Update from Gracie's Mommy

Gracie with a very sweet therapy cat.

Gracie has had a rough week. They changed her sleep meds and now she is having seizures while she is falling asleep. She is still doing great in therapy and we are hoping by putting her back on her sleep meds the seizures will stop. Please continue to pray for our amazing Grace.

                            Mindy

          

 

 

Another Newspaper Article...ROCKSTAR!!!

 Click om the link below to read the article about Gracie's road to recovery!!!


9-year-old Syracuse girl recovering from coma

Another step closer...

Yippee her trach is gone and Gracie is doing great without it. Everything went good in the OR. They removed some scar tissue in her throat and they are hoping this will help with her speaking and eating. We spent 24 hrs in the icu and then they transferred us back to the ntu. It was great to see everyone in the icu but I honestly dont know how I lived in there for 100 days. Gracie seemed so happy today and I know this is just another step closer to bringing her home. Thanks for all the continued prayers and support. Love you all.

                                                             Mindy

I am so proud of both my girls. They are so strong and inspiring.

Race for Grace 5K and Carnival

I just wanted to share this amazing video that was put together for Gracie and her family. My brother in law Andrew Giannitrapani created it for Mindy, Dig and Allie to have forever and most importantly, when Gracie awoke, she would be able to see how many people have supported her and how many lives shes has changed. I thought everyone would love to see this. Prepare to cry and be moved. Looking back at this day and seeing it on film, I realized what an incredibly beautiful day it was and how much positive energy filled the air. It was a day that will stick with me forever. Thank you to everyone who had any part in putting this unforgettable day together. We ♥ you Gracie. Forever we are all in debt to you and your family!!! ♥♥♥

Amy Miller

(Before playing this video, go to the bottom of this page and pause or mute the playlist music.)

Gracie with her BF Annie the Therapy Dog

Gracie's big smile.

Update 01/02/2012

Gracie had a really rough day today. She was super aggitated, vomitted a couple of times and had a seizure. It had been a week since her last seizure so we are staying positive. Tomorrow she will go to the OR to have her trech removed. This is such a great step in the right direction, but unfortunately we will have to return to the icu for recovery. We should only be there for 24 hrs and then we will be back to the ntu for more rehab. Please continue to pray for her. Love you all.

Bringing in the New Year!!!

Gracie got to leave the hospital for 4 hrs on Sat and Sun this weekend. We took her to the Aquarium on Sat and to the new Muppet Movie on Sun. She did great with both outings. It is so nice getting her out of the hospital.

Gettin her hair did!!! (12/30/11)

Gracie got some killer pink and blue highlights thanks to my bf!

She's got a ticket to ride!!!

We had an incredible Christmas, a Christmas we will never forget. Being able to take our sweet Grace out of the hospital, even if it was just for a short time, was so amazing. It was the greatest gift of all! The generosity from our family, friends, and total strangers was unbelievable. I have never witnessed anything like it! Thank you all so much! Gracie continues to improve. She still has many struggles, but she battles through them like a champ. The staff here has been amazed at how positive her spirit continues to be. She is constantly blowing kisses to everyone, giving hugs, and smiles even through her pain. She truly is amazing!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Love you all so much!

Gracie is everyone's CHRISTmas Miracle!!

Today has been an awesome day for our amazing Grace. First of all she made it through the night last night without being on the vent which means we our officially off the vent. This is incredible! Now we our under the rehab service, which many of the nonbelievers here at the hospital never thought would happen. The best part of this is that we will get a pass to take Gracie out of the hospital for a little while on Christmas. To top it all off, David Archuletta stopped by our room today! Gracie has really been doing amazing. We have been dealing with some withdrawal symptoms but she has really been rocking physical therapy. More updates to come, love you all.

Sunday December 18th, 2011

Gracie has had an amazing weekend!! We have now gone three whole days with no seizure activity!! This is absolutely incredible!!! She has been saying more words and is becoming more alert and aware every minute! I know I keep saying it, but it really is like watching a miracle happen right infront of our eyes! Allie has been so thrilled to have her sister back. She has grown up so much through all of this and is now really stepping up and caring for her sister in away that is so mature and sweet. Gracie pointed to Allie yesterday and very clearly said "I love you". I can't tell you how blessed we feel right now to have these two amazing little girls. Please continue to pray for her strength and recovery. We love you all so much. I will have more pictures and updates to come!!

Miracles happen EVERYDAY!!!

Miracles happen everyday!!!! I always thought I was a person who believed that statement, but now that I am witnessing it everyday, I realize how powerful a statement that really is!!!! Gracie continues to improve! We have been getting more words out of her and she is really beginning to find her voice again. She is also totally killing it in occupational and physical therapy. Everyone is just amazed in the strength and determination she is showing. She is doing things they would never expect from a child that has been in a three month coma and who has gone through all that she has in her time here at the hospital. She still has so many challenges ahead of her, but it is looking so promising and everyone is just excited to see what she will do next. There were many staff members here who never thought Gracie would make it out of the ICU, but for those who knew that she was in there, fighting to come back to us, that faith in her has been rewarded with all she has accomplished in the last week and a half. She has been blowing kisses, giving big smiles, combing her hair, putting on lip gloss, and being just as sweet and loving as she has been her whole life. She is truly our Amazing Grace. I will try and keep up with some good updates! Thank you all for the continued support and love. I know she feels it now more than ever!! Love you all so much!

                                     Mindy

Update Wed. December 7, 2010

I am writing my update tonight from Gracie's new room in the NTU and we are so happy to be here!! After spending 100 days in the ICU, not knowing what the future was going to hold, we are now moving forward with rehab and recovery and it is truly incredible. Over the last week we have seen her progress and it is so inspiring to watch. She has spoken a few words and has really impressed the PT and OT therapists with her strength and determination. She is still having seizure activity but it seems to be getting better everyday. She still has many challenges ahead but we know she can do it. I had one of our favorite Dr's tell me today that she has seen two miracles in her career and that Gracie is one of those miracles. I will try to post updates on her progress more often!! Thank you all so much for all the love and support! Love you all so much.

                                                              Mindy

 

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