Jade Needs A Sprinkling of Fairy Dust

Jade is our niece, my sister-in-law's granddaughter.  She's four years old and not much bigger than a two-year old.  

Her size is a sign, or symptom if you will, of a birth defect.  No one knew,  or even suspected.   They just thought she was small for her age.


Her mother was 16 when Jade was born.  Now, only 20, she's learning medical terms like "coarctation of the aorta".

She first heard of that just a couple of weeks ago, when Jade saw her family doctor for a persistent fever, then was hustled off to a specialist at the University of Iowa Health Center.

The aorta is the major artery leading out of the heart.  Coarctation means narrowing.  The effect is that the proper amount of blood is not being pumped through the body.

Heart surgery must be performed to remove the part of the aorta that has narrowed and a graft used to replace it.  Jade's surgery is scheduled for the morning of August 25.

This can be a very risky surgery for a four-year old.  The family has been assured that UIHC Children's Hospital is among the best in the country.  That's comforting.

But the real comfort  will come down the road, when Jade has recovered and can once again play dress up and be a fairy princess which is her very favorite thing.

For now, all Jade knows is that the doctors are going to fix her heart.  She doesn't understand congenital birth defects, coarctation of the aorta, or open heart surgery.


She's not afraid.  Children are only afraid of that which we make them afraid.  

So we are afraid for her.

If you pray, please say one for Jade.  If you don't pray, at least give her a thought.  Good karma, energy, whatever you want to call it, is welcome.

Right now, Jade can use a little sprinkling of fairy dust.  Perhaps we all can.


.....by Wendel Potter
wendelsworld@yahoo.com 

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