Tuesday Night

It has been a full week today since she went in for surgery. We are hanging in there. We want to thank our family and friends for the constant vigil that they have been enduring with us. Val's brother got here tonight from Italy. He came straight here and shared such a precious moment as he spoke to her just like he always does with so much love and adoration. I don't know how we could ever get through this without you all. We love you!

This evening we had some troubling news. The CT Scan shows that Vittoria has suffered some brain trauma somewhere along the way. Most likely it happened when she crashed in surgery. So far we can tell that she has some trouble with her left hand but not like it is totally gone. We will have more consults tomorrow after the neurologist has a chance to see the results. We will have to see what the prognosis is. As of tonight this would not disqualify her for a transplant because she is doing so well otherwise. Tomorrow will be a new day and my inner peace leads me to believe that we are on the right course.

My little angel is a fighter. Through all of her challenges in the past, she has never let it get her down. One day, she looked troubled and finally let me in on what was bothering her. She said, "Dad...... I can't run as fast as all my friends." I told her that it was okay and she said without skipping a beat, "So, do you want to see how fast I can run?" She then took off running as fast as those skinny little legs would carry her around the back yard. THAT is the fighting spirit we know. She never lets things get her down. She lives life to its fullest. She is always so happy and positive and leaves an impression on everyone she meets. She is so determined and such a fighter. She is fighting right now. We had a lot of awake moments with her today. She looked me right in eye as I talked to her. Her spirit is still there and being strong. She let us know she was scared. She cried a little and shed some tears, but she quit when we told her that we were with her and that she could do it. She is determined to overcome and we are determined to give her every chance to do it. Vittoria means "VICTORY" in Italian. She knows what her name stands for and she lives up to it. Pray for her .... please pray for her ... now more than ever!!! goodnight!