Samuel's Story

     Samuel arrived at 3:30 pm on Friday May 7, 1999 and was lovingly welcomed by his mom and dad, Sue and Steve, and his grandparents Bob and Rita. His big brother, Steven who turned 3 in January was at a family friend's home (Aunt Julie's) not too far from the hospital. His grandparents Nick and Oneta, his aunts and uncles among many others came by a little later. His arrival was about three weeks earlier than expected but no less joyous than expected. Steve was the only one who had a chance to hold him right away. Sue saw him for a brief moment right after birth and Bob and Rita saw him in the nursery through the glass.
     His name had been chosen some time before. An ultrasound at Christmas time had shown he was a he. Sue and especially Steve wanted to keep the family all S's and there was some talk his name might be Shane. Steven has a child's bible with the story of Samuel helping Eli and hearing the Lord call him. Steven can recite the stories himself and when mom and dad heard Steven saying the part of the Lord - 'SAMUEL, SAMUEL' - the name was chosen. His middle name Ray is honoring a maternal uncle who passed away as a boy from brain cancer.
     The joy of his arrival soon gave way to great concern; however, when the doctor informed them that Samuel was having difficulty breathing and he didn't 'like his color' and that a specialist had been called to examine him.      As the tests and examinations began, so did the prayers. Samuel's physical family was joined by their church family with prayers for Samuel's safety and survival.
     But God was already guarding "Our Little Miracle." Normal tests and scans during the pregnancy had not shown any problems. As time drew near for Samuel's arrival, he didn't seem to want to "cooperate." Samuel was turned and was not in the right position for the delivery.
     Samuel was delivered by cesarean section as a result - and according to God's plan. The doctors, looking back, said that Samuel's condition would have made it less likely that he could have survived the stress of a "normal" delivery.
     Samuel was transferred to the Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit after Sue held him only a few moments in her room late Friday night. A number of tests were conducted Saturday and Monday, and each time, the results fell into the "bad news" range. Sue was discharged Sunday night and got to hold Samuel Monday morning before his catherization, which was a risky procedure in and of itself. After all the specialists had conducted all the tests and reviewed all the results, Samuel's problem had a name - pulmonary atresia with intact septum and stenotic coronary arteries.
     Samuel's problem also had a solution - a heart transplant. In a meeting held Tuesday afternoon - with all the extended family, the minister and his wife and the transplant team - all the options and prognosis were examined and the risks and complications and responsibilities of a heart transplant were explained. After prayerful consideration, Samuel was placed on the National Donor Registry list on Wednesday May 12, and the wait for a new heart for Samuel began.
     Not satisfied just to sit by and pray and wait, Steve and Sue joined with the Children's Hospital of Michigan and held a press conference. They told the TV and newspaper reporters all about Samuel and his condition and the need for a new heart for Samuel. They also asked for prayers on Samuel's behalf. They knew the more people that were aware of Samuel's need, the greater the chance that someone would make the decision to donate if faced with that decision. Even if Samuel wasn't helped directly, Steve and Sue knew organ donor awareness was important and the press conference might help others waiting.
     As much as they wanted Samuel to get the heart he needed, Sue and Steve were torn emotionally about that prospect. They knew that for Samuel to get
that heart, another child would die and another family would have to endure that loss. Every day they prayed for a new heart for Samuel, and every day they prayed for comfort and strength for that family that would face the loss of a child if God's plan was to answer their prayers with a new heart for Sammy.
     But they also realized that the heart they needed for Samuel might not come. They were in a race with time and were told that about half of the children Sammy's size die waiting for a suitable heart. Sue and Steve decided that if this was Samuel's fate, they wanted his life to make a difference in someone else's life. They wanted to help save others by donating his organs.
     The second most critical factor for Samuel was his size. At less than 4½ pounds his chance of surviving major surgery wasn't good. He was immediately put on a high calorie, high fat diet. In his first two months Samuel gained an average of about an ounce a day.
     Sue and Steve began their wait, trying to maintain a fairly normal life for Steven, with help from family and friends to help watch over the two boys. They divided their time between hospital and home - never out of touch with a beeper that will call them quickly to Sammy's side when the heart they wait for becomes available. A team of doctors stand by - waiting for the word that a heart for Samuel has been found.
     Late on the night of July 6, that word came. Steve was with Samuel when the call came from the transplant doctor that a possible match was found. He immediately called Sue, and she called her parents Bob and Rita who came over to stay with Steven, and she joined Steve at Samuel's bedside in the NICU.
     As the doctors prepared and made the trip south to retrieve the heart, Sue and Steve spent the time holding Samuel. There were no guarantees that the surgery would be successful, and their time with Samuel could quickly come to an end. Around 4:00 a.m. the word came that the heart was a good match and surgery was a 'go'.
     At 5:00 a.m. on July 7, Samuel's surgery began. Over the next eight hours, the doctors worked transplanting the tiny heart that was Samuel's hope for life. Sue and Steve, their family and friends, spent those hours praying. They asked for God to guide the hands of the surgeons as they worked on Samuel. They prayed for strength for Sammy to survive the surgery and the recovery. They prayed for God to comfort another family they did not yet know - all they knew about the donor was that they were about the same in size - around seven pounds.
     There were a few tense moments when the new heart didn't seem to want to restart for Samuel, but God smiled down again - with a special little angel by His side - and all turned out well. On the two-month anniversary of his birth, Samuel received a most wonderful gift - the gift of life.
     Samuel was basically unconscious for a few days - the most critical stage. His body needed time to heal so the doctors didn't want him to move. His vital signs were monitored constantly and medications - which numbered a couple dozen at first - were tweaked to keep them in acceptable ranges. There were tubes and wires everywhere. About two weeks after surgery Samuel was up to moving to a new room where his care was less intensive. Sue and Steve had to learn precisely how to draw his life-maintaining medications and Samuel had to eat better from a bottle - he had been on a feeding tube since surgery.
     About this time, they held another press conference to let everyone know Samuel had received his heart and was doing well. Sue stayed with Samuel and cared for him. Steve thanked the donor family first - even though at this point all he knew is that they were in a southern state. He thanked the surgeons and hospital staff for their incredible work and dedication to saving Samuel's life. He thanked everyone for their prayers and support.
     Samuel's condition steadily improved and on July 31, Samuel got to go home - only three and a half weeks after surgery, with no signs of rejection. Samuel will have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life, along with having to have regular visits to the doctor to check for any problems with his new heart. Samuel is expected to live a long and healthy life.
     As hard to bear as all of this might seem, the Lord blessed Samuel and his family all along the way. Samuel was never in grave danger except in surgery. His family was able to hold him nearly every day - feeding him and changing his diapers. All along the way they met other families in far worse situations - those who had children in critical condition and worse. They had incredible support from family, friends and church family. Thousands of prayers were offered daily by those who knew them and by perfect strangers from all across the country. Steve's job approved an FMLA leave of absence so he could be with Samuel and still receive 100% pay from his sick bank.
     Then God sent a very special angel named Maclaine. One who very much like Jesus, couldn't hold on to this earthly life - so she gave the incredible gift of life to a little baby boy, who without her wonderful gift, would have surely died.

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