Smiling Ava

Thank you for your continued prayers. Ava has been extubated (meaning the breathing tube has been removed so she can talk and drink and eat some Jell-O), though the tubes to drain her fluid are painful, so she has medication to manage that pain.

We may not have answers for another couple days as to the cause of Ava's fluid build up around her heart/lungs (pericardial/pleural effusions).

In case there has been any confusion around terminology used, "relapse" = leukemia. (And it's entirely possible that I've used some incorrect terminology elsewhere, but I'll do my best to correct!) If Ava's fluid is due to relapse, that means the leukemia is returning, which of course would be devastating news.

While the slides don't definitively reveal the presence of disease (i.e. leukemia), Ava does have some abnormality which hasn't been identified yet. It's possible that while her numbers (meaning blood counts/levels) don't suggest leukemia, it just may be something that isn't seen yet in the labs...

It seems that they have ruled out infection, so the only other remaining possibility being considered is GVHD.

Thank you for your prayers for Ava and the Lee family! It sure is nice to see Ava's smiling face (below), but we know that inside her precious little body, big battles continue to be waged. Thank you for standing with us!

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(From Esther):

This is Ava now. Jehovah Rapha (The God who heals), has heard our prayer. A total of 550 ml of pericardial fluid was taken from around the heart and 500 ml of fluid was removed from the chest. Ava was extubated and is resting comfortably now. We are still waiting for firm results which may not be available until he beginning of the week. Thank you for standing with us and falling on the floor with us in prayer and support. Ava had her first drink in 2 days and what a wonderful moment it was to see her thirst quenched. It was wretched seeing her call out for food and water and have to deny her those things even if it was for her good. It reminds me of God's heart for us-how when it seems like he is withholding my greatest desires, he has my best interest in mind. I can't see it most of the times; just like Ava can't understand why we are keeping the basic needs of life from her. But she trusts us and with her tear stained cheeks she looks deep into our eyes, nods her head, and trades in her fear for an immovable trust. God, teach me this truth and many more.‪

#‎avabright‬ ‪#‎mylove‬