Tyler (4) & Emily (7 months)

On June 25, 1996, we were blessed with our son Tyler Martin.

It was a traumatic delivery because of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension and a Placenta Previa. But we made it through ok and were healthy... so we thought!

Tyler was born with Total Colonic Hirschsprungs Disease. Meaning, his entire large bowel contained no ganglion cells. These cells are used to push the waste through your intestine.

He had his first surgery at 4 days old, where he recieved an Ileostomy. This was suposed to be a temporary thing for him and we expected to reconnect his bowel at 8 months of age. This was not to be! Tyler got very sick at 6 weeks of age and was hospitalized for two months. He received 5 blood transfusions and was placed on an IV for all of his nutrition. The doctors found that he had a complication of his disease, called Intestinal Nueronal Dysplasia. While the Hirschsprungs Disease meant that he had no ganglion cells, IND meant that he had the cells in his small intestine but they were too few to work correctly.

We took a trip from Seattle to Boston for a special bowel study. When we returned, it didn't look very promising that he would be well enough to come off the IV and actually eat. But we put our trust in the Lord and our future in His hands. After 6 months on IV nutrition, Tyler was able to handle some food through a tube in his stomach. What a wonderful blessing!!

Tyler is 4 now and after many hospitalizations due to various infections and complications, he is doing well. His take-down surgery, (reversing the ostomy) was in August 1999. He was unable to thrive without the ostomy. He had numerous infections and was always hurting.

On February 24, 2000, Tyler had surgery to replace his ileostomy. We are so thankful to have our little boy back again! Although all of this has been very difficult, to say the least, the Lord has been sustaining us everyday and giving us new blessings as well.

One of those new blessings is our beautiful daughter.... Emily Rose was born on December 3rd, 1999. We were so very encouraged when she passed her meconium. We assumed she didn't have HD like her big brother. The chances of that were not extremely high. But the Lord had other plans for her! Emily became very distended after not pooping for three days. She was diagnosed at three weeks of age with Long Segment Hirschsprungs Disease. She lost 1/3 of her colon, and now has a colostomy. We had expected to have it reversed by now but she developed complications.

She was just recently diagnosed with Intestinal Nueronal Dysplasia, just like her brother. Fortunetly Emily has not been sick and is still doing well, despite being constipated.

We will be taking another trip to Boston, but this time it will be for Emily. This was very difficult to handle at first, with thoughts of our son's experience still fresh in our minds. We are praying for Emily, that the testing in Boston will go smoothly.

We know that this makes things for her a little more difficult but we trust that God will be with us.

We would like to acknowledge and thank all of Tyler and Emily's doctors for all that they have done and all that they continue to do!

YOU ARE TRUE BLESSINGS!!!

Dr. Leslie Malo (pediatric surgeon)

Dr. Ross Kendall (our former gastroenterologist)

Dr. Mary Ann VanZyl (our former pediatrician)

Dr. Alex Flores (gastroenterologist in Boston)

Dr. Thomas Herron (pediatrician)

Dr. Bisher Abdullah (gastroenterologist)

Dr. Mimi Yuwono (gastroenterologist)

And to our nurses at Mary Bridge Childrens Hospital.

Thank you for listening, caring and making our stays somewhat enjoyable!! And for your time spent with Tyler, when he needs some entertainment... ..like someone to play Nintendo with, or watch cartoons!!

He loves you and we love you!

A sincere thank you to everyone at Christ the Rock Community Church (Port Orchard, Wa. USA) for all of your phone calls, visits, cards and not to mention prayers and support!! We love you!!!