Bone Flap

Mamas dream lots of things for their babies when they hold them in their arms. Fresh from God, possibilities as endless as the stars. They dream of little league uniforms, insecure smiles in prom pictures, those cute homemade Mother's Day cards, diplomas framed on walls, soccer MVP awards...

One thing mamas don't dream about for their babies....a bone flap.

It is a little door to the brain that can be opened by loosening just a few screws.

One week from today, we'll arrive at Mass General Hospital at 5:45 AM. After a time of earnest prayer and not enough hugs and kisses, we'll walk away from Oliver and the process will begin...

Oliver's golden locks will fall on a sterile floor, bright surgical lights beating down.

The surgeon will use her knife to cut the skin on his head. Lay the flesh open.

She will then use a drill to saw through Oliver's skull and make the little door to the brain, the bone flap.

The circle of bone will then be removed to expose the brain.

(Are you freaking out yet? Because I am)

Now that the brain is exposed she will sew in the electrodes. Think: embroidering a pillow except it is Oliver's brain.

We will wait as the saw will be fired up and blood will cover her small latex gloves. The saw will cut through his skull and still...we will wait.

While we wait we bend the knee. We'll be with the only One who knows how all this will turn out. And our souls will be encouraged knowing you are praying with us too. From all over the world, our prayers joined together will rise like a fragrant offering.

Then she will then close the door to his brain.

Then she'll wipe the blood of his face and around his incision site. Maybe she'll even be taken aback by how cute he is...even with a bone flap.

She'll tell someone in the Operating Room to page us.

We'll meet her in a room that smells like Lysol and has seen thousands of boxes of tissues.

Then we'll get to see him. Our son.

A child who has had an extraordinary life....already...at two and a half.

A child who has an army of people loving and praying for him on this
life
altering
day.

Oliver having a blast this weekend at the Mates family farm. This kid loves a tractor! 

August 15th
Please pray that Oliver's bone flap would heal properly after the surgery and that area would not experience any type of infection. Also for his recovery once we are home. I am told from other mamas that have been through this that kids are often put on “safe/restricted play.” Can you imagine how stressful that will be with wild thing?

August 16th
Please pray for the child that is in this surgery slot. It was the one we initially wanted. I had a major revelation about that which you can read about on this post. 

August 17th 
Please pray for the nurses that we will interact with during our time at Mass General. Pray we'd be able to be a blessing to them and special bonds would form.