The Goodwins

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

Ella is doing a bit better.  After several crying spells last night she’s doing better.  Her right eye is still swollen  shut but she’s starting to be able to see out of her left eye.

I left her, after several goodbye kisses and hugs, as seen in the picture to the right, watching Veggietales, eating bananas and juice.

Bonnie tells me she’s still in good spirits and has been playing like her normal self.

I’m back in the office dealing with crises, crisii?, multiple crisis-es?, well lets say multiple issues, but they seem a bit less dire for some reason.

Ah, life goes on….

Just waiting for Kirk to bring the car around and then we’re gone!