Our names are Rob and Dana, and the central person in this story is our daughter Saoirse Grace.

To know Saoirse is to love her. Our girl was dancing in her bedroom last Monday, March 20th, doing her favorite Cosmic Kids Yoga and making art as she was getting over a cold. On Tuesday morning, out of the blue, she was having seizures for the first time in her life. Nothing has been the same, and our hearts are broken open.

We are in the ICU at Children’s Hospital Colorado Anschutz, where doctors from the critical care team, neurology, and infectious disease have been trying to figure out the cause(s) of these seizures and how to get them to stop. During this period (one week and counting), Saoirse has been heavily sedated on medications and intubated to help with her breathing. We miss her terribly.

There is a long road ahead. We do not know the effects of the ongoing seizures on her brain or functioning and what any of that will mean for her (and us). There is a lot of ‘trial and error,’ and a lot of ‘waiting and seeing’ as they are figuring out diagnoses and treatment. We have been told to anticipate an intensive recovery and rehabilitation period at the hospital and outpatient over several months and perhaps much longer, and ongoing multidisciplinary support for years.

We know she is getting excellent care from many brilliant medical professionals, and we are actively involved in every meeting and sitting beside her every moment. While we haven’t been able to have any bi-directional verbal conversations with her, she is her feisty self - trying to pull out her feeding tube, taking off her diaper, and coughing with her dislike of the breathing tube. She is calmed by our voices, reading, and songs and can sometimes hold our hand. We are staying open and optimistic. She is a tough cookie with such a life force. We will ensure that this precious being reclaims anything that may have been lost and flourishes.

With our world completely turned upside down and the brave future we are facing, we are asking for your prayers, love, and support. Any donations will be used to offset medical expenses, living expenses, a separate residence we must maintain at the hospital, time off from work, and rehabilitation programs for Saoirse.

We look forward to updating you on this journey. Deepest gratitude from all of us.