Evi Video

November 28, 2006

Friends and Family,

We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Danny, Evi, Caleb and I had lots of fun celebrating Turkey Day with Danny’s aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandmother who came in from Flagstaff, AZ and Fort Collins, CO to celebrate with Danny’s cousin in Allen, TX. Danny and his uncle spent most of the day helping Cousin Steve put up a new fence. Danny enjoyed working again. Visiting with Danny’s family was great. We even took a trip to the Dallas Zoo earlier in the week. We had a great time, but we also missed all of our friends in Lesotho. Last year we celebrated Thanksgiving at our house in Lesotho with about 50 other friends.

Speaking of Lesotho, we would like to ask all of you to pray for that country. Normally Lesotho is fairly safe and politically stable, but with the upcoming elections sometime around January or February, things are become a bit worrisome. Last week a Dutch aid worker with the Clinton Foundation was shot and killed during an assassination attempt on the Minister of Trade in Lesotho. Please pray for the safety of our friends in Lesotho and also for peace for the entire country.

Thank you for all of your prayers for Evi and our family. We went to the doctor on Wednesday for another checkup. The doctor said that the wound is behaving atypically, but currently it is improving. The open wound on her shin continues to improve and get smaller. We are holding our breathe and praying that this trend continues and we don’t take anymore steps backwards in the healing process. The doctor, however, was very, very concerned about Evi’s knee which was broken in 3 or 4 places in the accident. Her knee has become quite swollen, and Evi cannot straighten her leg completely. We were given some physical therapy homework and a leg brace that Evi wears at night to help straighten her knee. Danny and I were afraid that this would become a big battle with Evi, but miraculously she doesn’t seem to mind very much at all. What a blessing! The doctor will re-evaluate her knee on Friday and possible do X-rays if things haven’t improved.

We are still battling with Evi’s weight, but fortunately she hasn’t lost anymore weight this last week. Hopefully we’ve stopped loosing and can start gaining. Evi’s always been a tiny little girl, but now she’s so, so small. Even her 2T pants are falling off of her, and I bought most of her pants before she lost so much weight so I purchased 3T.

We covet your prayers during this time and really appreciate all of your support. The love we’ve received from all of you is one of the things we are most thankful for this holiday season. God bless all of you.

November 27, 2006

Today we were able to take Evi to the Dallas Aquarium. It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed themselves, well at least Evi did as Caleb slept the entire time. Evi had a lot of fun watching fish, monkeys, snakes and tons of other critters all over the place. When the weather is nice and we have time it is really nice to get Evi out of the house. This week will be busy with doctor visits for Evi and hopefully by the end of the week we will have a plan for the next few months. Below are some specific prayer requests and praises:

Praise:
* A great thanksgiving with Family
* Evi's leg is starting to heal back up again

Prayer:
* Pray for Evi's scarring on her knee. There is severe scarring on the side of her knee, and this may be limiting movement and causing discomfort when she straightens her leg. X-rays will probably be taken Friday to further look at her knee swelling and pain.
* Pray for health for the entire family, as everyone has been a little sick these last couple days.

It's hard to believe that this week will mark three months since the accident. Sometimes it feels like it was yesterday and other days it feels like it was years ago. We are so blessed to have the assurance that God is in control. I often wondered why Evi was so strong willed and determined. Well, I guess I know now.

November 20, 2006

The last few months have been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Evi's leg was looking better, then worse, then a little bit better again. We are praying that we are now at the end of this cycle. Evi's leg is starting to look much better. The wound is gradually beginning to close up and the mysterious black spots covering her leg are starting to disappear as well. God has blessed us with such an incredible little girl. Through the struggles of a hospital stay and loosing her foot she remains strong beyond her 3 years.
Please continue to pray as there are still things that have to happen before we begin to fit for a prosthetic. A few months ago we were concerned that her leg was always straight and that she would never bend it. Now that Evi is scooting around everywhere she always lifts her leg up to avoid it hitting anything. Now she has a constant bend in her knee and it is painful for her to straighten it. Her knee is also swollen. We have fitted her with what we call a "leg warmer" to keep her leg straight all night long. We are amazed that she has not complained at all about wearing this at night.
Yesterday her Sunday School teacher told me that Evi was talking about getting her new foot and couldn't wait to "run, jump and play" again. We are so excited, and look forward to the day that Evi can walk on her own again. These pictures were taken last week when we went to the Dallas Zoo with my Uncle, Aunt, Grandma and cousin.

November 16, 2006

As many of you know we have been concerned about a large spot on Evi’s shin that was not healing like the rest of her leg. On Tuesday we took her to the doctor and the wound specialist at the hospital. They are concerned about the leg and are unsure exactly what is happening with her large open wound. There are large black spots on a lot of the lower leg that is close to the shin. The fear is that all of these black spots will open back up and become more open wounds. We are using a different kind of bandage and are praying that the leg will close up over the next couple of weeks. Once again the option to go back to the OR for another skin graft is a strong possibility. Please pray with us that her leg would heal without having to have another skin graft. Our next appointment is on Wednesday the 22^nd.

Evi has really made progress and can’t wait to get her new foot so that she can “run and jump” again. She even talks about the rock that fell on her leg. We are very proud of Evi and she is being such a strong little girl. Once again thank you so much for your prayers, phone calls and words of encouragement. You have truly blessed us during this experience. Leslie and I are discouraged that we taking steps backwards. We were fully expecting to be fitted for a prosthetic before Thanksgiving. Now we are praying that we will be able to do this before Christmas. But God is in control, and we are truly blessed by the generosity of Park Cities Baptist Church and particularly an adult Sunday school class that has adopted us during our stay in Dallas.

November 13, 2006

Friends and Family,

Thank you again for all of your prayers. Danny is doing very well. He has a little bit of a black eye from the surgery and a few headaches, but has otherwise healed very well. He’s also very excited to be able to breathe so well. He said he didn’t realize that it was possible to breathe just through your nose without opening your mouth. He had a follow-up appointment with his doctor on Thursday. His doctor said Danny’s deviated septum was one of the worst cases he’d ever seen.

Evi also had an appointment on Wednesday. The doctor was a little baffled by the worsening condition of her leg. He called in a wound specialist who recommended a foam type bandage. The best part was that we didn’t have to give her a bath until yesterday. Usually we have to give her a bath everyday. Yesterday’s bath was not a good experience. Her wound bled a lot, which really scared Evi. Danny and I were disappointed that the wound didn’t look any better, but at least it didn’t look any worse either. In fact, except for the one open wound, the rest of Evi’s leg is looking really well. We are most disappointed that extra time the leg is taking to heal delays us being fitted for the prosthetic. Evi’s next appointment is Tuesday, so we are hoping that the foam bandage begins to help by then.

Evi continues to make progress with her mobility. She’s not only scooting, but also crawling now. She even used her walker a little bit over the weekend (something she had up until now completely refused to even try). Evi’s also enjoying visiting with other kids now. We’ve even taken her to Sunday School twice now. She continues to sing, play, and even dance. Every day I’m amazed by her beautiful spirit. She has started to talk about the “big rock” that fell on her and gave her leg an owie. After that she gets a big grin and shrieks with excitement about the fact that she will get a new foot. She can not wait to run, jump and kick balls again.

Caleb is doing well. He’s still my angel baby, and most of the time he sleeps at least till 5 AM or so. I can’t believe how fast he’s growing. He’s already 4 ½ months old (though he’s beginning to wear 6-9 months clothes!) I feel sorry for him though because Evi requires so much time and attention, taking away from the time we could spend with him. He’s such a wonderful baby and a true joy to be around.

I’ve enjoyed getting to know some of the ladies at Park Cities Baptist Church whose mission house we’ve been staying at. I’ve been attending the Ladies Bible Study and MOPS group. It’s been a lot of fun. I’m still exhausted, but Christ continues to give me strength.

Blessings to all of you,

Leslie & Danny

November 3, 2006

Friends and Family,

Thank you for praying for Danny and his surgery today. We checked in at the surgery center this morning at 6:30 and arrived back home around 1:00. The doctor said Danny’s surgery went well. On the way home, Danny said he already felt like he could breathe better than he has in a very long time. Danny is resting in bed right now. He’s having some pain, nausea, and bleeding but is otherwise doing well. Please continue to pray for a quick recovery.

Also please continue to remember Evi in your prayers. Danny and I are concerned about the shin area. The area had almost completely healed up. There were 3 spots about the size of nickels that were still open wounds. For some reason these areas have stopped healing and started getting worse. Now the three spots have grown and merged into one large open wound. Please pray that Evi’s leg would heal completely and quickly.

I would also like to ask you to life me up in prayer as well. The last two months have definitely taken their toll on me physically and emotionally. To say that I’m exhausted would be an understatement. I’m currently battling a bad cold while trying to care for Evi, Caleb, and Danny. Please pray that God would give me the strength to carry on and take care of my family and also that He would comfort my anxious heart as I struggle emotionally to handle Evi’s traumatic injury and difficult recovery.

Thank you for your prayers,

Leslie
www.flickr.com/photos/hulls

October 24, 2006

Friends and Family,

Evi celebrated her third birthday on Friday with a fun princess party. We had princess plates, napkins, decorations, and of course a princess cake. Evi dressed up as Cinderella complete with a new diamond tiara and earrings. She had a lot of fun playing with the Vennell girls. It was great to have a visit from their family. We all enjoyed seeing some faces from back home in Africa. Thank you to everyone who sent cards and gifts for Evi. She really enjoyed them.

Today Evi went in for a check-up. Her orthopedic surgeon said she is doing so well that he doesn’t have to see her again for 2 to 3 weeks. If her leg has healed enough during that time, we may be able to begin fitting her for a prosthetic! We are a little concerned about Evi’s weight though. When we left the hospital last Tuesday Evi’s weight was up from 11.4 kg to 11.8. Today she was back down to 11.2 kg. The dietician is not extremely worried, but we really need to pray that Evi will eat very well and gain weight.

Overall, Evi is doing great. She’s playing, laughing, and even singing again. She is also scooting all over the house on her bottom. We are still praying that she will find the courage and motivation to use a walker, but are overjoyed to see her getting around independently. We are changing Evi’s bandage and giving her a bath daily. It is the worst part of all of our day. Evi cries all through the bath, begging us to stop. She says that it doesn’t hurt but it scares her to be in the water with her leg uncovered and unprotected.

We also ask you to pray for Danny. He went to an ear, nose and throat specialist today because he was having another sinus infection. The ENT said his nasal polyps had grown back and along with his deviated septum (crooked nose) the problem has become severe enough to require minor surgery. Danny has a CATscan scheduled for this Thursday and surgery scheduled on November 3rd. Please pray that the surgery goes well and that Danny recovers quickly. We are happy that this surgery will correct or at least help with Danny’s chronic sinus and asthma problems, but obviously this adds more stress to our already stressed out family. Please pray for our family.

God bless,

Leslie for the Hulls Family

October 17, 2006

Good news. Today we went back to the hospital to have the doctor check Evi’s leg and to check in with PT and dietary. The doctor said Evi’s leg is looking great, and as of now Evi doesn’t need another skin graft. Evi has also gained a pound since last Friday! In fact Evi is doing so well that they officially discharged her from the hospital today. Even though she’s been home from the hospital on pass for a week now, it’s great to make it official. After 6 weeks it felt great to tear off the hospital ID band on Evi’s ankle.

We will be taking Evi back to the hospital once a week for check-ups. Our main challenges now are continuing to get Evi to eat well and getting her to move independently. Evi is fully capable of scooting, crawling, or even hopping but refuses to do so. Overcoming Evi’s stubbornness and motivating her to channel her strong-willed determination towards her recovery remains our biggest challenges.

Tim and Tonya Vennell (our fellow MAF missionaries from Lesotho) and their four little girls will be visiting tomorrow. We are hoping Evi’s friends will motivate her to move around by herself (maybe even use her walker). We are also excited to have the Vennells here for Evi’s birthday on Friday.

Thank you for all of your support and prayers. Please keep praying!

God bless,

The Hulls Family

October 10, 2006

Friends and Family,

Evi continues to make progress everyday. It’s great to see her smiling, talking, and laughing again. She seems to be doing better with taking her medicine, combing her hair, and getting dressed. Yesterday we got some great news. Evi’s doctors allowed us to bring her home on pass till Friday morning! We are very excited to have a break from the hospital and spend time together as a family. Evi was allowed to come home in hopes that she will eat better here than in the hospital. Her appetite has been very poor, and her nutrition levels low. Things were further complicated when Evi pulled out the central line in her chest on Sunday. Without the central line Evi cannot receive the nutritional supplements. Please pray that Evi will do well here at home, especially with eating. If she doesn’t’ lose anymore weight over the next few days and her nutrition labs look okay on Friday, we may be able to bring her home to stay. But if things don’t improve, she will have to return to the hospital for a while longer and the OR to have another central line put in.

Here are some specific prayers and praises:

1. Praise that Evi was allowed to come home for a while
2. Praise for a vehicle (A member of Parks Cities Baptist Church is allowing us to borrow a vehicle while we’re in the States)
3. Praise for Parks Cities Baptist Church who has provided housing, meals, and lots of loving support
4. Pray for Evi’s nutrition and that she will eat well. We are really hoping we don’t have to return to the hospital.
5. Pray for Evi’s skin graft (still looks like she will need some additional skin graft procedures. We are praying that this will not be necessary)
6. Prayer as Leslie and I change Evi’s dressing every day and as Evi observes her leg and missing foot while we do this.
7. Pray that Evi will be able to sleep better at night. She seems to wake up almost every hour crying.
8. Pray that Evi will meet her physical therapy goals by learning to move around on her own. She needs to be able to pull herself to a stand, hop around while holding on to furniture, and possibly crawl or scoot on her bottom. The therapist believes she is physically capable of each of these tasks, but Evi is understandably scared to attempt any of these things. That means that PT sessions (no matter how fun we make them) usually turn into screaming sessions.
9. Pray that God would give Evi courage and comfort.

Thank you to all of you for your prayers, gift and financial support. You have truly been a blessing to us during the last month and a half. Here is our contact information for us at the church.

3917 Villanova
Dallas, Texas 75225

October 3, 2006

Hello – Thank you so much for your continued prayers for Evi and our entire family. Evi is doing well and is slowly starting to feel better. After four weeks in the hospital, Evi’s nutritional levels are very poor. The last five days she has been on a constant nutritional IV and taking multiple supplements. On Monday she had her thirteenth visit to the O.R., and today they did her first daily dressing change in her hospital room. We are so excited that we will be able to do this in the hospital room from now on. Evi did great and tomorrow we are going to try and do it without any medicine. Please pray for her skin graft. There is one spot on her shin that does not appear to be healing like the rest of her leg. There is a possibility that she will have to have a second skin graft surgery in about 4 to 6 weeks. One of our biggest prayer requests for Evi is that she would be able to accomplish basic things like take medicine, brush her hair, get dressed, brush her teeth and those types of items. These basic tasks that used to be everyday items now are surrounded by crying and screaming. She has been touched for so long by everybody and wants nothing to do with these items. She has new combs, toothbrush that lights up and all sorts of cool things that do not help at all.

Evi’s started physical therapy last week and it is going fairly well. She has regained some strength in her “trunk” and can now sit up again. We have a little wheelchair and she loves to have daddy push her around the hospital. This week we are helping her to sit on a bench and working towards putting weight and standing on her good foot. There are a lot of milestones that we have to meet in PT before we can leave the hospital. So please pray for Evi and us as parents as we work hard to reach these goals. (Doctors say it will be at least two more weeks)

Thank you so much for your calls and e-mails. It is so encouraging to know that you are standing behind us during this journey.

I have also updated our photo web site at www.flickr.com/photos/hulls there is a section of photos of Evi’s journey this last month.

Love,

The Hulls Family