Norwood

On February 26, 2025, our little Benji boy had the first of several open heart surgeries. It was a long day spent with family, filled with both apprehension and peace. Toward the end of the day, his surgeon met with us to tell us the news:

Benji's surgery went great! His aorta was surgically enlarged and a shunt was put in to make up for the dysfunctional left side of his heart. The right side of his heart was also modified to take on new responsibilities.

It was tough seeing him at first. No one wants to see their baby sedated, cut open, and connected to more life-lines than you can count on both hands. But we have been met with continual grace for each emotional moment, and made every effort to take one hour, one day at a time.

In the days since, Benji is recovering remarkably well. There has been minimal swelling where more is typically expected, and they were able to close the open chest days earlier than planned. He has been taken off his ventilator and breathing tubes ahead of schedule and is breathing on his own. He is showing signs that he still has his feeding instincts. His vitals have stayed mostly in range with the help of medications and monitoring. Today he opened his eyes and responded to touch and voices, including smiling at Mommy.

We will be in the hospital for several more weeks to recover from this surgery, and then will be back for at least three more surgeries, including a heart transplant, in the coming months and years. But we are amazed at his progress so far and so grateful we get to share this good news with you.

Please, continue to pray.

Persevering,

Andrew, Chantelle, Edmund, and Benji