Sarah's Story

On Wednesday September 6, 2017 Sarah woke up and threw up one time.  She was fine the rest of the day and we played outside.  That evening while Hannah, Camden, Sarah, and I were playing outside Sarah starting acting weird.  She laid her head on the cement and tried to sleep so I took all the kids in for showers and bed.  She fell asleep waiting for the shower.  She threw up, then fell back asleep.  I assumed she caught something from nursery.

Thursday she was still sick.  Tired and throwing up, but nothing that had me overly worried.  Friday September 8, I thought Sarah was doing better.  She woke up and came in the kitchen asking me for a sippy.  She hadn't had many wet diapers and I was concerned she was dehydrated  so I texted Jana, who works at my doctors office, to ask for advice.  She said if Sarah didn't seem better by 3:00 to bring her down to the office for a strep test. 

Sarah sat in her high chair watching Disney Jr. drinking a sip when she threw up,  her head fell back and her tongue came out. I was able to snap her out of it quickly, but I knew something was wrong.  I texted Jana and told her she was getting worse.  She said to take her to the office.  I left Camden home with my dad.  I second guessed myself as I was leaving, wondering if I really needed to take her into the office or if I was just worrying….but something pushed me and I kept going.  

I got to the doctors office and pulled Sarah out of her carseat.  She stayed asleep as I carried her, and even when I laid her on the doctor’s table, which she HATES.  The sweet nurse, Nicole came in, and told me something seemed weird.  She said, “I don’t want to swab her…..I’ve never seen a child act like this before.”  She was just…..out.  She went to get the doctor but he was with another patient.  I couldn't wait, so I left with Sarah for the hospital.

I called Nathan to let him know I was on my way to the hospital.  He said he would leave work to come be with us.  I told him to keep working, that it wasn’t a big deal, we would probably just get Sarah on some fluid and be home in a few hours.  I was worried about him taking off more work, he already took off plenty of work to be building our house.  

In the car I called Janice,  my friend who is works in the pediatric unit at Utah Valley Hospital.  I didn't know if I should take Sarah to the emergency room or to the pediatric floor.  She said to take her straight  to the pediatric floor. She was teaching a class, but she said the nurses there would take care of us and she would check on us as soon as she was done. Because I hadn’t waited to see the doctor there were no doctors orders for me, I had to wait in the waiting room.  I impatiently asked how long it would be, because Sarah was going downhill by the second.  She told me it would be 10-15 minutes. Sarah started seizing about two minutes later.  I ran to the nurses desk for help.  A nurse quickly took her from my arms and pulled her into an empty room.  More nurses came in steadily.  I saw them check her pupils and I heard the word “catatonic”.  I felt so helpless and alone…..then Nathan came to my side.  Thankfully he didn’t listen to me, he listened to the Spirit and came to be with us.  

One nurse checked Sarahs pupils again and saw they were completely different sizes, a sign of something very wrong with the brain.  They ran her down to the emergency room.  I sobbed as a social worker guided us to Sarah.  Her room was crowded with doctors, nurses, and techs, all trying desperately to place an IV. When no one could do it they called Lifeflight.  Lori, our guardian angel, was working with Lifeflight that day.  She knew something was terribly wrong the moment she saw Sarah.  She knew Sarah would be her patient in a matter of time and vowed to never leave her side.  She quickly placed the IV and then started to take Sarah for a CT scan when she started seizing again.  They gave her some medication to stop the seizures and went in for the scan.  Lori was at Sarah's side during the scan and quickly saw the cause of Sarah's rapid health decline.  She immediately told the tech to tell the doctor to tell us what they knew or she would...she knew every minute was a matter of life and death.

Sarah was taken back to her room and another lady came in with an x-ray machine.  She said she was going to do some chest x-rays when Lori said, "You need to check with the doctor and see if he still wants those done."  I should have known then that she already knew the problem.


The Emergency Room doctor pulled us over to a computer in the waiting room to show us her scan.  He told us Sarah had a massive brain tumor and she needed to be Life Flighted to Primary Children's Hospital immediately.  Nathan just sunk onto a stool. He looked so pale and I thought he might pass out.  I saw the scan and heard the words the doctor said, but couldn't wrap my head around it.  It didnt make any sense.  A massive brain tumor?? She was the most non-stop, energetic, happy two year old I knew.  Behind all their words I knew they thought she was dying. I couldn't accept that, so I didnt, even though I felt hopeless.  I didnt know it at the time, but she was herniating out of her skull....which usually results in death.

It took about 45 minutes for the team to coordinate with Primary Children's and get Sarah ready for flight. I stood in the corner watching it all and wondering if these were the last moments I would see her alive.  Then Janice walked in the room and I just hugged her and cried.  Janice understood what was going on medically more than I did, she was aware of the gravity of the situation...but she is also a person of great faith.  I looked at her and asked through my tears, "Is there any hope??"  She grabbed my shoulders and said, "There is ALWAYS hope."

The ride from Utah Valley Hospital to Primary Children’s was 17 minutes.  I kept looking at Sarah, wondering if I was losing her.  We landed and were rushed into the emergency room where I met the neurosurgeon, Dr. Kestle.  He said if you were going to have a brain tumor, you would want it where Sarah had hers, the right frontal lobe.  He said they didn’t have time to do an MRI, they needed to get her right in for surgery to remove what they could and relieve pressure on her brain.

I sat in the waiting room by myself for what seemed like hours.  My head was still pounding, my mind reeling.  I was so cold and I couldn't stop shaking. I felt like I was going to throw up, my world was crashing.  I promised Heavenly Father I would be a better mom.  I pleaded with Him to please, please let me keep my Sarah.

Nathan walked in with his Dad.  We asked him to give us each a blessing in a consultation room that was just off the waiting area.  Then Nathan and I sat by each other, holding hands tightly and saying silent prayers while we waited....and waited.  Dr. Kestle  came to talk to us a little after 7:00, the surgery took about four hours.  He told us everything went well.  He said where tumor met brain was very clearly defined and he was confident he had been able to remove most of the tumor.  Nathan and I were soon able to see Sarah and kiss her goodnight.  I didn't want to leave her, but I knew Camden and Hannah were at home with their worlds rocked too and they needed to see their mom. The doctors and nurses assured me she would be asleep. I hated leaving her, but I knew she would be watched over.

As Nathan and I walked out of her room he grabbed my hand and said to me, Shes got a long road ahead of her.  I smiled through my tears and said, I know..but there is a road.

She is the toughest little girl I know.  We have had many angels helping us get through this.  We feel heaven all around us.  We are so grateful for your love and  prayers.