Week #4 Update

"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5

After a few weeks of mixed news and disorientation (which ultimately felt more like months to us), it appears that Barrett's condition is improving again. Barrett was extubated (had his breathing tube and ventilator removed) for the second time on 08/12 and has been in stable condition since. He's finally able to be held again, which I'm certain was much needed for everybody!

The ultimate source of his setback these past ~2 weeks was a staph infection in his blood. This is an unfortunate but not uncommon result of having so many access lines attached to his body in the ICU. The staph infection eventually caused some fevers and other more obvious symptoms that his pediatric team were able to identify and treat with a strong course of antibiotics. They are fairly certain the "silent" early portion of this infection is what caused his regression and second intubation.

Once antibiotic treatment began he showed near-immediate improvements and has been back on a strong recovery trajectory including his recent extubation, a 3x increase on his feeding, and weaning of several medications. Another answered prayer at a time when we were feeling helpless.

The infection in his blood will prolong our hospital stay. The driving factor is the presence of Barrett's "shunt" - a medical grade plastic tube attached to his heart during his Norwood procedure. Because the shunt is an inorganic surface, it's a place where bacteria tend to cling on and thrive, so clearing the infection demands a 6 week course of IV antibiotics.

While hearing about this new timeline was disappointing, that was far outweighed by our joy in seeing Barrett off the breathing tube with the color back in his face! We pray that his recovery continues unabated, and are thankful for the support and the many blessings we've received.