Maggie's Little Liver Story

06/16/2026

Michael sent me this from the hospital last night. It's the Da Da Da Spa. 🤣

06/16/2026

It took everything for me to come back here this morning. Seeing the PT/OT team really cheered me up and thankfully, Maggie is going home today.

06/14/2026

Maggie is back Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. It feels way too soon to be back here. Last night she was fussy and had a fever this morning. I brought her in to get checked out, and she's been admitted for now. Hoping it's nothing major and that we get out of here tomorrow.

06/12/2026

Tried sharing this early this morning, but it disappeared? Anyway--sharing something new today. Maggie still gets her nutrition from her Ng tube for now. Michael mixes up Maggie's formula for the entire day, and I make sure she gets it every three hours.

06/12/2026

How is it possible that I only get one more month with my baby as a baby?

This month we are especially grateful because there were moments during her two month hospital stay when we weren’t sure what the future would look like. Maggie survived her liver transplant, septic shock, adenovirus, rejection, amd so many procedures. Today she is embracing her second chance at life.

Maggie has become interested in dogs, especially our dog Leo. She still loves Rightfoot. She enjoys baths and playing in her exersaucer, and her favorite book is Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Eric Carle.

She’s behind on some milestones, but she’s working hard with physical therapy and next week she will have occupational therapy and speech therapy come to our home.

She wakes up happy. She laughs every time she sees her big sister. After months of watching her struggle, there is nothing sweeter than seeing her happy and pain free.

We are forever grateful for the gift of her new liver and the second chance it has given her. Eleven months with Maggie has been the greatest privilege of our lives. 💚

06/11/2026

Thank you to the wonderful team of folks that interviewed us about Maggie's story at Monroe Carell Junior Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt today. We loved having the opportunity to share our daughter's care experience with the most brilliant professionals that have dedicated their lives to saving kids.

06/10/2026

Colleen is the best big sister. Last week she went to Maggie's appointments with me and did the best job distracting Maggie for her blood draw. These girls speak their own little language to each other.

06/09/2026

06/06/2026

Happy Saturday. I just want to stay at home with these two.

06/05/2026

It's hard to believe that one month ago Maggie was intubated and very, very sick. Koala Guy got her through some tough times, and I love that she still reaches for him. Here are some sounds from the hospital vs. sounds at home.