Emily’s Smiles through Difficult Trials

This past week, Emily was in great spirits and enjoyed having the family together for Easter last weekend. Easter Saturday morning, we met other pediatric patients and their siblings at Duke Gardens for some egg hunting fun. The hospital science teachers gave them a fun time being outside with no masks and germs to worry about! After lunch she went to the hospital for labs and she needed platelets. She was there for about 3 1/2 hours. Trey and Eddie went back with her and watched movies. Easter Sunday we thought of this Holy time and being home with our church family. The week went well, Monday Emily’s hemoglobin level was low and we noticed she looked pale and would tire easily. Eddie would sometimes have to carry her to find the eggs the Saturday before Easter. Drs. still wanted to wait on a transfusion since she is this far out from last chemo treatment to see if her bone marrow would start making blood cells on its own. By Thursday she had to have a transfusion. Hemoglobin normal range 11-17 gm/dl . Usually for Emily, 8 and under means transfusion is needed, Thursday (12th) it was in the low 7 range, I cannot find my paper for exact count. I know it has been her lowest count so far. It was just what she needed. Friday she went to the Park near the apt. and played on the slides and searched for caterpillars. She found three and wanted to take them home, she decided it would be best to put them back in the grass! She played with them for a hour and had so much fun being outside. This weekend Eddie and Trey and Nana and Granddaddy came for a visit and Emily felt good. Trey is staying until tomorrow and will miss Monday at school. Only his second day the whole year. We are so proud of him and his accomplishments. Trey and Emily did some school work this weekend together. Trey enjoys helping Emily. Tomorrow she will be back to the hospital for labs and school lessons. We will check on her counts. She is sooooo excited about coming home and is packing her stuff!! We will see you all Thursday evening about 7:00 p.m!!!!

Love, Eddie, Dawn, Trey and Emily

FROM EMILY’S ENCOURAGERS TEAM:

EMILY WILL COME HOME THURSDAY @ 7:00 p.m. for the weekend to attend the Park Event & Survivor’s Dinner.

Now, what that means is this:
1. You and/or anyone you know, make or buy, pink/purple (together) bows.
2. Thursday we will get them on light poles, signs, etc. from the Hampstead Food Lion
to Emily’s house. Need VOLUNTEERS to meet us at the KIWANIS Park on
Thursday, 4/19 about 10:00 a.m. so we can divide & conquer! Bring all bows you
get your hands on and we’ll get busy putting them out.
3. Join our WELCOME HOME Cheering & Wave line on Doral Drive. Line up on the sides
of the road from the intersection of Country Club to Emily’s house at 229 Doral Dr.
We want to greet her with as many waves and cheers as possible when she
arrives. I will be coordinating with Dawn to make sure they don’t come in before
7:00 p.m. This allows everyone to get home from work and come park on the side
of the road. Please bee on the sides of the road of Doral Dr. by about
6:45 p.m. on Thursday, 4/19.

THANK YOU to EVERYONE in advance for making Emily’s weekend homecoming a memorable occasion! This is her first visit “Homie Home” since she left us at Thanksgiving to start her chemo. Hope everyone will make her day by WELCOMING HER HOME!!! It is planned for her to make a brief appearance at the Park on Saturday morning and lead the Walkathon via golf cart, then hopefully return for the raffle drawings and event closure between 1:30 & 2:00.

Eddie and Trey were here last Friday afternoon (March 30th) Nana and Granddaddy were here during the weekend and Trey went back with Nana on Wednesday. Trey spent the night with Uncle David and Aunt Teressa and went fishing today. This weekend Trey and Emily went to the Park, Museum, and Duke Gardens and walked around campus. The gardens are so beautiful. The grounds around the Chapel are in full bloom. The Duke Chapel, as it is said in a book, “is at once too complex to take in during a visit and too rewarding to leave unexplored”. Trey and Emily enjoyed the outdoors and the weather was perfect.

This week Emily has been for lab appts and Dr. appts, platelets last Monday, School, and Physical and Occupational therapy. Emily has been calling to send her great news, all her hard work during the days when she was feeling bad and tired has paid off. Her Teacher Mrs. Trish gave Emily the Kindergarten Achievement Test and Emily will be going to First Grade next year! She so excited, I don’t know if she is going to be able to wait until the next year starts. She looks so little and young to me, I can’t believe she is going to be in first grade. Emily enjoys her school lessons. Months ago I would not have thought Emily would have the ability to achieve these skills, especially this early on. God has blessed her in many ways.
She is now walking in the apt. and on the grass by herself, with her leg and foot supports on. She still uses a walker or pushes the umbrella stroller for longer distances and on the cement walkways. Today at the hospital she did 8 laps, no walker, through the day hospital halls while we were waiting to see the Dr. She was so proud of herself and the nurses just encouraged her as she passed by. She just loves a challenge.

Tomorrow morning will be her last day of GCSF, and her counts will drop again for a while then her body will continue to produce the white blood cells. Her counts will slowly rise again. Next week the TPN and Lipds will decrease in volume and we will see if her appetite will increase. Eddie and Trey will be here this Weekend, Everyone have a great Easter! We would like to be there Sunday for Pastors Paul’s message and Easter Musical. We all have many blessings to be thankful for and praise our Lord for all his love and forgiveness. May we all glorify His name!

Love, Eddie, Dawn, Trey and Emily