Day 100

Today marks 100 days that Gracie has been in the ICU. Not a second goes by that I don't think of Gracie. Not a minute goes by that I think of how much my family and I miss our friends. Not an hour goes by I don't ask GOD why? Not a day goes by that I wish things were different. Then I am constantly reminded of all the lessons, gifts and moments this little girl has given to me. I cannot thank Gracie and her family enough for enduring this trial they have been given to teach me and everyone else in this world what really matters in Life. I am forever in debt. ♥♥♥  Love you BF's  ♥♥♥

                                                                    Amy

Amazing Grace

Today was truly an amazing day for our Amazing Grace!! She went into the OR this morning to have her stents removed and to have her remaining kidney stones cleared out, which went extremely well. We are hoping that this will take care of the uti's she keeps getting and help with the pain she was having while passing the stones. She then had an amazing session with speech therapy and physical therapy. The progress she has made in the last week is incredible. She is getting stronger everyday and even though she is still having a lot of seizure activity, she has even the most skeptical doctors feeling hopeful. Today we were able to get her into a wheelchair and take her for a ride around the ICU. It brought tears of joy to so many eyes around here. Gracie took it all in and even waved to everyone like she was in a parade. Saturday will mark the 100th day we have spent here in the ICU but it looks like we may be out of here soon after that!! There was talk today that we might be able to transfer to the NeuroTrauma Unit on Monday. That would be a big step forward in Gracie's long road of recovery!! Please continue to pray and send your love and support!! It means so much to us and I tell Gracie about it all of the time. I will post again this weekend. Love you all so much! 

                                               Mindy Hinds

 

Gracie makes the front page news!!!

 Click on the link below and it will take you to the Standard Examiner page with the story!!!

Syracuse girl, 9, trying to recover from seizures

Update from Gracie's Mommy (Nov. 22, 2011)

Our amazing Grace has now spent 88 days in the Primary Children's ICU. We have been through so many ups and downs, but through it all she continues to fight. The last week has been one of the hardest weeks we have had here. As they took her out of her coma she went through some extreme withdrawal symptoms that were an absolute nightmare to watch! She has also had some amazingly peaceful moments when her eyes have been wide open and she has been taking in everything around her. All we've been able to do is reassure her when can and comfort her constantly. Unfortunately as the medication has left her body the seizures have resurfaced and so we are now trying new treatments. She is still being treated for an autoimmune disorder and today she started plasmapheresis. It will take about 5 treatments, everyother day, before we will be able to see if it is helping with the seizures. We are so incredibly grateful for the amazing Dr.'s who continue to search for an answer and a cure and we are also so thankful for the incredible support and care of the nurses through these rough days. I wish I could say everyone here was deteremined to fight for our sweet Grace but unfortunately we have had to continue to advocate for her to Dr.'s who have given up and that is a challenge I never expected to face at a hospital that's motto is "the child first and always". Yesterday I had a Dr tell me that we are getting to the point of "futile care" for Gracie. It was during the morning rounds, and it was while we were standing at Gracie's bedside. It was the worst conversation I have had with a physician since we have been here. Someone like that does not belong at this hospital!!! Gracie is worth fighting for!! I still believe in her and I believe in miracles!! Please continue to pray for her and send us all the love and support!! We need it now more than ever!! Please continue to post pictures of her, your favorite moments with her, and your words of encouragement. We love you all so much!!!!

The first step to recovery

Yesterday on 11-11-11 during her 11th week in the ICU a miracle did happen!! Our amazing Grace opened her eyes for the first time in 11 weeks, and for a little more then 30 minutes she was aware that we were with her and she interacted with us as much as she could. She followed our voices with her eyes and was able to focus and look directly at us. When asked to do some small commands she responded!! When asked to close her eyes if she could hear us, she did. When asked to squeeze my hand, she did. She then shut her eyes and has been resting pretty comfortably ever since. It was the most amazing moment of my life!! She is still on a good dose of the medication that is keeping her in the coma, but it was a very hopeful moment!! She has still been having a lot of seizure activity, but we have been pretty successful in stopping the seizures with the VNS and with pain medication to help with her kidney stones and other pain she might be having. She is so incredibly strong and inspires me every minute of the day!!! Continue to pray and send postive thoughts!! We love you all so much!!!

 p.s. I just noticed there are 1111 members on our FACEBOOK page!!!

Update from Gracie's Mommy

 We wanted to give all our amazing family, friends, and supporters an update on our amazing Grace. It has been awhile since our last update and many ups and downs have happened. As they began to take Gracie out of the coma it became obvious to Dig and I and to our incredible nurses that Gracie was feeling pain and that the pain was contributing to the seizures she was having. An ultrasound on Wednesday showed that Gracie has several kidney stones. She went into surgery on Friday to have some of the stones removed and to have stents placed to help the remaining stones pass and to take some of the stress off her kidneys. There are several reasons that could explain her getting the stones, but we don't know for sure the cause yet. We are just grateful that the stones were found and that she is being treated for the pain. It has really helped with her seizure activity. Tomorrow will be another big day for Gracie. She is having an MRI in the morning and she will be having surgery in the afternoon. She will be getting a feeding tube placed in her stomach, a trech in her throat, and a broviac in her chest. This all sounds scary and overwhelming, but it really is a positive step forward for Gracie. After the surgery they will continue to take her out of the coma and all of these things will help her through rehab and recovery. Gracie remains so strong and inspiring!!! She continues to fight everyday and we all continue to fight along side of her!! We have been so incredibly blessed with our nurses over the last few weeks, we just can't thank them enough!! We have also been blessed to come into contact with an incredible family who have been through a situation so similiar to Gracie that talking with them has given us new hope and encouragement. Please continue to send us your positive thoughts, messages, and prayers. We love you all so much, and we are so blessed to have such amazing people in our lives!!!

Ugly XMAS Sweater Soriee / Fundraiser

It's that time again!!! Time to raid your Grandma's closet and find the most hideous Christmas Sweater you can. Come out and wear it proud because this year it will all be for our Sweet Gracie. I have given you a beautiful example of how to do it right on the event photo. As you can see Dig added some eyebrows to his attire and oh, how it brings out the true craftsmanship in his sweater. It will be $10 at the door which all will go to Gracie and her family. We will have a contest for the UGLIEST and most creative sweater. A BEAUTIFUL trophy will be up for grabs along with a fantastic prize for the 1st place winner!!! We will have Live music from Korene Greenwood and friends. There will also be raffle tickets to purchase. They will be $3 each or 10 for $20. There will be tons of great prizes!!! If you are wanting to complete your holiday season, this is the key!!! Start preparing, get those sweaters now, they go fast the closer to Christmas we get. I hope to see a ton of you there!!!! Please keep Gracie and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Jelba's Ranch Fundraiser

If you weren't able to make it last night, come out to Jelba's Ranch tomorow at 4pm. They are holding a great fundraiser for Gracie. Pork Roast dinner will be served between 5-7pm and is $10 a person. They will be holding a raffle and auction. Raffle tickets will be $1 each or 6 for $5. Live music, great food and prizes all for our Sweet Grace, makes for a fantastic Sunday evening. Hope to see a lot of you there!!!

Jelba's Ranch Inn
2440 N Highway 89
Harrisville, UT

Update on Gracie's Surgery

Surgery went great!! Gracie made it through the VNS surgery very well this morning and is recovering now. They have not activated the VNS yet but they will be activating it today or tomorrow. We are very hopeful that the VNS will help with the seizures as they continue to take her out of the coma. I will post more over the weekend. Thank you for all the positive thoughts and prayers!! Love you all so much!!

Gracie's Surgery

Tomorrow will be a very big day. Gracie will be going into surgery at 7:30 am to have a Vagal Nerve Stimulator placed to help with the seizures she is having as they bring her out of her coma. We have made a lot of progress going down on her coma medication over the last week, but she has been having some seizures and they feel like this VNS may help us control the seizures so we can completely take her out of the coma for the first time in almost 9 weeks. Please pray for our amazing Grace tonight and I will update everyone after her surgery tomorrow!!! Thanks so much for all the love and support!!!

 

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.

~ Saint Augustine ~

 

Update from Gracie's Mommy

We just wanted to post a quick update on our amazing Grace. It has almost been a week since they began to slowly take her out of her coma and we have been able to go down farther on her coma medication then we have previously without the seizures becoming constant and uncontrollable. She has had some seizure activity but it has not been strong enough or frequent enough for them to stop going down on the medication. We still have many days to go before we get down enough to know how she will do but we stay very hopeful. The biggest struggle we have had has been with the constant rotation of the physicians. The teams, including the ICU and Neurologists, change every 7 days. It is beyond frustrating and has been our biggest complaint with the patient care at the hospital. Our nurses have saved our sanity. They are truly the heart of this place and have taken such incredible care of our Gracie. Please continue to pray and send those positive thoughts. We are amazed everyday with all the support and love from everyone. We will never be able to thank you all enough!!! Love you all so much!!

 Mindy Hinds

Fundraiser for Gracie at Wiseguys in Ogden

Please help us in helping Gracie Hinds and her family. Shawn Paulson, Utah's funniest hypnotist will be performing Thursday Nov. 3rd @ 7pm at Wiseguys Comedy-Ogden. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Hinds family. Presale for this event will be held this Saturday from 11am-12:30pm at the Clinton City Recreation Building at 1651 W. 2300 N. Tickets will be $10 for the presale and $15 at the door. Each ticket includes 1 raffle ticket. We recommend getting your tickets at the presale. Tickets are limited. This is a great family friendly event. Hope to see you all there!!!

 

 

Rainbow Saloon Benefit for Gracie

Next up....Rainbow Saloon, this Friday Oct. 28th. They will be holding a Raffle with tons of great prizes. Just to name a few, a Pabst Blue Ribbon Fridge, a motorized riding cooler and much, much more!!! Raffle tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5 and can be purchased in advance at the Rainbow or Clinton City Parks and Rec building. They will also have "Saving Gracie" wristbands for $3. All proceeds go to helping the Hinds family.

Rainbow Saloon
6045 S 1900 W
Roy, UT

A Nite for Gracie

We will be having a NITE FOR GRACIE...on Saturday October 22nd at 7pm featuring TWO WEEKS NOTICE. This great event will be held at the TOP SHELF SPORTS BAR in Ogden.  It will be $15 at the door. This will get you into to PAR-TAY and include the delicious buffet of food catered by the Top Shelf.  We have tons of amazing prizes to raffle off.  Raffle tickets will be $3 each or 10 for $20.  They will available to purchase that night until 9pm, which will be when we will draw for all prizes.  Thank you to the Top Shelf for hosting this great night and giving us one more event to try and help our amazing friends.  I hope to see a lot of you there!!!


Top Shelf Sports Bar
2552 Washington Blvd.
Ogden Utah

Dinner at Bella's

On this Thursday, October 20th from 6-8pm, Bella's will be having a Mexican buffet set up for anyone who would like to come. All proceeds will go to the Hinds family. We will be selling Race for Grace bracelets and GRACIE stickers for $3.00. Please rsvp on our Facebook page so they can get an idea of how many to expect!!! Thank you for all your positive thoughts and prayers for Gracie and her family. We hope to see you there!!!

 

Adults $11

Kids $5

 

Bella's Fresh Mexican Grill

2651 North 1850 West

Farr West, Utah