Monday, March 30th
Hi friends. I am in need of a few prayers. We had to go to pcmc to the e.r. for ethan yesterday. He was just admitted this morning to the hospital. We can't answer calls or texts right now. We r at a.f. hospital. I will give u more updates later. :(
Hi friends. I am in need of a few prayers. We had to go to pcmc to the e.r. for ethan yesterday. He was just admitted this morning to the hospital. We can't answer calls or texts right now. We r at a.f. hospital. I will give u more updates later. :(
Monday, March 30th
Ethan update: ethan had a little cough a few weeks ago. Monday night he woke up with a fever and a cough so I was worried about pneumonia. I took him to the Dr and they said it seemed viral and just to watch him. On Wednesday he still had a high fever of 105 so I took him back in. We did a chest xray and the radiologist said it just looked like a little viral something going on (as we have looked back he had pneumonia on wednesday and they misdiagnosed it). We took him to the e.r. at pcmc on sunday because he still had a fever and a cough. They looked him over but didn't do labs or an xray and they sent us home and said he just had a viral fever. Last night chad and I were up with ethan all night because he was moaning and breathing so heavy. We took him to the Dr again today and we were admitted straight to the hospital. His left lung is full of pneumonia. Right now we are doing i.v. abx and fluids and oxygen. He is lethargic and just lays there - so sad. We aren't out of the woods yet so please keep us in your prayers.
Ethan update: ethan had a little cough a few weeks ago. Monday night he woke up with a fever and a cough so I was worried about pneumonia. I took him to the Dr and they said it seemed viral and just to watch him. On Wednesday he still had a high fever of 105 so I took him back in. We did a chest xray and the radiologist said it just looked like a little viral something going on (as we have looked back he had pneumonia on wednesday and they misdiagnosed it). We took him to the e.r. at pcmc on sunday because he still had a fever and a cough. They looked him over but didn't do labs or an xray and they sent us home and said he just had a viral fever. Last night chad and I were up with ethan all night because he was moaning and breathing so heavy. We took him to the Dr again today and we were admitted straight to the hospital. His left lung is full of pneumonia. Right now we are doing i.v. abx and fluids and oxygen. He is lethargic and just lays there - so sad. We aren't out of the woods yet so please keep us in your prayers.
Wednesday, April 1st
Ethan Update: our poor little e-man has taken a turn for the worse today. His heart rate is high (180-200) and he is struggling to breathe. He is still on abx and i.v. fluids and not eating or drinking. Our doctor is worried that he has fluid outside of the lungs as well so a specialist from pcmc is going to do an ultrasound today. If there is fluid there ethan will be transferred to pcmc for surgery to drain the fluid and then he will have a chest tube placed. We found out that this is definitely a bacterial infection and not a viral one. They are calling it an old school pneumonia because they rarely see this anymore with the vaccinations we have. Please keep the prayers coming - we need it.
Ethan Update: our poor little e-man has taken a turn for the worse today. His heart rate is high (180-200) and he is struggling to breathe. He is still on abx and i.v. fluids and not eating or drinking. Our doctor is worried that he has fluid outside of the lungs as well so a specialist from pcmc is going to do an ultrasound today. If there is fluid there ethan will be transferred to pcmc for surgery to drain the fluid and then he will have a chest tube placed. We found out that this is definitely a bacterial infection and not a viral one. They are calling it an old school pneumonia because they rarely see this anymore with the vaccinations we have. Please keep the prayers coming - we need it.
Wednesday, April 1st
Update: we are being transferred to pcmc by ambulance. Ethan has fluid outside of his lungs. Not looking good.
Update: we are being transferred to pcmc by ambulance. Ethan has fluid outside of his lungs. Not looking good.
Wednesday, April 1st
We r now going by life flight and he will be in icu after surgery.
We r now going by life flight and he will be in icu after surgery.
Life flight to pcmc. He isn't stable enough for ambulance.
Update: I was allowed to fly in the helicopter with ethan. I had a headset on in the front seat and I could hear them working on ethan in the back of the helicopter. Over the headset i could hear them say that his blood pressure plummeted and I thought "this is it." Horrible. We landed at pcmc and he was surrounded by about 20 people. His left lung was completely blocked with fluid. They just finished surgery and placed a tube in his chest. It has drained 500 ml of fluid from his chest. He is awake and on morphine for pain. We r in the peds icu. No visitors r needed right now because it is pretty intense right now. Thanks for the prayers. Love to all.
Update: I was allowed to fly in the helicopter with ethan. I had a headset on in the front seat and I could hear them working on ethan in the back of the helicopter. Over the headset i could hear them say that his blood pressure plummeted and I thought "this is it." Horrible. We landed at pcmc and he was surrounded by about 20 people. His left lung was completely blocked with fluid. They just finished surgery and placed a tube in his chest. It has drained 500 ml of fluid from his chest. He is awake and on morphine for pain. We r in the peds icu. No visitors r needed right now because it is pretty intense right now. Thanks for the prayers. Love to all.
Thursday, April 2nd
Some on this list may not know but ethan was taken by life flight to pcmc for severe pneumonia and fluid outside of his lungs. He had emergency surgery and a chest tube was placed. Here is the update for today:
Some on this list may not know but ethan was taken by life flight to pcmc for severe pneumonia and fluid outside of his lungs. He had emergency surgery and a chest tube was placed. Here is the update for today:
Update: We were transferred to the med floor late last night because Ethan seemed stable. When we got to the floor his heart rate went up and he started breathing hard again. His tummy became really distended. The doctors were worried about what was making him distended so they ordered a KUB (xray). The xray showed that it seemed to just be gas (thankfully). His chest tube is still draining fluid. We need him to start coughing but the chest tube makes it really painful. It is a balancing act between pain control and keeping his bowels moving. He is so tough and doesn't complain. The doctors and nurses always mention about how sweet and obedient he is. When they have to do something painful to him he just says "okay". They also comment about his eyelashes. Today we are doing more chest xrays and meeting with the group of doctors to discuss what to do next. We are anxious for him to sleep - he hasn't had a full nights sleep in about 2 weeks. We are so grateful for your love and prayers and we are sustained by them. We are sorry we don't answer all of the texts and emails. Our goal for him (and us) is to rest right now so we will let you know when we are ready for visitors. Love to all.
Thursday, April 2nd
Our little fighter. Thanks for the prayers.
Friday, April 3rd:
Update: rough night last night. Ethan had breakthrough pain that we couldn't control. Awful. Stomach really distended and still fevering. He has 750 ml out of his lungs so far and still draining. The doctors are concerned that he is still fevering and still draining so much. The cultures of blood and the drainage haven't grown anything - which is good and bad. Because it doesn't grow anything they aren't sure if they are treating it correctly. Today our goal is pain control and making sure he doesn't have an intestinal blockage. The good news today is that Ethans nurse looks like a super model - at least he can have her to look at all day. :) Tomorrow is Ethan's bday and visitors are welcome. You have to check in at the desk with i.d. and get a badge. Please keep any visits short because he doesn't have enough energy to stay awake very long. Keep praying. Thanks for all the love and support - we feel it.
Saturday, April 4th
Update: Happy Birthday Ethan! Your prayers are the best birthday present Ethan could have received. We experienced a miracle last night. The doctors got the Infectious Disease team on board and they have been awesome. They came into his room and took control. They took an extensive history and they are 90% sure the Empyema Ethan has is caused by Streptococcus Pneumoniae. They wanted to put a Picc Line in Ethan's arm yesterday that he will go home with but anesthesia wouldn't do it because they felt he wasn't stable enough. Ethan's heart rate is down this morning and he is only on a little bit of oxygen. They started another i.v. on him yesterday and he just said "ok." He didn't cry and just sat there. He has gained the reputation on the unit as the toughest 2 year old they have ever seen. It really is amazing - his name does mean "strong". The chest tube continues to drain and it has drained a total of 1200 ml off of his little 2 year old chest. We have a lot of student doctors coming through to look at it because it is pretty impressive. The doctors reevaluated Ethans pain meds and they have changed it up and it seems be working better and controlling the pain. The chest tube is so painful. For those who will be visiting PLEASE no sick visitors. Ethan's immune system is working on overdrive to fight what he has now. Once again thank you for your love and support. It truly has been a miracle to watch the change Ethan has made last night and this morning.
Update: rough night last night. Ethan had breakthrough pain that we couldn't control. Awful. Stomach really distended and still fevering. He has 750 ml out of his lungs so far and still draining. The doctors are concerned that he is still fevering and still draining so much. The cultures of blood and the drainage haven't grown anything - which is good and bad. Because it doesn't grow anything they aren't sure if they are treating it correctly. Today our goal is pain control and making sure he doesn't have an intestinal blockage. The good news today is that Ethans nurse looks like a super model - at least he can have her to look at all day. :) Tomorrow is Ethan's bday and visitors are welcome. You have to check in at the desk with i.d. and get a badge. Please keep any visits short because he doesn't have enough energy to stay awake very long. Keep praying. Thanks for all the love and support - we feel it.
Saturday, April 4th
Update: Happy Birthday Ethan! Your prayers are the best birthday present Ethan could have received. We experienced a miracle last night. The doctors got the Infectious Disease team on board and they have been awesome. They came into his room and took control. They took an extensive history and they are 90% sure the Empyema Ethan has is caused by Streptococcus Pneumoniae. They wanted to put a Picc Line in Ethan's arm yesterday that he will go home with but anesthesia wouldn't do it because they felt he wasn't stable enough. Ethan's heart rate is down this morning and he is only on a little bit of oxygen. They started another i.v. on him yesterday and he just said "ok." He didn't cry and just sat there. He has gained the reputation on the unit as the toughest 2 year old they have ever seen. It really is amazing - his name does mean "strong". The chest tube continues to drain and it has drained a total of 1200 ml off of his little 2 year old chest. We have a lot of student doctors coming through to look at it because it is pretty impressive. The doctors reevaluated Ethans pain meds and they have changed it up and it seems be working better and controlling the pain. The chest tube is so painful. For those who will be visiting PLEASE no sick visitors. Ethan's immune system is working on overdrive to fight what he has now. Once again thank you for your love and support. It truly has been a miracle to watch the change Ethan has made last night and this morning.
Sunday, April 5th
Update: Happy Birthday to Ethan yesterday. This is a picture of one of the doctors in training. He and Ethan hit it off so Brock got Ethan this robot for his birthday. Ethan won't let it go - it is pretty special to him. Even though Ethan is in so much pain he still tried to muster up a smile in this picture. Yesterday was a little rough. It was hard seeing your little one in so much pain in the hospital on his bday. I have been pretty emotional and the next thing I know a social worker was sent to talk to me. :) I told her "I haven't slept in 2 1/2 weeks and I have a child in the hospital. I'm not crazy - yet." The chest tube is really painful and yesterday we couldn't control the pain very well. Today we have increased his pain meds and it seems to be helping. Our issue now is that Ethans tummy is really distended because of all the pain meds and it is painful to go potty. The chest tube has drained 1500 ml so far and still draining. It doesn't look like it will come out any time soon. We are trying to get Ethan to move around a little bit to help clear out the secretions from the lungs and to help with the bowels. He is in so much pain that it makes it difficult. We made him try to walk today and he took 4 shaking steps and had to stop. Last night Chad's mission president who is now a member of the 70 came by to give Ethan a blessing. When he walked in the room it felt like the savior was in our presence. He grabbed Chad's face and my face in his hands and kissed our cheeks. He said "I can feel the love the savior has for you and your family." He gave Ethan a beautiful blessing as well as chad and me. I thanked him for taking the time to come especially because he is so busy with conference. He said "there are important things we do as 70s and then there are more important things we have to do. This is one of those things I had to do." He told chad that he would put Ethan's name on the first presidency prayer roll (I didn't know they had that).
Monday, April 6th (NOTE: I am not positive if this text was from April 6th or April 5th)
Ethan had more labs drawn this morning and although not normal they seem to be improving. The infectious disease doctors tell us that this is a long slow process because the pleural space doesn't have a lot of blood flow so it takes a long time for the abx to work. The doctors are encouraged that Ethans fevers are doing better.
Monday, April 6th
Update: Last night Elder Craig Zwick of the 70 came by to give Ethan a blessing but we were out of the room. He called me on my cell phone to let me know the first presidency and the 12 are praying for him personally - that makes me feel good.:) He is my dear friend's twin brother. He told me he was going to be with elder eyring and elder nelson today and he was going to discuss ethans situation with elder nelson. :) Elder Zwick said Ethan is doing better than about 5 of the apostles - president monson included. He sent me a beautiful text that I will include in another text. Ethan's pain was difficult to control last night but this morning he seems to be doing better with pain. Brynn and Cate slept over with us and I think it was the best medicine for Ethan. He even let out a giggle. The "smartest man in the hospital" (according to the doctors here) stopped by Ethan's room today. He was from the Infectious team and he was amazing. He said that there are 90 strains of strep pneumoniae and the prevnar vaccine covers 30 of them. That means there are 60 strains out there with no vaccine for them. He said utah has the highest rate of Empyema in the country because we have some pretty wicked strains of strep pneumoniae here. The cdc has been to utah many times to investigate why we get Empyema 50% more than any other state. (I think we are going to move to Hawaii after this. :) The doctors say Ethan's progress is slower than they would hope but it is still progress. Ethan is really spicy and ornery today and the doctors think that is encouraging. His favorite phrase to say today is "Don't touch me." He even said it to the "smart guy." :) I have decided to dry my tears because tears wont help our ethan get better. I have to be a little mean and make ethan move around -
no matter how painful it is for him. We have to clear out his lungs and bowels. As always thank u for your prayers, love, concern and acts of service. We couldn't do this without all of you.
no matter how painful it is for him. We have to clear out his lungs and bowels. As always thank u for your prayers, love, concern and acts of service. We couldn't do this without all of you.
Monday, April 6th
This is the sweet text message from Elder Zwick:
Precious Michele, We align our faith with yours, with the assurance that Ethan will soon be all better and very much living a life of a healthy 3-year old. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve will combine their prayers (by name for Ethan) with ours and we are confident that a loving Heavenly Father, the Master Healer, will reach out to this great young man, Ethan. Ethan’s future is bright and he will be a powerful missionary and wonderful example to his older brothers and sisters. We commend Ethan’s noble parents! Please keep in touch, Craig and Jan Zwick
Precious Michele, We align our faith with yours, with the assurance that Ethan will soon be all better and very much living a life of a healthy 3-year old. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve will combine their prayers (by name for Ethan) with ours and we are confident that a loving Heavenly Father, the Master Healer, will reach out to this great young man, Ethan. Ethan’s future is bright and he will be a powerful missionary and wonderful example to his older brothers and sisters. We commend Ethan’s noble parents! Please keep in touch, Craig and Jan Zwick
Monday, April 6th 6:10 PM
Here is a guy in a red cape with an "s" on his chest and below him is the real superman.
April 7th 10:41 AM
The infectious disease doctors asked us if we would be willing to participate in a study for Empyema. We consented and they took some of Ethan's pleural fluid and combined it with their syrum. Because Ethan's pleural fluid doesn't test positive for anything viral or bacterial they wanted to experiment to see if they could still grow something after abx. Dr. Pavia (the brilliant doctor) came into our room last night and said, "I have news hot off the press. We tested Ethan's pleural fluid with our syrum and it grew strep pneumoniae. This could change how labs test for bacteria in the future once our study gets approval. All labs will start doing this." I guess Ethan had to take one for the team. :) Unfortunately Ethan spiked a fever today and his heart rate and respirations are up again. Sigh. The tube isnt putting out as much fluid which could be good - and bad. We did blood labs this morning after 4 attempts and he had a chest xray this morning which is pretty painful for him with his chest tube because they have to put him in contorted positions. It now looks like he has a couple of damaged areas in his left lung and there are 2 places in the lung that are collapsed. We just found out that means readjusting the chest tube, placing another chest tube or placing a larger chest tube. Sigh. He has 1700 mls out of his chest so far - unbelievable. As we have walked around the hospital each room is sadder than the next so it makes us grateful for what we are dealing with because at least we have hope. On Easter the hospital had an Easter Egg hunt for the patients. It broke my heart watching little cancer pt's pick up eggs. This hospital is a pretty reverent place. I think if the savior were here today he might visit this hospital first.
The infectious disease doctors asked us if we would be willing to participate in a study for Empyema. We consented and they took some of Ethan's pleural fluid and combined it with their syrum. Because Ethan's pleural fluid doesn't test positive for anything viral or bacterial they wanted to experiment to see if they could still grow something after abx. Dr. Pavia (the brilliant doctor) came into our room last night and said, "I have news hot off the press. We tested Ethan's pleural fluid with our syrum and it grew strep pneumoniae. This could change how labs test for bacteria in the future once our study gets approval. All labs will start doing this." I guess Ethan had to take one for the team. :) Unfortunately Ethan spiked a fever today and his heart rate and respirations are up again. Sigh. The tube isnt putting out as much fluid which could be good - and bad. We did blood labs this morning after 4 attempts and he had a chest xray this morning which is pretty painful for him with his chest tube because they have to put him in contorted positions. It now looks like he has a couple of damaged areas in his left lung and there are 2 places in the lung that are collapsed. We just found out that means readjusting the chest tube, placing another chest tube or placing a larger chest tube. Sigh. He has 1700 mls out of his chest so far - unbelievable. As we have walked around the hospital each room is sadder than the next so it makes us grateful for what we are dealing with because at least we have hope. On Easter the hospital had an Easter Egg hunt for the patients. It broke my heart watching little cancer pt's pick up eggs. This hospital is a pretty reverent place. I think if the savior were here today he might visit this hospital first.
April 7th 6:34 PM
Ethan Update: I don't even know where to begin. Sigh. We have had our worst news yet today. Dr. Stone felt like we should do another chest xray. (Ethan has had more radiation than a Delta worker at baggage check). On the xray it showed that ethan has a completely collapsed lung on the left side and parts of his lung have died. After the chest xray Ethan had to do a CAT scan. They wanted to sedate him but we thought he would be able to hold still - and he did. He has to go in for another surgery to place another chest tube to drain air that us now leaking into the lower abdomen. If that doesn't work then he has to have lung surgery where they remove part of his lung - horrible surgery. We are devastated and are in need of constant prayers right now. We don't know how much more our little one can take. The doctors have been so kind and have even cried with us. We are so grateful for the gospel and for the knowledge that we have of God's eternal plan for all of us. Our Savior 's love continues to warm our hearts in this cold, little hospital room. We are grateful for earthly angels and for heavenly angels we have felt from the other side. We need a miracle........
April 8th 10:55 AM
Ethan Update 4/8/15:
It was a long night last night. Ethan was continuously monitored all night to make sure he was stable enough for surgery this morning. If his heart rate dropped even a little bit we had a room full of doctors at the bedside. Ethan had another surgery this morning and a second chest tube was placed. Because Ethan had a collapsed left lung, a new chest tube needed to be placed to drain the air out of the chest in hopes that the lung would re-inflate. Miraculously his lung re-inflated once the tube was inserted. Now we just need to keep the air out of his chest with the chest tubes to allow the lung to heal. We understand it will be a slow process. If this tube doesnt work then we have to do anither surgery where they take out part of his lung. We are praying to avoid that surgery. The surgery today was in the "Utah Jazz" room that was donated by Larry Miller - it was amazing. Dr. Feola placed the tube and we hear he is the most experienced at it. The only time Ethan has cried was today when they told him he had to take his byu shirt off for surgery. Needless to say, they let him keep his byu shirt on until he was sedated. They put it back on him in the o.r. before he woke up. The doctors say one chest tube is painful so you can imagine what two chest tubes would feel like. Pain control is our goal today. Ethan has started quite a matchbox car collection. Anytime he has a new procedure performed he asks the medical staff if he can have a car. He keeps them lined up on on a pillow by him. Through this process I didn't know my heart could hurt so much but I also didn't know my heart could love so much. We are so grateful for modern medicine, your prayers...............and miracles.
It was a long night last night. Ethan was continuously monitored all night to make sure he was stable enough for surgery this morning. If his heart rate dropped even a little bit we had a room full of doctors at the bedside. Ethan had another surgery this morning and a second chest tube was placed. Because Ethan had a collapsed left lung, a new chest tube needed to be placed to drain the air out of the chest in hopes that the lung would re-inflate. Miraculously his lung re-inflated once the tube was inserted. Now we just need to keep the air out of his chest with the chest tubes to allow the lung to heal. We understand it will be a slow process. If this tube doesnt work then we have to do anither surgery where they take out part of his lung. We are praying to avoid that surgery. The surgery today was in the "Utah Jazz" room that was donated by Larry Miller - it was amazing. Dr. Feola placed the tube and we hear he is the most experienced at it. The only time Ethan has cried was today when they told him he had to take his byu shirt off for surgery. Needless to say, they let him keep his byu shirt on until he was sedated. They put it back on him in the o.r. before he woke up. The doctors say one chest tube is painful so you can imagine what two chest tubes would feel like. Pain control is our goal today. Ethan has started quite a matchbox car collection. Anytime he has a new procedure performed he asks the medical staff if he can have a car. He keeps them lined up on on a pillow by him. Through this process I didn't know my heart could hurt so much but I also didn't know my heart could love so much. We are so grateful for modern medicine, your prayers...............and miracles.
April 9th 10:54 AM
Ethan Update 4/9/15:
I have decided that my texts are going to be a type of journal for me so if you would like to be taken off my list please let me know because I am going to start sending more texts more often so I can keep a record of our journey here.
I have decided that my texts are going to be a type of journal for me so if you would like to be taken off my list please let me know because I am going to start sending more texts more often so I can keep a record of our journey here.
Yesterday night we did another chest xray and it showed that the pleural space seems to be staying clear of the fluid. It also looked like the first chest tube has worked it's way into the lung tissue so they decided to remove the first chest tube last night. Ethan was tough as nails. Uncle Kim (who was here) mentioned that Ethan must have heavenly help with his pain because Kim talked to a patient who said a chest tube removal was one of the most painful things he has gone through. I wish we could part the veil in our room to see who is here with us. Today Ethan had another chest xray to make sure the 2nd chest tube is doing the job and it seems to be working. Now we just need to keep the air out of his abdomen that is leaking from the lungs and heal the lung where it is leaking. The doctors don't know how long it will take to heal. If the lung doesn't heal on its own then we have to do a major surgery to remove parts of the lung and put in a large chest tube. Dr. Myers is the surgeon who is working with Ethan and she is doing everything she can to avoid that surgery. She is world famous for separating conjoined twins. When she walks down the hall she has an entourage with her. Our goal is for Ethan to walk out of the hospital with the same two lungs he came here with. Elder Zwick of the 70 continues to call me and text me from Georgia so he can be kept in the loop. I have to smile when he texts me because he likes to use lots of Emojis when he sends a text. His texts are filled with pictures of balloons, smiley faces, flowers and praying icons. It is so cute. He said to me on the oh one yesterday, "Michele, you just wait and see. This is going to turn out great. Watch what the Lord can do."
April 9th 11:51 AM
Because Elder Zwick is out of town he sent Elder Malm of the 70 to our room yesterday. Elder Malm is on the Missionary Committee with Elder Zwick and he is from Sweden - which is fitting because Ethan has a bag of Swedish Fish by his side at all times. :) Elder Malm was tender yet strong and resolute. He looked at Ethan and commented on what a strong boy he could tell that he is. Before he gave a blessing he said he would like to have a word of prayer first. Ethan chimed in and said, "I want to say it." Ethan then gave the most tender prayer I have ever heard. He asked Heavenly Father to help him get better and thanked Heavenly Father for Jesus. Elder Malm gave Ethan a beautiful blessing. He blessed him to be a "miracle child" and through him others would believe in miracles, the priesthood and the Savior. When he finished giving Ethan a blessing he said that the spirit of this boy is a lot bigger than the little frame we see lying in this bed. He also told us to make sure Ethan prays to Heavenly Father to be healed. He admonished us to teach him about the Savior and the power of the atonement because he said, "the atonement covers this too." He then shared a scripture in D and C 24:13 and 14 and told us that it is good to ask God for miracles for the healing of the sick. He said God delights in giving his children miracles because he loves us perfectly. Elder Malm looked at me with my tear-filled eyes and said, "Can I give you a blessing?" He gave me a beautiful blessing and blessed me with things too sacred to share. I was assured that I would be strengthened physically, mentally, emotionally and especially spiritually. People often ask me how I am doing it with no sleep and not eating great. This is how- I am sustained by the Lord and through his priesthood. The strength I feel is palpable. I am reminded of the song, "finding strength beyond my own." I am a witness of this and of the power of the priesthood. It is real. It is powerful. It is of God.
April 9 12:13 PM
Ethan Update 4/9/15 (on the lighter side):
Ethan had a visit last night from Otis the dog. This dog was HUGE but you can't really tell from the picture. Otis put his paws right up on the bed and laid his head by Ethan and closed his eyes. It was so tender. Ethan was able to let out a little smile even with all of the pain. The owner of the dog said that Otis can only spend about an hour in the hospital with sick children because it is really draining and hard on him because he feels their sicknesses deeply. Otis had just visited the cancer floor before he saw Ethan. This dog can detect seizures in children and other illnesses. Amazing. Chad and I received yellow badges to wear while we are here because we are parents of a hospitalized child. We have noticed that some parents have laminated yellow badges and even yellow lanyards - that means you are a long-timer here. We have decided that our goal is to not get a lanyard or even have our badges laminated. We want to leave here with paper thin, makeshift badges. :) Through all of this I have still been able to find humor in funny things. I have to laugh at what some people say to us. The other night a medical student came in the room and said, "Is it hard to have your son in the hospital and to be here for a long time?" I laughed out loud. She then said, "Is it hard to have your other four kids at home without a mom?" Again, I had to laugh. She didn't know what to say after I had a good chuckle at her expense. When we were walking through the halls of A.F. hospital with the life flight crew and Ethan was on the stretcher, I was in tears and an absolute mess. We were rushing down the hall with the entire medical team and we passed a man in the hall who looked at me and said, "How ya doin'?" Again, I had to laugh because I had tears streaming down my cheeks, my son was on on a stretcher and I was getting into life flight. Maybe a head nod would have been more appropriate. :)
April 9th 1:09 PM
This is a sweet note that a PCT secretly left on our nightstand last night.
April 9th 1:33 PM
This is a sign that a patient across the hallway from us had on her door. It made me giggle. I asked the nurses about it and they said she was tired of everybody asking her how she felt because she feels like garbage. :)
This is the xray that landed us on life flight.
April 9th 3:34 PM
Ethan got a new i.v. today and another blood draw. He wants mommy to do everything - not the nurses. I joke with the nurses that they should watch me take a temperature - it is pretty amazing. :) They want to try and wean Ethan off of his pain meds because he has been on them for over a week. It is pretty cruel because he has a painful chest tube in his chest. I am excited to be able to hold Ethan again. When he is sad his favorite thing is to lay on my shoulder and cuddle. He just cant do that right now with his chest tube. :( Ethan is still into his Hot Wheels cars and holds them in his hands for every i.v., every chest xray, every CAT scan and every assessment. Chad's friend, John Lambert (an amazing writer), writes a world famous blog about Hot Wheels cars. Chad told John about Ethan and his obsession with cars in the hospital. John put a post on his blog about Ethan. Here is the link if you would like to read it:
http://lamleydlm.blogspot.com/2015/04/breaking-news-kids-still-love-hot.html
http://lamleydlm.blogspot.com/2015/04/breaking-news-kids-still-love-hot.html
Friday, April 10th 1:15 PM
He's baaaaaaccccckkkkk!!!!!!!!!
Our little Ethan came back to us today. Yep......we got our miracle! The lung seems to be healing itself according to the chest xray and we are going to clamp the chest tube tonight. If all goes well we will remove it tomorrow. Ethan miraculously decided he didn't need oxygen yesterday and he still doesn't need it today. The doctors said they don't know if they want Ethan to get better because that means he has to leave and he has weaved himself into their hearts. Ethan has been a hero through all of this and so has his daddy. They say you can tell true followers of Christ by how they treat others. Well, Chad has passed that test with flying colors. Amidst the trauma of watching your child suffer in the hospital, Chad hasn't missed a beat with his kindness and shares a smile with everyone he meets. He thanks every housekeeper, questions every nurse about her life, talks to each med student about their plans for the future and he checks in with the doctors about how their day is going. He constantly reminds me that the hospital staff are doing the best they can and to be grateful. Truly.......Chad amazes me and I am so grateful for such a great example (and rock) in my life. Our family can't thank you enough for your prayers and love. I know that miracles still exist in the world today because I am sitting by one right now. Love to all of you from me and Ethan (the REAL Superman).
Our little Ethan came back to us today. Yep......we got our miracle! The lung seems to be healing itself according to the chest xray and we are going to clamp the chest tube tonight. If all goes well we will remove it tomorrow. Ethan miraculously decided he didn't need oxygen yesterday and he still doesn't need it today. The doctors said they don't know if they want Ethan to get better because that means he has to leave and he has weaved himself into their hearts. Ethan has been a hero through all of this and so has his daddy. They say you can tell true followers of Christ by how they treat others. Well, Chad has passed that test with flying colors. Amidst the trauma of watching your child suffer in the hospital, Chad hasn't missed a beat with his kindness and shares a smile with everyone he meets. He thanks every housekeeper, questions every nurse about her life, talks to each med student about their plans for the future and he checks in with the doctors about how their day is going. He constantly reminds me that the hospital staff are doing the best they can and to be grateful. Truly.......Chad amazes me and I am so grateful for such a great example (and rock) in my life. Our family can't thank you enough for your prayers and love. I know that miracles still exist in the world today because I am sitting by one right now. Love to all of you from me and Ethan (the REAL Superman).
Saturday, April 11th
Ethan Update 4/11/15:
The good news: Ethan is still off of the oxygen and his personality is back. His lung is still inflated and trying to heal. We are still grateful for what we are dealing with. The little boy next to us had a kidney removed and we hear him all night and day shrieking in pain. It is soooo sad to hear him - I can only imagine what his mother is going through.
The good news: Ethan is still off of the oxygen and his personality is back. His lung is still inflated and trying to heal. We are still grateful for what we are dealing with. The little boy next to us had a kidney removed and we hear him all night and day shrieking in pain. It is soooo sad to hear him - I can only imagine what his mother is going through.
The bad news: They clamped the tube last night and the surgeon came in this morning and told us the lung is still leaking and we can't pull the tube. When we asked her how long it will take she said 2 days to 2 months - it just depends on the child. She said his lung is so infected and has a lot of necrosis so it might take a while. Sigh. The doctors are weaning Ethan off of his pain meds even with his chest tube and it is really painful. Ethan asks to go home at least every hour - I don't blame him.
If we could ask one favor from all of you, this would be it: Can each of you pray specifically for Ethan's lung to heal and repair itself from the air leaks? We have already witnessed a miracle - we just need one more. Thank you all for your love and prayers. We still need it.
Sunday, April 12th
Ethan Update 4/12/15:
I saw this sign in the gift shop and I loved it. The doctors want us to wean Ethan off of his pain meds but it is a little rough because his chest tube is so painful. Pain control is our goal again today. The lung is still leaking air so we can't take the chest tube out until the lung heals. The girls slept over last night (which was a treat for Ethan). We went to church this morning here at the hospital in a small auditorium. We loaded up Ethan's tubes and put him in a wheelchair. Most people were wearing jeans, a rickety folding table became the sacrament table, the pianist was a volunteer who struggled keeping time and playing the correct notes, the auditorium was filled with sick children and desperate parents.......and it was the most spiritual meeting I have ever been to. The opening song was "Be Still My Soul" and it touched my heart as I looked at a old picture hanging from the pulpit of Jesus blessing the children. Chad and I looked around the room and we both commented that Jesus would be in the meeting if He were here. The prayers were beautiful and the speaker was tender as he shared his experience of his grandchildren who have to frequent pcmc because of their medical conditions. There are so many opportunities for service here at the hospital. A generous family of six prepared breakfast at the Ronald McDonald House here for parents and families. So sweet. I am going to put a gift package together for the little boy next to us who had his kidney removed. We hear him cry all night and day as his mother takes care of him and a little baby. I haven't seen one visitor stop by their room. Also there is a 13 year old boy across from us who spends his life in the hospital. We would love any kindness you would like to share with us to be shared with them instead. Thank you. Thank you for your prayers.......
Keep 'em coming. :)
Love to all.
I saw this sign in the gift shop and I loved it. The doctors want us to wean Ethan off of his pain meds but it is a little rough because his chest tube is so painful. Pain control is our goal again today. The lung is still leaking air so we can't take the chest tube out until the lung heals. The girls slept over last night (which was a treat for Ethan). We went to church this morning here at the hospital in a small auditorium. We loaded up Ethan's tubes and put him in a wheelchair. Most people were wearing jeans, a rickety folding table became the sacrament table, the pianist was a volunteer who struggled keeping time and playing the correct notes, the auditorium was filled with sick children and desperate parents.......and it was the most spiritual meeting I have ever been to. The opening song was "Be Still My Soul" and it touched my heart as I looked at a old picture hanging from the pulpit of Jesus blessing the children. Chad and I looked around the room and we both commented that Jesus would be in the meeting if He were here. The prayers were beautiful and the speaker was tender as he shared his experience of his grandchildren who have to frequent pcmc because of their medical conditions. There are so many opportunities for service here at the hospital. A generous family of six prepared breakfast at the Ronald McDonald House here for parents and families. So sweet. I am going to put a gift package together for the little boy next to us who had his kidney removed. We hear him cry all night and day as his mother takes care of him and a little baby. I haven't seen one visitor stop by their room. Also there is a 13 year old boy across from us who spends his life in the hospital. We would love any kindness you would like to share with us to be shared with them instead. Thank you. Thank you for your prayers.......
Keep 'em coming. :)
Love to all.
Monday, April 13th
Let me introduce you to a little girl who is changing the world. Meet Lily Greenwood (I asked her permission to use her name and picture). Lily raised her own money to pay for a dinner last night at the Ronald McDonald House here at PCMC to feed the families of children at PCMC. Lily and her family made a delicious Italian meal complete with salad and dessert. She was glowing as she served dozens of families who were in need of a hot meal - and we were a few of the recipients. As you eat with other families at the Ronald Mcdonald House there is a quiet reverence. No words need to be said as we all sit together with our yellow nametags (many of them laminated or hanging on a yellow lanyard). If you ever need a service idea for your family, this is a great one. We are still trying to control Ethan's pain which can be a struggle. We are trying to get the lung to heal so I asked the nurses not to come in last night so he could sleep.......and he did. Yay! We had more blood work done today and his CRP continues to go down which is great. The chest xray today seems stable so the doctors are going to try clamping the chest tube again today for 24 hours and then we will take another chest xray to make sure there isn't air buildup. Ethan had a visit last night from Juniper the therapy dog. Ethan continues to be a trooper and a charmer. He amazes me. We are so grateful for the peace we have been given which surpasseth all understanding. Thank you for your continued prayers, fasting and support. LOVE TO ALL.
Monday, April 13th
When Chad and I were approached by KSL today about doing a story tonight at 10 about Ethan, we were hesitant. After going back and forth if we should do it or not we decided that there is enough negative in the news - let's do something positive. Ashley Kewish (who is the size of my pinky) interviewed our little family. I talked to her about her Wednesday Child segments and how I wish I could adopt every one of those children. She said in 2 years 7 of them have been adopted. She told me the statistics for the foster children who are not adopted by the time they are 18. Awful. 75% of them will either be in jail, homeless or dead. She really cares about those kids. I have observed other heroes emerge here in the hospital: my kids. Their lives have been rocked but they are hanging in there. I watched tonight as Brynn and Cate played with a little girl in the hospital play area who was attached to many tubes and could barely walk. They brightened her day by just being a friend. I have seen my boy's compassion meter go through the roof as I watch them get teary eyed when they see a sick child struggling. Brady has even decided to do his Eagle Project here. My kiddos have been by Ethan's side and love him so much - they truly are his best medicine. As my girls tearfully left Ethan's room tonight to return home without a mommy, I was so thankful they have each other....and all of you. Bless you.
Monday, April 13th
This was taken from the KSL website0
Hot Wheels rolling in from across globe for Utah boy
April 13, 2015
SALT LAKE CITY — You hope you never have a kid sick enough to end up at Primary Children's Hospital, but it's been Ethan Carnesecca's home for the past few weeks.
"He just had pneumonia and it kept getting worse and worse," said Michele Carnesecca, Ethan's mother. "Our doctor said we 'won the worst case scenario with pneumonia.’ ”
Ethan was flown to the hospital by medical helicopter after his lungs began filling with fluid. He spent Easter Sunday and his third birthday with a chest tube and IV.
"He's been poked and prodded and had chest X-rays and CT scans," Michele said.
Through it all, she says one thing has brought her son comfort — and it's not visits from his four older brothers and sisters.
"Hot Wheels," Michele said with a laugh.
Doctors and nurses at Primary Children's Hospital caught on that the tiny little cars settled their patient down.
"They're all aware of how important these cars are," Michele said. "They don't touch the pillows. They don't take them out of his hands. (Before each procedure) they'll run around the hospital trying to find a car for him."
Those doctors and nurses might not need to run around anymore, now that a local Hot Wheels collector and blogger knows about Ethan.
"He said, 'Can I write this story about Ethan?’ ” said Ethan's dad, Chad Carnesecca.
The blog post began circulating online, and the tiny cars started rolling in.
"People from Malaysia, Europe, all over the Orient (have sent toy cars)," Chad said. "It's been pretty amazing just to see people reach out."
As of Monday, Ethan had received about 100 Hot Wheels for his hospital room. They've turned the little boy's bed into a makeshift parking lot.
"It's just been so fun to see how great people are, just trying to help out and do what they can," Michele said.
Their gesture shows sometimes even the tiniest of things can make the biggest difference in the eyes of a little boy.
If you would like to send Hot Wheels car to Ethan, you can mail them to:
Ethan Carnesecca
c/o Primary Children's Hospital
100 Mario Capecchi Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84132
April 13, 2015
SALT LAKE CITY — You hope you never have a kid sick enough to end up at Primary Children's Hospital, but it's been Ethan Carnesecca's home for the past few weeks.
"He just had pneumonia and it kept getting worse and worse," said Michele Carnesecca, Ethan's mother. "Our doctor said we 'won the worst case scenario with pneumonia.’ ”
Ethan was flown to the hospital by medical helicopter after his lungs began filling with fluid. He spent Easter Sunday and his third birthday with a chest tube and IV.
"He's been poked and prodded and had chest X-rays and CT scans," Michele said.
Through it all, she says one thing has brought her son comfort — and it's not visits from his four older brothers and sisters.
"Hot Wheels," Michele said with a laugh.
Doctors and nurses at Primary Children's Hospital caught on that the tiny little cars settled their patient down.
"They're all aware of how important these cars are," Michele said. "They don't touch the pillows. They don't take them out of his hands. (Before each procedure) they'll run around the hospital trying to find a car for him."
Those doctors and nurses might not need to run around anymore, now that a local Hot Wheels collector and blogger knows about Ethan.
"He said, 'Can I write this story about Ethan?’ ” said Ethan's dad, Chad Carnesecca.
The blog post began circulating online, and the tiny cars started rolling in.
"People from Malaysia, Europe, all over the Orient (have sent toy cars)," Chad said. "It's been pretty amazing just to see people reach out."
As of Monday, Ethan had received about 100 Hot Wheels for his hospital room. They've turned the little boy's bed into a makeshift parking lot.
"It's just been so fun to see how great people are, just trying to help out and do what they can," Michele said.
Their gesture shows sometimes even the tiniest of things can make the biggest difference in the eyes of a little boy.
If you would like to send Hot Wheels car to Ethan, you can mail them to:
Ethan Carnesecca
c/o Primary Children's Hospital
100 Mario Capecchi Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84132
Tuesday, April 14th
Ethan Update 4/14/15: Last night was a little rough for Ethan. As he was sleeping in his bed he rolled over twice and rolled himself up in his chest tube and it was pulling on his chest. He screamed as we unraveled him and we had to give him morphine. Through this entire experience I have a little better understanding of our Father in Heaven. I understand why it must have been so difficult for Him to watch the Savior go through what he did. I am not a perfect parent like our Heavenly Father but I don't know if there is a greater pain than watching your children suffer. I think of my little Ethan and even as an imperfect parent I would never leave his side. I can only imagine that our Heavenly Father who is a perfect parent will never leave our side - especially during difficult times. We clamped Ethan's tube last night and he will have a chest xray this morning to determine if we pull the tube. The doctors are split in their decision to pull the tube. Some think we should pull it and some think we should wait. If we pull it too soon and the lung is not healed, we run the risk of coming back to pcmc with a collapsed lung. If we don't pull it soon enough the lung may struggle even more to heal. My prayer today is that the doctors will be guided as to what they should do. Last night I didn't hear our 5 year old (kidney patient) neighbor boy crying like I usually do. When I walked past his room this morning I noticed the sheets were taken off of his bed and the housekeeper was sterilizing his room. I was so happy he was discharged. When I asked the nurse if our little friend went home her eyes welled up with tears. My heart sank. Because of privacy laws she couldn't tell me much but what I gathered was not good. My little friend that I have cried with through the
hospital bedroom walls is not doing good. He was transferred to picu. It doesn't look good for him. I would like to do something for him, his mother, her nursing baby and young sister. My heart aches for them.
Ethan Update 4/14/15: Last night was a little rough for Ethan. As he was sleeping in his bed he rolled over twice and rolled himself up in his chest tube and it was pulling on his chest. He screamed as we unraveled him and we had to give him morphine. Through this entire experience I have a little better understanding of our Father in Heaven. I understand why it must have been so difficult for Him to watch the Savior go through what he did. I am not a perfect parent like our Heavenly Father but I don't know if there is a greater pain than watching your children suffer. I think of my little Ethan and even as an imperfect parent I would never leave his side. I can only imagine that our Heavenly Father who is a perfect parent will never leave our side - especially during difficult times. We clamped Ethan's tube last night and he will have a chest xray this morning to determine if we pull the tube. The doctors are split in their decision to pull the tube. Some think we should pull it and some think we should wait. If we pull it too soon and the lung is not healed, we run the risk of coming back to pcmc with a collapsed lung. If we don't pull it soon enough the lung may struggle even more to heal. My prayer today is that the doctors will be guided as to what they should do. Last night I didn't hear our 5 year old (kidney patient) neighbor boy crying like I usually do. When I walked past his room this morning I noticed the sheets were taken off of his bed and the housekeeper was sterilizing his room. I was so happy he was discharged. When I asked the nurse if our little friend went home her eyes welled up with tears. My heart sank. Because of privacy laws she couldn't tell me much but what I gathered was not good. My little friend that I have cried with through the
hospital bedroom walls is not doing good. He was transferred to picu. It doesn't look good for him. I would like to do something for him, his mother, her nursing baby and young sister. My heart aches for them.
Wednesday, April 15th
Ethan Update 4/15/15. I can't believe we are in the middle of April. One of the greatest lessons I have learned here is how GOOD people are. People are coming out of the woodwork to help Ethan and other children in the hospital. I can't thank you enough for what you have done for Ethan and the other children I have mentioned. I could share a new story of a hospitalized child in need each day. Ethan said when he gets home he would like a race track for all of the cars he is getting. :) I told him "you got it" after everything he has been through. Ethan is keeping his personality because he is giggling as he pulls his monitors off because he gets a reaction from everyone. Some of you have asked exactly what Ethan has right now that is keeping him hospitalized. It is called broncho pulmonary effusion. We were ready to pull Ethan's chest tube yesterday but right before they were going to pull it we noticed he was still having bubbles in the chamber - it was a tender mercy. The doctors decided to wait another day and try it again. We had another chest xray today and a new i.v. with morphine was placed. We are going to pull the chest tube today which is so painful. Ugghh. Then we wait and see what happens. I am holding my breath. We weigh Ethan everyday and he is so skinny and weak. He has tried walking a few steps and he walks like a baby walking for the first time - he has lost a lot of muscle. I have always wondered how much life flight costs and I know some of you have asked me as well. We just found out: $13,000. I would suggest to be within walking distance of PCMC if your child decides to get really sick. :) Thank you for your prayers - they are bringing miracles.
Wednesday, April 15th
I have been truly amazed today by so many earthly angels. We have been served, loved and visited by so many of them. A complete stranger showed up at our door with a large box of collectible cars and a story. He told us that he was recently in a coma after a surgery that went south. He had major pulmonary problems and he was told he would probably die. He survived the odds and when he saw Ethan's story on the news he knew what to do with the cars he and his graduating son had collected over the years - he gave them to Ethan. He talked to Ethan about how difficult it is to go through something like this and he showed him some of his favorite cars in the box. The donations for the moms, patients, and hospital have been received with open arms and tear-filled eyes. One mom asked the nurses who is being so kind. I told them to tell her "angels". You all remind me of the scripture that says
we should "mourn with those who mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. " Thank you all for being examples to me of this - after watching you I realize I need to up my game when I get home. I was able to hold and snuggle with Ethan for the first time today - it was like holding heaven. Yes.....his chest tube was removed. A painful miracle. Now we wait.......
If the chest xray tomorrow is good.......well......I don't even want to say it so I don't jinx us. Prayers tonight.
we should "mourn with those who mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. " Thank you all for being examples to me of this - after watching you I realize I need to up my game when I get home. I was able to hold and snuggle with Ethan for the first time today - it was like holding heaven. Yes.....his chest tube was removed. A painful miracle. Now we wait.......
If the chest xray tomorrow is good.......well......I don't even want to say it so I don't jinx us. Prayers tonight.
Thursday, April 16th
Update 4/16: After 18 days in the hospital, 17 sleepless nights, 8 i.v.'s, 10 lab draws, 2 CAT scans, 1 helicopter ride, 2 surgeries, 15 chest xrays, 2 chest tubes, 1 ultrasound, 200 cars, 6 blessings, dozens of miracles, 1 puddle of tears, and countless acts of kindness and prayers.....we are coming home. We got our miracle. We are so grateful to you for your prayers and love. Before I came into the hospital with Ethan I watched the show "Miracle". It was interesting that the country needed to witness a miracle at that time to keep them believing. I guess our Heavenly Father wants all of us to witness this modern day miracle in Ethan to keep us believing in miracles. Moses parting the waters is no greater miracle to me than what I have witnessed. I have been completely changed through this experience. Hugh B. Brown was once asked why God would allow Abraham to take Isaac to the mountain and actually have to go through the motions of taking his life only to be stopped by an angel. Hugh B. Brown replied, "Because Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham." In my case, Michele needed to learn something about Michele. I have learned that I am ALL IN. I love my Heavenly Father and Savior no matter what and I trust them completely. I have had to live these past 3 weeks what I have believed for so many years. I have no doubt that the gospel is true and the power of the priesthood is on the earth today. I know Jesus has suffered everything before we have so we can truly turn to Him for comfort and peace. I have felt angels from the other side and I have watched earthly angels minister on the earth today. I'm not bringing home a well child but one on the mend. Ethan still has a semi - working lung and it will take a while to get his strength back. But he will be so happy to get out of this hospital. The cartoon "Doc McStuffins" came on the t.v. today. It is about a little girl who is a doctor and has to fix stuffed animals. Ethan screamed for me to turn it off! :)
Thursday, April 16th
Last night I heard a baby crying all night next door. When I came out of my room I saw the parent s already had a laminated yellow badge. The nurses told me they are going to be here for a long time. I am leaving with my flimsy yellow badge and a child with two lungs but I leave my heart here with the sick children and their prayerful mothers. I am including a picture of the "wishing tree" from the playroom here where children who are sick and their siblings can make a wish. As you read the notes it is a great reminder that there is still so much love and service to give. I have learned a lot from well children that we have encountered as we take Ethan on wagon rides in the hall as he has been connected to all of his tubes. The parents of the children tend to look away because they don't want to make us feel uncomfortable. The children walk right up to Ethan and ask him what is wrong. They ask him why he has his tubes and if it hurts. One little boy in the playroom asked Ethan if he could help him get out of the wagon so he could play with him. Another little girl found all the toys that she could and placed them on Ethan's lap in the wagon. As I leave here I am recommiting to serve better, love more and realize that every day is and gift. Thank you again for giving us a miracle. We love you more than words can express. Our gratitude is overflowing. We are truly overwhelmed by this experience.
Thursday, April 16th
I'm coming home. Thanks everybody. :)
Friday, April 17th
Ethan Update 4/17/15: I have received a lot of texts today asking how Ethan is doing at home. This picture was taken as we were leaving the hospital yesterday. Ethan didn't want to leave his daddy's arms so the nurses let us carry him to the car like that. So sweet. Ethan still needs help walking because he lost a lot of muscle. He can take about 4 to 6 steps with assistance and then he is done. He tries to crawl around a little bit but it hurts his chest and back. He prefers to sit on the couch or lay down. He is still really sore but he refuses to take any pain medication. He has to take high doses of antibiotics 3 times a day for about 3 weeks. We have to go back for more blood testing and a possible chest xray at PCMC next week. He is happy to be home and he played with his new race car track last night with his family. He fell asleep at 6 pm last night and woke up at 7 am this morning. We continue to receive packages of cars from complete strangers around the globe - and Ethan is absolutely thrilled with each and every one. Some of you have asked about our little Cate who has headaches and had an MRI to make sure everything is ok. We also tested her for allergies to see if she is having an inflammatory response that is causing headaches. We just got her allergy testing results back today and she is reactive to gluten, dairy and eggs. It was recommended by our doctor that we test her for celiac disease so we will be back at the hospital today for more blood work with Cate. I guess we will just feed her lettuce, water and air. :) Chad asked me today if I knew it would be so hard to have kids. The answer was "no".........
BUT so worth it.
BUT so worth it.
Thursday, April 23rd
Ethan Update 4/23/15: I don't even know where to begin. Earthly words will not do justice in describing what is happening at our home. After KSL aired the show about Ethan, we were contacted by various national news affiliates to get permission to share our story - to which we said "yes." What has happened since is a little hard to describe. We are getting daily shipments (yes shipments) of Hot Wheels cars and tender letters from complete strangers who want to brighten a child's day. We are receiving Hot Wheels from Elementary Classes to life-time Hot Wheels Collectors. From sick children to professional Nascar Drivers. From Mattel to little children who wrap their favorite car in toilet paper to send. From Nevada to New York, Ethan opens up each package and we read him every card. One child sent a note that said he thinks it is so cool we have the word "CAR" in our name. :) We are overwhelmed by the goodness out there. Through this experience I have come to realize that the majority of people are good. So SO good. I will include a few of the letters that are bringing tears to our eyes in another text. This picture I have included of Ethan is from a shipment from yesterday. He has another one waiting for him to open today. When I asked my children what they have learned from this experience, Brady said, "I have learned that service really does matter." Thank you ALL for teaching my children that invaluable lesson. LOVE TO ALL.
Thursday, April 23rd
Thursday, April 23rd
To help you understand the magnitude of generosity coming our way, this is our new shipment that just arrived today - JUST TODAY! People are incredible. We have counted 34 states so far. At the beginning of our journey a wise man once said to me, "Watch what the Lord can do." :) I AM watching.......and I am truly amazed. As I watch my little boy sitting by me at home who has had severe Pneumonia, Empyema, a collapsed and partially necrosed lung, Broncho Pulmonary Effusion and two chest tubes, I am in awe. As I witness people from around the globe giving so selflessly, I have nothing but gratitude in my heart. A common quote that people from the south include in their notes to Ethan is, "God is good." God IS good....and so are you. When I picked up the packages at PCMC today the shipping department said they have been touched to see the packages coming through for Ethan. We took Ethan to PCMC today for more testing. Needless to say he was less than thrilled to be back in that environment - but at least he got some Swedish Fish out of it. We are holding our breath as we wait for the chest xray results. We know the lung is still leaking air but we just don't know how well his body is absorbing it. Fingers crossed and prayers offered. We will keep you posted.
Friday, April 24th
Ethan Update 4/24/15:
This is a picture of our card wall from the sweet notes and letters Ethan has received in the packages. It is a great reminder to us of how good people are. KSL called me this afternoon and asked me if they could do a follow-up story on Ethan. I told them I didn't think it would work for us today because life is crazy and Chad and the boys will be at Scouts. They called again and asked me if I would reconsider so they could put an uplifting story on the news tonight. I really didn't want to do it by myself but I felt I needed to thank everyone who has been so kind and generous. So, our "thankful" story will be on KSL 5 tonight at 10. Great news today: We got the results back from Ethan's xray and although there is still air leaking from the lung it looks like there is less air on this chest xray than from the one when we left the hospital. Yay! The doctor said the left lung still is filled with pneumonia and it will take the necrosed areas of the lung 3 months to heal. Ethan will continue to be on high doses of abx for a few more weeks. He is walking better and little by little he is getting stronger. Thank you for giving us a miracle. Love to all.
This is a picture of our card wall from the sweet notes and letters Ethan has received in the packages. It is a great reminder to us of how good people are. KSL called me this afternoon and asked me if they could do a follow-up story on Ethan. I told them I didn't think it would work for us today because life is crazy and Chad and the boys will be at Scouts. They called again and asked me if I would reconsider so they could put an uplifting story on the news tonight. I really didn't want to do it by myself but I felt I needed to thank everyone who has been so kind and generous. So, our "thankful" story will be on KSL 5 tonight at 10. Great news today: We got the results back from Ethan's xray and although there is still air leaking from the lung it looks like there is less air on this chest xray than from the one when we left the hospital. Yay! The doctor said the left lung still is filled with pneumonia and it will take the necrosed areas of the lung 3 months to heal. Ethan will continue to be on high doses of abx for a few more weeks. He is walking better and little by little he is getting stronger. Thank you for giving us a miracle. Love to all.
Tuesday, April 28th
I am SO sorry about one more text but I couldn't keep this love to myself. Here is our shipment from today - TODAY! I asked the worker at the loading dock, "Who are these good people?" He just smiled and shook his head and said, "Amazing." We have packages from Canada and Alaska today and I think we are close to having all 50 states represented. I can't believe somebody in Canada (or anywhere for that matter) saw or read our story, went to the store to buy a car, then went to the post office and mailed it to little ol' Utah. UNBELIEVABLE! ABC National News is doing a follow-up story tomorrow on their website about the good people in the world who reached out to a sick little boy in Utah. :)
EXTRA ARTICLES FROM NEWS STATIONS WEBSITES AND FROM A BLOG
Wednesday, April 8th
The Lamley Group Blog
http://lamleydlm.blogspot.com
Breaking News: Kids still love Hot Wheels like no other toy...
I want to take a break for a sec from the talk of pegwarmers, up-sloped chins, too many generics, bad distribution, Regular TH's no one wants, and all the other goofy things that we collectors tend to get caught up in.
And for that little break, I want to show this photo, taken by a very good friend of mine:
This is my friend's son Ethan. Ethan is 3-years-old, and has been through a lot the last couple of weeks. What started out as a perceived minor illness quickly escalated into something much worse, and in the last 10 days Ethan has endured several surgeries, a helicopter ride, numerous visits by world-renowned specialists, some life-threatening moments, and countless pokes, prods, and tubes going in and out of his little body.
According to his parents, he has endured it all with amazing resilience, showing bravery and toughness that most of us wouldn't know. When it is time for a procedure, Ethan is ready. When more strangers arrive to help, Ethan patiently lets them do what they need to. In some ways, his endurance has helped his exhausted, loving parents deal with all they have been through as well.
Through all this, though, Ethan has one strict rule, that all that visitors must adhere to: DON'T mess with this cars. Beside his parents, Ethan's most loyal companion has been this ever-growing parking lot of Hot Wheels and other toy cars that has assembled on his pillow:
Some came from friends, others from the hospital itself. The hospital staff makes sure he is totally out before even attempting to remove the cars from his hands before surgery, and they make sure they are back in his hands before he awakes. In fact, Ethan expects a new car to be waiting for him as he returns from each surgery, and the hospital has obliged by grabbing another from their stash of donated Hot Wheels. The parking lot continues to grow.
And it isn't just the parking lot. Ethan's most trusted companion is a blue Hot Wheels Camaro that was given to him early in this ordeal, and it rarely leaves his hand. And we mean RARELY leaves his hand. That includes when he is sleeping:
I can't imagine what Ethan and his family have had to endure. They are not out of the woods yet, but they are working towards a recovery.
And as a collector with a lot of opinions, who just spent several days watching the wheeling and dealing of these little toys cars at the Hot Wheels Convention in Kentucky, what a special contrast it has been to see why these darn things exist in the first place. Their role in Ethan's ordeal has probably happened millions of times throughout the years, and no matter what toys come and go, nothing can replace a simple toy car.
Get better soon Ethan, and don't let those cars go...
Thursday, April 23rd
The Lamley Group Blog
http://lamleydlm.blogspot.com
A note from Ethan Carnesecca's family, and an update on the overwhelming generosity of the diecast collecting community...
It is actually hard to write about what has happened among our readers and the collecting community in general over the last few weeks without getting a little choked up. I am personally in awe at the outreach and generosity of collectors all over the world.
So instead of trying to write eloquently about all the happenings, we will let these updates speak for themselves:
Ethan Carnesecca:
We could have never predicted what has happened. After my friend Chad told me about his son Ethan's dreadful health ordeal, and his attachment to his Hot Wheels at the hospital, it seemed like a great thing to write about. The word got out, and soon a local TV station picked up the story about Ethan and the generous collectors sending him cars from all over the world. After that, the story was picked up by ABC News, CNN, The Huffington Post, and People, among many other news outlets.
Well, here is a little update on what has happened since. Ethan is home and thankfully recovering, and he has, let's say, a few more toy cars to play with. Here is HALF of what was sent to the hospital for Ethan in the last few days:
HALF!! Chad and Michele have to return to the hospital today to pick up the other half, after they had no more room in their car the first time around. All last evening the family opened the packages and read the very touching notes from all over the US and the world. And this is after several packages had already arrived, including a massive package from Mattel (and wait until you see what is happening next). I think we are all left speechless at the outpouring of love for little Ethan.
We were asked to pass this note along from the Carneseccas:
Dear Hot Wheels Friends,
We are truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and cars Ethan has received. Ethan squeals with excitement as he opens up each package. He looks at every car and we read him every note. Through this experience we have realized that although there are negative things in the world, there is still SO much more good than bad. I am amazed that individuals read this story and took the time to bring joy into the heart of a little boy. We have invited friends and family over as we open the packages and read the notes so they can experience this goodness with us. There is usually not a dry eye in the room as we read tender stories of Hot Wheels memories. When I asked my 15 year old son what he has learned through this experience he said, “Service really does matter.” Thank you for your examples of kindness and compassion. We have been asked by many people exactly what illness Ethan had. It started as Pneumonia, then Empyema (fluid surrounding the lungs), it progressed to a collapsed and necrosed lung and finally broncho pulmonary effusion. Although Ethan is at home, he is still on the mend as his lung tries to heal. These cars have brightened his spirit and brought the sparkle back into his eyes. In one package we received, their family noticed that we even have the word “CAR” in our last name. :) We simply can’t thank you enough for what you have done. All we can do is pay it forward.
With all our love and gratitude,
The “CAR”nesecca Family
Friday, April 25th
KSL
Utah boy with love for Hot Wheels to get own car design
AMERICAN FORK — We first told you about Ethan Carnesecca when he was sick in the hospital. His mom says his love of Hot Wheels cars helped him pull through. Ethan is back home now in American Fork with a basement full of donated Hot Wheels.
"We've received cars from all over the world," said Michele Carnesecca, Ethan's mom.
Ethan sat on the ground Friday playing with them. His family estimates they've received about 3,000.
You could say Ethan is in Hot Wheels heaven. His bumpy road started about one month ago when he developed pneumonia. Fluid filled his lungs and he ended up in the intensive care unit.
"It's a miracle that he's running around now," Michele Carnesecca said. His mom says it was the Hot Wheels that got him through all the tests, shots and procedures.
"I thought I was listening to my child die," she said.
"You never could have predicted this would happen, " Lambert said.
Although Ethan is back home, the cars keep coming by the truckload. Some aren't in packages because a lifetime of memories sit atop the tiny wheels.
"Dear Ethan," Michele read from a letter they received accompanying some tiny cars. "I want you to have my dad's collection of Hot Wheels. He passed away and I want you to now share it with your dad."
Ethan's story even reached famous drivers of real cars.
"This is the car NASCAR driver Richard Petty sent him," said Michele as she showed off the autographed toy. "He signed it and everything."
But perhaps the biggest surprise of all hasn't even arrived yet.
"Mattel has gotten wind of this," Lambert said.
The maker of Hot Wheels contacted Lambert and said they have a special project in mind.
"An official Hot Wheels model with Ethan's name and decoration," Lambert said. "The design team is working on that."
You won't be able to find it in any store.
"It's a huge deal," Lambert said. "It will be an unobtainable model. A priceless model. It will be the only one in existence."
Ethan's mom says their family has also received something else that's priceless.
"This has just proven to me and my family, friends and neighborhood that there is a lot more good in the world than bad."
Sick Utah Toddler Receives Hot Wheels Cars From Strangers Worldwide
Apr 15, 2015, 1:57 PM ET
By NICOLE PELLETIERE via Good Morning America
abcnews.go.com
Strangers have been sending him Hot Wheels cars from all over the world.
Chad Carnesecca
Besides hospital visits from mom, dad and his four older siblings, there's something else that puts a smile on Ethan's face: Hot Wheels cars.
"He's been in a lot of pain and they're what give him comfort," Ethan's dad, Chad Carnesecca of American Fork, Utah, told ABC News. "You know when you're three years old and in a hospital bed, you don’t have control over many things. Having these cars gives him some security and control."
A friend of the Carnesecca family, John Lambert, caught wind of Ethan's fascination and decided to post something on his car collector's blog, The Lamley Group.
"I thought it was a cool story because we’re collectors," Lambert said. "We’re kind of nerds that worry about the intricate details but, ultimately, these are toys that can help kids when they’re sick."
Lambert told ABC that since sharing Ethan's story, requests have come pouring in from strangers all over the world wanting to send cars to the toddler in a Salt Lake City hospital.
Michele Carnesecca
PHOTO: Ethan receives a car collection from a Utah security officer.
"There are some coming from Malaysia, all over the U.S., Europe, and even Japan," Carnesecca said. “They're coming from all over the place."
Despite his health struggles, Ethan's mother, Michele Carnesecca, said she's happy to see the Hot Wheels are raising her son's spirits.
"He had a chest X-ray this morning and he was in pain, so he said to the tech, 'Can I have a car?'" she said. "Whenever somebody brings new cars, his eyes light up and he says, 'Thank you.'
"He's a fighter, you know, he's tough. It's truly amazing how good people are and how they just want to help."
The Carneseccas said Ethan has received about 200 cars.
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