Sarah Mei's 1st Outing

Tomorrow marks the 4 week anniversary of Sarah Mei's open-heart surgery. I just couldn't stand it anymore, so we made a break, out of jail, one day early!! Torie was working. Michaela and AnnaGrace were spending time with friends, which just left Sarah Mei and I at home. Hmmmm...what to do? Triple couponing at Harris Teeter of course. (is couponing a word???if not,it should be) I'm not sure that's the kind of activity Sarah Mei had in mind, to celebrate the lifting of her quarantine, but alas, she is a Horton girl! Bribed with a free Harris Teeter sugar cookie and the privilege of "organizing" the groceries in the cart, she was a happy camper.


Here is a photo of Sarah Mei admiring our "take" for the day.

For those of you who aren't coupon cutters, Harris Teeter has Triple coupon days about every 3-4 months. On those days they triple coupons, valued at less than a $1.00, i.e. a $.50 coupon becomes a $1.50 coupon . It just doesn't get any better than that for a die-hard bargain shopper. The only catch...HT will only triple 20 coupons a day (and the sale only lasts for 3 days). I bought 21 items (including 2 bags of Pepperidge Farm cookies) for $10.73...not too bad for today's outing!

Sarah Mei's recovery continues to be amazing. And we were blessed with more good news. The MRI's, ordered by our pediatric neurologist to rule out spina bifida and congenital strokes, all came back normal. Next week we visit a pediatric neruo-surgeon to rule out other possible medical issues. Pray, if it is the Lord's will, that Sarah Mei will receive a clean bill of health from the neurosurgeon.

In December, 2006 when we decided to pursue our 2nd adoption from China, we received a file on a toddler girl with a heart condition. Before accepting her referral, we had a pediatrician and a pediatric cardiologist review her medical records. We didn't feel we were prepared to adopt a child with multiple or serious medical issues; however, both Dr.'s felt that her medical needs would be minor upon her arrival to the States. They even suspected, that due to the lack of symptoms, she wouldn't need any surgeries. That file was Chen, Ji Qing's...soon to be our Sarah Mei!

Little did we know that within a year of her arrival in the States, Sarah Mei would need 2 open-heart surgeries, weekly speech therapy, weekly physical therapy for right sided weakness, be diagnosed with facial paralysis which would lead to testing for strokes, discover a dimple at the base of her spine which would lead to testing for spina bifida, discover a misshapen skull which would lead to a recommendation for a consult with a neurosurgeon and have an uneven gait pointing to a possible problem with her hip/leg which will require an orthopedic consult in the future. Had Phil and I known all of these "needs" before bringing Sarah Mei home, I fear we wouldn't have considered the referral. But God, in His great mercy, knew that Sarah Mei was our daughter. And He brought her home despite our weaknesses! We can't imagine our life without her. I'm SO thankful God's ways are not our ways and that His plan can not be thwarted by our weak, sinful human nature!
We are TRULY blessed!


"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;"
Ps. 98:4
"For the Lord is good and His love endures forever, His faithfulness continues through all generations." Ps. 100:4

Torie Earns the Congressional Silver Medal

After 3 years of work, Torie earned her Congressional Silver Medal. On Monday we had the privilege of watching Congressman Patrick McHenry present Torie with the medal. The medal is awarded to youth (ages 14-21) who set goals and then accumulate 100 hours in personal development, 100 hours in physical fitness, 200 hours in community service and 3 days of an exploration/expedition. Torie logged over 100 hours in personal development by earning her C-3 rating in the United States Pony Club. For her physical fitness hours, she set the goal of participating in a new sport - softball - and she earned a Varsity letter for the sport. She also set a goal of running her 1st 5k which she accomplished in 2007. For volunteer hours she traveled to Iceland for 6 weeks in 2006 and helped construct a church mission's retreat. She also volunteered at a local therapeutic riding center serving the mental and physically challenged. And finally, for her exploration, she traveled to China and volunteered at a special needs orphanage for 10 days where she helped care for 15 babies 24/hrs. a day. We're proud of you Torie!!


Torie Horton & Congressman Patrick McHenry


We allowed Sarah Mei out of isolation, just long enough, to see her sister receive the medal.

We're Home!!

This is a picture of Sarah Mei on the day before her open-heart surgery. We were blessed to be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald house for the 1st 4 days in Charleston. The Ronald McDonald house offers rooms for families with critically ill children. They not only provide a room but also 1-2 meals a day brought in by volunteer organizations. Sarah Mei, always the ham, smiled for the camera while sitting with Ronald McDonald.

Sarah Mei had all day pre-op appointments on Thursday, open-heart surgery Friday, moved out of PCICU on Sunday afternoon, went back under general anesthesia on Tuesday for two MRI's to rule out more medical problems (not related to her heart) and then was discharged on Wednesday afternoon. We arrived home Wednesday evening just a week and a day after driving to Charleston. The whole trip was a whirlwind and still seems surreal.

Evidently Sarah Mei didn't get the "memo" that says patients should be sore and tired after open-heart surgery. She's been on Tylenol-only (for pain management) since Tuesday and hasn't missed a beat (no pun intended). An onlooker would never believe that she underwent open-heart surgery a week ago. She's amazing!

This is a picture of Sarah Mei and Michaela just 3 days after surgery. In this photo Sarah Mei is still sporting her IV, her heart leads (used on the step-down cardiac unit to monitor heart function) bandages from her central line and arterial line and a chest tube which is covered by her "blanket." She took all of the lines and leads in stride; however, the blood pressure cuff was another story. Every time a nurse took her blood pressure she would scream and plead "no, no". Needless to say her blood pressure readings were a bit high.


One of the wonderful features at MUSC is their Pediatric Atrium. It is a sun-filled room offering activities for the pediatric patients including crafts, play areas, a library, special presentations and Sarah Mei's favorite, the train set. This is a picture of Sarah Mei's 1st trip to the Atrium - day 4 post surgery.


We can't thank every one enough for their prayers on our behalf. Sarah Mei had the absolute best possible surgical outcome. We know this is because of the work of skilled surgeon's hands being directed by the Great Physician. We truly felt the "peace of God which surpasses all understanding." Phil. 4:7a

Special thanks to Jan Bryant, mother of one of Sarah Mei's Chenzhou orphanage sisters, for her visit to the hospital. She drove over 1 1/2 hours, each way, in the pouring rain to deliver fruit pizzas, goody bags for Sarah Mei and our girls, and get well cards made by her children. You are a blessing to our family! Thanks for showing us Christ' love.


Please continue to pray for healing for Sarah Mei's surgical incision, continued recovery (the 2nd week after open-heart surgery is the week of highest risks) and a good outcome on the other medical tests performed while in the hospital.

PRAISE GOD!! Great Surgical Update!!

It's 5:15 p.m. and we just received another surgical update. Dr. Bradley is very happy with Sarah Mei's echo and is closing her up. He will be out to speak with us in about 45 minutes. Praise God!! They were able to use her own tissue...NO metal heart valve. We can't tell you how grateful we are for everyone's prayers!!

Surgical Update - 4:15 p.m.

We just received another update on Sarah Mei. The surgeon has attempted to repair her valves using sutures. The surgical team is currently heating her body back up and she's off the heart/lung bypass machine. Once her heart is pumping normally, they will do a 3-D echo on her heart to see how her valves are functioning. Based on their performance, a decision will be made to either close her up (the valves are functioning well) or put her back on the heart/lung bypass machine and insert a metal heart valve. Pray that her heart will be strong and her valves will work well with minimal regurgitation. Continue to pray for strength and wisdom for the surgeon. He has been working on Sarah Mei for over 3 hours and this is his 2nd surgery of the day. Thanks prayer team!!

Surgery Update - 2:45 p.m.

We just received an update from Dr. Bradley's PA. Sarah Mei is now on the heart/lung bypass machine. They do not know which surgical option they will use for her valve repair. Because of her previous scarring from her Sept. 07 heart surgery, it took an extra amount of time to get back to her heart (this is normal.) As before, please continue to pray for wisdom for Dr. Bradley as he tries to determine which surgical procedure to use.
We'll keep you updated.

Surgery Postponed to 12:40 p.m.

We arrived in Charleston on Wednesday, had a full, grueling day of pre-op on Thursday and arrived at the hospital this morning to find out that Sarah Mei's surgery was postponed to 12:40 p.m. today. I just handed her off to the cardiac team for surgical prep. Please pray specifically for her surgeon, Dr. Scott Bradley. He is an amazing surgeon with skilled hands. Pray for his stamina as he already had an unexpected surgery this morning and will now perform at least a 6 hour surgery on Sarah Mei. Pray for God's wisdom for Dr. Bradley as he accesses Sarah Mei's heart and plans the best course of action. The best case scenario is that he will be able to use Sarah Mei's own heart tissue to rebuild her mitral valve. His 2nd choice is to use a cow pericardium to augment her tissue. And the final option is to use a metal heart valve. Pray for the Lord's will to be done!
I'll keep the blog updated today. Thanks for your prayers!!

The Lord keeps bringing to mind the verse He laid on my heart, last year, before we traveled to China to pick up Sarah Mei. Below I've personalized it..

"I (the Lord) hem in Sarah Mei-behind and before: I have laid my hand upon her." Psalm 139:5 There's no place I'd rather Sarah Mei be than in the palm of our Lord's hand. Amen.

Surgery CountDown

While in isolation on the farm, Sarah Mei enjoyed riding horses with her daddy!



In the absence of a riding helmet small enough for Sarah Mei, she uses a bike helmet for her rides with dad.

Sarah Mei exclaims "YEAH" in a loud voice, accompanied by clapping, when we tell her she's going to see the Doctor this week. We thank Dr. Craig Greene (Sarah Mei's pediatric cardiologist), his staff and Dr. Lessaris and his staff for their loving care and patience with Sarah Mei over the last 9 months. Because of their care, Sarah Mei thinks Dr.'s appt. are SO fun! (We'll see how long that lasts??)
Michaela, Sarah Mei and I head out for Charleston today. Sarah Mei has pre-op appointments all day on Thursday. And her surgery is scheduled for 1st thing Friday a.m.
Please pray for safe travel mercies as we drive to Charleston.
Pray that we'll be prepared to give an answer for the hope within us if given opportunity.
Pray that the surgeon will have skilled hands and God's discernment as he performs the surgery on Friday.
Pray for the surgical team.
We're blessed to have friends and family who have prayed for us, encouraged us and come along side of us as we make this journey. Thank you!!