Brain Ultrasound

To the doctor's surprise, Pierce's brain ultrasound came back better than expected. With the potassium levels as high as they were, Dr. Kueser was expecting some serious bleeding. There is bleeding, but the bleeding is at a grade 2. Basically, he is bleeding some into his spinal fluid. It can clean itself out, but it could also clot and cause the ventricles to be unable to drain the spinal fluid. That and the health of his lungs are what we need to pray for right now. That this bleeding will pass and that Pierce will not have to have his ventricles drained and a stint put in. At his size, he is likely too small too have the surgery. So pray it up. We are sensing God's presence and your prayers and the defying of medical opinion has already begun to take place. Please continue to pray that his lungs will develop quickly and that his organs will follow suit.

As the Lord sustains Pierce, it is going to be a roller coaster for us. For the last two days Lindsay and I have been sustained only by the grace of God, which I am sure was fueled by your prayers. We need to return many of your calls and emails but I don't know exactly when that will happen. Most of the time all we can do is pray, cry, and doze off from exhaustion. Let me say, God has taken very good care of us. From our time at Pineville CMC to our current stay at CMC Main, we have found favor in the eyes of the staff. Yesterday, one of the day nurses requested to have Pierce in her care permanently. Her name is Lindsay, please pray for her. Dr. Kueser, has been the regular day doctor this week in the NICU, and what a blessing he is. Not only is he himself a blessing, but his partner who will cover next week's shift, as they alternate weekly in the NICU,   is an elder at Christ Covenant Church here in Charlotte. What a blessing to have a man filled with the Holy Spirit to be working on Pierce! Please pray for all the staff that are caring for Pierce.

Please do not get the idea that things are going well. 12 years ago they would not even have given you the option to try and sustain a 23 week old preemie. Today, 23 weeks is the cut off. Again, there is only a 25-30% chance of his surviving. But God takes no account of odds or percentages. "He is in the heavens  and He does what He pleases." He has allotted to each of us the number of days that we have on this earth, and we pray that he has given Pierce an abundance of days. In many ways, all of our life's are just as fragile as Pierce's. We are all sustained by our creator. My lungs go up and down because God allowed me to take another breath. And it is the same with Pierce. God's love though is amazing. You and I don't deserve it but He gives it freely. God gave His Son for me so that I might know for sure the He loves me and that he loves Pierce more than me. Pierce is in His creator's hands. The Lord is able to pull Him through. Keep praying. God is not some psychological false hope, He is the True and Living God.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Grace and Peace,


Nik, Lindsay, and Pierce