3 Years Ago Today......Don't Ever Give Up Hope

(Okay, I really started this on Monday Sept 3rd, but never finished because we had baseball games ALL day.)

Every year when we reach September 3rd I'm yet reminded of what a medical miracle our Miracle Mason really is! It was this day 3 years ago that we were given very little hope for our son's life. He was supposed to be listed for a much needed heart transplant, but was diagnosed during his cath with severe pulmonary vein stenosis this day.....thus we were told he was not eligible for a heart transplant. To read more detail about September 3, 2009's bad news go to this post and this post  . Today we celebrate that our cute, strong willed, amazing, happy little boy is still with us 3 years later when he was only given MONTHS to live that sad day in September of 2009! He has surpassed for sure all medical expectations! 

As most of you know he did receive a heart transplant 7 months later at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, but still only has one healthy functioning lung. Through a lot of research, love, hope, prayers, faith, tears, and endurance we found a way to give our Miracle Mason a second chance of life and a much better quality of life. Just look now at this stubborn, smiley, loving little almost 5 year old (I can't believe he's almost 5!) that doctors were about to give up on 3 years ago:

I say stubborn for a few reason's....He has always been very stubborn with a strong will to live, but he also has become a very picky stubborn little boy! Spoiled maybe?! If so, it's well deserved for all the pain he has endured! One example of his quirky stubbornness: These cute swim trunks he's wearing here are not so cute to our family anymore. He has wanted to wear them EVERYDAY this summer! They have holes on the bum (from all his scooting before he realized he COULD walk a month or so ago), and they are stained. He even wants to sleep in them, but I usually convince him that they need to be washed. Although believe me, he asks for them as soon as he wakes up! And, if I some how I talk him into (with bribery) putting a different outfit on for the day, within a couple hours he sneaks up to the laundry room, finds them, and puts them on. I've had to give up on him wearing a shirt that matches because only so much matches with these cute and awful swim trunks! He's one silly boy and I couldn't be more grateful for his stubbornness(most of the time)!!! 

We are never and will never be completely out of the woods with our Miracle Mason. He will always have the risk of rejection. He will always be immune suppressed. He will probably always be prone to get sick with pneumonia (in fact he had pneumonia again just a few weeks ago) because of the complete stenois to his left left lung. We will always be in the "unknown" with him being a heart transplant with only one functioning lung, because there are very few similar cases in the world and he is by far the youngest known case.....BUT he is still here with us on earth today and we cherish each and every day we have him here. He is healthy and doing well. He is happy. He is OUR MIRACLE. What more could one ask for??? We never go a day without being grateful for and thinking about Mason's donor family who gave us the gift of allowing Mason to live with us longer here on earth!

Through all that Mason's journey has taught us, I know one of the most important things I have learned and want to share with all of you, especially those of you facing a similar situation right now is DON'T EVER GIVE UP HOPE! Hope is what held me together 3 years ago when I felt like my world had shattered! Hope is what took me to my knees to depend on My Father Above. Hope is what increased my faith. Hope is what took us to Stanford. Hope is what got Mason his new heart! PLEASE DON'T EVER GIVE UP HOPE!!! To our little friends Matthew, Owen, and Kiley who are waiting for new hearts ( Matthew's second new heart), to our sweet friend Kaidence recovering from her very recent second heart transplant, and to all of our other heart friends out there I say to you (and your parents) HOLD ON, DON 'T GIVE UP, AND DON'T LOSE HOPE! 

"Heaven's kindness will never depart from you, regardless of what happens.

 Bad days come to an end, faith ALWAYS triumphs,

 and heavenly promises are ALWAYS kept."

~Jeffrey R. Holland

"If you are helpless, He is not. 
If you are lost, He is not. 
If you don't know what to do next, He knows. 
It would take a miracle, you say? 
Well, if it takes a miracle, why not?"

                                                         ~President Boyd K. Packer~

Thank you to all of you who continue to follow Mason's journey. We feel your love and continued support. I promise to post again soon. I still need to post pictures of the beach and other summertime fun. Soon! I promise! For now, have a happy day and don't ever give up HOPE!