Testimony of Hannah Hoyme -Told by her Mother 1/29/00
It was one of the most wonderful days in our lives when our baby girl, Hannah Danielle was about to receive a gift of love, a new liver.
On January 21, 1986 our dream of having a little girl became reality. After bringing her home from the hospital we noticed that the jaundice wasn’t going away and she was becoming distended. We took her to our pediatrician and he immediately admitted her into the hospital. After 2 weeks there he referred us to a liver specialist at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Three days later she was diagnosed with alpha 1anti-trysom deficiency, a very serious liver disease. The following months we went through many trials not knowing what the outcome would be but one thing we did know was that God had everything under control and we had peace about it. Proverbs 3:5-6 was our strength through this trial. It says "Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, lean not unto thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path." Hannah was being seen at Children’s Hospital every 3 months and when she was about 2 years of age they did some testing and found some abnormal bleeding.
They admitted her into the hospital and found that she had developed esophageal varices which were caused from the blood backing up in her body which meant the liver disease was progressing. They had to be drained every week or so or they could have caused her to hemorrhage. They finally got these under control and we didn’t have to go to the hospital so often. The problem we were continuing to deal with was the flood retention and jaundice. There were times when Hannah would fall down while running or playing because she couldn’t keep her balance. She was on aldactone, a diuretic which made her wet alot, in fact, there were times when she couldn’t even wait to get to the bathroom while traveling. She was on vitamins K, E, A, D and fer-in-sol, an iron liquid. When she started developing the esophageal varices she had to take carafate 1/2 hour before and after every meal so that her stomach would be coated. This procedure continued until the varices were healed over.
On June 26 our miracle began. I had taken our boys, Travis and Brandon to Wednesday night prayer service. Afterwards we went grocery shopping. I received a call from my husband to come home. I kept shopping, hoping to get it all finished before I called home. I received a second beep this time. He seemed so nervous. He said, "Kim, you better get home they’ve found Hannah a new liver." I’ll never forget it. I was so happy and yet so sad. I was so thankful to God for answering our long awaited prayer and dream. I thought this is so wonderful, now she’ll be able to walk, run and play like all the other kids. I pushed the grocery cart to the side. The boys and I hurriedly ran to the car and almost flew home. Well, we arrived at the hospital between 11:30 and 12:00a.m. and everyone began preparing her for surgery. We were cuddling her until about 5:30 the next morning when we were escorted to the emergency room. We stood there a few minutes and finally the doctors walked in, they were so tired. They flew to Michigan, removed the donor liver and flew back to Michigan to do the transplant. We were all standing there in the emergency room and I’ll never forget it. Those glass doors opened and the doctors stepped inside with the donor liver in a lunch box that was packed in ice. I honestly felt like I was having a new baby. You could have given me a million dollars and I wouldn’t have felt any better. That whole night we stayed with her anxiously awaiting the news of Hannah’s progress. Each hour liver transplant coordinator Sue Pederson would come and let us know how she was doing. I will never forget her coming over to tell us that they were hooking up the new liver. I felt so happy. Well, about 2:30 the operation was over and she was doing very well. The very next day I was sitting at her bedside when Dr. Fred Rychman walked in to inform me that Hannah was going back to surgery. He said, There is something going on but we don’t know what it is so the quickest and best way to find out is to operate again." Here I am, all alone, my baby, my husband, my entire family gone back home. I began experiencing what they called the emotional roller coaster. A few hours before Hannah was doing great and now something was wrong. What could it be? Would she have to be put back on the transplant list again? What now? " I thought," There were alot of nurses there to comfort me but I knew down deep that there was only one that could give me the strength that I needed. I knew that if I could just be alone for a few minutes and pray that he’d answer me I kept praying not knowing the outcome but trusting that God did. He had everything under control and he did answer prayer. Hannah had only a few vessels that needed repaired and we were so thankful. They had taken her back to I.C.U. and she continued doing very well. A week later she was transferred to 3 east in a private room where she had to be isolated because her immunity system was so low. She stayed there a week and was later taken to the Ronald McDonald house to stay because we had to have blood work done every day for a week and then every other day until the 13th day of July. We were then released on July 27th only one day before our 11th wedding anniversary.
The instructions were given to us before we came home including local hospital visits 2 to 3 times a week for blood work. Her temperature and blood pressures was to be taken twice a day and medicines were to be administered 9 times a day for a couple of months. At the present time Hannah is taking the rejection drug, cyclosporine twice a day and is now being seen at Children’s Hospital every 6 months. This is the very first time in her life that she’s been without seeing the doctor for this length of time. God has truly given us a miracle and we’ll never forget it. Now she can run and play and keep up with all the other children. She can even wait to go to the bathroom while traveling. She looks great, she’s so bubbly and energetic now. We’re so thankful for our miracle. It was only 6 months later that I started having pain in my left side . I went to the doctor and he discovered an ovarian cyst. He didn’t know if it was benign or not so he sent me to the hospital. He sent me for a test including a CAT125, a cancer test so I knew that there could possibly be cancer. He scheduled me for surgery 2 weeks later and there was no cancer. PRAISE THE LORD. He informed my family that I had only a case of endometriosis and that he had to do a complete hysterectomy. I was so relieved that I didn’t have cancer the hysterectomy wasn’t a big concern at all. I would love just to say that I thank the Lord for his protection and provision in our lives. He truly is a refuge and a hiding place. He’s a shelter in the time of storm. He’s always stood at our side. Well, it was only 3 weeks later that I found out that I had skin cancer. I prayed that with the mohs- micro-scopic surgery he would be able to remove it the first time and God heard and answered again my prayer again. Peter 3:12 says "The Lord heareth the prayers of the righteous and his ears are open to there cry." I went back for my checkup and everything was fine. As the old song goes, "What would I do without Jesus the Shepherd of my Valley Oh I just couldn’t walk this road alone when I’m hungry he feeds me when I’m thirsty he’s my water, I couldn’t make it without Jesus what would I do? Just last week I had another cancer scare but God once again pulled me through it everything was fine and no doubt many of you have gone through some of the same trials and maybe you’re not saved and you feel alone. I truly recommend JESUS.
I totally depend on him. He’s such a friend. Acts 16:31 says Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. In Romans 10:10 it says "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made known unto salvation." The Bible says in Luke 13: 3 Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish. The only important thing in this world is knowing Christ as your personal savior. For what profiteth a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul. So my conclusion as to everything that I have said is that God is still in the saving and prayer answering business. If you have a problem and more importantly if you’re lost please trust God he will save you right now.