Pinewood Derby 2012

"If you are helpless, He is not. If you are lost, He is not. If you don't know what to do next, He knows. It would take a miracle, you say? Well, if it takes a miracle, why not?"

~President Boyd K. Packer~

It was Jaxsten's first Pinewood Derby a couple weeks ago. He was so excited to make his car and race it. He kept telling us that he was going to win first place just like his cousin Kaysen. A couple weeks before the race we got started. We drove over to Great Grandpa Earls and him, Grandpa Jim and Dad helped cut it out. The next weekend Jaxsten and Tyler sanded it down and the plan was to paint it a couple days later. That Monday Jaxsten got up and headed off to school. He was perfectly fine that morning laughing and joking with all of us. A few hours later I got a phone call from Tyler telling me that he had just gotten a call from the school. During recess Jaxsten started complaining of his heart hurting. Recently we had been getting phone calls from Jaxsten crying wolf so my first thought was that of frustration. I was ready to chew him for another fake sic call. I then had a feeling came over me that this was not a cry for wolf, so quickly I headed to the school. I got there and as I walked in and saw him and immediately knew that something was not right. He did not look good. I quickly got him out to the car and on our way to the nearest ER. By the time we got there he was moaning in pain and within the hour he had a fever of 104. We did the whole workup; labs, x-rays, etc. We found he had an infection, so they quickly started him on antibiotics which meant another stay at the hospital. Tyler and Grandpa Jim arrived later that night to give him a Priesthood blessing. The first 48 were a little scary for us I could not wrap my head around this. He was perfectly fine a few hours earlier and now he was so sic and in so much pain. After about 48hrs. things started looking better but we still wasn’t sure where the infection was and how he got it. It was looking like he had an infection inside the heart. He was responding well to the antibiotics so the plan was to keep him there until the fevers were gone then send him up to Primary Childrens for an echo. Realizing he would not make it home to race his car Jax came up with a plan for him to get it all ready and for Staten to race it. Tuesday he muscled up the strength to finish his car with the help of myself, Tyler, and the great nursing staff (aunt Lorraine) at the hospital he pulled it off. Staten and dad went off to the races. The car could not be beat!! First place. Both boys were so proud. Metals for them both. We could not be happier. The next day the Doctor let Jax come home. We continued his care as an out patient each day and then first thing Monday morning we went up to Primarys to see his cardiologist and for an echo. We found his infection was on the outside wall of the heart. Good news I guess, because the cardiologist told us that he has never seen a good outcome with single ventricles and infection in the heart. He was amazed at how well he was doing and praised us for getting him on an antibiotic so quickly. I am so grateful Tyler could give him a blessing. I am also grateful for that small voice telling me to get him in there. I’m not sure what would have happened if I had not listened and took him home to watch for a few days.