Flowers for Julia

So many people have asked how they can help the Kings during this time of mourning. The outpouring of love and support, and all the creative ways of showing that love have been incredible, and Carrie and Glen thank you from the bottom of their hearts.

For anyone who feels moved to participate in this way, Carrie and Glen would like to invite you to help decorate the hall on Saturday by bringing a vase of flowers to place on the stage. After the service they encourage you to bring your flowers home with you, and in this way carry with you some of the beauty and love we share in Julia's memory.

Memorial Service for Julia

On Saturday, February 2nd at 2:00PM, we will come together to celebrate the shining, mirthful little girl we love and to honor her memory. Julia's memorial service will take place at the Person Auditorium at the Finley Center in Santa Rosa, followed by a reception and light refreshments.  Children are welcome to come, and some special activities will be included for them.We hope you are able to join us.

Carrie is also working on creating a memory book about Julia, and she welcomes your help. Please write down your favorite Julia stories or memories and send them to Carrie via a comment on this blog or by email (carsoren AT yahoo DOT com). If you have photos of her that Carrie might not have, please send those as well. This book will be treasured by all of Julia's family, but will be most especially important for Amanda as she grows up. Thank you for your help.

Sweet Julia is Free Now

Our beautiful girl left her body this morning. She was so happy at the end, cradled in her mom's arms with daddy by her side and so much love surrounding her. We sang and talked with her, and at the very end we took her outside to a beautiful garden where birds were singing and a sweet cat came to sit on our laps. So many tears, but also joy that she is free from the struggles she has endured with such grace and strength. She left so peacefully, and as Grammie Jen says, "My angel is now truly an angel her spirit is in us all! Her spirit will live on in us all in purple butterflies and flying high in hot air balloons! We are the sad ones but know she is at peace and enfolded in all love."
Love to everyone,
Francesca

Julia update

Grammie Jen Reports:

My dear one, today was another day of roller coasters. We were very happy to hear that her stats were better and her heart was getting stronger. She was using a less toxic amount of oxygen and of course she got approved for therapy and help from the Regional Center, accepted for social security, and Carrie was accepted back into the family house. All good things. The first EEG [measuring brain activity] was good but the 2nd one was very bad. They will do another one but odds are 70% not hopeful. I personally am going for the 30% group of it being OK. [She is getting a medication that can cause the type of results that she got, so they will take her off the medication and repeat the test.] We shall see. It is so hard to see her little body going through this so I choose for the small 30%. Thanks and I love you all and all that you continue to do to for us all!

Love,
Grammie Jen

And a more recent update: 

They have been able to reduce the epinephrin, which is one of the more toxic drugs she is getting, the level of oxygen she is getting is now down to 50%, and her PH is in the normal range. These are all very good signs that her body is starting to recover somewhat from the trauma of the resuscitation.

Miss Julia is making use of just about every support the hospital has to offer. An oscillating  ventilator is breathing for her, she has a PICC line, IVs, arterial lines, lies on a cooling blanket and is being monitored by an incredible team of nurses, doctors and respiratory therapists. She is still completely sedated. She has been relatively stable with all of this support, but must be weaned from each of them before their risks become too great. We know that her heart and lungs have been greatly taxed. Her liver, kidneys and other organs so far seem to be functioning, an impressive feat considering what she has been through. All we can do now is watch and wait and give her tons of love.

And love she is getting. Her family and friends have taken turns by her side today, kissing her feet in their little ruffled socks and stroking any patch of exposed skin that is not hooked up to tubes or wires. Amanda went to school this morning and came this afternoon to visit with Julia. She brought her good friend Oliver with her, and Julia's buddy Finn came in too. Later Julia's cousins Connor and Molly came to see her also. All of the kids did so well, even though it is hard to see their Julia in such a scary setting.

We don't know what the next few days will bring, but we do know that Julia is embraced in the incredible warmth, love and light of her family and her community.

So sad to tell everyone that Julia had a terrible night. She needed to be resuscitated. The team did CPR for more than 8 minutes before she came back. She is now in a medically induced coma. Her heart and lungs have been badly compromised. Carrie and Glen are with her, and Amanda and Oliver are going to come see her after school. All we can do now is send her and her family all our love.

The Fight Continues

Julia continues to be in extremely serious condition. Her pneumonia is severe enough that even with a high level of support from the ventilator, she is struggling to breathe. She is getting medication to help take fluid off her lungs, and she is sedated. She was understandably agitated, which makes it more difficult to breathe, so the sedation is very important.

One bright note is that her two last cultures came back negative. Hopefully that is an indication that the infection is responding to the antibiotics.

Grammie Jen brought Amanda home to Santa Rosa tonight, so hopefully she can go to school in the morning. Nona and Grandpa Don are with Carrie and Glen in Oakland tonight.

I know I don't have to ask you to keep Julia in your minds and hearts; she is already there.

We are with you Julia and family--we are adding our strength to yours.