Happy Summer! I hope this post finds everyone enjoying warm weather and lazy days 🙂 Our summer started out strong with big brother’s high school graduation, a few trips to the mountains, a short stay in Saint Louis, and a week at the beach with family. We were chugging along nicely, mostly oblivious to Emerson’s medical fragility, when reality stepped up to slap us in the face. Sadly Eme fell very ill, very quickly yesterday. She is in the PICU, intubated, & in septic shock. She’s growing gram negative rods in her blood. This one came out of left field for sure. She’d been doing well, running through sprinklers and playing games just the day before. She was so full of life… smiles & giggles (& grimaces too). Today she is silent, and summer has come to a screeching halt. As I sit in my recliner watching her chest rise to the sound of a ventilator, watching numbers cycle on a monitor overhead, and listening to the sound of persistent alarms, I am struck by how quickly life can change – how quickly we can forget & how quickly we can be reminded. I suppose, in a way, the forgetting is how I survive.
All in all Eme is holding her own & she is doing “okay”. Her little body just grew very tired today & she could no longer maintain her oxygen levels without some help. She is following a pretty predictable pattern so far, and I suspect her recovery will look familiar as well. It’s a mixed blessing – good that we know what to expect, but very sad that this has happened so many times now that we can predict the course. Overall I’m encouraged that time between episodes has grown longer and that quality of life in those times has undeniably improved. It’s been a while since Emerson has been this sick.
The plan for tonight is to keep her comfortable and let her rest. Hopefully she overheard and follows the rules. I’ll update again tomorrow, but leave you with pics from happier times – feeding goats at Grant’s Farm in Saint Louis. They loved her, she loved them (and we followed all proper immune suppression protocol afterwards, of course)… summer fun!
Hope for Emerson 
She is so beautiful Erika! Her smile radiates happiness! Praying for a quiet night and a quick recovery!
Praying for her and all her own family too. Hope she will feel better shortly.
Praying for Eme and for you as you wait….praying for swift healing and recovery…
Love and prayers for all of you 😇🙏🏼
Praying she keeps showing the doctors how awesome she is and stay strong mom. You are wonderful.
Praying that the Sepsis passes quickly. My mother was a fighter of MS for 35 years and had multiple sepsis episodes. Emme is a fighter. I will continue prayers.
Prayers and hugs for Eme, Erica, and family. Thank you for posting the pictures of her (and the goats!) at the farm. True joy knows no boundaries…
Little angel. 💖 My heart breaks for Eme and you and your family. You’re right that life is filled with unpredictability. Sometimes, that is wonderful. And sometimes… like today… it’s too much. Gosh, we think about Eme often. She is in our prayers. May this rest help her body recover quickly. She is an amazing human being. (And so are you!)
Oh Erika, I am sorry to hear about your gorgeous angel! The photos you posted are breathtaking – Eme, laughing and surrounded by cute little goats! She reminds me of Snow White with her black hair and beautiful white skin.
Praying for a very quick recovery and hoping she (you all) will be back to some summer fun ASAP!! 🙏🏻
xo
Pam
Praying!
So many prayers coming your way! Hugs and prayers from San Antonio!
Thank-you for the update, Erika! So sorry that Eme is going through a bad time again, but she is such a little trooper, I’m going to pray for and expect that she will get through this, too. Am so grateful you were able to celebrate your son’s graduation as a family. Please be assured pf continued and constant prayers from all of us out here who have grown to love Eme and your family. Please let us know how she is doing!!!
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So wonderful to hear from you, but I am so sorry to hear Em is in the hospital. I hope the night was uneventful, and today will be a better day. I am so happy to hear she ….and you….have had some fun summer. Hard to believe you have a child graduating from high school! Wow! Please keep this blog posted if you can….I know it’s hard.
Thinking and praying…..Annette W
Thank so for the update. So sorry she is so ill! She is growing and such a beautiful girl! I am so happy she is enjoying life and getting to experience much more! God Bless her and your family!
Eme looks just Great in these photos! Praying for her recovery and peace for you and your family. Love you, Clare