Charlie is out of ICU

Hello again!

This is Jack and Sarah reporting from Charlie's bedside.  Our little super guy slept most of the night in the ICU and awoke this morning feeling pretty disoriented and uncomfortable.  Luckily, his blood levels were looking very good and he was alert enough to interact with us!  Charlie's face is bruised and swollen - both of which are completely normal for this kind of surgery.  His right eye was swollen shut, but the left eye was free and open all morning.  He could see us and smile at us and even do a bit of giggling!

After a short morning in ICU, Charlie's surgeons determined that he was well enough to move upstairs into his own room.  He was transferred out of ICU at 9am in a padded Red Flyer wagon.  Charlie is not yet able to keep any food down, but he is resuming his normal napping patterns. By 2pm, Charlie's swelling had increased considerably causing his second eye to swell shut.  He's also running a fever this afternoon. Again, we're told that this is all normal.

If he continues on this path, Charlie will be released tomorrow afternoon providing that he is alert and able to keep down his food.  Thank you so much for all your notes, emails, texts, phone calls and best wishes.  Charlie is doing beautifully and we're hoping to be home soon soon soon.  I've included some photos from Charlie's day below.  Please know that some of them depict bruising and swelling and may be uncomfortable for some people.  Again, he is doing very well and all of his doctors are super pleased with his progress!

First nap of the morning in Mama's arms.

Looking at his Daddy.

All smiles for his Mama.

Charlie leaving the ICU in a red wagon with his Daddy.

Reunited with Charlie in the PICU

It's over!  Charlie came through his surgery beautifully.  His doctors are very pleased with his new head shape and said that we have every reason to expect a swift recovery.  Charlie is now resting peacefully in the PICU.  He is feeling the effects of left-over sedation as well as his pain medication, but this is helping him to sleep and stay calm.  He has some slight swelling and bruising both of which will increase over the next two days.  Right now, however, he looks beautiful.  Jack and I are amazed and awed by his new head shape - his sweet perfect face was untouched and he looks like himself.  Thank you everyone for sending your healing light and loving thoughts to Charlie today.  We are filled with gratitude.

Charlie's Big Day

Hello friends, family, healers and Charlie fans,

This is Sarah and Jack reporting from the waiting room at Medical City in Dallas, Texas.  Charlie had a good night's sleep and a non-eventful morning before heading to the hospital for check-in.  Today, Charlie is having a "cranio vault remodel" to separate his fused skull bones.  It's 2:45pm and Charlie is currently in the OR with Dr. Fearon (craniofacial surgeon) and Dr. Sacco (neurosurgeon).  The last hour and a half was mostly prep work and now they're at the beginning of the procedure itself.  They estimate that Charlie will be done around 6pm this evening.  Thank you all for your best wishes and prayers for Charlie.  Even in his hospital gown, he had the golden glow of healing light energy.  Its all around him. I've included some photos below from our morning.  We will post another update here when surgery is over and Charlie is safe in our arms.  Look for it tonight!

As soon as we arrived, Charlie decided to take a nap.  Smart kid.

One last look at his beautiful crooked head.

Charlie fell in love with nurse Tracey, who gave Charlie a cute new outfit.

Sarah and Charlie walking up to the operating room.

Jack and Charlie had one last big cuddle bug moment before

Charlie was taken into the OR with his nurses and anesthesiologist.

All our love, 

Jack and Sarah

Pre-Op Appointments

Over the past two days, Charlie met with his team of doctors and therapists for a series of pre-op appointments.  Everyone wants a good look at Charlie before he undergoes craniofacial surgery on Monday.  Charlie met with hematologists on Thursday to draw yet another round of blood labs, followed by a pre-op physical with his pediatrician, Dr. Hamner.  That evening, his physical therapist met him at his home for a one hour session and a one year assessment.  Everyone is thrilled with his physical development and progress over the summer!

This morning, Charlie and his parents were up early for their first and only meeting with neurosurgeon, Dr. Sacco.  This was followed by an appointment with staff anthropologists who took a series of photos of Charlie's head for the surgeon's use and those all important "before and after" comparisons.  Their final appointment was registration and pre-op with Dr. Fearon's team of nurses, which included another blood draw.  Finally, Jack and Sarah had a conversation with Dr. Fearon about what to expect on surgery day.  While Charlie's days were full and at times stressful, his appointments were fast and efficient and instilled Jack and Sarah with even more confidence in Charlie's medical team.  Charlie has the weekend off to rest before reporting to Medical City on Monday morning.  Stay tuned here for updates, as Sarah will be sending photos and information about Charlie's operation and recovery.

Charlie with Sarah today at the end of their pre-op appointments. 

Last of the Procrit

Charlie had his last Procrit shot today!  Charlie has nine more days until his craniofacial surgery.  He is currently traveling by car with his parents from Oregon (where the Greenman's have been vacationing with family) to Texas.  Charlie will return home on July 27th in time for all his pre-op appointments.  We will be keeping you all updated as Charlie navigates the surgery process.  Thank you for your prayers and good wishes for the Greenman family at this time.

KOKOON partners with Help Charlie Heal

Laine Sou Weinberg, the creator and designer of KOKOON, the private boutique clothing line, is very interested in helping to heal Charlie Greenman.  Laine Sou is hosting her first ever online sale in the form of a pop-up SHOP from July 6th - July 31st, where you can find an enormous collection of women's styles for amazingly low prices.  Here is the best part... Laine is going to donate 20% of the sales from your purchases to Help Charlie Heal. We are so thrilled that KOKOON proposed this partnership.  Thank you Laine Sou, we so appreciate your support! 

To ensure that Help Charlie Heal receives 20% of the purchase price, please use the links provided in this post.  Thank you so much for shopping at KOKOON and donating to Help Charlie Heal.  Happy shopping!

11 Month Check In

Happy fourth everyone.  Today Charlie Greenman is 11 months old.  Milestones this month include his first tooth, improved physical core strength, better coordination in his arms and hands, and more frequent and particular use of consonant sounds.  He is sitting up for longer stretches (30-40 seconds) and demonstrating better balance while seated.  Great job Charlie!

Thank you to everyone who has made appointments to donate blood to Charlie for use during his upcoming surgery.  There has been an enormous response and Charlie is now all set for surgery.

Also, yesterday marked the conclusion of the Help Charlie Heal auction.  Thank you to the auction organizers, Chrystyna Johnson and Wendy Russell for hosting the event, coordinating the donations and raising over 4,000 dollars for Help Charlie Heal.  Thank you to everyone who donated their talents, skills and hand made goods as well as the many many people who placed bids.  It is thrilling to see our community rally around sweet Charlie Greenman!  Thank you all!