Medical

Blood tests are nothing new for Hope—but that doesn’t make them any easier. With tiny veins that like to hide and wriggle, getting a simple blood sample can turn into a big ordeal. After a failed attempt one day and a waiting room marathon the next, we weren’t sure if it was going to happen. But sometimes, persistence (and a little Mickey Mouse magic) makes all the difference. This is the story of one small vein, two steady hands, and one very brave little girl.

16 hours… that felt like much longer. What goes on the night before and the day of getting grommets placed.

No one likes being sick, and when all three kids go down one after the other, it feels like there’s no break. For Hope, a simple cough can turn into something more serious, so when her temperature spiked and her oxygen dropped, we knew it was time for the hospital. A night in emergency, a pneumonia scare, and some unexpected positives—this is our latest hospital journey with Hope.