A Day At Home With The Kindberg's: Photo Edition

Staying home to stay healthy does have its challenges, but with every challenge comes the opportunity to be creative. Yesterday, our family unleashed our creative juices and the camera. We would like to share with you...
A Day At Home With The Kindberg's: Photo Edition

Zak drinking from his new straw glasses.

Ali drinking from her new straw glasses

Zak's snapshot of his sister.

A snapshot of himself.

A closeup of gummy candy by Zak.

Ali getting Easter eggs ready. Pink it is!

Zak getting eggs ready for Easter. Is that blue?

Yep that is blue. Great smile Zak.

Great smile Ali.

Zak and Dad created paper airplanes. The yellow one was his favorite.

Ali being Ali!

more airplanes...

Do you have a favorite home game or family activity. Please share it below. We'd love to hear about it. Thanks.

Our New Normal - [Random thoughts from Scott]

"Weeeeee...." Zak and Ali enjoying
 the Balloon Ride at the Mall of America.

On Monday April 12th we finally made it home after a week and a half in the hospital. It would be an understatement to say that our life has forever been changed by the events we have experienced since the event that brought us to the hospital. We call this our “new normal”.

Last week my best man from our wedding ran a 5K Race for Donor Awareness. Which he was scheduled to run before Zak was in the hospital. He had sent me a message to say he thought of us of the entire time ran. His message reminded me how we are forever a part of the Donor/ Transplant Community.

Currently, we are waiting for “the call”. In the meantime we wait, but we are not waiting alone. The transplant community is a close community. In the short time we have been through this we have been introduced to some amazing local families. We had the privilege to met a family whose six-year old daughter had a heart transplant one year ago from the U of M Amplatz Children’s Hospital. There is another family we will be meeting whose young daughter had a heart transplant two years ago from the same hospital. It is very relieving to hear from families say “we have been where you are now and we know what you are going through.” God’s grace has been evident through the people he is putting in our path.

Our daily routine has changed quite a bit due to the constant care Zak needs. Zak has a backpack he carries around with a medicine pack inside. We have a home nurse who a few days a week help care for Zak. Plus, Kathy or I need to stay within earshot and on the same floor of Zak at all times. All of this care is during the current “waiting time”. His care will increase once we return home after the heart transplant.

**It is critical for anyone who is exposed to sickness or not 100% healthy (i.e. has a runny nose) to not enter our home.

The simple routine of taking the kids to store or going church has been put on hold. (Thank God for family devotions.) Everyday brings new challenges and new celebrations. We are taking every day one hour at time as we learn our “new normal”.

There one person who has been amazing the entire time. Her normal has been changed as well. Our daughter Alexandria is an amazing helper and loves to play with her brother. I love seeing how she has adjusted.

We have certainly felt your prayers as we are all adjusting to this new way of life. God has been with us all along the way!

SHARE A LAUGH...Your Laugh!

*The following post is located at the right sidebar to see for future reference.*

A laugh goes a long way. As we enter a new season of life these next few months can be rough. Please consider sharing a laughter or two. God Bless You!

SHARE A LAUGH...

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Proverbs 17: 22
ZECHARIAH & ALI LOVE TO LAUGH? HAVE THEY MADE YOU LAUGH? SHARE YOUR FUNNY PICTURE, COMIC STRIP, STORY, JOKE, RIDDLE, or VIDEO.


We would love to share it with them as we travel down the road of Heart Transplant.


How to share it.

1. Leave it as a comment on a blog post.
2. Draw it, Scan it, Share it.
3. Email us at: The Zak Update. Subject Line: Share A Laugh
4. Upload it on Youtube and Share with us.
5. Share it on Facebook and @Tag Kathy or Scott
6. Snail mail: Email Us for our address.

The NEW Heart

First off I want to start by saying that we have the best friends and family that I could ever imagine.  I am writing today to let you know that ZAK made it on to the transplant list. 

There are 3 lists that you can be listed on and he is put on the most urgent list.  We are still in the PICU at Amphlatz Children's Hospital in Minneapolis.  We were given the choice before listing him to pick the primary hospital that we wanted to be listed at either here or in St Louis.  We decided to stay here so that we could stay connected to our network of friends.

The wait time is the most trying time for most families because you have no idea how long it could be we were given a very broad window of 3 days to 425 days.  This is the range of time that other families had to wait in the past 2 years. 

Tonight we are going to take some time and talk to Zak about needing a new heart and that we are waiting for one.  Please pray that we will have the right words to say and that he will understand without being afraid.  We have been supported by the child social workers that at the hospital they call child life services.  Anytime we aren't sure what to say about what the doctors and nurses are doing they help by explaining it in a child friendly way.  Two days ago he was really concerned that he was going to run out of blood because they were always coming in to draw more.  The child life worker came in and made blood with all the different parts plasma (karo syrup), red blood cells (red hots) etc. So they mixed it all up and talked about how more was made and this really helped him to not worry about what was happening so much.

We feel God's presence with us helping us along this journey.  We have a long road ahead of us.  We plan on trying to update the blog at least a couple days a week so that you can join us and know how to pray for our family. So stop back often and we will do our best to keep you posted.

Blessings The Kindberg's

[VIDEO] THANK YOU, THANK YOU!