42 CELEBRATION NEWS - January 2014 A New <str<strong>on</strong>g>Celebrati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> of Life By Nicole Parris Up<strong>on</strong> entering the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Celebrati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> Welcome Center we were immediately embraced with offers to assist our family, as we returned to Florida from a l<strong>on</strong>g stay in St. Louis NICU and our home in Virginia. Mommy battling wires and tubes after transplant. My sec<strong>on</strong>d child Wrenn came three weeks early and never returned to my delivery room that April evening in 2010. Within 24 hours she was placed in the Winnie Palmer NICU (ne<strong>on</strong>atal intensive care unit) . Ten days later the doctors said Wrenn was in respiratory distress and that the X-rays were unchanged even after administering multiple antibiotics. At this point the pulm<strong>on</strong>ary team ordered genetic testing. Our lives paused while we waited those grueling five weeks and the NICU became our new family at Winnie Palmer. Our w<strong>on</strong>derful primary nurses moved Wrenn next to a big window, which gave us some privacy and a bit more space. During our visits with her, I made friends with some amazing people as I watched them care for my sick baby. The Winnie Palmer staff literally carried our family through those uncertain days. In early July the tests showed that Wrenn had a rare genetic lung disease called ABCA3 Surfactant Deficiency, <strong>on</strong>e of four cases worldwide. She lacked the protein needed to keep her lungs open, which was why she required eight liters of oxygen. Bottom line– the <strong>on</strong>ly way Wrenn had a chance to live was through d<strong>on</strong>or lungs. She would need a double lung transplant, as so<strong>on</strong> as possible. Tanner and Wrenn. My heart stopped beating at that moment, and I wasn’t breathing because my lips, I was told, were purple. Wrenn was transported to St. Louis immediately to await transplant and we followed. For seven weeks, in the St. Louis NICU, Wrenn almost died, had high fevers, was <strong>on</strong> eighteen to twenty medicati<strong>on</strong>s daily and was placed <strong>on</strong> a paralytic. Wrenn during her visit to the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Celebrati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> Finally, <strong>on</strong> September 21, the Welcome Center. transplant coordinator entered my room and told me that new lungs were en route. We helped wheel Wrenn into surgery and kissed her goodbye, worried that we might be doing so for the last time. Unfortunately, lung transplants aren’t like heart, liver, and kidney transplants where people can live for several decades with multiple transplants; it’s a much younger surgery and has <strong>on</strong>ly been performed a few decades. The statistics for lung transplantati<strong>on</strong> aren’t good. Wrenn has <strong>on</strong>ly a 50% chance of surviving five years, and a 20% chance of surviving ten years. Our life was <strong>on</strong> pause for almost an entire year while we lived day and night in two hospitals. I barely recall a specific memory or photo with our s<strong>on</strong>, Tanner, in that year, as his life had been put <strong>on</strong> hold as well. In the children’s hospital, I heard so many sad stories from other families. To this day, nothing surprises me anymore–I have heard it all. I often found myself thanking God for all the little miracles we experienced. I now have a new outlook <strong>on</strong> life and an appreciati<strong>on</strong> for the good days, which I c<strong>on</strong>tinue to hold <strong>on</strong> to for dear life. We are excited to be a part of the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Celebrati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> community. I know our children will enjoy their childhood in this amazing town, which they already call home. When you see Wrenn at the parks and around town, please say hello to her and her six-year old brother, Tanner, and know her surgical mask is for her protecti<strong>on</strong>. If you would like to reach out to the Parris family, please email debiemcd<strong>on</strong>ald@mac.com for informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> providing help throughout the year. CELEBRATION RESIDENTS ONLY DECEMBER PROMO FOR 1st CLEANING Apartments $70 for 2 hrs. 1st Cleaning Houses $30 OFF 1st Cleaning Protect your family from harsh chemicals. We use <strong>on</strong>ly 100% Organic Products. We care about your health! Ask about refrigerator cleaning. Call Us for FREE Estimate (<strong>40</strong>7) 572-3969 Insured www.LiveOrganiClean.com Best Service • Regular Cleaning • Deep Cleaning
43 CELEBRATION NEWS - <str<strong>on</strong>g>Dec</str<strong>on</strong>g>ember <str<strong>on</strong>g>2013</str<strong>on</strong>g>