Aubrey's Out of the Pediatric ICU

For those of you who are continuing to keep up with Aubrey's progress, thank you very much.  We believe your prayers really make a difference, so thanks for continuing to pray.  Here's an update from Andy.

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Yesterday, Aubrey moved out of the Pediatric ICU to the regular pediatric floor.  She is definitely more awake, but she is very emotionally fragile and agitated at times, especially later in the day.  

Ashleigh and I have been diligently working with her to improve her overall strength, particularly her neck and truck control, and we are seeing some small progress.  For the most part, she does not interact with us, but she does have brief periods during the day when she seems more lucid and happy and will play peek-a-boo with us for two to three minutes.  

The doctors continue to wean her seizure medications, and she has not shown more seizure activity.  That's great news.

She continues to have involuntary movements of her arms, legs, and mouth at times, and she has been grinding her teeth (especially when agitated), but we are hopeful that this will not be permanent.  She is eating more but still has not reached her calorie goal, which needs to be reached by Monday morning.  If she does not reach this goal, they may consider placing a feeding tube temporarily for nutrition and hydration.  

We are hoping to transition her to a pediatric inpatient rehabilitation hospital as early as Wednesday, if beds are available.

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Please join us in believing God for the following:

1. That Aubrey's mind will clear and the agitation will end
2. That she will interact with us more
3. That the involuntary movements will cease
4. That she will never have another seizure
5. That she will eat and drink enough so that she doesn't require a feeding tube
6. That there will be an available room at the inpatient rehabilitation hospital.

Ashleigh and I are absolutely exhausted due to lack of sleep and working with Aubrey almost all day (my father and sister are coming to give us breaks during the day though).  Please pray that our marriage will remain strong, that our daughter Lilly will remain strong and happy, and that we will continue to put our hope and trust in the Lord.

We Have the Test Results on Aubrey

We want to start by thanking you for your prayers and support during this time.  The Gallos have received so many emails, comments, texts, and phone calls, and though they couldn't respond, they have been greatly strengthened and encouraged your words.

We do have a big update today after long discussions between the Gallos and all the members of Aubrey's medical team, and the news is mostly encouraging.  Here's Andy.

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Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your prayers.  We finally got an idea of where we stand with this illness and although we're not yet out of the woods, Aubrey's alive and recovering.

Andy and Ashleigh

First of all, the doctors think they know what happened to Aubrey.  They tested fluid from her brain yesterday, and it came back positive for West Nile, a mosquito-borne virus.  This is the most likely cause of the encephalitis, and the doctors will send another blood test to confirm.  There is no medical treatment for the symptoms, and in light of the fact that it can be lethal, we're simply grateful Aubrey survived.

The long term outcome of West Nile encephalitis is very hard to predict.  There are cases of permanent brain injury, which may include memory problems, learning disabilities, damage to vision, severe fatigue, behavioral and movement disorders, and many others.  It could be up to a year before we know what damage there may be, but we continue to be open to God's immediate intervention regardless. 

We are happy to report that the MRI is very encouraging and generally looks good.  There is one spot in her brain that still appears to be inflamed, but all other areas look normal.  We praise God for this.

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Functionally, Aubrey's having trouble swallowing liquids, but she's doing well with solid foods.  However, she only takes solid foods in small amounts right now, and this needs to increase in order to nourish her.  This will probably require physical therapy.

Aubrey still seems somewhat confused and doesn't always comprehend what's being said to her.  She is moving her arms and legs, but is too weak to support her neck and trunk.  She isn't speaking, and she's still having abnormal, involuntary movements of her mouth, tongue, arms, and legs (which could be some of the post-West Nile symptoms I mentioned above).  It is also possible that the medication could be causing this, but the neurologist doesn't think that's the case.

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We are trying our best to focus on the victories that have been happening daily.  One week ago, we didn't know if Aubrey would live to age three.  Yet by Tuesday, she came off the ventilator and was able to get all the machines removed from her body.  She hasn't had any more seizures. The MRI generally looks good.  She is alive and recognizes us - and today, she's leaving the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.  Thank You, Lord.

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Aubrey and Dad asleep last night

Aubrey potentially has a long road of recovery ahead of her, and the future is still uncertain. The past two days have been very, very difficult for Ashleigh and me, since Aubrey literally needs someone with her 24 hours a day.  When she is awake, she sometimes acts very agitated (Ashleigh had to hold her down for two hours yesterday), and it is very unnerving to see her constantly moving involuntarily.

Regardless, all our hopes, we set our hopes on the risen Christ.  He has come to our rescue and healed Aubrey in ways that the doctors couldn't.  At the same time, we are thankful for all that the medical staff has done.  God definitely used their hands, feet, and equipment to sustain Aubrey's life when it was dangling by a thread.

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We don't know how to adequately thank the hundreds of you from all over the world who have made it a priority to pray for Aubrey and our family.  You gathered around us in our darkest hour, picked up our mat, carried us to Jesus, and He has provided healing where there was hopelessness (Luke 5:17-26).

Aubrey and Lilly

For those of you who have carried us through this roller coaster week, we thank you for your prayers and speak a blessing over your life.  For those who want to keep up with Aubrey's progress as we take small steps toward healing, we will only update the blog when we have a specific request or reach a milestone.  If you want to keep up with that, it would be best for you to subscribe by email, and you can do that by subscribing in the upper right hand corner of the blog. 

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Aubrey has some ongoing needs for which you can pray, and here they are:

1. That she never have another seizure.
2. That she will have a healthy appetite.
3. That she will have a full recovery from any damage to her body.

Please also pray for continued strength for Ashleigh, Lilly, James, and me.  We know Aubrey's recovery will require a team effort as a family.  We're all going to need a lot of grace.  Although we've finally turned a major corner, we've discovered that around that corner is another long road.

So here we go.  Thanks for being here for us on the journey.

A Rough Day for Aubrey

Hopefully, later on tonight, we will post more information, but for now here's what Andy and Ashleigh have been dealing with.  In Andy's words, "We're starting to realize Aubrey has been traumatized by what she's been through over the last couple of days."  She was very difficult to deal with today, but despite her frustrations, they were able to take the drain out of her skull and do an MRI.  The results of the MRI haven't come back yet.

Please pray that God will calm Aubrey's nerves and give her peace.  Thank you.

Worn Down, but so Grateful for All the Prayer

There's more good news on Aubrey, though she's definitely facing challenges as well.  Thanks to all of you who faithfully check the website to see how you can pray.  It's not our goal to turn this into a miniature reality show, where we just solicit sympathy and stares.  We hope you'll use this website to guide your prayers for Aubrey.

Here's an update from Andy, Aubrey's dad.

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Ashleigh and Andy

Let me just say again, thank you for continuing to lift us up in prayer.  We're exhausted, and it's hard to stay focused on faith with so much stress and sleep deprivation.  You are being strong for Aubrey and our family, and it means the world to us.

On the medical side, now that Aubrey is more awake and her sleep/wake cycles are off, she remained awake most of the night last night and was very restless, sleeping about two hours the whole night.  We are hopeful that she sleeps better tonight, since the doctors removed the bolt from her head, as well as most of the IVs from her body today.

Aubrey still shows signs that she recognizes us, but she only interacts with us on a meaningful level for seconds at a time.  She's still spunky though - they placed a feeding tube in her today, and she pulled it out within two hours.  And although she's hoarse, she managed to say "mom" today while the nurses were taking IVs out of her body.

Aubrey's still on three, powerful anti-seizure medications, and neurology plans to start weaning her off of those tomorrow.  But in order to get off those medications, Aubrey has to remain seizure-free.  The doctors will also remove the drain from her skull tomorrow.

She is rhythmically grimacing, lip smacking, and sticking her tongue out at all times when awake.  It is too early to say, but it could be (1) an effect of the anti-seizure medications, (2) the sedative still wearing off, or (3) it could be a sign of brain damage.  She's getting an MRI tomorrow, and that will help us determine if there has been any damage to her brain.

Will you please pray for the following:

1. A good, restful night for Aubrey
2. Favorable findings on the MRI tomorrow
3. That she will remain seizure-free while being weaned from the medications
4. That she will be able to start eating tomorrow and have an appetite
5. Continued progress
6. Complete improvement of any potential brain damage

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Some of you have asked how we are doing.  

Aubrey and Dr. Dad

Last night, Ashleigh and I had a very long night.  We have to take turns watching Aubrey to make sure she doesn't pull any of the lines out or need help.  I stay up there from about 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. - and let me tell you, being there by yourself overnight is the worst.  As a dad and a doctor, it's a major challenge to keep myself from neurotically trying to diagnose each movement Aubrey makes.

It's strange because, as a rehabilitation physician, I know exactly what I would tell the parents if Aubrey were my patient ("Don't worry - she still has a lot of meds in her system, she is still in the acute period, she needs time, even if there are functional deficits she could still have complete or near complete recovery with rehabilitation.").  But saying those things to myself doesn't make me feel any better as a dad.  

It's hard to continue having faith, but I'm doing my best.  By God's grace, at least Ashleigh and I haven't been losing it at the same time, so we are able to comfort and encourage when the other has times of doubt and fear.  Thank you for the ways your emails, comments, and prayers have helped keep both of us encouraged.

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Thanks, Andy.

I am still inspired by Andy's email a few days ago when he described the kinds of prayers he's praying.  Let's keep it in mind as we continue to walk by faith in our prayers for him and his family.  As he said the other day:

I've been reading through Luke and, like the friends of the paralytic, I have continued to tear off the roof tiles to lower Aubrey's mat.  I'm shouting from the side of the road, like the blind man, for Jesus' attention.  I'm wrestling through the crowd to get Aubrey's hand to touch Jesus' robe.  I'm sending my emissaries to plead with Jesus like the Roman officer.  And I'm begging for mercy like Jairus did on behalf of his only daughter.

Amen.  Keep on praying.

The Gallos are Worn Out

Thank you to the thousands of people who have gathered in the name of Jesus to pray for Aubrey Gallo's health.  As you can see in the post, "It's Been a Really Good Day for Aubrey," we've hit a miraculous milestone and are all rejoicing in the progress she has made.

Andy and Ashleigh

We know you'll continue to pray for her needs (and they are still serious), but please take a moment to gather around Andy and Ashleigh in the spirit of Christ and pray for their strength.  For a week and a half, they have been living out of a PICU room and feeling the stress of possibly losing their daughter. 

They are exhausted, and they still aren't certain when this will end or how well Aubrey is doing (she's still on three, heavy medications that may be affecting her speech and motor skills).  Please carry them in prayer today as you have Aubrey this week.  Thank you for your continued prayers.

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.

It's Been a Really Good Day for Aubrey

Thank you all for your faith, prayers, and encouragement today as Aubrey hit a big milestone and started breathing on her own.  God bless all of you who have joined together with the other parts of Christ's body to carry this little girl and her family.  Here's the full update from Andy.

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Aubrey sleeping after a long day

The extubation today was a success.  Aubrey did fantastic and breathed on her own immediately.  She still has some congestion in her upper airways and a weak cough, but it should get stronger over time.  She fell asleep immediately for about an hour after they took the ventilator out.

When she woke up, we could tell she was still very disoriented, likely due to the medication still wearing off.  However, she has shown some remarkable signs of recognition.  She clearly knows mommy and daddy, and she smiled at the bulletin board near her bed, which has pictures of her.  She laughed today which brought mommy to tears.

We brought some familiar toys, and her eyes lit up when she saw a Thomas the Tank Engine DVD.  Mommy was able to lie in bed with her and watch it.

Aubrey is not speaking yet.  She tried to say some words today, but almost no sound came out.  This should get better with time.  Physical and occupational therapy briefly evaluated her today and will be coming back on Friday as she wakes up even more.

She is still disoriented, anxious, and in pain at times, which requires pain medication and one of us to be at her side 24/7.  Fortunately, her favorite grandpa is here and is happy to sit with her so we can have a much-needed break in the evenings.

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All in all, it has been a great day.  However, Aubrey still has a long road ahead.  The bolt is still in her skull, measuring pressure, and the drain is still in place allowing spinal fluid to be released as needed.

The good news is that she is putting out less spinal fluid.  Neurosurgery wants to remove the bolt tomorrow, which will allow her to get an MRI of her brain.

Slowly, over the next couple of days, the doctors will be removing various lines and tubes from her body as she continues to stabilize.  They will test her swallowing ability, and if she does well, she can start eating if she has enough appetite.  If she does not do well with swallowing, they will have to place a feeding tube into her stomach temporarily.

The infectious disease service still has not discovered a cause, although at this point, finding a cause would not likely change anything, since she has been well taken care of and received all the medicines, antibiotics, and antivirals to cover all the possibilities.

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I should note that the prayers said on Aubrey's behalf have already availed much.  This was a very severe infection, and Aubrey was in subclinical status epilepticus (sustained seizures) for several days - I can't emphasize enough how serious that is.  She very well could have died.

I get the sense that the doctors and staff are amazed at her turnaround over the weekend and how quickly she has recovered (they were not anticipating removing the breathing tube until tomorrow or later).  One of her doctors was shocked that she never even required a blood transfusion, given the severity of her illness.

We give God the glory for all of this.

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Over the next few days, Aubrey will show us what consequences, if any, this viral infection has caused.  She may need some inpatient rehabilitation to improve her function, or she may be able to come straight home.  In any case, we are likely to be in the PICU for the remainder of the week.

Aubrey and dad

Here's how you can pray:

1. that she will not feel stressed or anxious, and that she will sleep.  My father has been praying that Jesus will appear to her in her dreams to comfort her.
2. that she will continue to put out low amounts of spinal fluid so the drain can be removed soon.
3. that she will have no more seizures as they take her off the anti-seizure medications.
4. that the infection will continue to resolve and the fevers will cease.
5. that her MRI will be uneventful and show good findings.
6. that she will be able to swallow and have enough appetite to start eating.

Most of all, we are praying that our Aubrey will be fully restored.  We realize that God works in various ways and that He could bring full healing, partial healing, or He could allow her to have brain damage as a result of this infection.  We are trying to prepare for all outcomes, as we know that God is good and can work in all situations for our good and His glory, but we are still asking for full healing (as did everyone who approached Jesus for healing in the gospels - hello!).

Thank you so much for your prayers, support, and emails.  We receive all the comments in our inbox, and Joshua forwards us many emails each day.  We read every one.  We truly feel part of the worldwide body of Christ.  Thank you for fighting on Aubrey's behalf.

Aubrey Laughed at Mommy Today

What a breath of fresh air.  I just got this quick text from Andy:

Extubation was successful . . . she is disoriented, hoarse, but recognizes us and laughed at mommy today.  She hasn't spoken yet.  She is still coming out of the sedation from the Pentobarbital [a very, very powerful sedative].  Full update tonight.

Thank You Jesus.  Thank You for that laugh, for the ongoing healing, for Your love in painful circumstances.  Thank You for Your children who are linking arms in faith, continuing to believe for Aubrey.

Here's a song that spoke to Andy the other night before he went to sleep.  Thanks to the commenter who sent it along.



Amen.

Please Pray - Aubrey is Being Extubated This Morning

Aubrey needs your prayers of faith this morning.  She is being extubated - that is, she's having the ventilator taken out of her airway.  This sounds simple, but it's a risky procedure that requires an entire emergency medical team to be in the room.  There's no way to know how Aubrey will respond.  She could begin breathing on her own or she could begin to suffocate. 

She had a rough night, due to the fact that she is much more awake and is now vomiting, which is complicated by having a ventilator down her throat, as you can imagine. 

Please pray in faith that she will be extubated smoothly, recover from the sedation, and have no brain damage.  Thank you. 

An Encouragement from Andy

Andy sent this email to me yesterday, describing where his faith is.  I found it pretty inspiring.  He said,

I've been reading through Luke and, like the friends of the paralytic, I have continued to tear off the roof tiles to lower Aubrey's mat.  I'm shouting from the side of the road, like the blind man, for Jesus' attention.  I'm wrestling through the crowd to get Aubrey's hand to touch Jesus' robe.  I'm sending my emissaries to plead with Jesus like the Roman officer.  And I'm begging for mercy like Jairus did on behalf of his only daughter.

Amen, Andy!  We are joining you in a chorus of prayer.

We will have an update on Aubrey's medical condition later in the day.  Until then, when you think about her, raise your voice from the side of the road and, with Andy, let's shout to Jesus, believing He will have mercy on Aubrey.

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.

Aubrey's Eyes Opened Up!

Aubrey's already waking up!  We apologize for the angle of the video, but it's worth it to crane your neck to see Aubrey's eyes opening up.

Keep on lifting her up in prayer.  And thank God she's awake without seizures.  This is encouraging.

Aubrey Will Be Waking Up on Wednesday

If all goes as planned, Aubrey will wake up from the medically-induced coma on Wednesday.  This is good news, because it will finally give doctors an idea of how she's doing.

Very likely, Aubrey's last memory is being at home with her family.  When she wakes up, she will be in an unfamiliar room with lots of beeping noises, medical personnel, wires, and tubes (some of which are lodged in her skull).  Doctors expect the experience to be very disorienting for a two-year-old who has no idea what has happened to her.

Therefore, when Aubrey wakes up on Wednesday, Andy and Ashleigh ask that only immediate family members visit for a few days after that.  Please feel free to call and schedule a visit before Wednesday morning - it will be appreciated.  Even if you can't come, please keep commenting on the website, emailing, and texting.  The comments to the website go straight to Andy and Ashleigh's email, and they read every one of them.

We are praying that Aubrey will wake up on Wednesday, recognize her mom and dad, and start getting back to being a healthy two-year-old.  Thank you for joining us in faith.

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.

A Glimpse of Hope

The outpouring of prayer and support for Aubrey is overwhelming - and needed.  Every single prayer is appreciated, and we believe that God is using it to weave the fabric of healing that Aubrey needs.

Here's another update from Andy.

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Thanks again for all the prayer and support you're giving Aubrey and our family as we continue to keep watch over her and believe for God's best.

The day began with good news: Aubrey had a good night (think "boring is good").  The doctors eliminated one of her four seizure medications today, and she had no seizure activity throughout the day.  That's good.

We bought her some headphones and she's listening to her favorite music - "Orchestra!!!" - as she calls it.  I hope she's enjoying it.

Princess Aubrey

We were also blessed that the 15-year-old daughter of Aubrey's neurologist used her own money to buy Aubrey a princess crown and a stuffed animal (you can see them in the picture to your right).  I know, it's both touching and heart-wrenching at the same time.  You can imagine how we're feeling as her mom and dad.

Aubrey still has an enormous amount of spinal fluid that's draining out of her skull.  That means that swelling might still be an issue, but neurosurgery wants to begin trying to wean her off the drain tomorrow to see if it causes pressure in her head.  Hopefully, it won't.

As the doctors eliminate her sedating medications, it will start to wake her up a bit.  In fact, we saw some movement from her during the day.  She even grasped our hands.  I know that's probably a reflex, but it was just good to see her move.

This evening, Aubrey's arms and hands began moving, and her brain waves began to jump on the EEG monitor.  My heart started racing, because I was terrified that she was having a seizure (this could cause brain damage).  But when the neurologist came and reviewed the EEG, he said it didn't appear to be a seizure.  He couldn't be certain though.  So either Aubrey was showing signs of waking up, or she was possibly having a seizure.  We don't know.

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Here's how you can pray for Aubrey:

1. Pray for a continued absence of seizures.
2. Pray that the excess fluid will stop building up in her skull so we can take the drain out.

Aubrey and Lilly

Please also pray for Lilly, Aubrey's older sister.  She's starting to show signs of stress.  We're going to try to develop a more normal routine to help her relax, but it makes me hurt to see her carrying the burden of Aubrey's illness.

Thank you for believing for Aubrey and for praying for our family.  You are carrying us in faith.  We need you, and we are grateful for you.

Andy

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.