Please Keep Fighting for Aubrey

Thank you so much for all the prayer support for Aubrey Gallo.  The response to this website has been overwhelming - it has received 3,563 visits since we started it yesterday (and quite a few visits are from Germany, not to mention those in Mozambique, South Korea, and Barbados).

What an awesome reminder that we are part of Christ's worldwide body - a family who takes care of those in need.  May God bless all of you for continuing to keep watch over this precious girl through your prayers.

Here's an email from Andy, Aubrey's dad, to all of you who are praying.

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Again, I want to thank all of you for your prayers and for your interest in how Aubrey is doing.  It's hard to say where we are at this point.  The good news is that last night was the best night Aubrey has had since coming to the Pediatric ICU.  We still don't know the cause of the encephalitis, so the doctors continue to run tests.

Aubrey is on four medications to suppress her seizures and keep her in a medical coma.  The doctors lowered one of the medications today to see how she would respond, and she didn't have a full-blown seizure.  That's good.  This could be a good sign that she's going to stop having seizures - so to find out if she's finished with the seizures, the doctors are going to lower the anti-seizure medications even more.  We pray that she doesn't begin having more seizures when they lower the medication.

The drain in Aubrey's skull is pulling out high amounts of fluid.  This is not good, because it probably means that we have to keep the drain there longer than we would like.  Otherwise her brain will have serious swelling issues, and swelling can cause brain damage.

Ideally, the doctors want to wean Aubrey off the seizure medications, remove the drain from her skull, and then get her off the ventilator.  At a minimum, it would take a week to do all of that.  If she doesn't respond well to the weaning, we may be back at square one.  That would be frustrating.

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Here's how you can pray for Aubrey:

1. Pray that she will have no seizure activity when the doctors lower her medication.
2. Pray for the infection and swelling to cease so the drain can be removed from her skull.
3. Pray for reversal of any brain damage.
4. Pray that her older sister, Lilly, will not feel lonely or stressed.
5. Pray that we will remain strong and full of faith in God.

Thank you to all who attended the prayer vigil today, in person or in spirit.  I heard it was powerful, and Ashleigh left encouraged.  Thank you to those who don't even know us (and in countries we have never visited) but are standing with us in prayer.

Thank you to those who the Lord has woken from sleep with Aubrey in mind to pray.  Thank you for calling, emailing, bringing meals, sitting, and crying with us.  We desperately appreciate your support and prayers.

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If you have any encouraging scriptures God has put on your heart as you have been praying for Aubrey, please feel free to include them in the comments section.  We are standing on the Word of God and believing Him to speak health into Aubrey's body.

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Fighting for Aubrey

We just had a prayer meeting in Arlington with many dear friends from Church of the Resurrection.  Ashleigh, her sister, and her sister-in-law were able to be there.  We gathered around Ashleigh and strengthened her in prayer and then we fought for Aubrey in prayer.

The presence of the Lord was strong, and our hearts grew in faith as people read scriptures to help guide our prayers.  One of the verses was 2 Corinthians 4:7-9:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

As a body of believers, we are willing to keep fighting until the battle is done, to be in this for the long haul.  We won't give up.  We'll keep looking to God for direction and we're going to "kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight" (Bruce Cockburn).

Keep on praying, friends.

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Aubrey is Stable, but She's in Critical Condition

We want to thank all of you for taking the time to check out Aubrey's site.  Within twelve hours of putting it up, the site received 1,760 visits from all over the globe (thanks to those of you in Tunisia who are praying!).

Here's today's update on Aubrey from her dad, Andy, who is a doctor at the hospital where Aubrey is being treated.

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Andy and Ashleigh

Let me begin by thanking you for all your prayers.  They mean so much to us, and I will provide some specific ways you can pray for Aubrey later on.   But first, let me tell you where we are medically and then I will talk about how we're doing emotionally.

Aubrey is still in critical condition but has been more stable for the last 24 hours.  She has a drain placed in her brain because of the swelling and pressure, and it is working well to keep the pressure low enough.  Unfortunately, though, she has developed pneumonia and is on antibiotics to treat it.

She remains on high doses of anti-seizure and sedatives to almost completely eliminate all brain activity, allowing the brain much-needed rest.  She is still on a ventilator and is now being fed through her veins, and we hope to start feeding her through a tube into her stomach in the next couple of days.

The pediatric infectious disease service has been placing calls to experts all over the country to assist with the case.  We still do not have a specific cause but, at this point, we believe it's viral encephalitis.  We're still sending tests out to try to nail it down.

We are hoping she will remain stable, have no more seizures, and be able to come off the ventilator.  But if she keeps having seizures, we're back to square one.  We'll have to put her under even deeper sedation to keep the seizures from happening.  That would be frustrating.

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Many have asked how Ashleigh and I are doing.  Frankly, we are not doing well.  But please know that we appreciate all the visitors and people who have come to pray with us.  We have received and read all of your much-appreciated emails, and I hope you'll accept my apologies as we cannot answer all of them personally at this time.

Andy and Aubrey

As for me, I have peace most of the time, although I have my moments.  As a rehabilitation physician, I am more troubled by the possible prospects for the future.  I understand all of the possible implications of the potential brain damage Aubrey has experienced, and I am fearful for the outcome.

Ashleigh is more affected by the present.  It is very hard for her to be away from the hospital, even to sleep or nurse our four-month-old baby, James.  She shared with me today that the house feels empty without our loudest and most rambunctious child running around and causing general mischief.  That is the hardest for her to handle right now.

I especially hurt for our older daughter, Lilly, who is four and a half years old.  Every day, Lilly asks to see Aubrey in the hospital, but for now, she's taking Aubrey's absence quite well.  We prayed together at the bedside for a short time today, and Lilly is content that Aubrey is sleeping, and with Jesus' help, Aubrey will get better.

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Here are the things you can pray for right now to support Aubrey:

• resolution of the pneumonia
• stability for the next 24-48 hours
• complete resolution of the brain infection - there is no way to treat it medically, so it is up to Jesus and her immune system to fight it
• reduction of the brain swelling to the point that a ventricular drain is no longer necessary
• that all seizure activity will be eliminated so that as we wean the sedation, the EEG remains normal; and
• a complete reversal of any brain damage that has taken place.

For myself and Ashleigh, please pray that we remain strong, hopeful, and trusting in the goodness of the Lord.  Again, thank you all so much for your prayers and support.  We can't wait to see Aubrey dancing and running in church again soon.

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Meet Aubrey Gallo

Aubrey Gallo

Aubrey Gallo is a vivacious two-year-old who loves to dance.  Each Sunday at church, during the songs of praise, she raises her hands above her head and spins around, dancing in circles, not worried what anyone is thinking.  As recent as last week, Aubrey was playing with her older sister, running through the house squealing, and staying up as late as possible.

But last weekend, Aubrey got a headache and eventually started vomiting and having convulsive seizures.  Since then, she has been in the Pediatric ICU fighting a brain infection.  She is now laying in a hospital bed with several machines attached to her body and a respirator in her mouth.  Her lips are chapped, her body is limp, and she is in a semi-comatose state.

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She has been diagnosed with encephalitis, an infection of the brain that can, among other things, cause convulsive seizures.  These seizures cause the brain to swell, and when the brain swells, it is pushed up against the skull.  That pressure can cause damage to the brain.

At this point, Aubrey's parents, Ashleigh and Andy, do not know whether there has been any damage to Aubrey's brain.  They can't know the extent of it until she wakes up.  But they can't wake Aubrey because, if awake, she is certain to have seizures right now.  And those seizures will possibly cause serious injury to Aubrey's brain.  She's in a frustrating holding pattern.

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Without Jesus, we would only have hope in Aubrey's doctors.  We're thankful for those doctors, but our hope is in Christ.  We know He listens to our prayers and that He uses our faith as medicine when He heals other people (Mark 2:5).  So, as a community of Christians, we are coming together to believe for Aubrey's total recovery.

Aubrey in the PICU

We are asking you to join us in praying for her.  You can start by praying for three things:

1. All seizure activity will cease.
2. Aubrey's body will be free from any further infection.
3. Aubrey will wake up, recognize her mom and dad, and reach out for them, free from brain injury.

The scripture the Lord has put on my heart for Aubrey is one in which Jesus comes to the aid of another little girl in a desperate situation.

"Jesus took the little girl's hand and called out to her, 'Wake up, My child!' (Luke 8:54).  And so we say, "Wake up, Aubrey!"  We are believing for you in faith, knowing that Jesus is here to heal you. 

We will be periodically updating these blog posts.  If you are interested in receiving updates when there is a new posting, please enter your email address in the box on the upper right side of the screen, and click on the confirmation that is sent to your email inbox.