Yard Sale Update!

The HUGE Yard Sale went very well last Saturday, raising over $700 for the CFF!!!

They had so much stuff, in fact, that they're doing it again tomorrow from 8 until...

So, if you get a chance, check it out! (ignore the old date below)

Nate

I Could Not Ask For More...

Nate

Cell Memory

Tricia made an incredibly important statement just a few minutes ago...

"I don't think I like cranberry juice anymore."

Considering that cranberry juice is all she ever drank pre-transplant, and that we've spent more money on cranberry juice during our marriage than we have on all other food products combined, this is HUGE!

On a more serious note, this could be part of a transplant-related phenomenon known as "Cell Memory".

Nate

Adoption and Offenses

Unfortunately, it's apparent to me that I need to clarify something I said in my Last Post (the one about the Chapman family). But, I've been meaning to write a few things about adoption, so this gives me a good excuse.

A few people have commented and emailed me about my use of the word "adopted" to identify the Chapman's youngest daughter, apparently having been, at least, slightly offended by my choice of words.

Firstly, I meant no offense. I doubt that anyone believes I purposely meant to offend, but just in case...

As most of you already know, Tricia is adopted. I also have several other family members and many, many friends who are adopted/adoptees/adopting. In fact, we were seriously considering adoption before Gwyneth came along, and may still consider it in the future. Tricia (and her family) are very open about the adoption of three of their six children...in fact, Tricia's adoption is a HUGE part of her story and our story.

In my humble opinion, adoption is one of the most beautiful acts of love that we as humans can show to anyone. It is, perhaps, the most incredibly tangible reflection of the love of God we can witness on this earth (as He has chosen to "adopt" us into His kingdom), and I know that Tricia and so many others use their stories of adoption to show the story of God to others, just as the Chapman family has done. Even if you don't believe in God, it is always an incredible gift of love and life. I respect that some choose to keep adoption a secret (when it is possible), but I don’t understand it, especially in light of the incredible miracle that it truly is.

I also recognize that there are a lot of adoptive families who read my blog every day. My hope is, by recognizing that Maria is adopted, even those who aren't familiar with the Chapman family will take the time to stop and pray/think about them. I also pray that those who have never given adoption much thought might see this story and consider the miracle that it is.

Perhaps, with posting the picture of the Chapman family (which I added to the post later), it was unnecessary to specifically spell it out, but I consider it an important part of their lives, and an important reason to pray for them now. I can only imagine that the loss of any child is too difficult for words.

I find it discouraging that people are so easily offended (several other people left comments like your email under that post) when my post was meant to do nothing more than ask that you remember the Chapman family. I am not hurt or offended, but, I also continue to find it amazing that every single one of my posts has the potential make somebody feel offended...I've even had a few angry comments/emails about my pictures-only posts... The only way for me not to offend anyone on this blog to have never started it in the first place, which of course, is not something I'm sorry for.

I’ll be the first to stand in line and say that I’m offended by things that weren't meant to be offensive, and I’m attempting to be more consistent in making the choice to not be offended (because, most of the time, we're only offended because we choose to be).

Again, I meant no offense, and I took lengths to make sure that I posted about the Chapmans with sensitivity. I am sorry that a few of you were offended by my words, or least felt enough emotion to tell me about it. I hope you’ll understand my position and motives, and that you’ll consider thinking the best of me next time you’re tempted to be offended by something I write.

To all those adoptive families who read my blog, thank you so much. Without adoption, neither Tricia nor Gwyneth would be in my life right now.

Thanks!

Nate

Maria Chapman

Most of you may have already read/heard this, but yesterday evening, the youngest (adopted) daughter of Christian Musician/Artist Steven Curtis Chapman was killed when she was struck by a vehicle driven by her teenage brother in the driveway of their home.

Many of you may not care, but SCC is one of my music heroes. My heart is very heavy for them today...just as many of you have never met us but feel close, I can feel the same way about this family.

Steven and his family have been HUGE adoption advocates over the past few years...Maria (held by her father in the pic below) was the youngest of their three adopted children.


Please, if you get a chance today, pray for the Chapman family, especially his son. You can leave a prayer/encouragement for the Chapman family Here.

Here are a few lines from a song Steven wrote last year about his daughter...

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something
The prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon
The clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

Thanks.

Nate

Answers

Wow! You people really know how to ask some questions.

There were a lot of the same questions asked several times, which makes it easier, and a ton of questions that I've already answered...if you asked a generic question about CF or organ donation/transplantation that I either don't answer here or only give a quick answer to, it means I've already answered it and you can very easily find a more detailed answer by using my "labels" feature over there on the right of your screen (start with "CF", "Organ Donation" and "Transplant"), by visiting CFF.org and DonateLife.net or by googling your question.

I'd love to answer every CF/organ donation/transplantation question in detail every time they're asked, but I just don't have the time.

To make it easier, I split these up into categories.

Organ Donation/Transplantation
> A second double lung transplant is an option for some, but hopefully we won't be considering that for many years to come.
> Tricia's new lungs will never have CF, although the rest of her body always will.
> The potential for rejection will always be a part of Tricia's life with her new lungs. She is on a very high dose of anti-rejection meds that keep her immune system from attacking and rejecting her new lungs. The first year is the biggest risk, and then the drugs should be reduced.

Blog
> I'll probably try to continue the "White Rose Blooming" segments, but maybe only on a monthly basis. Last Tuesday's was the last weekly one (as I've been alluding to every week).
> I will continue blogging when we return to the OBX (which stands for Outer BanX, BTW), but I guarantee it won't be nearly as often as I have been able to the past several months.
> I am going to continue to "Story Of Us" series...I've been waiting for a special day...look for the next segment later this week...
> I used one of the blogspot templates and just modified it to fit my style. I designed the header myself. Look for an all new look coming soon!

Gwyneth
> The docs told us to avoid sick people, lots of direct contact with lots of people and large crowds...which is basically what we do with Tricia.
> My ring has not fit her arm in about 7 weeks. I think I wear an 11/12?
> She is not on an apnea monitor. I know that a lot of parents of preemies have a really hard time sleeping when they bring them home for the first time, being scared that they'll stop breathing or have other issues (which is totally understandable). We figured, if they let her come home with us, and she has been breathing on her own for nearly two months, we don't have much to worry about, and along with the fact that we are already very accustomed to dealing with severe medical issues at home (which is a blessing and a curse), we've been sleeping very well.
> Gwyneth has very long eyelashes, just like her mother...you can see them in many of her pictures.
> Her eyes are doing well. She has another appointment next week to have them checked again. The doc said she might need glasses as she grows older.
> We've been using her real age (4 months) when people ask, but we also follow up by telling them that she's a preemie ('cause we can tell most don't believe us)...not sure why anyone would be touchy about that...
> As I've mentioned several times before, outside of adoption, Gwyneth will be our only child.
> All of Gwyneth's smiles are real (not sure what a not-real smile is...).

Tricia
> Tricia has a test in a few days that will help determine if she'll need the stomach wrap surgery. Her last test showed that she probably won't need it, so we're optimistic. If she does need it, it probably won't be scheduled until later in the summer.
> She blogs at times on Her Website...hopefully she'll be updating soon! (funny side note...she doesn't remember writing her last blog entry...)
> The ring Tricia wears on her right hand is something I gave her on Valentine's day. I "went to Jared". (I also "saved a bunch of money by switching to Geico" a few years ago, but that's a different story)
> Tricia only has about 12 of her 23 days of PT left before she should be released to go home to the OBX.
> She is breathing better and feeling better than she has in a few years, and she's (hopefully) only about half-way to feeling 100% at this point. Check out Alice's Blog (nearly 4 months post-TX) for an idea of what it feels like to be nearly 100% there!
> She plans on a stay at home mom (which by the way, is a $134,000/year job according to Salary.com). She is already strong enough to care for Gwyneth, which she loves to do.

Me
> I haven't been without facial hair for more than a day or two at a time since my junior year of high school.
> Have I ever doubted God? Yes!
> Was I tested for CF? Click Here.

Other
> My mom is doing well. You can read a few updates about her surgery/recovery on My Dad's Blog. Thank you for your prayers and kind thoughts.
> I used a tripod for a few of the pics I took in This Video.
> What do I do for a living and how I am able to spend so much time away from home/work? Click Here.
> As I've mentioned before, Tricia's trust fund is ONLY able to pay for anything involving Tricia's medical needs...it does not cover Gwyneth's medical needs (and we don't need it to) or any other personal expense (please, be careful what you assume).
> Meka the pug is doing great hanging out with Frank, Don and Ginger.
> The font I use for my videos is "Broken Ghost". I'll devote an entire post later on video making...
> I did find what I was looking for when I asked for help with jewelry (Here). Her name is Lisa Leonard and she is seriously good...plus, I read her blog every day because she has a cool family.
> Most of the CFHusband videos you see on this blog can be found at our YouTube Channel (which has been over there on the right of your screen for a few months...)
> I've posted a few photography tips on this blog and on my Photo Blog...I'll be posting more at some point there when I have some time.

I read every comment and every question, and again, if I didn't answer your specific question, it's for a very good reason.

Thanks!

Nate

Interested?

There are a few national media groups (I'm not allowed yet to say who) are interested in our story. I've been asked to find out if any of my blog readers who have changed their minds about organ donation or have decided to become an organ donor for the first time because of reading our story might be interested in sharing their thoughts with a reporter or two.

If that's you, and you are seriously interested in helping us tell our story, please leave a comment under this post (don't email me!) with a brief synopsis of how/why our story has helped you make the decision to become an organ donor, including your previous thoughts/opinions about organ donation.

I don't know for sure if anything will come of this, and I won't be the one making the decision about who might be selected.

Thanks!

Nate

Deep Thoughts with Nathan Lawrenson

So, Tricia was just flipping through the tv channels, and Arthur was on PBS, and we just caught a few seconds of it, and some little monkey girl was asking her parents if they could go to the pet shop.

Why does a show about talking, walking, human-like animals have a pet shop? That seems more than a little demented to me...

And, for that matter, what's the deal with Pluto and Goofy?

Thanks, and please don't take me seriously.

Nate

Daddy Time!

Not that there's anything wrong with Mommy...



These next few should answer the questions about her eye color and eyelashes...






Even I can see the resemblance in this picture.



I tried to tell her that I do a good job of picking my own nose...

Nate

PS. My email is back up and running, and I've responded to everyone who had emailed me over the past week...if you haven't heard back from me, try again. Thanks!

Q&A

I know that lots of people have questions for us...I haven't done a good Q&A in a while, so here's your chance to ask.

I'll answer any question about the stuff on our blog that I am able and willing to answer and that I haven't already answered before like 47 times. I'd recommend that you first use the "labels" feature over on the right of your screen, or look at all of the previous Q&A's.

Thanks!

Nate

Update

We are loving having Gwyneth home with us! It's been amazing to see the timing of everything. Had she been discharged earlier, Tricia would have been too weak to do much with her. If she were discharged closer to when we are hoping to go home to the OBX, we wouldn't have all of this time to spend focused on her. God continues to bless us.

The trip home was very good. A video camera met us on our way out, and I've heard rumors that we were on ABC11 again, but I missed it and haven't found it yet on the website (I'll let you know if I do find it). Gwyneth was sleeping by the time we made it to the car, and she slept all the way home.

The whole first 24 hours was a little strange as both Tricia and I kept consciously looking/feeling for all of the monitor feeds that have been strapped to her for all of those weeks...it's incredible to be able to pick her up and carry her around anywhere we want to. When we got home, I sat in the glider with her and started crying.

She came home with several meds and a few breathing treatments. Everything is to help her as she continues to catch up with her development. She has what is called "Chronic Lung Disease", which basically means that her lungs are still underdeveloped (for a newborn 4+ weeks after the due-date), a very common thing for a micro-preemie. It sounds a lot worse than it is...she has a little trouble catching her breath when she's very active, and should grow out of it within a few years. It should have no affect on her continued development.

She has breathing treatments just like Tricia did with her CF, with some of the same drugs that Tricia has been on. She should hopefully be done with the breathing treatments soon. (and, because I know somebody's going to ask...again, Gwyneth does NOT have CF)

All that means that there is a little more to remember to do than with a normal infant. All of her meds are liquids that are mixed in with her food. She's eating ad lib, which is about every three hours. She was transitioned completely off donor breast milk and onto formula over her last few weeks in the NICU, and other than a little gas (which is also normal), she is doing great with her feedings.

I've been feeding Gwyneth throughout the night, letting Tricia get the sleep she needs to continue recovering, and for the most part, she is sleeping well and letting us get plenty of sleep. Agnes (Tricia's mom) is here for a while to help as we adjust to life as three, which has been a huge help. With Gwyneth's minimal medical needs, and Tricia's continued needs, it can be a little crazy to remember everything and maintain a sense of normalcy, but it's been going very well.

We had our first outpatient Pediatric appointment on Friday. It was just the two of us as Tricia was at PT. Everything continues to look great, and her doc (who was seeing her for the first time) said she looks very developed for her history. We have another peds appointment tomorrow, and an appointment with a pediatric pulmonologist later in the week....it's actually the same pulmonologist that followed Tricia when she was a child at CHOP.

There is always a chance that, if she gets sick or has a setback, she'll be back in the hospital, but every day improves her chances of not having that happen. We are still praying that we'll be able to go home to the OBX within the next 3-4 weeks when Tricia finishes up her PT.

A few highlights from our time home...

> I took her for a walk outside our hotel the afternoon we got home (she was wide awake) and showed her things like her first tree, her first sidewalk, her first cloud, her first helicopter, and her first hot tub. She was very impressed.

> Her first trip to Babies"R"Us. She basically wanted everything...slightly annoying, but she'll learn soon enough to do that kind of thing only around the grandparents.

> Her first episode of SportsCenter...I was sure to point out Mia Hamm and the NY Mets. I'm teaching her to spit at the TV with me whenever the NY Yankees and Dallas Cowgirls make an appearance.

That's basically it. My email is still not sending, so don't sweat if you haven't heard from me in the past few days...hopefully I can get it fixed tomorrow. I'll post some pics when I get a chance.

Thanks!

Nate

"Happy Endings"

The News & Observer has updated the latest chapter of our story. Read it Here.

Nate

Fast Track (Updated 5.18.08)

Welcome!

So, I figured for those of you who are just joining us and don't have the time or desire to spend the few hours that it would take to read through every post here, this is a good way to learn all about us in just a few minutes.

My Name is Nathan Lawrenson (most people call me Nate). On June 27, 2004, I married Patricia Suzanne Kirschner (everyone calls her Tricia), and we began our crazy life together. We have lived in Nags Head, NC for the past 2 years with our dog, Meka and our cat, Ralphie.


Tricia has Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a terminal, genetically inherited disease that especially affects the lungs. Tricia has already lived beyond her life expectancy, and she is now in need of a double lung transplant to continue her life here on earth.

In July of 2007, Tricia went through the week long evaluation process to determine if she was a candidate for a transplant. She was a candidate, and we began making plans to temporarily move to Durham, NC to be close to Duke University Medical Center.

The day before Tricia was to begin the physical therapy that would prepare her to be placed on the transplant list, we found out that we were unexpectedly pregnant. Against the advice of many of her doctors, we chose to keep the pregnancy, having been told that both Tricia and the baby had less than a 50% chance of surviving.

From September through December, Tricia did physical therapy five days per week to keep her body in the best shape possible, all the while growing sicker and more dependent on oxygen. On December 27, Tricia went into the hospital for what we hoped would be a short stay. The short stay turned into a long stay.

On January 3, 2008, because of her deteriorated health, Tricia was moved to an ICU room. During this time, Tricia was getting less than 1 hour of sleep per every 24 hours. The baby was just over 24 weeks old (gestation) and doing as well as possible.

On January 8, Tricia was taken to the OR where she was sedated, given a tracheostomy and placed on a ventilator, with the hope that she could carry the baby for a few more days. The trach and ventilation went well, but Tricia was too unstable to return to the ICU, and the decision was made to perform an emergency C-Section. There were 75 people with Tricia in the OR that day.

Gwyneth Rose Lawrenson was born that day at 24 weeks and 4 days gestation, weighing just under 1lb 6oz and measuring 12 inches long.


Following Gwyneth's arrival, Tricia was placed in a medically induced coma, which lasted for nine days. She was slowly weaned off the paralytic and sedation meds until she was fully awake and aware of all that had taken place.

Tricia has been on the vent for over three months, but, otherwise, she is doing incredibly well. On February 22, less than seven weeks after giving birth, Tricia was listed and activated on the double lung transplant list. She was given a high score, but told that new lungs may be difficult to find because her blood type was very rare. In the meantime, she was walking nearly a mile everyday (with the help of a vent and a walker), and, she was able to visit Gwyneth about once a day.

On April 2, my 27th birthday, we got the call that changed our lives forever. Tricia was going to be getting a second chance at life. That night, and throughout the early-morning hours of the next day, Tricia underwent the 9+ hour surgery to replace her old, sick lungs with a new, healthy pair.

As of May 18, 2008:

Gwyneth Rose spent over eighteen weeks in the NICU. On May 15, we finally brought her home (to our hotel in Durham). She continues to do incredibly well, with no major setbacks. She has amazed everyone, including her nurses and doctors. She is being fed formula, and, although she is very small for her age as a former micro-preemie, she is now growing at a very fast pace and is well over 4lbs. Gwyneth is the joy of our hearts and a smiling baby, and we can't wait to introduce her to the all of the things that God has given us in this beautiful world!


Tricia is recovering very well from the transplant surgery. After less than three weeks in the hospital post-surgery, she was discharged nearly a month ago and is now back in physical therapy for a few weeks as she continues to gain strength. There have been no signs of infection or rejection, yet, and, after nearly four months of living in the hospital, she is incredibly happy to be out. She is taking to her long awaited roll as a mother like a natural.


I had literally been living at the hospital with Tricia since December, spending most of my time in Tricia's room and making several visits with Gwyneth every day, sleeping most nights at Tricia's feet, and only returning to our hotel for a little sleep and to spend some time with our dog, Meka. Tricia's mother, Agnes has been here with us for most of that time as well, and much of our family (from NC and NJ) has been spending lots of time with us here whenever they are able.

Tricia and I are slowly returning to a more normal sense of life. We are incredibly excited to have Gwyneth home, and are enjoying our lives as full-time parents. We are praying that Tricia will complete her rehab without any complications by early June so that we can all return home together to Nags Head.

We are forever grateful to the donor and his/her family for making the decision to give Tricia a chance to be a mother and wife (not to mention and daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece and aunt) for several more years.

We are also humbled to have this opportunity to allow God to use our story to show Himself and bring our passion for awareness of and support for Cystic Fibrosis, Organ Donation and Premature Birth to the minds and hearts of even more compassionate people.

Thank you for reading about our story. Please, come back and check in often as I usually update a few times a day.

Nate, Tricia and Gwyneth Rose

Yard Sale Still Going!

It's noon now, and there's so much stuff that they'll be out there for at least a few more hours if you get a chance to go by. I picked up a couple of sweet t-shirts for Tricia and I. Lots of good cookies too!

Nate

I've Fallen Quite Hard Over You

I have been dreaming about this for a long time...

("Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg)

Nate

Email Down

Although I've been able to receive email, my server hasn't let me send anything since Wednesday morning...I'll respond as soon as it allows.

Thanks.

And, here's a tease of what's coming in the morning...

Nate

Yard Sale Tomorrow!!!

Be there or be square!

There is some seriously good stuff to take a look at...here's an email I received a few days ago from one of the organizers...

We have more clothes than WalMart!! We have microwaves, a convection oven, computers, printers, lots of kitchen and household stuff, washing machine and the list goes on and on.

We are also having a raffle:
a 42 piece tool set
2 gift certificates from hair dressers
an autographed photo of Mickey Rooney
limited edition photo of Lucille Ball
a gift certificate for free car detailing
a gift certificate for house cleaning
agift certificate for tupperware
an autographed CD from Coastline Band.

I'm going to do my best to try to make it out there at some point for a little while. Hope to see you there! The weatherman just said it's going to be a "Beautiful Day!"

Nate

WE'RE HOME!!!

:D

White Rose Blooming (18 Weeks)

This post is scheduled to automatically publish at 2pm today.

Every Tuesday while you've been in the hospital, we have taken a picture with your pug so that everyone can see how much you are growing! You will be coming home with us this week, so this will be the last post about you in the hospital!

You are now 16 inches long, and you weigh 4lbs 10oz!

Your eighteenth week was a great week! You have finally grown big enough to be able to eat everything from your bottle, which also means that you had your feeding tube removed! This was your last big step before being ready to come home, and you are scheduled to be discharged sometime later this week!

We are so excited to have you home with us, and we've been very busy getting everything ready so that you will be happy and safe. Grandma K. will be hanging out with us for a while to help you feel at home, and I'm sure that you'll have more family coming to see you after you feel like you've settled in!

In the next week, we are looking forward to bringing you home and getting to know you even more by spending as much time as we can with you!

We love you!





Compare our Blessed White Rose at:

2 Weeks
3 Weeks
4 Weeks
5 Weeks
6 Weeks
7 Weeks
8 Weeks
9 Weeks
10 Weeks
11 Weeks
12 Weeks
13 Weeks
14 Weeks
15 Weeks
16 Weeks
17 Weeks

Thank You!

We should be at the hospital right now getting ready to bring our baby girl home...I've set this post to automatically be published at noon today.

We want to make sure that we say "thank you" to the NICU staff at Duke for all they have done to help make today possible. There were not many people who truly believed that Gwyneth would survive and grow to be this healthy so soon, and we all of the human credit to the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and the rest of the Duke Intensive Care Nursery staff for making us all believers in miracles.

We especially want to thank our primary nurses, Susannah and Noel. While the entire staff is wonderful, these two have given us very good reason to miss our daily visits to the nursery, as they have invested in our lives in an incredible way. We'll miss you, and we look forward to visiting in the future!

Thanks.

Nate