The BabyJesse Foundation and the Dodson family are accepting donations via Paypal to support the BabyJesse Foundation.

If you choose to donate, your help is greatly appreciated.

Donations are via Paypal or Credit Card, all handled and processed securely by Paypal.

(Please note, currently donations are not tax deductible.)

Download the printable PDF

(We will remember Jesse, a child of the covenant.)

Jesse Alexander Dodson

September 6th, 2009 – August 1st, 2010

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. – Acts 2:39

(We will remember Jesse, a child of the covenant.)

Stand for Prayer

Psalm 28 (sung to New Britain)

Job 14 (KJV) – Reader TBD

Explanation of Psalm 90

Psalm 90 (sung to St. Anne)

John 5 (KJV) – Reader TBD

Psalm 114 (sung to St. Asaph)

II Samuel 12:13-23 (KJV) – Reader TBD

Psalm 144 (sung to Irish)

Stand for Prayer

Meditation: “…thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Stand for Prayer

Psalm 91 (sung to Jackson)

Stand for Prayer

… and the day of death is better than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. – Eccl. 7:1-2

Stand for Prayer

Psalm 28 (sung to New Britain)

1    To thee I’ll cry, O Lord, my rock;

hold not thy peace to me;

Lest like those that to pit descend

I by thy silence be.

2    The voice hear of my humble pray’rs,

when unto thee I cry;

When to thine holy oracle

I lift mine hands on high.

3    With ill men draw me not away

that work iniquity;

That speak peace to their friends, while in

their hearts doth mischief lie.

4    Give them according to their deeds

and ills endeavoured:

And as their handy-works deserve,

to them be rendered.

5    God shall not build, but them destroy,

who would not understand

The Lord’s own works, nor did regard

the doing of his hand.

6    For ever blessed be the Lord,

for graciously he heard

The voice of my petitions,

and prayers did regard.

7    The Lord’s my strength and shield; my heart

upon him did rely;

And I am helped: hence my heart

doth joy exceedingly,

And with my song I will him praise.

8         Their strength is God alone:

He also is the saving strength

of his anointed one.

9    O thine own people do thou save,

bless thine inheritance;

Them also do thou feed, and them

for evermore advance.

Job 14

¹Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. ²He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. ³And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?  ⁴Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. ⁵Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; ⁶Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day. ⁷For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. ⁸Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; ⁹Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. ¹⁰But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? ¹¹As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: ¹²So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.¹³O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! ¹⁴If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. ¹⁵Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands. ¹⁶For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin? ¹⁷My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.¹⁸And surely the mountains falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place. ¹⁹The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man. ²⁰Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. ²¹His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. ²²But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

Psalm 90 (sung to St. Anne):

1    Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place

in generations all.

2    Before thou ever hadst brought forth

the mountains great or small;

Ere ever thou hadst form’d the earth,

and all the world abroad;

Ev’n thou from everlasting art

to everlasting God.

3     Thou dost unto destruction

man that is mortal turn;

And unto them thou say’st, Again,

ye sons of men, return.

4    Because a thousand years appear

no more before thy sight

Than yesterday, when it is past,

or than a watch by night.

5    As with an overflowing flood

thou carry’st them away:

They like a sleep are, like the grass

that grows at morn are they.

6    At morn it flourishes and grows,

cut down at ev’n doth fade.

7    For by thine anger we’re consum’d,

thy wrath makes us afraid.

8    Our sins thou and iniquities

dost in thy presence place,

And sett’st our secret faults before

the brightness of thy face.

9    For in thine anger all our days

do pass on to an end;

And as a tale that hath been told,

so we our years do spend.

10   Threescore and ten years do sum up

our days and years, we see;

Or, if, by reason of more strength,

in some fourscore they be:

Yet doth the strength of such old men

but grief and labour prove;

For it is soon cut off, and we

fly hence, and soon remove.

11      Who knows the power of thy wrath?

according to thy fear

12     So is thy wrath: Lord, teach thou us

our end in mind to bear;

And so to count our days, that we

our hearts may still apply

To learn thy wisdom and thy truth,

that we may live thereby.

13     Turn yet again to us, O Lord,

how long thus shall it be?

Let it repent thee now for those

that servants are to thee.

14     O with thy tender mercies, Lord,

us early satisfy;

So we rejoice shall all our days,

and still be glad in thee.

15     According as the days have been,

wherein we grief have had,

And years wherein we ill have seen,

so do thou make us glad.

16    O let thy work and pow’r appear

thy servants’ face before;

And shew unto their children dear

thy glory evermore:

17   And let the beauty of the Lord

our God be us upon:

Our handy-works establish thou,

establish them each one.

John 5

¹After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ²Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. ³In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. ⁴For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. ⁵And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. ⁶When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? ⁷The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. ⁸Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. ⁹And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. ¹⁰The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. ¹¹He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. ¹²Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? ¹³And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. ¹⁴Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. ¹⁵The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. ¹⁶And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. ¹⁷But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. ¹⁸Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. ¹⁹Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. ²⁰For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. ²¹For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. ²²For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: ²³That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. ²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. ²⁵Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. ²⁶For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; ²⁷And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. ²⁸Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, ²⁹And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. ³⁰I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. ³¹If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. ³²There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. ³³Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. ³⁴But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. ³⁵He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. ³⁶But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. ³⁷And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. ³⁸And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. ³⁹Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. ⁴⁰And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. ⁴¹I receive not honour from men. ⁴²But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. ⁴³I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. ⁴⁴How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? ⁴⁵Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. ⁴⁶For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. ⁴⁷But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Psalm 114 (sung to St. Asaph)

1    When Isr’el out of Egypt went,

and did his dwelling change,

When Jacob’s house went out from those

that were of language strange,

2    He Judah did his sanctuary,

his kingdom Isr’el make:

3    The sea it saw, and quickly fled,

Jordan was driven back.

4    Like rams the mountains, and like lambs

the hills skipp’d to and fro.

5    O sea, why fledd’st thou? Jordan, back

why wast thou driven so?

6    Ye mountains great, wherefore was it

that ye did skip like rams?

And wherefore was it, little hills,

that ye did leap like lambs?

7    O at the presence of the Lord,

earth, tremble thou for fear,

While as the presence of the God

of Jacob doth appear:

8    Who from the hard and stony rock

did standing water bring;

And by his pow’r did turn the flint

into a water-spring.

2 Samuel 12:13-23

¹³And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. ¹⁴Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. ¹⁵And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. ¹⁶David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. ¹⁷And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. ¹⁸And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? ¹⁹But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. ²⁰Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. ²¹Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. ²²And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? ²³But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

Psalm 144 (sung to Irish)

1    O blessed ever be the Lord,

who is my strength and might,

Who doth instruct my hands to war,

my fingers teach to fight.

2    My goodness, fortress, my high tow’r,

deliverer, and shield,

In whom I trust: who under me

my people makes to yield.

3    Lord, what is man, that thou of him

dost so much knowledge take?

Or son of man, that thou of him

so great account dost make?

4    Man is like vanity; his days,

as shadows, pass away.

5    Lord, bow thy heav’ns, come down,

touch thou the hills, and smoke shall they.

6    Cast forth thy lightning, scatter them;

thine arrows shoot, them rout.

7    Thine hand send from above, me save;

from great depths draw me out;

And from the hand of children strange,

8         Whose mouth speaks vanity;

And their right hand is a right hand

that works deceitfully.

9    A new song I to thee will sing,

Lord, on a psaltery;

I on a ten-string’d instrument

will praises sing to thee.

10   Ev’n he it is that unto kings

salvation doth send;

Who his own servant David doth

from hurtful sword defend.

11   O free me from strange children’s hand,

whose mouth speaks vanity;

And their right hand a right hand is

that works deceitfully.

12   That, as the plants, our sons may be

in youth grown up that are;

Our daughters like to corner-stones,

carv’d like a palace fair.

13   That to afford all kind of store

our garners may be fill’d;

That our sheep thousands, in our streets

ten thousands they may yield.

14    That strong our oxen be for work,

that no in-breaking be,

Nor going out; and that our streets

may from complaints be free.

15   Those people blessed are who be

in such a case as this;

Yea, blessed all those people are,

whose God Jehovah is.

Stand for Prayer

Meditation upon Psalm 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Stand for Prayer

Psalm 91 (sung to Jackson)

1    He that doth in the secret place

of the most High reside,

Under the shade of him that is

th’ Almighty shall abide.

2    I of the Lord my God will say,

He is my refuge still,

He is my fortress, and my God,

and in him trust I will.

3    Assuredly he shall thee save,

and give deliverance

From subtile fowler’s snare, and from

the noisome pestilence.

4    His feathers shall thee hide; thy trust

under his wings shall be:

His faithfulness shall be a shield

and buckler unto thee.

5    Thou shalt not need to be afraid

for terrors of the night;

Nor for the arrow that doth fly

by day, while it is light;

6    Nor for the pestilence, that walks

in darkness secretly;

Nor for destruction, that doth waste

at noon-day openly.

7    A thousand at thy side shall fall,

on thy right hand shall lie

Ten thousand dead; yet unto thee

it shall not once come nigh.

8    Only thou with thine eyes shalt look,

and a beholder be;

And thou therein the just reward

of wicked men shalt see.

9    Because the Lord, who constantly

my refuge is alone,

Ev’n the most High, is made by thee

thy habitation;

10   No plague shall near thy dwelling come;

no ill shall thee befall:

11   For thee to keep in all thy ways

his angels charge he shall.

12   They in their hands shall bear thee up,

still waiting thee upon;

Lest thou at any time should’st dash

thy foot against a stone.

13   Upon the adder thou shalt tread,

and on the lion strong;

Thy feet on dragons trample shall,

and on the lions young.

14   Because on me he set his love,

I’ll save and set him free;

Because my great name he hath known,

I will him set on high.

15   He’ll call on me, I’ll answer him;

I will be with him still

In trouble, to deliver him,

and honour him I will.

16   With length of days unto his mind

I will him satisfy;

I also my salvation

will cause his eyes to see.

Stand for Prayer

Chantal and I would like to express our gratitude for the immense outpouring of comfort and support that we have received from family, friends, and even complete strangers, throughout this difficult time in our lives. From the very beginning of this tough journey we have had, you have all been a source of strength and encouragement. For that we are very thankful. Words alone cannot express the joy and sense of love that has been brought into our lives by your thoughtfulness and generosity. In closing we would like to thank all of you who are able to be here with us today, as we lay Jesse to rest.

-Mr. & Mrs. James Dodson III

Psalms 115: 3

But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Despite the loss of Jesse, the BabyJesse Foundation will continue as a living memorial. The mission of the foundation is to provide information regarding biliary atresia, and emotional, as well as, financial support to suffering families. Please read the story and help spread the word at www.babyJesse.org

Donations can also be made in memory of Jesse via the website.

Download the printable PDF

]]> http://www.babyjesse.org/funeral-service-outline/feed/ 6 http://www.babyjesse.org/directions-viewing-service/ http://www.babyjesse.org/directions-viewing-service/#comments Wed, 04 Aug 2010 05:17:10 +0000 chris http://www.babyjesse.org/?p=324 August 6th, 2010

11:00am – 1:00pm : Viewing – Linwood Ott Funeral Home

1:00pm – ??? : Services and Burial – Dodson residence

Directions to the Dodson residence: 1124 Weisstown Rd Boyertown, PA 19512

From Reading (and points West):

Rt 422 East to Rt 100 North. Continue on 100 North for approx 7 miles. Take New Berlinville Exit. Turn Right onto Montgomery Ave. Take 1^st Right onto N. Reading Ave. At Stop Sign, bear right onto Weisstown Rd. Drive approx ½ mile – House on right (corner of Weisstown & Unger)

From King of Prussia (and points East):

Rt 422 West to Rt 100 North. Continue on 100 North for approx 7 miles. Take New Berlinville Exit. Turn Right onto Montgomery Ave. Take 1^st Right onto N. Reading Ave. At Stop Sign, bear right onto Weisstown Rd. Drive approx ½ mile – House on right (corner of Weisstown & Unger)

From Exton (and points South):

Rt 100 North. From Exton Square Mall continue on Rt 100 North for approx 25 ½ miles. Take New Berlinville Exit. Turn Right onto Montgomery Ave. Take 1^st Right onto N. Reading Ave. At Stop Sign, bear right onto Weisstown Rd. Drive approx ½ mile – House on right (corner of Weisstown & Unger)

From Allentown (and points North):

US 78 West. Take Exit 49A (PA 100 South). Continue approx 19 miles on PA 100 South. Turn Right onto Mill St. Turn left onto South Main. Continue onto North Reading Ave for approx ½ mile. Turn Right onto Unger Ln. Approx ½ mile the house will be on the right (corner of Unger & Weisstown)

From Dodson residence to Linwood Ott Funeral Home: 111 N. Reading Ave. Boyertown, PA 19512

From corner of Unger & Weisstown, turn Left onto Weisstown Rd. At Stop Sign continue onto N. Reading Ave. At deadend (Cumberland Farms on left corner), turn Right onto Montgomery Ave/N Reading Ave. Bear right to continue on N. Reading Ave. Continue approx 1 mile on N. Reading Ave. Funeral home on Right between 5^th Ave, and 6^th Ave.

From Linwood Ott Funeral Home to Dodson residence:

Turn Left on N. Reading Ave. Continue on N. Reading Ave to N. Reading Ave turnoff (Cumberland Farms on far laft corner). Turn Left  onto N. Reading Ave. At Stop Sign, bear left onto Weisstown Rd. Drive approx ½ mile. House on Right (corner of Weisstown & Unger)

The day started early in the predawn hours when Jesse started having trouble breathing and became visibly uncomfortable. James and Chantal took him down to the hospital where he was admitted into the ER, 9 to 10 hours later the nurses at the hospital found that he had a bacterial blood infection which soon gave him Anemia. It was too late to stop it, too late to change things, the doctors did their best to save him but it was not to be.

James and Chantal received the bad news that Jesse was heading toward the end rapidly and they immediately rushed to the room to be by his side. As they arrived the doctors and nurses where attempting to revive him, but to no avail. At 8:49PM on August 1st, Jesse Alexander Dodson left us all, left us and went to a place eternally more peaceful, a place where he will never feel the pain or suffering of this disease, he is finally resting in peace, resting for eternity.

Jesse will be missed dearly by everyone. Jesse will never be forgotten and will live on forever in our minds, thoughts, and memories.

-Nathaniel Dodson

Jesse’s appointment went well today. He only stayed in Day Medicine for about 3 hours, which is better than being admitted for a few days. He didn’t need any labs this time and slept through most of his appointment. The nurses weighed him and he was 17lbs! I was so excited. The week before he was 16lbs 3oz, so it was a great improvement. I am just hoping next week his weight keeps going up and that it just wasn’t a build up of fluid.

Jesse had an IV placed in his arm so they could administer albumin and lasix to drain the small amount of fluid in his belly. They gave him albumin over the course of an hour, then lasix for 10 minutes and another round of albumin for an hour. During the stay, they checked his vitals every 15 minutes. No fevers, but his blood pressure was a little on the high side. He would fuss every time the cuff on his ankle would tighten to measure his blood pressure, but eventually, we got a normal reading when he calmed down. Once they took his IV out, they monitored him for 15 minutes to be sure he was doing well and then we were sent home. Jesse did a great job.

RECAP:

On July 29, 2010 Jesse has a check up with his doctor, Dr. Furuya, to have blood work, to be sure he is gaining weight, and to check for liver and spleen growth. Our goal is to get him to gain some more weight before his transplant. It’s hard work, but we are doing everything possible to get him to gain weight. So far, Jesse is still stable and his happy little self!

My brother, Billy, started his work-up July 22, 2010 to see if he is a good match for Jesse. He had blood work that day, and he had his EKG, X-ray, and some more blood work the day of Jesse’s appointment. So far everything looks great.
Nathaniel, my brother-in-law, will have his final test on Aug. 2nd to check the size of his blood vessels and see if they will work for Jesse’s transplant. We should have a definite answer by the end of July/beginning of August as to who is a better donor and who will be our back-up donor.

On a side note, Jesse enjoyed the beach this past weekend (7-24-10) for the first time ever. He had so much fun playing in the sand and even enjoyed the water!

Thanks again for the prayers and support!

Today, Jesse had a checkup at the hospital. His appointment was at 2 p.m., but before hand, we met with his Great-Aunt Dorothy,  along with her two children, Stevie and Christopher, for lunch. We decided to eat at Chick-fil-A. Jesse enjoyed a chocolate milkshake with his Aunt Ange and enjoyed plenty of french fries dipped in Chick-fil-A sauce.

After lunch, we headed to his appointment. We were greeted by plenty of smiles from all the wonderfully helpful and caring nurses. Dr. Furuya went through the normal routine of weighing him, measuring him, and taking his temperature. Jesse lost a few ounces, weighing 16lbs 7.3oz.  His temperature was a bit elevated, but was re-checked twice and thankfully ended up being normal. We were told Jesse has a slight build-up of ascites, fluid in the belly, once again. The concern with the temperature being high is that there is a higher risk of infection with the fluid and could a pose a definite threat to Jesse if not treated immediately.

Jesse also had a new tube inserted and was not very happy about it. Uncle Seth was very upset with the nurse because it took longer than usual to get the tape on his face to hold the tube in place. After Jesse’s crying and fussing, the tape ended up not sticking well anyway. Jesse screamed so much, just from that one experience, that when Uncle Seth picked him up, he fell right asleep. We also met with the nutritionist who recommended Jesse stay on his feeding tube 23 hours every day now and that he can continue snacking on his favorite treats throughout the day.

Next in line for the day was an x-ray. They checked for proper tube placement, and thankfully it was situated perfectly. After that, he went for blood work. In the waiting room, a sweet little boy, about 5 years old, prayed for Jesse. What a sweet little boy! Then, Uncle Seth took him in the room and held him while he got blood taken and he did very well. We should have results within the next day or two regarding bilirubin, ammonia levels, etc.

Recap:

At the end of the day, we were told that Jesse’s PELD score got bumped up from 32 to 36. The doctors are hoping to increase the number to 40 by this weekend. 40 is the highest you can be on the transplant list. In the mean time, Nathaniel, Jesse’s uncle, will go through one more test to determine whether he is the perfect match for Jesse, and if so, Nathaniel will be able to donate a piece of his liver to Jesse.

Overall, Jesse is fairly stable but will be going in tomorrow (07.09.2010) for some albumin to reduce the fluid in his belly. His next checkup is next week. More updates to come.

In an effort to help raise money we are creating some cool BabyJesse t-shirts, the proceeds of which will go directly to raising money for Jesse as well as the foundation. I will post a link as well as some images of the t-shirts you can purchase as soon as they are ready.

If you use Facebook be sure to follow our Fan page! Simply follow the link and “Like” it!

Twitter:

Are you a Twitter fanatic? Follow our Twitter feed to get up-to-the-second news regarding the foundation!

@babyJesseFound

Biliary Atresia is a rare but serious liver disorder which affects infants and first becomes evident within the first 6 or so weeks of life of the child. Biliary Atresia, referred to as “BA”, tends to affect girls more often than boys and is only present in about 1 out of every 15,000 children in the United States.

A liver produces a liquid called bile, bile carries waste products from the liver as well as helping to digest fat. Bile travels through a system called The Biliary System.
This Biliary System is the system of ducts that drain bile from the liver and allow bile to drain from the liver to the intestines.

Biliary Atresia is either a blockage or complete lack of the bile duct which drains bile from the infant’s liver which prevents bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder and causes bile to build up inside the liver. Bile build-up within the liver causes damage to the liver tissue, liver cell failure (known as Cirrhosis), and finally results in complete liver failure.

Currently there is no known cause for Biliary Atresia, Biliary Atresia however, is not an inherited condition and there is no known connection with medication taken during pregnancy and Biliary Atresia.

Symptoms of Biliary Atresia:

The symptoms of Biliary Atresia typically first begin to manifest themselves within a week or two of birth (in many cases the baby appears to be completely healthy at birth). The first symptom is usually jaundice which typically presents itself in the first 1-6 weeks after birth.

Jaundice causes yellowing of the skin as well as the whites of the eyes, this jaundice is caused by the liver not removing bilirubin from the blood, this bilirubin is a yellow substance, hence the yellowing. Jaundice is fairly common amongst infants, however if your child continues to show signs of jaundice beyond 2 weeks of age it’s a good idea to get it checked out by your doctor and check for liver disease.

Other than jaundice the symptoms include dark urine, Acholic stools (clay-colored stools), lightened colored stools (pale, grey, or even white), a swollen abdomen (noticeably swollen), and a hardened liver. If your infant seems to be affected by any of these symptoms beyond two weeks old get it checked out by your doctor and check for liver disease.

Biliary Atresia Treatment:

It is important for you to know that Biliary Atresia is not treated with medication. If it appears that Biliary Atresia is the cause of the jaundice in your infant there are several different form of diagnosis ranging from blood tests to a liver biopsy(removing a piece of the liver’s tissue for further testing).

If your infant is diagnosed with Biliary Atresia the surgeon will typically go ahead and perform the Kasai procedure(Hepato-portoenterostomy) which is a surgical procedure in which the surgeon removes the blocked bile ducts outside of the liver and replaces them with a piece of the infant’s own intestines which allows the bile to drain directly to the intestines.

The Kasai procedure is typically successful in about 70% of the attempts to perform the procedure. Success is determined by the bile draining from the liver, which, in turn, allows the jaundice level to go down. Note: The Kasai procedure is typically not a cure for Biliary Atresia(however there have been some cases where a child has grown and lived jaundice free and free of liver problems after a successful Kasai), it merely allows the infant to live fairly healthily for several years.

If the Kasai procedure is not successful typically liver disease condition worsens and liver transplantation is required within the first couple years of life.

That brings us to liver transplantation, liver transplantation is a very successful form of treatment for Biliary Atresia and in the past several years the success rate has gone up and the risk involved has plummeted. Infants who have a successful transplant are living into adulthood and even having their own children.

Thanks to modern medicine children are now able to receive either a whole liver from another child or more recently the child can receive a partial liver from a living donor. Healthy liver tissue grows very quickly and over a short period of time both the donor’s and recipient’s livers grow to normal size. Because of the possibilities in partial liver donation nearly every child with Biliary Atresia will receive the liver he or she needs to continue life, a truly amazing testament to the marvels of modern medicine.

Links & Continued Research:

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/927029-overview
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/atresia/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biliary_atresia
http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/svc/alpha/l/liver/diseases/biliary.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001145.htm