I became an uncle again, for the third time on Aug 7. Quinn Lyner Horwitz was born to my sister, Heidi, and her husband, Michael. Vital statistics: 5 pounds, 11 ounces, and 19 inches.
But unfortunately, something was wrong right from the start. The little guy wasn’t breathing properly. The doctors soon discovered that there was a defect in his heart. He was transferred to a children’s hospital the next day, and he’s still there.
Earlier this week, he had delicate four-hour open heart surgery to repair valves in his heart. It was an extremely rare surgery for a baby so small. But there were few alternatives.
Fortunately, the surgery went well, and he seems to be making slow progress. He had yet another blood transfusion (how many is that now?), but his echo yesterday looked good, and today, they removed his chest tube. He still has a feeding tube and a breathing tube and all sorts of other tubes and monitors attached to him. He is opens his eyes periodically. For two days after surgery, no one was allowed to touch him. Now, his parents have been allowed to kiss his toes.
I visited Quinn last weekend. He’s a handsome kid, with plenty of dark hair and that great smooth baby skin. I’ve always loved holding little infants. They seem designed to just fit right in the crook of your arm. I remember how special that was when I held my own children and let them suck rhythmically on my pinky finger. How hard it must be for my sister and brother-in-law to not be able to hold him!
I pray for Quinn to have the strength he needs to keep getting better. And I pray for strength to his parents, as they await the day when they can finally hold him again. Will they ever be able to let go?
My brother-in-law is writing about their experience in this journal.
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