Brooklyn's Struggle

Well here is the story of my beautiful daughter as it sits today!

Friday night Nickole noticed that Brooklyn was running a fever at bedtime. We took her into the pediatrician on Saturday with a temperature of 104. The Pediatrician, because there were no other signs, advised us to give her medicine and baths to keep her temperature down. We did this and her temperature would fluctuate from 101 to 104, crazy enough they don't freak out until it is about 107. Sunday afternoon Brooklyn started saying that her foot was hurting and by about 6 P.M. she was limping around on the ball of her foot and her heel showed some signs of swelling. We decided that based on a phone call to her diabetes doctor for a second opinion and some things that he had said about possibly a bone infection that we would bring her back to the Pediatrician Monday morning, knowing that this new symptom had presented itself. Keep in mind at this time there was no visible signs of infection! At 12:00 A.M. Monday morning Nickole had Brooklyn in the tub trying to keep her 104.9 fever down when she called me to come and look at her foot. On her left heel there was a red line that looked like 2 w's (WW). At this time we called Primary Children's and asked for their advice. They can not give advice over the phone so we called our on call Pediatrician on PCMC's suggestion and after describing it to her she advised us to get her to Primary Children's because aggressive infections need I.V. antibiotics ASAP.

We brought Maddux to our Neighbor's (Thank you Ray and Ellen) and headed for PCMC. We arrived at approximately 1:30 A.M. and by the time we had the doctor look at Brooklyn it appeared that she had bruising around her ankle similar to a bruise from someone punching it. They admitted Brooklyn to the Hospital and started treating her for Cellulitis. The nurses were positive about the steps being taken although they could not give her an MRI because her vitals were not stable. So I head home that night with Maddux and dropped him off at school and headed to work to get a little done before heading up to PCMC. I received a call at about 9:00 A.M. from a distraught wife telling me I needed to get to the hospital right away they were moving Brooklyn to the PICU because the infection was getting worse & Brooklyn was sceptic.

By the time I arrived at the hospital and parking at the U of U hospital because I could not find one parking spot in the PCMC 4 story parking lot. I rounded the corner to the PICU and the surgeon was talking to Nickole telling her the Bacteria was spreading to fast to wait for an MRI so we needed to get her in immediately to remove the infected areas and do what we had to do whether it was in the skin, muscle or bone. There was a possibility that she could lose her leg , or even worse her life. Nickole was being told this before I got there, as soon as she spotted me she broke down sobbing uncontrollably.

After 1 hour in the Operating Room Doctor Scaife (the same doctor that reconstructed the poor kids leg that got blown up by that homemade firework this last 4th of July 2008) came out and told us that the had to remove a bunch of skin and tissue off of her left leg but that it had not progressed into the muscle or bone! The disease is called "Necrotizing Fasciitis Type A Streptococcus Pyogenes" We will be going back in on Wednesday to check the skin and muscle and make sure that we got all of it. I stayed up with her all night Tuesday night in the PICU feeling helpless.

Wednesday they went back in and found no further signs of the bacteria except for the vein they removed above her knee. We are so grateful to feel the presence of our Heavenly Father in our lives & our many blessings being answered.

At this time we are looking at Brooklyn getting skin grafts (spelling?) on Friday if her vitals get under control. Her leg will be disfigured due to the tissue under the skin being removed in the infected areas and the grafts being put directly over the muscle, but hopefully not very bad and the important thing is she will have use of her leg. I will try to keep you informed as much as time allows.

I want to let everyone know how much the phone calls and prayers and fasting mean to our family. I believe it is because of your love and our Heavenly Father's kindness that Brooklyn is still here with us today!

While we are in the PICU I would ask that you continue to call but wait until Brooklyn is out of the PICU to visit. They frown on anyone other than the Grandparents and Parents coming in and to be honest it is emotionally draining. I know Brooklyn would love to see everyone when the time comes she can be in her own room again.

In closing I have to say that Tuesday was definitely the scariest day of my entire life. I'm grateful for my Beautiful Daughter and look forward to spending many years to come with her. Although we know the road ahead is not going to be easy we look forward to the challenges and being with her and sharing many more adventures as a family. Hopefully the adventures will be a little less hard than this one.

Thank you again for your love and support!

Brandon