Friends,

We are so blessed, coming to you humbly tonight, praising Jesus.

Kaden is an absolute miracle. We have spent weeks in front of doctors, under various scopes, next to several monitors, and countless hours in prayer. Today we had the last echocardiogram that we will have until Kaden is born.

The procedure in Boston was six weeks ago. The goal of that procedure was to prevent Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). We knew that procedure was a success, and we saw immediate results. We also knew  that in order to achieve our goal, we would have to monitor his heart,  be patient, and lean in and stand strong in our faith.

The last visit to the cardiologist two weeks ago put some of this in perspective. We were told we had seen all of the progress we were going to see. His condition had gone from critical to severe (an improvement), and there was a question of additional damage to other areas of the heart. The physicians thought at that point we had prevented the HLHS, but ultimately wouldn’t know the condition of his heart until he was born. In all honesty, we left that appointment disappointed. We had hoped for more….. Nate kept saying God has a firm grip on this kid……

We were reminded that God has a plan for this life, and we had to put our expectations in check.

We went into our appointment today with the cardiologists humbly and patient. We didn’t have any expectations, yet what we found was an absolute miracle. In our limited cardiac vocabulary, here is what we found: The flow across the aortic valve is strong and in one direction. There is no leakage from that valve. The size of the left ventricle is normal, and has some contractility. The pressure in the left ventricle is in the 20’s (It was 70 – and 50 is considered severe). The gradience through the aorta was also in the 70’s 8 weeks ago, today it is 25. There is no regurgitation across the atrial septum, and the regurgitation across the mitral valve is minimal. We were stunned getting this news. This is more than we could have ever asked or imagined, yet it is exactly what we (and all of you) have been asking for…. So it is really a surprise?

We know this journey is not over. We are prepped and ready for what God has in store for us. Kaden will still be in the ICU when he is born. We understand the valves are not normal, and may need replaced at some point in his life. We are so absolutely grateful that his condition has gone from critical to severe to mild in two short months. We knew Kaden was an ideal candidate for the fetal intervention in Boston; today Kaden is the poster child for success. We are praising Jesus!!

Thank you for being with us on this journey.