Riverlyn’s Year-End Update

What a year… the most traumatic and trying of our lives… and yet, our beautiful girl is home, happy, and hopeful! 

It’s fitting that today, on the last day of the year we’d have an appointment with a Dr from the heart failure team. It’s fitting that this is the same Dr who gave us the details about Rivy’s heart conditions on her second day of life in the NICU. Thus, she had a full work up today. Labs look pretty good and her echo actually showed a slight improvement which is a shift from the downtrend over the past few since we came home. 

For her heart, the team wants to swap her current beta blocker for another one that may be better suited for her particular impairments. There is not a plan to pursue any surgical intervention at this time or immediate future - she’s still growing into the valve. 

As we continue to calibrate her regiments we’re doing our best to support her feeding tolerance and overall functional load. She’s still not eating by mouth so that’s a prayer point. In the new year she’ll also start with occupational therapy in addition to her feeding and physical therapies.

She’s come so incredibly far and given all she’s faced it is nothing short of a series of miracles that she is where she is today with the melody valve having given her a real opportunity for growth and longevity.

It’s hard to grasp that she will be one year old in just a couple weeks! 

Fun family facts - Aidan is wrapping up the year in full swing with Mission Triangle and will be heading out internationally again in a couple of months on a mission trip. Nathan is doing great with potty training and is so sharp-witted and lovingly relational that it’s a joy to see him blossom. Matthew is focusing on relaunching into 2025 with renewed rigor for his existing and emerging portfolio of kingdom assignments. Lee has completed her first round of chemo - please keep her in prayer as the balance between treatment and health is tough to strike. I am in the process of tackling a couch-to-course training program with my sights set on completing a half marathon this March 🙏🏼

We love you and could not have survived this year without you 🤍