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It’s good to be home and see my babies after an emotional weekend. Thank you to everybody again for all your thoughts and prayers over the last few weeks or so. I won’t be able to respond to each one personally, but it means so much to Ashley and Andy and the whole family to know that they have been lifted up in prayer by those who don’t even know them.

I’m so glad I got to see Hudson on Friday (that’s his daddy’s hand). We did go to the hospital Saturday night, too, and were able to see him freed from all the machines and tubes. His parents were able to spend time alone with him, with the help of the nurses, giving him a bath and dressing him in a special outfit. After that, they invited us in to say good-bye. Ashley held him cradled in her arms and never took her eyes from his face. Other than a few moments immediately after his birth, they had never seen him without all of the tubes and tape.

It was a privilege to care for twin brother Camden for the weekend, even though he did get my sister and me up a couple times a night! He’s just as sweet as can be!

Again, thank you all. Praise God for his merciful care.

Hudson Theodore Miller

February 27, 2009-May 2, 2009

God's Timing is Perfect

He spared Andy and Ashley from having to decide to turn off the ventilator. Hudson passed away tonight at about 8 pm, while his mother was holding him. We are grateful for his sake that he has been set free from from his imperfect body and has been made new and whole again in the arms of Jesus.
Thank you for your prayers.

From Phoenix

We went to the hospital yesterday and saw Hudson. He's so tiny and sweet. His poor little body is failing, though. Kidneys are failing, there's bleeding in his stomach from unknown causes, and so many other things. Andy and Ashley have decided, with much prayer and medical advice, to take him off the ventilator tomorrow morning. Their strength and the way they are handling this is astounding.

They have invited whole family to the hospital in the morning to say good-bye to Hudson before they shut down the ventilator and then Andy and Ashley will be alone with him and hold him into heaven.

Going to Phoenix

I'm going to be flying to Phoenix in the morning. My sister is there at my dad's, taking care of Camden so Andy and Ashley can focus on Hudson, so I'll be there to help for the weekend. This just worked out for me because Craig has tomorrow off, so I won't have to figure out getting the kids to school and stuff.

I'll be back Monday night.
Thanks again for your prayers for my brother and his family. It really means a lot to us all.

Hudson Update

I just spoke to my Dad. Hudson is still on the ventilator, and Ashley and Andy have signed a “do not resuscitate” order. He has so many issues that everybody is at the point of wondering how much more to put him through. I believe Dad said the doctors are going to try a round of steroids in the next few days to see if that jumpstarts him somehow, but it’s really a last ditch effort.

I don’t clearly know all of the problems he has; I do know that he has scoliosis, malformed ribs that don’t allow his lungs to expand, he can’t swallow, and Dad said he has a stress ulcer. Poor sweet baby.

Thank you for all your prayers. I know that God is listening.

Please Pray

The prognosis for my nephew Hudson (see sidebar) isn’t good. The doctors have told Andy and Ashley that it may be time to think about turning off the ventilator, and barring some miracle, letting him go.

Please pray for them.

Update on My Nephew

Hudson’s surgery was postponed until this morning, but is done now.  Dad said he made it through the surgery; one of the surgeons was optimistic that he “will make it”, and the other one said he is a very sick little boy and we’ll have to see “if he makes it”.

It turned out to be that his liver was herniated through his diaphragm and I guess was interfering with his lungs and heart.  At one point I heard that his heart was enlarged, but I don’t have a confirmation on that since the surgery.

I should clarify a little bit:  they knew that Hudson had issues during the pregnancy.  He has club feet, some problems with digestion and/or elimination, and has had breathing problems since birth.  He is apparently quite opinionated about all of the poking and prodding he gets on a daily basis, and on more than one occasion it has upset him so much that he has gone into a kind of seizure and stopped breathing.

Thank you for your prayers.  Obviously, they are still very much needed.

Prayer Request

My younger brother and his wife were blessed with twin boys on February 27th.  Camden was about 5lbs at birth, and was able to go home shortly after.  Hudson was about 3lbs and has a number of problems and has been in the NICU ever since.

It’s been sort of touch and go, with various problems cropping up.  It now appears that he has a duodenal hernia which is somehow interfering with his heart.  At this point, he is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow.

Please keep him and the doctors in your prayers, as well as my brother and SIL, Andy and Ashley, as they are having a difficult time juggling a healthy baby, a very ill baby, work, and all the associated stress.

Thank you!

Hudson, newborn.

  Twin brother Camden.