Little Miss Mia Update

Usually there is not much new with Mia (except how cute she is gettting) which is why I don't post as often anymore. She is learning the typical new things that babies learn. She has rolled over a few times and is now saying the word momma! I got to hold and cuddle her the other night and it was remarkable. It had been awhile since I'd held for more than just a quick hello and as she was curled in my arms I couldn't help but reminisce on how far she has come. There were some very sad times and unknown resolutions as she lay there day in and day out waiting for a heart. My heart hurt watching all that her and her family were going through but I always felt things would work out for Mia and they have and for that I know so many of us will be forever grateful! Mia's health is no where near perfect but has definitely come a long way. Her white blood cell count has declined again and so they will again be tweaking some meds in hopes of solving that. She still needs assistance from the feeding tube but is also continuing to get a little bit better at bottle feeding. Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers and feel free to keep em' coming!

Here is a link for a clinic in ID that will be doing a huge garage sale to benefit Mia, on May 30th. Check out the link and please feel free to help out!

Mimi and Mia will also be featured in a publication called Mormon Times. I believe their story will be printed on Mother's Day!

Thanks again to everyone for helping Mia and her family get to where they are today!

Improved and on the News again!

Thanks for everyone's extra prayers for Mia. Her levels have improved and of course she will continue to get monitored for that but hopefully things will only get better. She is getting a little better at learning the bottle feeding too. Hopefully soon she will continue to improve and be able to ditch the feeding tube! Northwest Cable News did an interview with Mia and Mimi and some doctors. It was aired all throughout the day on Friday (sorry I didn't post sooner) but here is the link for anyone that missed it!

More Prayers Please!

I don't want the title of this post to scare anyone. Mia is mostly doing well but she could use some more prayers on her behalf. Her white blood cell count is low which is never a good thing. The Doctors are going to try reducing her immune suppressant drugs to see if that makes a difference, which hopefully it will. Having a low white blood cell count can increase her vulnerability to more infections and they can also even lead to the growth of cancers, neither of which is desirable or good. So please keep sweet little Mia in your prayers. On a happy note...she rolled from her tummy to her side and is now a hefty 14lbs! Plus she continues to charm everyone with her smiles!

We love you Mees!

Last Call for winner of Wallet Giveaway!

Cynthia....you are the winner of the wallet giveaway but I need you to contact me soon or we'll have to randomly pick a new winner. Please email me at nali_12@hotmail.com as soon as you can so we can get you your prize! Thanks so much!

Winner

Congratulations to Cynthia (47th comment) who is the winner of the wallet giveaway! Please email me at nali_12@hotmail.com with your contact info so we can award you your prize! Thanks to all who entered and helped share Mia's story. Without Stephanie there would be no wallet so a big thanks for her kindness and craftiness!

Don't forget Mia's benefit concert this Saturday, March 14th at 3pm.

see previous post for more info!

Thanks!

Benefit Concert for Mia

I was just informed about another new fundraising opportunity for Mia. Please feel free to come support Mia and her family and if you don't live locally but would like to help please use the paypal donate button in the upper left corner or contact me at nali_12@hotmail.com. I'm not sure who is in charge of putting this on but Thank you. I know the McDonald family have been touched by all the wonderful help and support they have received.

Here's the scoop......

Pierce College Choir Club to host fundraising concert for Baby Mia on March 14 at Pierce College Puyallup.

Baby Mia is adjusting to her new heart, but the medical bills keep coming for the Puyallup infant and her family. To help, Pierce College’s Choir Club is hosting a free, benefit concert for Baby Mia at 3 p.m. March 14 at the College Center, Pierce College Puyallup, 1601 39th Ave. SE.

All donations collected at the concert will go to the McDonald family for Baby Mia’s medical expenses.

Mia was born with a congenital heart defect. She had a heart transplant in November and is now recovering at her Puyallup home. The March 14 benefit concert will feature performances by the Pierce College choir and orchestra. The selections will be fun and child- and family-friendly. All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend and to support Baby Mia’s recovery.

New update and new giveaway!

Here is a recent pic of lil' miss sunshine, Mia! I know she has her eyes closed but I still loved the picture so I decided to post it. Plus she kept closing her eyes because my flash was so bright which was kind of funny....and I love the curler in her hair and her heart outfit! Mia continues to do well. There are little hang ups now and then but she is growing and happy. She still struggles on learning to eat and until she has the hang of it the feeding tube will remain. She is off her steroid drug, so one less med is good. Plus the steriod drug suppressed her immune system even more so that's a bonus to be off of that! She continues to bring so much happiness to those around her. So many heart families have never gotten to see their child progress to the point Mia is at and that is truly heartbreaking and our thoughts and prayers go out to them.

So on top of the good news that Mia is continuing to do well the original hostess of the 1st quilt giveaway has come up with another one......

A wallet giveaway!

She graciously crafted this handy wallet to continue to raise support for Mia.

Here's how this gorgeous item can by yours....

for 1 entry: leave a comment on this post

for an additional 5 entries: post about this giveaway and/or Mia on your blog, facebook etc or post the help baby mia button (found at the bottom of this blog) or the giveaway button (found in the left sidebar) and be sure and leave a note with how many entries you get and a way to contact you in your comment! This giveaway will run till midnight on Tuesday, March 10th! Good luck! and of course if you have the means or desire to continue to help Mia financially feel free to click on the paypal link to donate to her trust fund! Mia's journey has been heartwrenching, miraculous, faith building and awe inspiring. Thank you to everyone who continues to be a part of it!

New Giveaway!!!!

Click here to learn how to win a fabulous nursing cover and some of these yummy suckers! For every person that enters this giveaway, one of Mimi's old school friends will donate money!
Don't miss out on this one! I've heard these suckers are amazing and for any nursing mother these covers are a lifesaver!
Thanks and good luck!

Happier Than Ever

I thought maybe it was time for another update on little Miss Mia! Mia will be 7 months on the 8th and what a remarkable 7 months it will have been. All in all she continues to do well. She still has frequent appointments at Children's Hospital but she is off of a few of her many medications.

She unfortunately still has the feeding tube or "torture tube" as her mom calls it. They are working on her feedings and trying to get her to tolerate formula. She is happy to give smiles freely and frequently and continues to melt the heart of her family and all the doctors and nurses that still see her!

I thought this was an adorable picture as apparently she has recently discovered her thumbs and her knees! Plus diaper only baby pictures are always so cute.
Mia continues to grow and learn thanks to her second chance at life. There are so many people who have supported and prayed for Mia and her family and I just want to again say, "thank you". And to all the wonderful families out there who have so graciously and selflessly given of organs to save another, thank you! Words don't quite do it justice but it truly is an amazing and remarkable gift.

One Day At A Time

Here are some new pics of sweet little Mia. I had the chance to go to one of Mia's weekly appointments on Weds. and let me just say, "wow!" I got a small glimpse of what Mimi's life is like trying to take care of Mia and all her needs and then being home and having 2 other children and a husband and home to care for. That woman is amazing! She has so much on her plate and handles it all so gracefully and makes it seem effortless. I know it's not effortless and some days she is just getting by but she truly is one remarkable mommy,as I'm sure most heart mommies and others with serious medical conditions have to be.

Mia's appointment went pretty well. There were some minor hiccups...i.e. a long time waiting, no lab orders and a low battery for her feeding tube to name a few. We worked through them though and it was wonderful to spend some time with Mimi and Mia again.

Here is a picture of Mia getting her echo. If you'll notice she is looking at the screen, watching her angel heart! It was precious to see!

Mia is still on many meds and I was amazed at how Mimi could just rattle each one with it's dosage off the top of her head. Mia is getting stronger and bigger with each day. If I remember correctly she was just over 12 pounds at her appointment. Life for the McDonald family may not be a piece of cake all the time but I know they are enjoying being together as a family once more!

Mia was back in the hospital.

Unfortunately after Mia's appointment on Friday she had to be readmitted to the hospital. Fortunately it wasn't too major...her sodium levels were lower than they should be so they kept her over the weekend to give her some supplements until the sodium levels improved. I know it was hard for Mimi to back there with Mia but Mimi did say Mia is doing great I believe they got discharged yesterday. All in all she doing well. Hopefully all her levels will soon get balanced so there will be no more hospital stays. Thanks for everyone's continued support and checking up on Mia!

Picture of Mia enjoying the baby swing!

A late congratulations to Stephanie, who was the winner of the necklace giveaway!

Miss Mia

Mia was featured in the Puyallup Herald on Christmas Day and the Tacoma News Tribune yesterday. Here are the links to read about her story. I thought it was well written and very informative!

For Mia, a gift of life and love

http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/580407.html

Dozens of Northwest children need heart transplants
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/puyallup/story/580262.html

Mia enjoyed a nice Christmas with her family. She is still on many medications but is happy nonetheless. Her mommy, Mimi shared some nice words that I thought I'd post:

The best thing about Christmas was being home, and being home with this little babino. She is such a sweet baby and is the best Christmas present I could have ever asked for. Christmas is a great time to think about what is important to you and reflect on how blessed you have been throughout the year. I doubt there will be another year like this one. We have been through so much together as a family and are strengthened because of it. I don't take life for granted and I hold that little sweetie pie knowing what a miracle it is that she is alive. Also, I think of her donor family and how they are feeling on Christmas day. I hope they can feel of our gratitude to them. We are incredibly blessed, and have seen many miracles. I now know a greater level of Joy because of Mia. I have a better understanding of the atonement and what the savior did for all of us. Christmas will never be the same for me.Thank you to everyone who has done so much for our family this year. We could not have made it on this journey without many of you!! Merry Christmas to you all!!

Check out those cheeks!

How can you not smile when you see that adorable face. Mia has come so far and endured so much and is as cute as ever. Her doctor's keep teasing Mimi that Mia is a steroid baby and that is why she is so chubby. That may in part be true but if you have seen Mimi's older children as babies you will remember they were also chubby. Oh I how love the chubbiness on babies! Mia is doing pretty well. They are still trying to tweak some of her meds to get them just right. Apparently she has a horrible diaper rash and has had blood in her stools so they are trying to figure out the cause of that. All in all though Mimi says Mia is happy and doing great

and I know they are enjoying every minute with her!
Only a few more hours for the necklace giveaway!

Update on Baby Mia

I know people are probably wondering about the lack of updates but sometimes there's not much new and I haven't seen her in awhile so I don't have new pics to post. Mia is doing well though. Just adjusting to life at home and the weaning of meds (especially pain meds). She is fussy many times, likely due to the weaning process. Her appointments are going well and her brother and sister are completely enthralled with her. They are enjoying this Christmas season as a family and are grateful for all the blessings they have been given by our Heavenly Father, especially Mia's donor angel! There are still a few days left on the necklace giveaway and others have contacted me about doing giveaways so watch for those! I hope everyone knows how much their help and support is appreciated. The McDonald's are so grateful and awed at everyone's kindness! Merry Christmas!

A picture of Mia at home!!

Mia has been home for a week now. I've heard it's been quite an interesting week. Adjusting to meds and feeds and appointments back at Children's on Mon, Weds and Friday and then a visit to the ER Thurs night. Mia was just constipated (which is what her mommy suspected) but to be safe her doctors wanted her to go in. As soon as they got to the hospital she let it all out, soaking her car seat and of course her clothes. Thankfully that was all it was and she got to go home again! Here's Mia with her grandma (Mimi's mother). She is an amazing woman who has given so much support to Mimi and her family through this difficult time! I love Mia's chubby cheeks in this picture. It looks like her hair (that had been shaved for a previous IV) is starting to grow in also. The McDonald family is enjoying their time at home and have said they can't seem to put Mia down! What a wonderful gift for them to be all together again!

New Giveaway

A friend of mine makes gorgeous jewelry. Necklaces, bracelets and earrings and decided to do a giveaway to benefit Baby Mia! Many of you know Mia is home and doing well but there are still many expenses! The giveaway will be for this necklace pictured below! Click on the picture to be directed to her blog for more info!
http://www.jenwebleydesigns.blogspot.com/

Thanks to all who have hosted a giveaway and everyone that has donated for them! Your support is greatly appreciated!

Congrats to the quilt, baby bjorn cover and crayon roll up winners!

New Family Picture

Here is a new family picture! I love how happy they look! It seems they are starting to settle into somewhat of a routine. Things are still sometimes hairy and chaotic and there are still medicines that will need to be changed and altered as they see how she does but overall Mia is doing well! What a wonderful time of year to reflect on how blessed Mia is and how blessed we all are! There is another baby (one of Mia's former roommates) that has been waiting for a heart who received one a few hours ago. Please pray for her and her family also! Miracles happen when we all come together! Thanks for everyone's continued thoughts, prayers and support that have been given to the McDonald family.

Mia's King 5 News Interview Link

There were a few errors in the news interview...i.e. it's only been almost a month since she received her heart transplant, not 3 months! It was still a nice interview though and so wonderful to see them at home as a family!

http://www.king5.com/video/index.html?nvid=311439

King 5 follow up interview tonight!

Mia will be on KING 5 news tonight, December 8th at 5pm for a follow up interview. Tune in if you are able otherwise I will post a link as soon as it becomes available!

Mia is 5 months old!!!

That's right Mia hit her 5 month mark today. Thankfully she is finally home. I don't think anyone, especially Mia and her mommy could have handled being in the hospital much longer. Mia's family is obviously thrilled she is home. The evening she arrived home her big brother said, "Mom, now we can finally be a happy family!" A happy family they indeed are but there are definitely some learning curves. They've had some long nights administering meds, scheduled feeds and trying to place her feeding tube that fell out the first night. They've had some chaos but happy chaos now that they are all home together!