quote:

Originally posted by PaulaKevin:
March 25, 2007 at 02:58 PM EST

Hannah is out of the ICU as of this afternoon. The reason we were in the ICU so long was because they are still not sure what it was that caused her drop in blood pressure. They were a little reluctant to send us out while Hannah still was losing large amounts of fluid caused by diarrhea.

Each child is different. Hannah is fluid sensitive. This means that when Hannah’s body fluids get low her body reacts quickly and negatively. SO WHAT HAPPENED? Last Wednesday night (3/21) Hannah started with diarrhea. We still don’t know why. The rotavirus is gone. The diarrhea caused her to lose a lot of fluid fast. The loss of fluids caused a concerning drop in blood pressure. The drop in blood pressure caused her heart to become unstable as it tried to keep up by pushing what little fluid was there through her little system. The medical staff had seen this before – it was just before she crashed the last time and we almost lost her then. So, experience had taught them not to wait. Good call! Due to their quick observation of a developing problem, orientating and alerting the ICU to be ready, the decision to move her to the ICU before it got bad, and taking action by pumping large amounts of fluid in her quickly, we headed off another potential disaster. Good work medical team! With Hannah, the speed at which they operate (tempo) is critical. They were on top of it.

I wish all of you could have seen them in action, shifting from casual observance to battle stations. Speed, skill, and attention to detail that even impressed this prior Marine officer. The young resident doctor Justus Kam quickly sized up the situation with the help of Hannah’s nurse Denise. Denise knew she would need help and got the word out to the other nurses. Within minutes things were hopping. The ICU medical team, using sound judgment, decided to be proactive and took the initiative, giving the order to increase fluids and get Hannah to the ICU.

Just to share with you a taste for the true love they have for Hannah, one of Hannah’s special nurses, Faith, who wasn’t Hannah’s nurse that night, came out of nowhere – from the other side of the unit – and immediately dove into the fray. Once she heard the plight of her little Hannah she knew that time (speed) would be critical. Faith started and changed more fluid pumps and medicines than I could keep up with. Her speed of action, knowledge and attention to detail was exemplary. We believe she along with the others were instrumental in getting the upper hand on this situation before it turned disastrous. Thank all of you. You are a credit to the department you serve, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and the God we serve.

Please Lord, Heal Hannah…
Tom and Mei Ling

P.S. Don’t forget to visit our nurse, Justine Suedkamp’s website. She’s raising money for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society, and she highlights Hannah’s story at www.active.com/donate/tntsoh/tntsohJSuedka

quote:

Originally posted by PaulaKevin:
March 31, 2007 at 11:53 AM EST
HALLELUJAH!
HANNAH’S COMING HOME!!

Hannah has finally stabilized and is entering her second phase of treatment (consolidation), which can be handled outpatient, so we can bring her home! We will continue to be at the hospital at least twice a week and will also have home health care coming out to the house to administer some of her chemotherapy, but at least we will be able to be in our own house all together!

We continue to need your constant prayers that Hannah will remain free of illness and infection during this time and throughout the remainder of her treatment. Please also pray that we will be able to manage all the medications and care that Hannah will need while she is at home. Most of all, please pray that God will heal Hannah!

We give thanks that God has brought us this far and that most of our prayer requests from our last update have been answered – Hannah’s heart rate has returned to normal, her MRI did not indicate any problems, and Mei Ling’s bronchitis is being treated and is getting better. We are still searching for a bone marrow donor match for Hannah, so please continue to pray about this.

As it is a very busy day for us, preparing for Hannah’s homecoming, we will have to end for now and update you further later. Thanks again for your love, support, concerns, notes of encouragement, and most of all, your prayers.

We love you all,
Tom & Mei Ling

quote:

Originally posted by PaulaKevin:
March 31, 2007 at 11:53 AM EST
HALLELUJAH!
HANNAH’S COMING HOME!!

Hannah has finally stabilized and is entering her second phase of treatment (consolidation), which can be handled outpatient, so we can bring her home! We will continue to be at the hospital at least twice a week and will also have home health care coming out to the house to administer some of her chemotherapy, but at least we will be able to be in our own house all together!

We continue to need your constant prayers that Hannah will remain free of illness and infection during this time and throughout the remainder of her treatment. Please also pray that we will be able to manage all the medications and care that Hannah will need while she is at home. Most of all, please pray that God will heal Hannah!

We give thanks that God has brought us this far and that most of our prayer requests from our last update have been answered – Hannah’s heart rate has returned to normal, her MRI did not indicate any problems, and Mei Ling’s bronchitis is being treated and is getting better. We are still searching for a bone marrow donor match for Hannah, so please continue to pray about this.

As it is a very busy day for us, preparing for Hannah’s homecoming, we will have to end for now and update you further later. Thanks again for your love, support, concerns, notes of encouragement, and most of all, your prayers.

We love you all,
Tom & Mei Ling

quote:

Originally posted by strobelvets:

quote:

Originally posted by Hoffy1951:
For a topic as important as this...

Why hasn't this been posted as a 'featured topic' at the top of this forum?

Not that my opinions matter any more...

I second the motion...a Marine Veteran has come to us and asked for our help...no more needs to be said...

quote:

Originally posted by PaulaKevin:
April 04, 2007 at 04:06 PM EST
HOME…HOME ON THE RANGE, WHERE THE CHILDREN AND THE PARENTS PLAY!

What a wonderful feeling! We have had a blessed couple of days. Hannah sang and clapped most of the way home from the hospital. When she entered the house I thought she was going to cry from joy. We did! So did the kids. She spent the better part of last Saturday evening sitting on the couch simply wanting to play and be with her brother and sister. She had had her fill of us; she wanted “Aaa” (Sarah) and “Bra-der” (Caleb). Hannah laughed so hard she couldn’t catch her breath – you know the kind – where you laugh but no sound comes out. I thought the kids were going to put Hannah back into the hospital due to a lack of oxygen! As parents it thrills our heart to see them so close, knowing that they will have each other when Mei Ling’s and my job are finished on this earth, and God calls us home.

We have spent every moment we can with her. Of course, there are the occasional interruptions when going back to the hospital for outpatient care. Hannah cried Monday when she entered the clinic at the hospital. She wanted no part of it. “No-No” she cried, “Go…go” she was afraid she was going to have to stay. Yet when she was finished giving blood and getting her chemotherapy, she happily went over to her floor (A5 South), the Hematology/Oncology ward. She was comforted by seeing the familiar faces; nurses, doctors and assistants. People she, and we, trusted with her care, her very life – and will again.

Tuesday morning as the family met in the den, Hannah looked outside and saw the beautiful day that the Lord had made and pointed outside saying, “Daaa-eee” (Daddy)… out!” With eyes that could bring a lion to his knees, how could I say no? Hannah’s good cell count is high enough that going outside for short periods of time is fine. So, Mommy and the kids went for a stroll. Mommy was beaming.

Soon afterwards we got the call! Yes, it was the hospital. They found an unsettling high amount of calcium in her blood draw from yesterday. We needed to come back to the clinic and put fluids in Hannah in order to try and correct the concentration of calcium. In the process, they had to re-access the “port” in her chest in order to give her the fluids. The nurse stated in all the years that she had been there she had never seen a 2 year old so cooperative, trusting and courageous. That’s God’s little girl. On account of this issue with the calcium, we thought she might have to stay in the hospital again. Our time together is fleeting and we have learned to hold on to the precious “present,” the here and now.

And this is how we will live our lives for the next two months, ready to go at a moments notice, like firemen or should I even say it? Like U.S. Marines.

Many of you have asked how we do it. How can we be so strong? In short, it is only by the power given to us in Christ Jesus. However, our theological beliefs give us comfort in knowing the reasons why and it gives us peace. I plan to answer your questions with the hope that is within us, as time permits. Thank you all for the prayers, messages, and food. They are a spiritual, emotional, and physical blessing upon my family and me, and we thank you.

With humble hearts, Please Lord, Heal Hannah… !

Tom and Mei Ling

NOTICE: CINCINNATI RESIDENTS – Upcoming Event – The Church of the Covenant is hosting a Blood Drive for Hannah on Saturday, April 14th from 10:00-11:45AM & 1:00-4:00 PM. The Drive will be held at the church – 11688 Mill Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45240. For more information please contact Sarah T. at (513) 742-8947.

quote:

Originally posted by PaulaKevin:
HANNAH NEEDS A BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT - TIME IS RUNNING SHORT - PLEASE, PLEASE GET TESTED TO POSSIBLY HELP SAVE A VETERAN MARINE'S TWO-YEAR-OLD!

From Tom:

We can’t help but think of our need for someone out there to give the "gift of life" to Hannah. As you recall from our earlier CarePage dated March 12th the third big objective that we must accomplish is a donor. The medical staff has done all that has been expected of them and beyond. Hannah’s body has responded to the chemo and is in temporary remission which is where she needs to be so they can do the bone marrow transplant; and, by God’s grace, she is presently infection free. But when it comes down to it, we need a donor. The medical staff can do everything perfectly but without a donor Hannah’s chances are slim.

Our first bone marrow drive was a success. At Tom’s work they registered over 242 new potential donors and plan to have another drive on April 11th in honor of Hannah. There are other drives in the works, but our time is short and the window of opportunity is closing in on us. We hope to have a donor by the fourth week in May. That gives us about seven weeks. Our relatives are working with a number churches with strong Asian congregations and corporations in St. Louis and Honolulu. Pastors like Pastor T. Chen from St. Louis Chinese Gospel Church and Rick Mason from the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), have been instrumental in taking responsibility and contacting other groups to get the word out in St. Louis. It is great to see brothers and sisters uniting under one banner for their little sister in Christ, Hannah. St. Louis is planning a number of drives. For our St. Louis friends who would like to help contact my brother Bill Rumping at bill.rumping@wellsfargo.com, and for those of you in Honolulu contact Mei Ling’s cousin, Chicky Yuen, at bernard.chicky@hawaiiantel.net.

Many of you have asked what you can do. Well, if any of you have the time, we beg you to contact the Asian or Hispanic churches or community in your area to see if they would be willing to help Hannah by participating in a bone marrow drive. St. Louis appears to be the pilot program. If you need help please contact us or them.

Time is growing short. If we do not have a donor by the end of May we will have to wait. The delay would give the Leukemia cells a chance to recover and the ones that come back will most likely be immune to whatever we would do to them and we all know the outcome that would lead to. To heal Hannah God may be using us as the instrument of His power, forcing us to stop and get involved; to do something out of our comfort zone; to care more about someone else than ourselves or our stuff; to focus on what is truly important – relationships!

With thanksgiving,
Please Lord, Heal Hannah

Tom and Mei Ling

REMINDER: CINCINNATI RESIDENTS – Upcoming Event – The Church of the Covenant is hosting a Blood Drive for Hannah on Saturday, April 14th from 10:00-11:45AM & 1:00-4:00 PM. The Drive will be held at the church – 11688 Mill Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45240. To set up a time please contact Sarah T. at 742-8947.

quote:

Originally posted by strobelvets:

quote:

Originally posted by PaulaKevin:
April 04, 2007 at 04:06 PM EST
HOME…HOME ON THE RANGE, WHERE THE CHILDREN AND THE PARENTS PLAY!

What a wonderful feeling! We have had a blessed couple of days. Hannah sang and clapped most of the way home from the hospital. When she entered the house I thought she was going to cry from joy. We did! So did the kids. She spent the better part of last Saturday evening sitting on the couch simply wanting to play and be with her brother and sister. She had had her fill of us; she wanted “Aaa” (Sarah) and “Bra-der” (Caleb). Hannah laughed so hard she couldn’t catch her breath – you know the kind – where you laugh but no sound comes out. I thought the kids were going to put Hannah back into the hospital due to a lack of oxygen! As parents it thrills our heart to see them so close, knowing that they will have each other when Mei Ling’s and my job are finished on this earth, and God calls us home.

We have spent every moment we can with her. Of course, there are the occasional interruptions when going back to the hospital for outpatient care. Hannah cried Monday when she entered the clinic at the hospital. She wanted no part of it. “No-No” she cried, “Go…go” she was afraid she was going to have to stay. Yet when she was finished giving blood and getting her chemotherapy, she happily went over to her floor (A5 South), the Hematology/Oncology ward. She was comforted by seeing the familiar faces; nurses, doctors and assistants. People she, and we, trusted with her care, her very life – and will again.

Tuesday morning as the family met in the den, Hannah looked outside and saw the beautiful day that the Lord had made and pointed outside saying, “Daaa-eee” (Daddy)… out!” With eyes that could bring a lion to his knees, how could I say no? Hannah’s good cell count is high enough that going outside for short periods of time is fine. So, Mommy and the kids went for a stroll. Mommy was beaming.

Soon afterwards we got the call! Yes, it was the hospital. They found an unsettling high amount of calcium in her blood draw from yesterday. We needed to come back to the clinic and put fluids in Hannah in order to try and correct the concentration of calcium. In the process, they had to re-access the “port” in her chest in order to give her the fluids. The nurse stated in all the years that she had been there she had never seen a 2 year old so cooperative, trusting and courageous. That’s God’s little girl. On account of this issue with the calcium, we thought she might have to stay in the hospital again. Our time together is fleeting and we have learned to hold on to the precious “present,” the here and now.

And this is how we will live our lives for the next two months, ready to go at a moments notice, like firemen or should I even say it? Like U.S. Marines.

Many of you have asked how we do it. How can we be so strong? In short, it is only by the power given to us in Christ Jesus. However, our theological beliefs give us comfort in knowing the reasons why and it gives us peace. I plan to answer your questions with the hope that is within us, as time permits. Thank you all for the prayers, messages, and food. They are a spiritual, emotional, and physical blessing upon my family and me, and we thank you.

With humble hearts, Please Lord, Heal Hannah… !

Tom and Mei Ling

NOTICE: CINCINNATI RESIDENTS – Upcoming Event – The Church of the Covenant is hosting a Blood Drive for Hannah on Saturday, April 14th from 10:00-11:45AM & 1:00-4:00 PM. The Drive will be held at the church – 11688 Mill Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45240. For more information please contact Sarah T. at (513) 742-8947.

*

quote:

Originally posted by PaulaKevin:
HANNAH NEEDS A BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT - TIME IS RUNNING SHORT - PLEASE, PLEASE GET TESTED TO POSSIBLY HELP SAVE A VETERAN MARINE'S TWO-YEAR-OLD!

From Tom:

We can’t help but think of our need for someone out there to give the "gift of life" to Hannah. As you recall from our earlier CarePage dated March 12th the third big objective that we must accomplish is a donor. The medical staff has done all that has been expected of them and beyond. Hannah’s body has responded to the chemo and is in temporary remission which is where she needs to be so they can do the bone marrow transplant; and, by God’s grace, she is presently infection free. But when it comes down to it, we need a donor. The medical staff can do everything perfectly but without a donor Hannah’s chances are slim.

Our first bone marrow drive was a success. At Tom’s work they registered over 242 new potential donors and plan to have another drive on April 11th in honor of Hannah. There are other drives in the works, but our time is short and the window of opportunity is closing in on us. We hope to have a donor by the fourth week in May. That gives us about seven weeks. Our relatives are working with a number churches with strong Asian congregations and corporations in St. Louis and Honolulu. Pastors like Pastor T. Chen from St. Louis Chinese Gospel Church and Rick Mason from the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), have been instrumental in taking responsibility and contacting other groups to get the word out in St. Louis. It is great to see brothers and sisters uniting under one banner for their little sister in Christ, Hannah. St. Louis is planning a number of drives. For our St. Louis friends who would like to help contact my brother Bill Rumping at bill.rumping@wellsfargo.com, and for those of you in Honolulu contact Mei Ling’s cousin, Chicky Yuen, at bernard.chicky@hawaiiantel.net.

Many of you have asked what you can do. Well, if any of you have the time, we beg you to contact the Asian or Hispanic churches or community in your area to see if they would be willing to help Hannah by participating in a bone marrow drive. St. Louis appears to be the pilot program. If you need help please contact us or them.

Time is growing short. If we do not have a donor by the end of May we will have to wait. The delay would give the Leukemia cells a chance to recover and the ones that come back will most likely be immune to whatever we would do to them and we all know the outcome that would lead to. To heal Hannah God may be using us as the instrument of His power, forcing us to stop and get involved; to do something out of our comfort zone; to care more about someone else than ourselves or our stuff; to focus on what is truly important – relationships!

With thanksgiving,
Please Lord, Heal Hannah

Tom and Mei Ling

REMINDER: CINCINNATI RESIDENTS – Upcoming Event – The Church of the Covenant is hosting a Blood Drive for Hannah on Saturday, April 14th from 10:00-11:45AM & 1:00-4:00 PM. The Drive will be held at the church – 11688 Mill Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45240. To set up a time please contact Sarah T. at 742-8947.

quote:

Originally posted by PaulaKevin:
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Hannah is improving by the hour. Her good cell count has come up nicely from 200 to now over 1000 telling us that the fight between the infection and her white blood cells is nearly over and she has prevailed. Mommy got a chance to go home Tuesday night for a little R & R (ha, ha!) You don’t rest and relax at home, your job just changes.

Wednesday they started her back on chemo after being off it for the last week. Remember, we can’t get off schedule too far or we give the Leukemia cells a chance to regroup and adjust. Today Hannah will get another lumbar puncture procedure. After she recovers from the anesthesia, they plan to send us down to the fourth floor for intense in-patient physical therapy. Hannah is well enough that we could go home; however, she remains weak physically and isn’t eating like she should (she will also get a feeding tube put back in her nose to help her get nutrition and stimulate her desire to eat). Her legs remain weak after being in the ICU and lying around for weeks in bed. They want her as physically fit as possible before her bone marrow transplant and we all feel that she can best achieve this through at least a week of physical therapy on the physical therapy floor.

As I mentioned, last week was incredibly challenging and was hard on all of us. I spent each night up until midnight attempting to keep up. Mommy broke into tears after three days of intense emotional and physical stress as she watched Hannah’s vitals shift minute by minute. The kids struggled as well; Sarah broke down this time. My strong carrier of the faith was out of giving: drained from two months of being everything to everyone while Mommy has been with Hannah. She needed Daddy time to know that she is loved as well as needed.

We also ask you all to pray for the couple across from our room. They have a two year old with Leukemia and were due to have another baby in May. Unfortunately, last week while Hannah was struggling, she lost the baby in her womb while being in the hospital with their sick daughter. This added to the emotional drain on all of us.

Tom and Mei Ling

quote:

Originally posted by PaulaKevin:
April 21, 2007 at 06:06 PM EDT
HELP SPREAD THE WORD!

Sorry for the late notice, but we just found out yesterday that there are going to be several Marrow Donor Registration Drives in the Cincinnati Area TOMORROW!! The Church of the Covenant will also host a drive on May 9th – see info. listed below. Please help to spread the word especially to anyone of Asian, part Asian, Hispanic, or Native American descent. One of these drives may provide the donor Hannah needs and the drives will help to benefit many others like her.

Thanks to David Chang of the Cincinnati Chinese Church for organizing these events! Also thanks to Pastor Timothy Chen, and all the Rumping and Haberberger families in St. Louis for all their work organizing several drives that are also taking place this weekend. They have been fundamental in spreading the word all across the country! Hannah’s picture and story was even on the front page of the St. Louis Chinese Journal!

Also, don’t forget that our dear nurse, Justine Suedkamp, is raising money to help find a cure for leukemia by walking the Flying Pig ½ Marathon in honor of Hannah on May 6th. If you haven’t visited her website, please do at: http://www.active.com/donate/tntsoh/tntsohJSuedka and please consider giving to help find a cure! Thanks to those of you who have already given!

God Bless,
Mei Ling & Tom

The following are the locations and times for marrow donor registration drives this Sunday, April 22nd:

1. Cincinnati Chinese Church, 1393 Compton Rd, Mt. Healthy, OH 45231;
Time: 10:45 – 2:00 p.m.

2. Deerfield United Methodist Church, 2757 W. Route 22, Landen OH 45039;
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

3. Chinese School at Mason High School, 6100 S. Mason-Montgomery Rd, Mason OH
45040; Time: 2:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

4. Chinese School at Raymond Walters College, 9555 Plainfield Rd, Blue Ash, OH 45236;
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

If people can't make it to one of the drives listed above, there will also be a drive on Wednesday, May 9th at:

5. The Church of the Covenant, 11688 Mill Road, Cincinnati OH 45240;
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM

quote:

Originally posted by PaulaKevin:
April 21, 2007 at 06:06 PM EDT
HELP SPREAD THE WORD!

Sorry for the late notice, but we just found out yesterday that there are going to be several Marrow Donor Registration Drives in the Cincinnati Area TOMORROW!! The Church of the Covenant will also host a drive on May 9th – see info. listed below. Please help to spread the word especially to anyone of Asian, part Asian, Hispanic, or Native American descent. One of these drives may provide the donor Hannah needs and the drives will help to benefit many others like her.

Thanks to David Chang of the Cincinnati Chinese Church for organizing these events! Also thanks to Pastor Timothy Chen, and all the Rumping and Haberberger families in St. Louis for all their work organizing several drives that are also taking place this weekend. They have been fundamental in spreading the word all across the country! Hannah’s picture and story was even on the front page of the St. Louis Chinese Journal!

Also, don’t forget that our dear nurse, Justine Suedkamp, is raising money to help find a cure for leukemia by walking the Flying Pig ½ Marathon in honor of Hannah on May 6th. If you haven’t visited her website, please do at: http://www.active.com/donate/tntsoh/tntsohJSuedka and please consider giving to help find a cure! Thanks to those of you who have already given!

God Bless,
Mei Ling & Tom

The following are the locations and times for marrow donor registration drives this Sunday, April 22nd:

1. Cincinnati Chinese Church, 1393 Compton Rd, Mt. Healthy, OH 45231;
Time: 10:45 – 2:00 p.m.

2. Deerfield United Methodist Church, 2757 W. Route 22, Landen OH 45039;
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

3. Chinese School at Mason High School, 6100 S. Mason-Montgomery Rd, Mason OH
45040; Time: 2:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

4. Chinese School at Raymond Walters College, 9555 Plainfield Rd, Blue Ash, OH 45236;
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

If people can't make it to one of the drives listed above, there will also be a drive on Wednesday, May 9th at:

5. The Church of the Covenant, 11688 Mill Road, Cincinnati OH 45240;
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM