another answer

this morning's first waking thought: we need to find a pediatric cardiologist.  we have had friends in the medical field review zhang xue zhu's file already and we did have a report from another cardiologist….but now we feel strongly it is important to speak directly and personally with someone ourselves.


within 5 minutes of sending an email to about 15 close friends i had a name, a cell number, and permission to call immediately.  my friend, kelly, was sitting at the beach with her good friend this weekend when she received my email request for help.  the girl sitting with her knew just the person needed.  one of her closest friends was a pediatric cardiologist at vanderbilt - her name, dr. kristian. "bet you feel like you are reading a paragraph out of "Pilgrim's Progess," jody, don't you?" wrote kelly.  yes, nothing surprises me much anymore.  and i dialed the doctor's cell number.


a couple of hours later, this vanderbilt cardiologist and i had a phone conversation. it wasn’t good news. there was too much unknown. her issues were much more complex than we first thought. it wasn’t just an issue of getting her good medical treatment….it could be an issue of life span. life span? could we bring a child from china to the US, weave her into the fabric of our family only to possibly lose her within years? could we? we still do not know. but, we know to walk forward.