A Rest and Recovery Period

It has been a while since we posted an update. That’s because we've been waiting for Henry’s bones to complete an adolescent growth cycle, now that he is a teenager. He had his 13th birthday this past fall and, as if on que, added several inches to his frame in just a few months.  He's still growing.

We’ve been working with a new team of orthodontists in preparation for fitting Henry with a temporary bridge that would for the first time give him a set of front teeth. Our longer term plan includes permanent implants once we have enough stable bone structure to build upon.

After that troublesome series of P-flap surgeries, Henry’s speech seems to have regressed a little, which may indicate further problems with his palette. Or it may just point to the need to really get to work on those teeth.  Still further ahead are the eventual need for reconstructive surgery for his nose and a lot of scar revision. We are hoping that he will be able to avoid another round of Midface Distraction Osteogenesis.  Otherwise, Henry continues to be his happy self and is hanging in there at school. In the fall he joined his middle school cross country team and, proudly, finished every race.

Meanwhile, it has also been a while since we mentioned our support for the organization Love Without Boundaries, these days through monthly sponsorship of a little boy with both a heart condition and Down syndrome. He lives at LWB’s Annui Healing Home for abandoned children with special medical needs. This kind of sponsorship is such an easy way to make a huge positive difference in a child’s future, and we highly recommend it. Alternately, there are lots of similar opportunities through other organizations working overseas or here in the United States.