1 Year Transplant Update and So much more!

It has been forever since my last post-  I will credit that to a very active 17m old!  The past two weeks have literally been the fastest time has ever flown by.  We had the blood drive, Thanksgiving x3, Rowan's 1 yr Transplant Anniversary, and National Biliary Atresia Awareness Day!
(And I also haven't taken as many photos lately either... due to the fact we are constantly chasing her around!)

Rowan is doing remarkably well.  She is happy, healthy, and getting into lots of mischief.  If you're not careful dear things you love can end up in the toilet at our house...

We wanted to do something special for Rowan's one year transplant anniversary.  Something we felt like was giving back and raising awareness.  The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we hosted a blood drive and had a great turn out!  A majority of the people who donated couldn't recall the last time they had done so, and we thought it was fabulous to get so many people out who don't typically do so!  We will have to make this an annual thing :)  Rowan has received so many gifts of life, we are excited to give some back!

For Thanksgiving we were able to participate in 3 family gatherings!  Rowan had a fabulous time running around everyone's homes.  It was an incredibly happy two days we were able to share. 

Last Year:

Thanksgiving we were in the hospital at Texas Children's.  Chance's mom and grandmother brought us a meal and we heated it up in the microwave.  My what a difference a year makes!  Rowan was so sick at that time.  She had been listed for transplant already.  Back then, she wasn't eating and had to receive IV nutrition... although I distinctly remember she actually ate some sweet potatoes.  It was a very surreal holiday to say the least.  My mom came in that weekend and we spent black Friday roaming the halls of the 12th floor. 
Chance worked on Monday and my mom planned on heading back home until the most amazing news ever.  We had been waiting 10 days for a phone call, and around 2pm the coordinator called to let me know, there was a possible liver on its way.  Tears.  Instantly. 
From the time of that call to Rowan receiving her transplant there were a myriad of people, tests, and logistics to figure out.  OH MY- we heard "no news is good news" 1000 times!  There would be no guarantees that this would be Rowan's liver, so it became a waiting/ preparing game.  Chance was supposed to work on Tuesday.... should we call the rest of our family to come down... what if this is a no go... The hours ticked by and around 9PM I told Chance to come! The night was sleepless.  Several physicians would come in to assess Rowan and talk to us.  Daylight came and we felt pretty confident the surgery was a go.  November 29 will forever be one of my most cherished days.  This was the day our daughter received her gift of life, a new liver.  Without it, she would not have made it much longer.  We cannot imagine the loss of a child, and thank our angel donor's family for making the choice to give our daughter life.  We ask God to hug our angel donor close until we are able to meet.  Rowan's gift is a miracle that we can never be more thankful for. 

This year November 29th was probably a very hard time for our angel donor's family as well.  We prayed for them.
We also celebrated Rowan's life.  She is an amazingly strong little girl with a very promising future.

Today we celebrate National Biliary Atresia Awareness Day.  Please check out this wonderful video.  Rowan and many other miracle babies are in it! 

http://video214.com/play/Pk1Qxv9T50ohovMb7gdSSA/s/dark


We could not be where we are today without the love and support of our family and friends.  Thank you so much for ALL of the "likes", messages, wall posts, food, free babysitting, etc.  We are truly, truly beyond blessed!