Elizabeth Archives - Pregnancy Update

Dear Friends and Family,


Sara and I cannot express our gratefulness for your thoughtful emails, cards, words, and tears. More importantly, your prayers for daughter's health and for our strength have buoyed our spirits immensely. We feel loved on every side and surrounded your network of support. We appreciate each member of that web as never before.


As the diagnostic process progresses, we plan to send out brief updates about our daughter's condition (and our mental health). In the last week, the result of our karyotype testing has definitively shown a diagnosis of Turner Syndrome. The cells in a normal female contain two copies of the X chromosome, while in Turner Syndrome, one copy of the X chromosome is missing. It is caused by a malfunction in cell division very soon after the sperm fertilizes the egg. The results of missing one X chromosome are highly variable, ranging from stillbirth to only short stature and infertility. Given the early presence of lymphatic blockage and blood vessel abnormalities seen on our ultrasound, our baby is most likely on the more severe side of the syndrome. More time and more ultrasounds in the coming weeks will clarify just what we can expect.



A few prayers are already being answered!

~ We have begun to feel our baby kicking on a regular basis (in utero Tae-Bo classes?). This has helped tremendously with our bonding process.

~ Meetings with my work colleagues have gone very well and I will be able to take the time necessary once our baby is born.

~ As we have prayed for our daughter and her future, we are encouraged by the knowledge that God has a specific plan for and call on her life. Turner Syndrome doesn't have to exempt her from that, and we are filled with greater hope than we expected.



Please continue to pray for:

~ Healing of her heart (Want to get specific? The left ventricle is hypoplastic, the aortic valve bicuspid and the aorta itself is coarcted).

~ The disappearance of the cyst in her cerebellum by our next ultrasound.

~ Complete resolution of the fluid collections that indicate her lymphatics aren't working properly.

~ Continued understanding from the colleagues who cover for me when I leave for each doctor's visit.


We are praising God for each of you! We are holding up pretty well considering, and aren't screening our calls so rigorously anymore. So if any of you were hesitant to call, don't be!


Love,

Matt, Sara and Baby Girl Harms