Mason Gregory Garka

Hi All, I apologize for such a long delay between updates. Kelsey and I have been pretty busy with Mason, but certainly not too busy that I couldn't have had an update or two since the last one. Mason is getting bigger and bigger by the day. It is so encouraging for us to see him gaining weight each week we go see the doctor. Often times HLHS babies have a hard time gaining weight because it is so exhausting for them to eat. That has been one area Mason hasn't had a problem with...eating. In fact, it seems like he's getting hungrier and hungrier all the time. All in all Mason is doing very well as for Kelsey and me too. He developed a bit of an infection on his chest where he had stitches but after taking some antibiotics that has cleared up well. He is also becoming very engaging, making eye contact and trying to be very attentive when talking to him. Sometimes we get a little smile out of him but it won't be long before he is smiling all the time. Kelsey and...

Hi Everyone, You know, there are not a whole lot of people in this world that can say they have the kind of family and friends that Kelsey and I have. Last weekend, Kelsey and I were blessed by so many people as they got their cars washed and ate a hot dog in order to support Kelsey, Mason and me. Your donations are going to help us out so much as we begin to tackle the financial hardships of what Mason has endured. Obviously, Kelsey and I do not choice but to be strong, work together and have faith that everything is going to turn out well. However, days like last Saturday make this journey a bit easier. It was so great to be able to bring our son with us and let everybody meet him. Other than a slight sun burn on the bridge of his nose, we think he came out well on what was a pretty busy day for him. Again, thank you to EVERYONE for coming out and supporting Mason, your generosity was overwhelming. We would publicly like to thank Alex and Christina Carbajal, the Arlington Fire...

We finally made it. After four long weeks and a very bumpy road Kelsey and I finally got to bring Mason back to his home. It was such a good feeling putting Mason in our own car and walking through our front doors. It is so nice to be here without that feeling that you're missing something. All in all, things are going pretty good so far. Brady (our dog) is still trying to figure out what's going on and Mason will need some adjusting, but so far he is doing well. The hardest part about being here is the fact that Kelsey and I are now Mason's nurses. We give him a few different medications a couple times a day, along with a shot twice a day. That took some getting used to, but now it's not such a big deal. In fact, I don't even know if Mason realizes he's getting one anymore. Kelsey and I would like to thank all of you for everything you have done. I know many of you have asked us to let you know if there is anything you can do to help and we haven't...

Since we have found out about Mason's stroke he has been doing okay. The doctors have still not reached the dosage level for the anti-seizure medication so he will remain in the ICU until they get to that point. Mason does have focal seizures every once in a while but once they get his medication where they want it they should stop. The neurologist told us that the MRI showed that he did have a stroke on the left side of his brain. This area effects motor skills on his right side and speech/language. As far as the doctors can tell, Mason does not have a difference between his movements on either side, which is a good indication that he should be able to overcome the stroke and have normal movement. We won't really know until he grows older. As for his speech and language, he has obviously not learned how to talk yet which means he has not had to store this information in his brain. As he grows older he should be able to store speech and language in a different area and o...

Hello All, Well, things were going very well for us since Mason had his surgery. In fact, earlier this morning the nurse told us that we would most likely be going hom tomorrow. Unfortunately, this is not going to happen. Mason has suffered a sroke (we think a mild one, but he's having an MRI right now to find out more), so treatment and care is going to have to be extended for at least a few more days. This morning Kelsey noticed his right arm twitching abnormally and mentioned it to the nurse. We didn't really think much of it except that he hadn't done this before. The nurse notified the doctors and they came in to take a look at him. The nuerologist suspected he was having seizures which could be the result of a stroke. Due to the blood thinner, the surgery and the blood clot in his leg they were quite concerned that would be case. They put him on some seizure medication and took him in for a CT scan. The CT scan showed that he had a stroke but weren't sure...

Today has been another good day for Mason. Dr. McMullen (Mason's heart surgeon) told us he is doing as well as a baby in his position can do. Yesterday Kelsey and I got the news that Mason could possibly be moved to the floor, which was certainly a surprise for us because we were hoping that would happen by the end of the week. Well, it's Tuesday and we've settled into our new room (with roomates and all). There are so many lines and feeds that Mason has been able to have removed, Kelsey and I are able to hold him whenever we want without getting permission from the nurses. In fact, he has become quite spoiled with being held that he fusses until we put him back in our lap. On another note, the doctors still think there is a possibility the clot can dissipate. Unfortunately, for this to happen with medicine Kelsey and I are going to having to give him two shots per day when we take him home. I wish I had a picture of the look on Kelsey's face when the doctors to...

Hello Again, Just wanted to let you all know that Mason is still doing very well. He seems to make improvements by the hour. Kelsey and I have been somewhat careful as to who we show his "after surgery" photos to, but we've decided to post them on his website. Mason will someday be proud of what he is going through and will not be afraid to show his scars. He has been a fighter, through and through. This will give you all an idea as to what he has endured. We also see it as God's hands at work.