WELCOME TO THE "HURLBURT FAMILY"
MELISSA & KURT FOUND OUT 6 MONTHS INTO THE PREGNANCY THAT BABY K.J. HAD HLHS. IT DEVASTATED US TO HEAR THIS NEWS THAT WE NEVER EXPECTED. WE CRIED TOGETHER AND PRAYED TOGETHER AND CAME TO TERMS WITH IT. WE WERE GOING TO FIGHT THIS WITH OUR FAMILIES LOVE AND SUPPORT. EACH DAY GOT A LITTLE BETTER.
ON MAY 1ST I WENT TO THE DOCTOR FOR A VISIT. HE ASK IF I WAS READY FOR LABOR TO BE INDUCED, I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS KIDDING! WITH MY HUSBAND OUT OF TOWN WORKING I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS. SO MY MOM TOOK ME TO THE HOSPITAL AND GOT MY HUSBAND AND HIS MOM ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL. WELL WE WERE SOON TO BE PARENTS OF A SPECIAL CHILD. AT 5:30 P.M ON MAY 1 LABOR WAS INDUCED AND MY HUSBAND WAS ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL. HE ARRIVED WITHIN A FEW HOURS AFTER BEING NOTIFIED.
ON MAY 2 9:24 P.M OUR LITTLE ANGEL ARRIVED. THERE WERE TEARS OF JOY HE WAS FINALLY HERE. AT THE TIME OF BIRTH HE WAS FIGHTING STRONG. HE CAME FROM A BACKGROUND OF STRONG FIGHTERS. HE WEIGHED 6LBS.14OZS AND WAS 14 INCHES LONG. WE ONLY SAW HIM BRIEFLY AND THEN HE WAS TAKEN ONTO PICU TO START TREATMENT. AFTER A FEW HOURS WE WERE TAKEN INTO SPEND SOME TIME WITH OUR SON.
ON 5/10/01 HE HAD HIS FIRST SURGERY (STAGE 1 NORWOOD). ON 5/14/01 HE HAD HIS CHEST CLOSED. ON 5/24/01 HE HAD A MEDIASTINAL EXPLORATION WITH CHEST CLOSURE. ON 5/30/01 HE HAD A CENTRAL IV LINE PUT IN FOR LONG TERM ANTIBIOTICS. THEN ON THE 6/11/O1 K.J WENT HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME. ON 10/23/01 HE HAD HIS BI-DIRECTIONAL GLENN SHUNT OPERATION. ON 11/02/01 HE HAD HIS BROVIAC PLACED AND ON 11/19/01 IT WAS REMOVED. ON 11/6/01 K.J RETURNED HOME. WITH LOVE AND FAMILY SUPPORT WE ARE GETTING STRONGER EACH DAY.
GOD GIVES US COURAGE AND STRENGTH TO TAKE STEP BY STEP. NOW K.J IS 16 MONTHS OLD AND GETTING STRONGER EACH DAY. WE ARE WAITING FOR K.J TO GAIN WEIGHT FOR THE LAST STAGE OF THE SURGERY. HE HAS A LEAKING VALVE BUT IT IS HOLDING IT'S ON. K.J EATS ALL THE TIME. WE ARE HOPING SOON FOR THE LAST SURGERY......WE PRAY EVERY DAY BECAUSE LIKE MANY OF YOU WE ARE NEW PARENTS AND THEN WITH HLHS WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE GOING TO FACE. GOD IS OUR STRENGTH AND KEEPS US STRONG.
~AS WRITTEN BY JEANETTE...KJ'S NANA~
A SPECIAL THANKS
MELISSA, KURT K.J AND ALL FAMILY WOULD DEEPLY LIKE TO THANK UNC CHAPEL HILL HOSPITAL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA HOSPITAL FOR GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR US. SPECIAL THANKS TO MS. MAGGIE, MS. MICHELLE, DR. HENRY....AND DR. B, K.J'S SURGEON......WE OWE K.J BEING HERE WITH US TO ALL YOU SPECIAL PEOPLE AND GOD WHO MADE ALL YOU GUYS WHAT YOU ARE......SINCERELY THANK YOU.....