When we called West Park hospital, we were amazed. She was on her way! You normally can’t transport a healthy mother just to be near her child, but they did. Another miracle!

When Stefanie arrived and we discussed the heart difficulties, we made the decision to medicate Matthias to delay his heart valve from closing. We knew it would be temporary but his heart was like a patchwork quilt. As damaged as his heart was, with the valve open, it functioned. He was not in pain but we knew once the natural closing of the valve occurred, he would not survive.

We wanted enough time. Time for grandparents and siblings to hold him, time for them to come to terms with the inevitable and maybe, just maybe he could survive until our oldest daughter returned home from Rome.