The Goodwins

Thanks to a neat little Word Press Plugin names “Subscribe2” one can now “subscribe” to our blog to receive automatic emails.  There are two ways to do this now.  You can either:

1. “Register” with the site by creating a subscriber account (see the See “Register” link in the bottom left side under the “Meta” menu).  NOTE TO OUR FOLKS.  We set up your accounts so you don’t have to.  NOTE TO EVERYONE ELSE:  You didn’t go through labor birthing us or pay for our college so you’re on your own. or
2. You can do a “quick subscribe” by entering in the email you want the updates sent to. A confirmation will be sent to you and after you validate your subscription you will receive an email of any new post (and sometimes updates ones as well).

For anyone else reading this and wanting to know how to set it up for their WordPress Blog, it’s VERY VERY EASY.  Just go to the Subscribe2 and follow the directions.  The new WordPress versions will even automatically install the plugin for you through the plugin module.  While you’re getting that plugin, I’d also recommend getting “Postie” which will make it very easy to send emails to be posted on your blog.  Hoepfully with Postie we will make more frequent posts here!

Today Polly will be under anesthesia for her angiograph to aid the surgeons in understanding where the surgery in her brain should occur.  The date of the first surgery will be set after this, but is likely to be in a couple of weeks.

Please keep her and her parents in your prayers so she will be stroke and seizure free and bounce back from these procedures and surgeries and that her parents will feel the presence of the Lord during these tough times.

You can keep up with the Marchenko’s here.  http://lintofpocket.wordpress.com/

I wanted to updated everyone on Polly, the Marchenko’s 3 year old daughter with Down syndrome. Last Sunday Polly appeared to have multiple seizures. As she’d never had seizures, she was taken to Children’s Memorial in Chicago, not too far from the church where Sergei Marchenko pastors.  He and his family are our sponsored missionaries for Bonnie and my church adult bible fellowship (’ABF’) group.

The doctors at Children’s Memorial determined that she has Moyamoya syndrome.

In Moyamoya syndrome blood vessels in the brain are abnormally constricted which may lead to clots (thrombosis). To compensate the brain will often develop “collateral circulation” vessels.  Unfortunately these vessels are typically weaker and prone to hemorrhage, aneurysm and thrombosis. Persons with Down syndrome, neurofibromatosis, or sickle cell disease have a higher rate than moyamoya malformations but some studies indicate that it may be also inherited.

Children with Moyamoya may experience strokes and/or seizures. Often these are transient ischemic attacks (TIA) or “mini-strokes” and are often accompanied by muscular weakness or paralysis affecting one side of the body, or seizures.

It appears that our beautiful little Polly experienced at least one TIA and there is some decreased motility of her right leg.  Fortunately the doctors are expecting a full recovery of that leg.

Moyamoya is often treated with medication as well as surgery. While surgery does have risk of additional strokes, in the vast majority of cases the patients are stroke free for a good period of time. Of course there are multiple types of surgery and medications available to manage and treat the symptoms of Moyamoya syndrome.

In regard to Polly, I just learned that Polly will be undergoing surgery in Mid-November.

Please keep Polly and her family in your prayers.

I took this short video on my blackberry yesterday. Please pardon the shakiness of the camera as it was harder than I thought to hold the blackberry steady as Ella moved around on my lap.  If you look closely you can see Justice in the background happily swinging!

If you’re not seeing anything, try clicking here for the smaller version

or clicking here for the larger version.

Our dear friends are in the process of adopting a beautiful little girl from eastern Europe. Her name is to be Evangeline. She is a child with Down syndrome, just as their youngest Polly.

As a parent of a child with Down syndrome we are blessed to have them as friends and are supporting them in their adoption quest both in prayer and financially.

Before Sergei began pastoring at the Christian Fellowship Free Church in Chicago, he and his family attended The Chapel in Saint Joseph, MI. Their former church family had a baby shower and this video was created for that shower.

For more information on their adoption process please go to http://expectingevangeline.blogspot.com/

If you ware interested in providing financial support please go to http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsormarchenko.htm