Natalie Davis needs a "Heart Transplant"
Donation protected
Natalie Nicole Davis is our beautiful 5 yr old daughter. On January 28, 2014 she was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart become weakened and enlarged and can not pump blood efficiently. Until that day we had no idea she had heart problems but she had been sick throwing up for awhile and her pediatrician had been treating her for gastric problems. The doctor decided to admit her to Greenville Memorial Children's Hospital on January 27th for test since she wasn't getting better. On Jan. 28th she was in heart failure and rushed to ICU. The throwing up was caused by the lack of blood flowing to her other organs. After getting to ICU she was put on a IV of Milrinone a drug used to force an improvement of the hearts pumping. She did show some improvement but when they tried to lower the dose to see what happened, she went right back into heart failure. After a week in ICU it was decided that she needed to go to MUSC Children's Hospital in Charleston. There we were met by pediatric heart specialist and after many test it was determined that her heart was beyond repair and the only way to save Natalie is a heart transplant. Natalie was found to be a good candidate for transplant and was put on the heart transplant list. Natalie has a PICC line and lives everyday now on a 24/7 IV of Milrinone. She also needs 5 others meds each day. We have a home health nurse that comes once a week to change the bandage on the PICC line. I do the Milirone and give her meds. She had to stop going to school and give up gymnastics that she was loving. There has been meantion that there is a possibility that Natalie may need to have the Berlin Heart, a mechanical or artificial heart that could bridge or give her more time to wait on a heart transplant.
To go back and explain Natalie's life is a story in it's self. My husband and I adopted Natalie and her sister Kayla on March 25, 2013. They had been placed in our home by DSS when Kayla was born 2 1/2 yrs ago. My husband and I are a older couple (i'm 60 and my husband is 75) that has one other adopted son that is now 30 yrs. old. Kayla was born with drugs in her system so she and Natalie were taken from their birthmother and placed with us. Natalie had been very neglected and was very withdrawn when we got her. We know that she stayed alot with her birth grandfather that is paranoid schizophrenic and had been exposed to any number of things from drugs to abuse. When she came to us she was so shy and had a hair cut that was just chopped up. She had 5 pieces of clothing with her and 3 pieces of those were size 12 months and she being 2 1/2 yrs old you can imagine how they fit her. We fell "in love" with these girls right from the start. We thought it was a temporary stay for them until their birthmother got her life together but being that never happened we asked that they stay on with us and we pursued adoption. At this point we just couldn't give them up. They brought such joy to our house it would have ripped our hearts out to give them up. We continued for about a 1 1/2 yrs with DSS then we decided to get a private lawyer and he helpped us get the adopted final. It was one of the happiest days in our life. By this time, we had sent Natalie to a school for children with socialization needs and then on to kindergarten at a local church. She has blossomed into a beautiful child with the sweetest way about her. She was crowned a "Princess" at our house. We have tried to give the girls a wonderful life. We've taken trips to Disney World and Florida beaches and Nat & I went on a Disney Cruise. Our home is filled with love. We wanted to erase all the bad stuff in Natalie's past and it was wonderful until this happened with her heart. I'm a believer that all things happen for a purpose but no doubt it's hard to understand how a child that only came into our life 2 1/2 yrs ago from the things she was able to escape from would now have this happen. I keep thinking that Natalie is going to get her new heart and do great things with her life. What a testimony this child will have to share. I hope this is the Fairy Tale ending to this journey.
Natalie is on the heart transplant list with the highest priority. this is because she is only surviving with Milirnone. We know that highest priority means nothing if a heart doesn't become available that matchs her blood type and size. There's other criteria too but blood type and size is the most important. We know what has to happen for Natalie to get a heart and don't want another family to go through that just to save Natalie but realistically we know that children pass away everyday from illnesses and accidents and we pray that a family that is grieving the loss of their loved one will see their way to give a "Gift of Life" to Natalie. A loving, living legacy to their child.
The contributions made to Natalie's fund will go to help offset expenses not paid by insurance and for the cost of our travels back and forth to Charleston. If Natalie has to go on the Berlin Heart she will have to stay in the hospital until she receives a new heart. So there will be so much expense that a family of any means would find it hard to deal with all the expenses. We're asking for help to get Natalie and our family through this journey we've been forced to travel.
We have a Facebook page set up to follow Natalie's Journey if you would like to follow her. The page is named Natalie's Journey to Find A New Heart. We accept and appreciate any prayers for Natalie. As Natalie told me yesterday as we were going to buy her the movie Frozen, She said "I hope my heart comes tomorrow". I said, "I hope so to baby". She said "we'll just have to pray that it does". I said "yes we will". She said "let's do it now" so we pulled over on the side of the road and prayed that she get her new heart. She said "if that don't do it we'll just have to keep praying" I said, We'll never stop praying for it until you get it, then we'll pray to thank the Lord for it" She said, "OK" We're going to get through this I've always said about other things in my life "it'll be alright" and I know that this too will "Be Alright" .
To go back and explain Natalie's life is a story in it's self. My husband and I adopted Natalie and her sister Kayla on March 25, 2013. They had been placed in our home by DSS when Kayla was born 2 1/2 yrs ago. My husband and I are a older couple (i'm 60 and my husband is 75) that has one other adopted son that is now 30 yrs. old. Kayla was born with drugs in her system so she and Natalie were taken from their birthmother and placed with us. Natalie had been very neglected and was very withdrawn when we got her. We know that she stayed alot with her birth grandfather that is paranoid schizophrenic and had been exposed to any number of things from drugs to abuse. When she came to us she was so shy and had a hair cut that was just chopped up. She had 5 pieces of clothing with her and 3 pieces of those were size 12 months and she being 2 1/2 yrs old you can imagine how they fit her. We fell "in love" with these girls right from the start. We thought it was a temporary stay for them until their birthmother got her life together but being that never happened we asked that they stay on with us and we pursued adoption. At this point we just couldn't give them up. They brought such joy to our house it would have ripped our hearts out to give them up. We continued for about a 1 1/2 yrs with DSS then we decided to get a private lawyer and he helpped us get the adopted final. It was one of the happiest days in our life. By this time, we had sent Natalie to a school for children with socialization needs and then on to kindergarten at a local church. She has blossomed into a beautiful child with the sweetest way about her. She was crowned a "Princess" at our house. We have tried to give the girls a wonderful life. We've taken trips to Disney World and Florida beaches and Nat & I went on a Disney Cruise. Our home is filled with love. We wanted to erase all the bad stuff in Natalie's past and it was wonderful until this happened with her heart. I'm a believer that all things happen for a purpose but no doubt it's hard to understand how a child that only came into our life 2 1/2 yrs ago from the things she was able to escape from would now have this happen. I keep thinking that Natalie is going to get her new heart and do great things with her life. What a testimony this child will have to share. I hope this is the Fairy Tale ending to this journey.
Natalie is on the heart transplant list with the highest priority. this is because she is only surviving with Milirnone. We know that highest priority means nothing if a heart doesn't become available that matchs her blood type and size. There's other criteria too but blood type and size is the most important. We know what has to happen for Natalie to get a heart and don't want another family to go through that just to save Natalie but realistically we know that children pass away everyday from illnesses and accidents and we pray that a family that is grieving the loss of their loved one will see their way to give a "Gift of Life" to Natalie. A loving, living legacy to their child.
The contributions made to Natalie's fund will go to help offset expenses not paid by insurance and for the cost of our travels back and forth to Charleston. If Natalie has to go on the Berlin Heart she will have to stay in the hospital until she receives a new heart. So there will be so much expense that a family of any means would find it hard to deal with all the expenses. We're asking for help to get Natalie and our family through this journey we've been forced to travel.
We have a Facebook page set up to follow Natalie's Journey if you would like to follow her. The page is named Natalie's Journey to Find A New Heart. We accept and appreciate any prayers for Natalie. As Natalie told me yesterday as we were going to buy her the movie Frozen, She said "I hope my heart comes tomorrow". I said, "I hope so to baby". She said "we'll just have to pray that it does". I said "yes we will". She said "let's do it now" so we pulled over on the side of the road and prayed that she get her new heart. She said "if that don't do it we'll just have to keep praying" I said, We'll never stop praying for it until you get it, then we'll pray to thank the Lord for it" She said, "OK" We're going to get through this I've always said about other things in my life "it'll be alright" and I know that this too will "Be Alright" .
Organizer
Jane Davis
Organizer
Greenville, SC
