Lift Up the Robichaux Family Together
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On behalf of the entire Robichaux Family, we would like to thank each and every one of you for your prayers, support, and continued concern for Weylin.
As you can imagine, this has been an incredibly difficult time for Gaye and the kids, both emotionally but also financially. The impact an extended hospital stay can have on even the most thorough long term financial planner is a heavy burden. Weylin began his career working alongside his dad, Ulysse, becoming a self-employed contractor and gifted craftsman, always paying attention to detail like every house he built is his own. Eventually, he took over the business and continues the legacy of quality construction today.
The funds raised here will go directly toward his medical bills, treatment costs, and daily living expenses during this very difficult time while Gaye can focus on helping him get better.
If you prefer Venmo: @gaye-robichaux
If you are unable to donate, your continued prayers are greatly appreciated.
UPDATE 1/19/25:
During his check up, we discovered he was in AFib and his BP was extremely low. The doctor recommended going to the ER. After an ultrasound of his heart at the hospital, they discovered it was only functioning 10/15%. The doctor placed him in ICU. He was subsequently transferred to the ICU at Our Lady of the Lake on Friday. He is on ECMO, which is supporting his heart and lungs, while dialysis is being used to support his kidneys. His liver is also a concern, and we are praying for improvement there as well. For now, Weylin is medically stable on life support- his situation remains very serious, but he is under the care of an outstanding team of doctors and nurses who are guiding us during every peak and every valley. After all the adversity that he had to face, he has shown GRIT and perseverance. Weylin is a fighter and God will guide him through this tough time as he has done already these past week. This is going to be a long and challenging road, but we are grateful for the care he’s receiving and all of your prayers and support. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts as we wait and hope for signs of progress in the coming days. God is so good, his mercy endures forever.
UPDATE 2/1/25
Many of you have been praying for Weylin’s healing and are very concerned about his journey. This has been a very long and challenging road with a lot of progress and setbacks. He is currently in critical condition on day 17 at OLOL hospital in Baton Rouge.
The first few days, Weylin was sedated on a vent with ECMO,Impella and dialysis machines for support. His body was able to rest.
On day 9, his doctors decided to move the ECMO and Impella machines from the groin to his neck/chest area to start rehab. When he was out of surgery, he had lost a lot of blood and they decided to go back into surgery to stop the bleeding. Thankfully, they were able to get the bleeding under control. He received about 4 to 5 units of blood.
On day 11, Weylin made a lot of progress and was able to get extubated. We were so happy to finally be able to talk to him. It all did our hearts some good. He was very alert and following commands. He was also being very silly and making jokes. There has been no signs of neurological damage.
On day 13, his doctors were able to remove the impella which helps support the heart by pumping blood from the left ventricle to the aorta. This was wonderful news because it is one less machine. His heart has been tolerating without it so far.
On day day 15, during PT he sat up on the side of the bed with help. All of his vitals stayed stable. He has also been receiving speech therapy. He is having trouble with swallowing so this a goal he will be working towards. He is currently on tube feedings. A new bed was delivered which allows him to sit up like a chair or stand up. He was so excited about his new bed!!
On day 16, we received the news that Weylin has pneumonia which is not uncommon for ECMO patients in the hospital where there is bacteria everywhere’s. We were so sad to hear the news of this because of all of the progress he has made so far. They decided to intubate him since this is a routine way they treat patients who get pneumonia. By being on the vent, they will be able to suction deeper into his chest to get ride of the pneumonia. They are treating it with antibiotics. This is a major concern at the point. Please pray that it clears up quickly. Docs were planning on taking him off of the ECMO machine before he had developed pneumonia but they are keeping him on it to help the blood oxygen flow for his lungs. Weylin is currently on dialysis to support his kidneys. Bladder scans are being performed to follow up on the amount of urine being produced. The numbers have been increasing each time so he is heading in the right direction. Liver numbers have been decreasing which is great but his bili ruben has been increasing which is a concern. We are praying these numbers improve in the next coming days as the doctors come up with the next steps. The last echocardiogram showed his heart functioning at 35-40% which is positive because upon arrival it was less than 10%. This is huge progress for him. Throughout all of his days in the hospital, he has been in and out of Afib because his heart has been in distress. They have completed a handful of cardioversions. Thankfully, each time it only takes one time to get him into normal sinus rhythm. Sometimes, it is successful for a few hours while other times it is not successful. He is currently not in afib at the moment. We are praying his heart can continue to rest and stay in normal sinus rhythm.
Feeling incredibly grateful for the amazing team of doctors and nurses working tirelessly with my husband. Their dedication and expertise as they care for him on ECMO are beyond words. We’re so blessed to have such a phenomenal team by his side! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for the prayers and support. It means the world to us to have such great family and friends. We are forever grateful for each and every one of you. We have faith that God will carry us through these difficult times. God is so good! Give thanks to the lord for he is good, his mercy endures forever. ✝️❤️
UPDATE 2/11/25
Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes. Please join us in prayer! Extra special day of praying for Weylin since he’s at a hospital of her name sake!
Weylin is showing great signs of improvement day by day. He is getting so much stronger and looking more like himself! We are hopeful his pnemonia will clear up soon. On Sunday, he underwent a tracheotomy surgical procedure. Everything went well with the procedure. He feels so much better without the vent in his mouth. His vitals are all stable, but still in Aflutter! Praying his heart rate goes back into sinus rhythm soon Goals of the day are to receive speech, OT and PT! Speech therapy just left and he swallowed an ice chip and his sitting up in bed! He even held his head up on his own for a short period of time. This is a huge accomplishment! I am so proud of him!
We pray everyday with him and today is a special day- The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. She is healing him every step of the way! God is so good, His mercy endures forever.
Update 2/14:
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in the blood drive for my dad on Valentine’s Day! Your generosity, especially on a day dedicated to love, means the world to us. We are beyond grateful to have such an amazing circle of family & friends who stepped up to donate and make a difference in my dad’s recovery.
Also, a quick update: He has successfully been taken off ECMO! While we still have a bit of a journey ahead, this is a major milestone, and we’re feeling incredibly hopeful. The next 24 hours will be crucial as we closely monitor his progress, and we’re praying for continued strength and stability.
Thank you all for the prayers, love, and encouragement — it’s been incredibly uplifting. We are so thankful for each and every one of you. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. God is so good! ✝️
UPDATE 2/22/25
We truly appreciate all the incredible support, care, and concern you've shown while Weylin has been in the hospital. Our village has shown up for us through the Meal Train, GoFundMe, Caroline’s Cookies fundraiser and the Blood Drive. We are beyond grateful for you.
Weylin has lots of days of a several steps forward mixed with a few steps back. Overall, he’s currently on a path of healing but has a long road to recovery.
Since our last update, he’s been able to come off of the ECMO machine which was providing vital support to his heart and lungs, he now has a Trach which is providing respiratory support, CRRT dialysis which is proving kidney support and an NG tube which is providing him nutrition. He’s now able to actively participate in PT/OT/ST for his rehabilitation.
His heart is currently functioning around 45% (normal for his age is about 50-70%).
Throughout his stay, his heart has been in Afib at times and most recently in Aflutter. During an ECHO of his heart this past week, a clot in his heart was identified. He was started on blood thinners to dissolve it. From what we understand, there will not be another test to see if it has dissolved unless there is an urgent need for an ECHO. The day after the clot was identified and the blood thinners were started, he spontaneously was able to revert to normal sinus rhythm and his heart rate has hovered around the 80s since.
On day 26, he underwent a tracheotomy. He is only on a ventilator at night during sleeping hours to allow his body rest. During the day, oxygen is provided through a trach collar. The trach also allows the nurses to deep suction him when needed. Because he has a trach, oral communication is difficult. His awesome speech therapist provided him a speaking valve (also known as a PassyMuir valve). This will allow him to use his voice to communicate. It is a one way valve that allows air in during inhalation but during voicing or speaking the air is directed through his mouth to allow him to orally communicate. It is absolutely wonderfully to hear his voice, sometimes inappropriate jokes and most importantly allows him to communicate his needs to us.
Weylin’s primary means of nutrition is through an NG tube (in his nose). Because the source of his pneumonia was aspiration, they are hesitant to start oral nutrition. We are praying he is strong enough for a swallow study in the next week or so, so we can begin trials of oral hydration and nutrition.
He is also on continuous dialysis provided through CRRT. His kidney are still having difficulty but are showing improvement.
He receives PT and OT 2xs/day. With therapy he is able to sit on the edge of the bed with min/mod assistance once he is in a sitting position. His grip strength (hands) is still very weak but progressively getting better with each therapy session. Because of the location of the port for dialysis, there are some restrictions with getting him into a chair at this point. Hopefully by next week, if he is able to move from CRRT to SLED (different type of dialysis), he will be able to progress from the bed to a wheelchair. Which will open the door for more intensive therapy.
Because of the clot and subsequent blood thinners he was started on, he struggled with bleeding at his trach site the last couple of days. A wonderful team of 3 ENTs immediately came to see about him. They were not too concerned following a scope to see the source of the bleeding but would be closely monitoring in the coming days. Today the bleeding subsided a lot.
His bilirubin levels are still very high. His doctors are still a bit perplexed on why his liver is struggling to function. But the numbers have been trending down so we are prayerful they will continue.
Our hearts were bursting with joy when Madeline and Thomas were able to see Poppie last weekend. Not only did they miss him but he missed them tremendously. As much as we want him to physically heal, this short sweet visit gave him the emotional support he needed to see the finish line. (Don’t worry, we are still putting our heads together to figure out a way to sneak in sweet Bella to see him.)
Please continue to pray for Weylin and for strength for me. Please specifically pray for his liver and kidney function as well as the unexpected complications that come with a hospital stay.
While the journey is far from over, the finish line is filled with trust and hope.
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Robichaux Family
Organizer
New Iberia, LA