Eliza Update - 2/13 8pm

Dear family and friends,

At our meeting this afternoon, the doctors communicated that they no longer have hope to find an explanation for Eliza's seizures or a medication to control them. Thankfully, our hope is not in medicine; despite their increasing sense of defeat, we know that Eliza's life, no matter how short, is a gift from God and a perfect fulfillment of His plan. One doctor said, "At this point, her seizures are not going to miraculously go away;" on the contrary, as Sam assured the doctor, we understand that they will ONLY miraculously go away.

Despite the seizures, though, Eliza continues to prove just how strong her body is. It turns out that, in addition to the toxic reaction to the medications with which she was faced this weekend, Eliza has also been fighting sepsis, a staff infection of the blood. She is currently on antibiotics for that infection, which should start to clear up within a few days, and is down to a low dose of just one blood pressure medication. Her kidney function is greatly improved, and her liver is beginning to recover, too, although it still has a ways to go.

The muscle biopsy, which was scheduled for this morning, has been postponed until Eliza is more
stable. For now, the doctors plan to simply let her recover and watch for signs that she is beginning to wake up from the coma. Already, Eliza is occasionally trying to take breaths on her own in response to the triggers from the respirator, and the hope is that she will continue to regain some other basic functions, though the extent to which she'll be able to function as a normal baby is very much up in the air. Only time will reveal what God has in store for her.

Thank you for your continued prayers for Eliza and for our family as we face the challenging weeks ahead. We are in the shadow of His wings.

Love,
Daniele (for Sam, Luke, and Eliza)