En route to Unitas

Hi everyone!

Brilliant news. My really awesome super-duper paediatrician Dr Nicoletta Hay went and met with the radio-interventionist team at Unitas this morning, and it’s a go! I’m healthy and strong enough to be operated on.

Although this is very good news, I’m not out the woods as yet. First I need to get to Unitas, where I will undergo some observations to confirm my state of readiness. Tomorrow morning my Dad and I will take an ambulance trip from Morningside Medi-Clinic to Unitas in Centurion. Mom will follow by car. I’m really excited by the prospect of swooshing through the traffic, sirens blaring and lights flashing! After an adrenaline filled trip to Centurion, I will be checked into the paediatric ICU at Unitas until my operation, which is on Friday morning. It is then that I need all of you to send me lots of love, hugs, good wishes, prayers, positive energy, and angels to get me through the procedure.

Since my last update to you I have also undergone an MRI Scan to confirm my brain functionality is intact. It was very difficult for me to undergo this scan, as it meant being moved out of my comfy life-supporting cradle in neonatal care and being transported downstairs to radiology. The trip down went well, and I was surprised to discover that my whole bed, with most of the equipment, travelled with me! Once in radiology, I was put into the MRI Scanner, and, believe it or not, the incredible Dr Hay got into the machine with me to make sure I was comfortable and still breathing.

Once out of the scanner it was a rush to get me back to the neonatal unit where my infant ventilator, that keep my heart going and my lungs breathing, was located. My Mom and Dad are such a great team; on the journey back to the neonatal unit my Dad would rush ahead and summons the elevator while Mom cleared a path for me to travel safely along. My parents were most impressed by the kindness of strangers to give up their elevators and make space to accommodate me going back upstairs. Once in the neonatal unit it did take the kind nurses and doctors about an hour to stabilise me, where after Mom and Dad were immediately on the scene again to give me little words, touches and thoughts of encouragement and love.

That’s about all for now. The next time I’ll be writing to you all will be from Centurion to update you on the success of my little operation. I’ve heard that my Mom and Dad are making plans to camp out in Pretoria at a B&B, so they may be out of contact with all of you for a while.

Please keep me in your prayers, thoughts and wishes over the next few days, as they are going to be quite taxing on my little body. My Dad keeps reminding me that I am a strong little fighter, so I reckon I’ll be sailing through the op, but I still will need all of your help . . .

Love,

Jarrod J

Figure 1 Dr Hay chilling with me in the MRI Scanner

Figure 2 Just when I thought I had it wired, they attached me to even more equipment

Figure 3 The Bear Cub 750 (how cute is that name?) Infant Ventilator that keeps me going

Figure 4 A view of the monitoring equipment and automated syringe machines that gently pump fluids & meds into me

Tags: Dad, Mom, Morningside Medi-Clinic, MRI Scan, paediatrician, Unitas