Few things will warm a parent’s heart more than the arrival of their first child into the world. But what happens if the baby’s heart refuses to allow him to remain in the world once he’s born? What happens then? Unfortunately, that’s exactly what occurred to me, Indy and Rob Say, who lives in Anchorage, Alaska. Even though they were well aware that their life would be flipped upside down as soon as Lincoln was born, the pair all smiled.
All photographs are courtesy of the Safe family and have been published with their permission. When Mindy was 20 weeks pregnant with Lincoln, their son Lincoln was diagnosed with significant heart abnormalities. Baby Lincoln required open heart surgery shortly after his birth to have a shunt installed to keep him alive. However, by the time Lincoln was three months old, he had outgrown his shunt and the couple received the news that no parent wants to hear. Lincoln required a heart transplant.
Mindy was in a state of shock that the tiny boy she’d fallen in love with may perhaps be taken away from her was much too young for her to bear for long. No parent would ever want to see their child in the state. The time had come for me to step up as a father and husband, and this was the moment. Rob was in discomfort as well, but he realized that his family needed him now more than they ever needed him, and he didn’t disappoint. It was a difficult decision to leave his career and move his family, which included the couple’s elder children, to be closer to Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Rob will be the first to confess that he was terrified, but he dug deep to find the strength to keep everyone’s spirits upbeat. I refused to allow my family to suffer, he said in an interview with Upworthy. To provide them with the assistance they required. I made certain that every move I took was done to assist them. Rob had no idea what was going to happen with Lincoln, but it didn’t stop him from doing everything he could to be a better father and husband.
Rob took care of everything, so Mindy wouldn’t have to Mindy’s focus should be on two things. According to Rob, taking care of herself and taking care of Lincoln. To accomplish this, he enrolled the boys in school, took care of the shopping, cooking, cleaning and laundry, and chauffeured the children around town. He also wanted his children to have a good time while they were in Seattle, even though their reasons for being in the Emerald City were everything but pleasant. Rob goes to great lengths to ensure the happiness of his children.
He could have stopped there, but he wanted to make sure his sons were doing well emotionally as well as physically. I made it a point to ask them questions about their views on Lincoln. Rob said. I asked them about their feelings about Lincoln. I didn’t want anything to be kept a secret.
This was important for them to understand that they could communicate with me about anything. The man was a model of excellence in the field of caregiving. Even during the most trying of circumstances, he refused to take credit for his efforts or to voice his dissatisfaction. He also didn’t want others to feel sorry for him because he was organically motivated to be a decent guy, father and husband. He went out of his way to do these things.
The truth is, even though Rob was doing everything he could to keep his family happy, little Lincoln was in the hospital battling for his life. Having had two cardiac arrests, Lincoln was finally given some good news. He’d be receiving a replacement heart shortly. For the Safe family, this was the happiest day of their lives. In light of everything, Mindy penned a heartfelt message to the donor family, which she shared on Facebook.
As Lincoln was being prepared for the transplant, his heart stopped beating and he passed away. As a result, Mindy went through the excruciating pain of losing a kid for a little period, which was terrifying. The doctors, on the other hand, weren’t willing to quit. In record time. They opened Lincoln’s chest and physically compressed his heart before successfully connecting him to a heart bypass machine.
Lincoln has pronounced dead shortly after. This procedure can take up to 2 hours to complete. In many instances, it took the specialist here twelve minutes to complete the procedure and it was able to bring Lincoln back to life. And then it happened. Lincoln was given a new heart a few hours later and he was transformed into a brand new child bursting with vitality and happiness.
Lincoln was given a fresh lease on life as a result of the surgical treatment. Lincoln was scheduled to be freed from the hospital this past week, and Minnie wants to make certain that this unsung hero receives the recognition he deserves. As soon as Rob discovered that his newborn boy was going to make it, he was overtaken with emotion.
Mindy wrote an open letter to the donor family and posted it on Facebook in hopes that they’ll reach out to the Safe family when and if they’re ever ready. In it, she writes, I want you to know there are no words to express the gratitude I feel for the mother you were able to be in those final moments and that you are willing and able to give so selflessly to another.
I want you to know that I will always have the utmost respect for the gift we were given. I’ll treasure that heart more than I’ve ever treasured any gift. I’ll care for that gift to the best of my ability. And be sure to always give reverence and respect to the child and family from which it came. We may never know you by name, but we will know you.
Deep in my soul. You and I may have never met, may never speak, may never cross paths. But we will be connected on a divine spiritual level. Your child and mine will be forever intertwined as the heart that grew in your womb now pumps the blood through the body of the child created in your mind, they have merged in a way, and your child will forever live on in mine. When my child bleeds, I will think of you when I bandage a scraped knee.
I will think of you when I hear his heartbeat. I will remember you when his eyes flutter closed as he falls asleep. I’ll remember your beautiful child. I’ll say prayers of gratitude and blessings over your family often. I’ll treasure the gift you’ve given.
I promise. Last summer, Rob and Mindy discovered that something was awry when tests revealed that the baby was suffering from Heterotaxy syndrome, which causes the heart and other organs to develop on the opposite side of the body from where they should have been. Several procedures were conducted at Legacy Emmanuel Medical Center in Portland, including one that was performed when Lincoln was just 12 hours old. The family was then flown back to their home in Alaska. Lincoln’s heart, however, began to fail in October, and he was transferred to Seattle Children’s Hospital for treatment.
In their statement, the family expresses their hope that their tale would help raise awareness about the necessity of organ donation. Mindy noted in her blog post that the days that have passed since Lincoln received his new heart have been a haze for her and her family. The letter continued. Lincoln has done so wonderfully and his heart is so strong. The removal of his chest tubes is now completed and he’s been allowed to be excavated for the first time.
They’re starting to wean him off sedative medications and he’s waking up feeling incredibly charged and energized. My baby is on his way back to me. Lincoln’s transformation can be seen in the photos, which illustrate what a dramatic impact the operation made practically immediately. Lincoln’s skin colour was bluish-purple the day before the transplant, which was caused by a lack of oxygen, as shown in the first photograph below. Following the operation, he returned to his previous healthy state.
The family understood that they have a long journey ahead of them, but they express their gratitude for all the love they received. It’s astounding how much love we’re feeling. Humanity is an incredibly fascinating phenomenon, Mindy Say was the author. We walk about with a dumb, silly grins on our faces the entire time. Thank you to everyone who has assisted us financially, spiritually, emotionally and physically and in other ways, but it is simply not possible for me to thank everyone individually.
It seems like we’re getting more love than we can handle. It’s just fantastic. So please understand that when I say thank you, I’m saying it to you because every message, every thought and every comment shared on social media is greatly valued and cherished by the community. Yes, you are correct. The infant who was declared dead in the hospital only a few short weeks ago is now alive and allowed to return home with his parents.
In this story, there are a plethora of heroes to whom to choose. The doctors, the mother who stayed at her baby’s side and the baby who had to undergo so much just to survive are all obvious candidates for this award. Mindy, on the other hand, thinks of her husband as the first person who comes to mind here at the office. We’ve made it plain that fathers should not be rewarded simply for being fathers. With the love and support of her husband, Rob, on the other hand, Mindy is certain that she would not have been able to make it through this ordeal.
He is the true hero in her eyes. I couldn’t fathom getting through this without Rob’s help, Mendy remarked of Rob’s assistance. He devotes his entire life to our family and he frequently forgoes his want to care for ours. What was Rob’s response? I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.
After all, that’s transpired this invention is finally returning home. Also, having parents like Rob and Mindy who are completely devoted to their children will be extremely beneficial to little Lincoln.
