Hope filled Easter

On Friday Mary had a scan on her legs. The bones in both legs currently have external fixings and the orthopaedic surgeons were hopeful that as the bones heal themselves naturally, these external pins could be removed. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the fractures, they are still not healed. One of the surgeons explained that in you or I they may take up to 12 months to heal, and of course Mary’s body may be healing more slowly than this. Next week there will be a review to see whether the doctors will continue to wait for Mary’s body to heal itself in this way, or whether they will take a different course of action now that Mary is more stable.

Mary still has her tracheostomy in. Weaning her off this is still very slow due to the secretions on the lungs and other complications. This will mean that Mary will need to transfer to a rehab which can work with the trachestomy but still begin some physio and neuro work. We are meetings with consultants to discuss several options later this week.

Today is Easter Sunday. More than ever I am reminded that in all the tears and pain and suffering, we always have to hang onto hope. In the times of brokenness and pain, so oddly life throws at us wonderful things too, signs of new life and new beginnings. Even at Christmas we were all not sure if Mary’s little body would survive all the assault it has had. But here 4 months later, though progress is slow and times are often sad, she is still with us, still so beautiful and so precious. We hold onto the hope of new opportunities – of rehab, of the healing already taken place in Mary’s body, her signs of alertness on a good day, the relaxing of her facial muscles when we play her favourite music, the turn of her head when people come to visit. And there is so much more to come. Wishing Mary, and all of us who love her, a hope filled Easter.