.
One thing about this work we do - it helps us appreciate the things that matter in life.
Follow 4-month-old Daryan on Twitter: @daryansalah. Subscribe to Daryan’s updates via RSS here. Follow Daryan’s thread of longer stories (with pictures) on the PLC blog here.
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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. |
Daryan Had Difficulty Giving Blood - Gained Only 1 lb. in Since Birth
July 22, 2009 by Jeremy · 1 Comment
You can probably discern this from the photos, but Daryan is not a normal four month old. At birth a “normal” newborn weighs more than Daryan weighs today as a four month old. What’s more is that Daryan is not growing. In the four months since birth he has only gained a single pound. He has had a lot of difficulty eating. And last night a great deal of energy was expended trying to acquire the six vials of blood that were needed to run his blood tests.
But Daryan is doing well this morning and we are hoping for a Friday surgery if all else goes well. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we are still waiting for an operability assessment and trying not to forget the sobriety of what was meant when Dr. Aso Faek in Iraq said Daryan was the “worst case” he’s ever seen.
Follow 4-month-old Daryan on Twitter: @daryansalah. Subscribe to Daryan’s updates via RSS here. Follow Daryan’s thread of longer stories (with pictures) on the PLC blog here.
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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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