Happy Birthday Little One!

Today is my niece Annika's eighth birthday! It was just eight days ago she received a new liver. She is still in ICU at Children's Memorial Hospital on the ventilator. They have not been able to close the large incision spanning her abdomen yet (neither the muscles, nor the skin), so it is very important that she not move much. For this reason, they had been keeping her on paralytic drugs until just two days ago. Thankfully, she is now off the paralytic drugs, but is still very sedated. She does have period of wakefulness though, and Moreena said that she is able to communicate now. The birthday celebration will have to wait for now...but what a blessing to have a new start on life for your eighth birthday!

I remember the last time she had a transplant, during the long weeks in the hospital once she was able to move around and get bored and frustrated, her day was just brightened when one of those brown envelopes would arrive in the mail for her. Inside would be notes and pictures drawn by other children, stickers, and all manner of small surprises. Moreena would save the packages/envelopes up and bring out one of them whenever Annika needed an extra lift to her day. If you would like to send some small surprises for Annika, you can send them to:

Annika Tiede
c/o Kohl's House
2422 N. Orchard
Chicago, Illinois 60614