Pray For Nate

Nathan is our fourth, out of five, child. Most people who read my blog know him as Handsome. He was born February 7th, 2011 in a Tennessee town not too far from Nashville. Shortly after birth, Nathan was admitted in the local neonatal intensive care unit for respiratory issues. From there things spiraled down hill. 

Nathan's respiratory problems were solved within a couple days, but doctors noticed he was "floppy" and lethargic for a newborn, so they sent him to Nashville for an evaluation. After weeks of arguing with doctors, being transported back and forth between our home hospital and the hospital in Nashville, hundreds of labs and procedures, and two months in the NICU, Nathan was finally diagnosed with intractable epilepsy. 

For the first 9 months of his life, we struggled through hospitalizations due to prolonged seizures and we went through MANY seizure meds, before we finally talked to a nutritionist about the ketogenic diet. Once Nathan started the diet, he went seven months without any seizures. 

For seven months I got to see my son smile and laugh. I got to see him progress in his physical therapy and become stronger. He was getting better. Even the doctor's were amazed at his progress....

Then one June night, the seizures came back...

We have been in the pediatric intensive care unit in Nashville ever since trying to regain seizure control and attempting to stabilize him enough that he can come home. 

On June 22nd, an mri showed Nathan had brain atrophy. Doctors have since told us that he does not have a long life expectancy and that we need to start making life quality choices for him. 

Our family has been torn apart with Nathan and I here in the hospital, while my husband works and my mom stays with our kids. I rarely ask for anything, but today, I ask that you pray. Pray for Nate.