Rivy's 🫀 Surgery Tomorrow - Update -

What a day!

Early this morning Riverlyn's surgeon came to speak with us about her surgical options. We had been seeking a second opinion from Boston Children's Hospital but since we couldn't transport her there we figured the method they advised was off the table. As it turns out, our team consulted with theirs and put that option back on the table. Matthew and I were given the decision as to which surgery she'd have. We prayerfully went with the Boston-advised procedure of placing a "melody" valve in the mitral position. This page gives a great overview of the nuances: https://melodyvalve.org/melody-valve/.

Rivy was really sick heading into the surgery. The mechanical valve had stopped working entirely and she was in a critical state which made it tough to get her ready for the procedure. Once she was ready things went well with the melody placement and she's been initially steady in recovery. She will stay sedated and intubated overnight to give her some time to rest. Tomorrow, if the night goes well, we'll look to wake her up and start weaning respiratory support. As she progresses we will get to the longer-term care discussions.

We're tired (to be expected) and oh so vulnerable watching her fight for her life again. Thank you all for seeing her through with your prayers and for supporting us as a family in so many ways! We will communicate again soon.