Big Heart

McKinzie

This past summer, Matt's niece caught a cold that knocked her down. She began having a really hard time breathing and thinking she may have pneumonia, her parents took her to the ER. They found she had an irregular heart rhythm and that her heart was three times the size it should be for her seven year old body. She was flown to Phoenix Children's Hospital where the heart specialists began testing. It was questionable whether she would make it. We fasted and prayed continuously and gave thanks for every little improvement. Many weeks in ICU, open heart surgery, and a stroke later, this sweet little girl came home. Not only do we love her dearly, she is one of the three cousins born within three weeks of each other, my David being one of them. A short while ago, her doctors tried to wean her off of her medications that were helping to keep her rhythm steady. She had a few close calls as her heart began to literally race like a horse. When she began sleeping for more hours than she was awake, they put her back on the meds. Our daily prayers were that her heart would keep pumping normally. We received a call last week asking for us to join in a family fast as McKinzie was going in for another surgery. This time our prayers were to ask that her heart would act up. That it would misfire so that her doctors could cauterize the muscles that were causing the problems. This was a complete leap of faith as they say. So many things could go wrong and we were asking for this? That is how my morning began but as I sat in sacrament meeting an overwhelming peace came over me and I knew without a doubt that Heavenly Father would do exactly what we asked and that this surgery would be a success. I bore my testimony of that conviction as I felt that my gratitude was going to burst from my chest.

I am happy to report that everything did go well and that the doctors are happy with the results. She will be able to come home tomorrow. I thank my Heavenly Father for giving us another day to spend with this precious little girl. She is full of love. I love when she squeals my name and runs to give me a hug, just because she is happy to see me. She is full of faith. She is always happy. I have never heard her complain that she can no longer play sports or climb trees- two of her favorite things. She is our hope.

We love her so much!

(I'm going to take this moment to apologize to the members of the congregation who have to see me blubber. Not cry, not shed a few tears, but choke on the lump in my throat and squeak out a proclamation of my faith while snot begins to drip from my nose and my belly fat bounces uncontrollably. Yes, it really is that bad and they have to witness this every month. I was told it would get better if I would keep doing it. I'm still waiting. I'm sure they are too.)