Soliz and surgery

Many of you already know that Soliz will be having a spinal fusion on Monday, May 16th at 7:30 am. Because he is missing half of his C1 vertebrae he is at very high risk for spinal cord compression and spinal cord injury; he is also at high risk for developing scoliosis. For these reasons he is having his C1 to (possibly)C4 fused together. He will be under anesthesia for up to 6 hours. As you can imagine I am terrified. We learned that he would need this surgery almost a year ago. For several reasons the surgery was postponed until now. And now I am finally more at ease about this life-changing event. Soliz is much stronger now than he was a year ago, he weighs a bit more and most importantly he has a new streak of determination in him. I pray that this determination continues after his surgery so that he will learn to move in new ways and not forget the skills we have worked soooo hard to develop (like chewing). When I feel a wave of anxiety rush over me I stop and visualize Soliz in the operating room. I imagine a white light surrounding him and the hand of the surgeon and the mind of the surgeon, the entire room is a white light. And then I see Soliz walking towards me. I know Soliz needs this surgery. As parents we are giving our little guy a chance--with out the surgery I believe his body would curl up and his chances for walking would become less and less with time. If you are able to please send a prayer out to Soliz (and his surgeon) on Monday morning. We pray for a successful surgery and a smooth, speedy recovery. We appreciate all the love and support we receive from our family and friends. We will try to keep you updated after his surgery.

With love and gratitude,

xoxoxoThe Magdelano's