Praying For Pierce

This holiday weekend families are saying thanks for their good graces.  But one Brandon family is praying for a two month old in need of a new heart.

Pierce Helms has Congenital Aortic Stenosis.  His aortic valve has a narrow opening, which makes it harder for his heart to pump blood.  Doctors at Blair E. Batson’s Hospital for Children in Jackson operated hours after he was born, but the surgery didn’t work.  He was flown to Washington D.C.‘s Children’s National Medical Center for surgery, but doctors there say they can’t operate.  He’s now waiting to be put on a donor transplant list and is on a ventilator.

Pierce’s mother, Leah, is spending this Thanksgiving Holiday with her son at the hospital. 

“It’s hard to find a newborn’s heart,“ said Leah.  “If you lose your infant, you’re not really thinking about being a donor.“

As she prays for Pierce, she’s still thinking about her other son, Jonathon, who was killed in 2003 during a car accident.

If things couldn’t get any worse for Leah, they did. While in D.C., Leah’s purse was stolen in a waiting room in the hospital’s cardiac intensive care unit.  However, Mississippi’s first lady paid Leah a visit at the hospital.  Marsha Barbour and her son and daughter-in law gave her money and a copy of her driver’s license, which she lost when her purse was stolen.

“I could not comprehend why someone would even do that,“ she said.  Despite the hurdles, she says she’s optimistic for her son’s health.

In Mississippi, Leah’s three children wait and pray for their mother.  They’re spending the holiday with their grandparents, who live in Brandon.

“It tore me to pieces because every holiday she’s with us,“ said 12-year-old Katie, who is Leah’s oldest.  “Everything happens for a reason, and [God’s] not going to let us fall down without picking us up.“

“I’m thankful for my family,“ said 5-year-old Peyton.  He’s thankful this holiday season for everything.

Leah Helm’s friends and family have set up a fund in at Trustmark Bank called the “Baby Pierce Allen Helms Fund.“  You can donate at any Trustmark Bank.  For more information on how to donate, call 769-798-8412.

Leah has set up a blog where you can read about Pierce’s progress:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/pierceallenhelms

You can also follow this links to read more:
http://helpingbabypierce.webs.com/
http://richardtgarner.blogspot.com/2009/11/gods-tapestry-and-power-of-facebook.html