My friend and fishing partner- known here as JNT is facing the most difficult time of his life and could use some good will.

His daughter, Erin was born with a liver disfunction called Billiary Atresia. Her liver never developed the duct work to deliver bile to her intestinal tract. At three months old she under went a corrective surgery- a Casai (sp? pronounced "cassigh") proceedure. If I remember correctly, the doctors took blood vessles and used them to make ducts for bile delivery. The problem though is that it is only a temporary fix until the child is elegible for a liver transplant. Over the course of two years there have been many complications and extensive hospital stays, some too rough to describe.

Erin is almost three and has been listed on the transplant list for just under a year now. The doctors said a year ago some time between now and Christmas.

Well... Friday night at 9:00pm they are watching movies, laughing, just enjoying family time and the phone rings... "This is Childrens Hospital, we have an organ for your daughter, we need you here in the next hour."

Erin under went liver transplant surgery at 6:00am Saturday morning. The doctors were very optimistic given Erin's condition and the condition of the liver. I reassured Jon- a liver transplant is a cure. She would have a completely normal life if this works have hope. Eight hours later, the doctors felt everything had gone well. However, two hours later an ultrasound exam showed that bloodflow to the liver was blocked by a blood clot. The hospital recalled the team of surgeons and they reopened her to try and clear the blockage. We all were crushed. Four hours later, 12:30am the team had hope again, they had found the clot and put her back together. The liver appeared healthy so it is a wait and see.

I stayed the night at the hospital. Jon called me at 5:30am, nearly histerical... she was hemorraging profusely. It was coming out as fast as they were putting it in. She went back for the third time. It seems she was swollen from the trauma and the stomach wall was putting too much pressure on her liver for proper blood flow. The solution was to leave the incision open, temporarily closing it with an adhesive patch to allow the cavity to expand and relieve pressure in her abdomen. It was questioned though whether the liver had been damaged from the loss of blood flow or from the additional handling.

Hope. Pray. Stay positive when it seems the worst.

That was Sunday morning. The doctors felt that if they can stabilize her and buy some time the liver might get going. I had to leave Sunday evening to prepare for work Monday, but since then I have received word that her condition has improved. So here we are, twenty four hours later, the family is still standing by. The fact that she has been stabilized for this long is enough to be excited about.

Jon is as loyal of a follower of this board as I am. ( maybe he is more of a lurker?)

:p

But we follow the disputes, the humor, the adventures, the politics and share the fellowship that comes with this electronic community. He might have access to the board during this hospital stay. I tried twice on Sunday to place this post but the page wouldn't load. I suspected a security feature the hospital has placed on their network? If it is available now or not, Jon and his family need all of the positive words and energy available. Not being a formally spiritual soul myself, if anyone has a prayer I will be the first to bow my head and close my hands.

Thank you
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In the legend of King Arthur, the Fisher King was a renowned angler whose errant ways caused him to be struck dumb in the presence of the sacred chalice. I am no great fisherman, and a steelhead is not the covenant of Christ, but with each of these fish I am rendered speechless.