Hey there, folks! Abby's poster is close to becomming a reality. This is the rough draft that University Hospital has put together for her upcoming poster. We are super excited to be a part of this.
Rachel Jack
Thanks to you San Antonio, Abby is learning to count the candles on her next birthday cake.
It was April 17, 2009 and six-month-old Abby Jack was buckled in her car seat and on her way to Grandma’s house. Her mom Rachel was having severe migraines, so Grandma was going to watch Abby while she went to see a doctor. The last thing Rachel remembers was being stopped at a traffic light. She learned later that a seizure, related to those migraines, had caused her foot to hit the gas and send her car straight into several trees.
When Rachel’s husband Darrell arrived at the scene of the crash, EMS told him Rachel was hurt and on her way to the trauma center, but that Abby seemed okay. They said he could take her home or have her checked out at a hospital. Just to be safe, he decided on the hospital. It was the best decision of his baby daughter’s life.
A CT scan revealed serious head injury and Abby was rapidly transferred to the trauma center at University Hospital. Dr. David Jimenez, chair of the UT Health Science Center Department of Neurosurgery, told Darrell that Abby was in very bad shape. Her brain was swelling and he needed to operate immediately. He couldn’t promise she would survive. Dr. Jimenez removed a third of Abby’s skull to relieve the pressure in her head and she spent the next three weeks in a medically-induced coma in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital. Rachel had significant injuries of her own, but she joined her husband by Abby’s bedside. They watched the monitors and prayed.
Their prayers were answered the day Abby woke-up. She spent another two weeks in the hospital, and went home in late May with a helmet to protect her brain. With physical therapy, Abby got stronger and it was clear that there was no lasting brain damage. The operation to replace her skull piece happened in late 2009.
Unfortunately, her journey doesn’t end there. Abby’s skull piece, that had been in cold storage for several months, did not heal correctly after it was replaced, so little Abby received an artificial, custom-made skull piece in the spring of 2010. She’ll need more operations as she grows and gets older, but celebrating her first birthday – knowing there will be many happy birthday candles yet to count – is what really counts.
Heeeere's Abby! She's walking, er, running, um, crashing......well, you'll see! Go Abby, Go!
Rachel Jack
March 3rd, 2010
Well, I have once again been fretting for naught! Darrell and I took Abby to see her neurosurgeon today because I have been concerned that the open space that extends a full third of her skull has been expanding. It also felt like it was not only getting bigger but that the edges were degrading and becoming more jagged. Which, they are. However, this is not the horrible event I thought it was. Apparently this is just a continuation of healing around the initial trauma, and we are still on track to have her acrylic plate put in June 17. Abby's doctor is very understanding of this "mama bear" and all of my many concerns. He told us today that he realizes that he has not only Abby as a patient, but her two parents as well. This is the nature of pediatric neurosurgery and he teaches this to his students every day. I love this man more every time I see him!
Rachel Jack
Well, I have once again been fretting for naught! Darrell and I took Abby to see her neurosurgeon today because I have been concerned that the open space that extends a full third of her skull has been expanding. It also felt like it was not only getting bigger but that the edges were degrading and becoming more jagged. Which, they are. However, this is not the horrible event I thought it was. Apparently this is just a continuation of healing around the initial trauma, and we are still on track to have her acrylic plate put in June 17. Abby's doctor is very understanding of this "mama bear" and all of my many concerns. He told us today that he realizes that he has not only Abby as a patient, but her two parents as well. This is the nature of pediatric neurosurgery and he teaches this to his students every day. I love this man more every time I see him!
Thank you again for your support this past year. We would have been hopeless without you and your prayers.
Next update in June.
Blessings to you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Rachel Jack
February 23rd,2010
Tonight, Abigail Rae Jack took her first steps! All by herself, without any help, one step at a time. Thank you, Lord.
Rachel Jack
Rachel Jack
September 23rd, 2009
thanks to you, oh God, for bringing our baby home safe and sound! now for a night of family and gratitude!
Rachel Jack
September 10th
Ok, my friends, I am not normally a drama queen, but today is the day to top all days! You are NOT going to believe what happened, because I don't quite believe it myself!
It all started on a rainy, Thursday morning about 4:20 in the morning. We got ourselves ready and dressed to face a long day in the waiting room with family and friends waiting on Abby. Darrell woke up the baby, took my overnight stuff to the car (I was going to be the one to stay with her this time, dash-it all!) and off we rode into the darkness at 5. Got to the hospital at 10 til 6, and signed in. My dad and my friend Theresa walked into the waiting room a few minutes later, followed by my Mom and Bob (and most importantly, Krispy Kreme!). So there we sat patiently waiting for Abby to be called back while sneaking bites of donut when the ladies at the front weren't looking. And there we sat. And there we sat. At 7:00, I went up to the desk and asked when they thought we might be called back. At 7:30, I returned again and asked when Abby was going to be called back. At 7:45, someone came to the front and called our names---yes! here we go! When we got to the nurse, she said "Um, this is really awkward. Abby is not on the schedule for today. Apparently someone forgot to call you." WHAT?????? Are you kidding me? My actual reply was more along the lines of "Um, ok, no. That's not what is going to happen today." I then laid out several reasons why the surgery needed to happen today. Well, to their credit, that whole Outpatient Surgery team AND Dr. Jimenez's team worked like mad to make things happen. Dr Jimenez had a critical young patient with a brain tumor who obviously needed his services more than Abby did. Meanwhile, my dear friend Robin showed up. So my team all huddled in the waiting room and we prayed for a "God solution", something which would defy the odds and bring Him glory. Shortly after our prayer, one of Abby's neurosurgery team came out shaking his head in wonder and told us that an OR had come available, as had a pediatric anesthesiologist (out of the blue might I add) and that Dr. Jiminez would do Abby's surgery while they were prepping the OR and the critical patient. We were then ushered back to the surgery center.
As they were checking Abby's vitals, the anesthesiologist came over to meet us. He looked to me to be completely overwhelmed and befuddled . He told us that he was the anesthesiologist on Abby's case the night she came in on April 17th! He kept looking Abby over, and seemed completely surprised with her! He just shook his head and kept repeating, "Amazing!" over and over again. He had not followed her case because I think he thought there was nothing to follow up on, and he had just that morning been grabbed to do an extra case for Dr. Jimenez. Completely random (wink! wink!).
Anyway, to make a long story short. Ha ha! Abby came through like the champion she is. Her bone plate is back in place, and her head looks beautiful. She does look like a military recruit with her new hair do, but that will all grow back thick and gorgeous. Darrell is staying at the hospital with Abby tonight. It was our original plan to have me stay over, but I had a small seizure in the middle of all of this (no, I wasn't flopping around all over the place) so we thought it best for DJ to stay and me go home. What can I say? Lack of sleep and stress makes me have seizures. Fortunately, mine are very passive. It looks more like I am "spaced out" for a few seconds. ANYWAY, Abby is done! Whoohooo! Party at the hospital! Be assured her first birthday in October will be a grand event.
Thanks again for your support prayer warriors. We never know how God's plan is going to work out, but we're really honored to be part of it. Blessings to you all.
Darrell and Rachel and Lauren and Abby Jack
Rachel Jack
210-413-4800
