The storm has passed, at last! / La tormenta ha cesado, al fin!

Dearest family and friends,

We cannot begin to thank so many of you for your sweet messages, prayers and for donating for Lorenzo's surgery. After many sleepless nights, but NEVER letting go of our faith, Lorenzo was able to undergo the surgery he needed.

We arrived San Antonio, TX on December 9th. Lorenzo had his head scan and first appointment with Dr. Jimenez the following day. We were so amazed by Dr. Jimenez and knew immediately he was the right doctor to perform this surgery. How grateful we are for finding Dr. Jimenez! Things started to unfold quickly as we did not have all the money for the surgery until the very last minute. We have witnessed a miracle.

On Thursday, December 11th, Lorenzo went into surgery at 10:08am and came out at 11:40am. I think it was the longest 90 minutes we have ever experienced. Dr Jimenez (neurosurgeon) and Dr Barone (Plastic Surgeon) met with us to let us know everything went beautifully. It was a tough surgery as Lorenzo's metopic bone (forehead) was very thick and very hard. He lost quite a bit of blood but did not need any blood transfusion.

We were able to enter to see Lorenzo about an hour later. As a parent, you are never prepared to see your child like that but have been able to count our blessings as we know it was nothing compared to what other parents go through. We were told we could expect an average of 8 hrs of fuzziness, crankiness and irritability. Fortunately, Lorenzo was smiling almost immediately and ready to play. Everyone was amazed with his quick recovery.

He was released from the hospital the day after surgery close to noon. He had some swelling on his forehead but he was still able to see and play with his brother. The incision is only 1 1/2 inches and is fully covered by his hair so no one can even tell.

During the weekend we were able to do some sightseeing as Lorenzo had no activity restrictions. We were very blessed to have Sea World, San Antonio donate a couple of passes to enjoy the park for a day. We can tell you it was a great stress reliever.... just what we needed!

The following Monday (15th) Lorenzo had a head scan, then Tuesday was helmet day. He looks so adorable with his helmet and it makes us feel good that his head is protected against any flying objects, toys, etc, hahaha! Finally, Wednesday we saw Dr. Jimenez and went for readjustment of the helmet.

This trip has been an eye opener, it has been a humbling experience and has helped us recognize the hand of Our Heavenly Father even more in our daily lives. We made some great new friends and Lorenzo has now a few helmet buddies. We are thankful we had so many great people around us, couples who were going through the same experience. How great it was to go through this experience. We made new friends, we learned from others, we met great people, our son received the care he needed, our hearts grew stronger, our faith was strengthened, a miracle was witnessed. Thank you!

We send you all of our love during this holiday season, and pray for your protection and well-being. We hope someday we are able to return all the great blessings we have received during this time. Again, thank you!

We love you,
Jorge, Sheila, Emilio and Lorenzo

Miracles do happen..../Los milagros si existen...

Hello, dear friends... It is Sunday and we are 4 days away from surgery. We cannot stop telling you how grateful we are for those "angels" who have donated to Lorenzo's cause. It is amazing the love we have received and all those who are praying for our baby's well-being. We have reached the $5,000 mark and have officially started to wait for a miracle to happen. We know miracles happen and we have faith in Our Heavenly Father that Lorenzo will receive the medical attention he needs this Thursday. We have no doubt about it. We do not doubt for a second of what He is able to do.

We will continue to keep you updated throughout the week and after surgery so keep login in... Thanks again and we send much love your way during this joyful holiday season.

Saludos, queridos amigos... Es domingo y estamos a 4 dias de la cirugia. No podemos dejar de expresar nuestro agradecimiento a todos aquellos "angeles" que han donado para esta causa. Es increible ver el amor que hemos recibido y la gran cantidad de personas que estan orando por el bienestar de nuestro bebe. Hemos llegado a la marca de $5,000 y oficialmente, hemos comenzado a esperar a que suceda un milagro. Sabemos que los milagros si existen y tenemos fe en Nuestro Padre Celestial que Lorenzo recibira la atencion medica que necesita el proximo jueves. No tenemos duda de ello.No dudamos ni por un segundo de Su poder.

Continuaremos manteniendoles al tanto de lo que suceda durante la semana y luego de la cirugia asi que continuen entrando a esta pagina... Nuevamente, gracias! Les enviamos nuestro amor durante esta gozosa epoca navidena!

Started the Countdown/Comienza el Conteo Regresivo

Hello! Hope you all had a wonderful and joyful Thanksgiving with your loved ones. We have mentally started the countdown for surgery... 9 more days. The flights are set, the accommodations, etc. We continue to receive generous donations. Please let us know if you feel more comfortable making a transfer directly to the hospital or surgeons. We are deeply and sincerely grateful for so many sacrifices. Lorenzo's surgery fund has $2,900 as of today (12/1/08). Thank you!
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Hola! Esperamos hayan tenido un Accion de Gracias maravilloso y lleno de gozo con sus seres queridos. Ya hemos comenzado el conteo regresivo para la cirugia... dentro de 9 dias. Nuestros boletos de avion ya estan listos, la estadia, etc. Continuamos recibiendo donativos generosos. Por favor dejenos sabes si se sienten mas comodos haciendo la transferencia electronica directamente al hospital o a los cirujanos. Estamos profundamente agradecidos por tantos sacrificios. El fondo para la cirugia de Lorenzo tiene $2,900 al dia de hoy (2/12/08) Gracias!

So grateful.../Tan agradecidos...

Just wanted to express our appreciation to all who have contacted us and expressed your sincere love and concern for our family. Thank you for keeping our little Lorenzo in your prayers. We have received some donations and are so appreciative of them. This is a very humbling experience and appreciate our Heavenly Father for it. Even though we have some ways to reach the total amount, we know it will be possible. Thank you and we love you!

Deseabamos expresar nuestro agradecimiento a todos aquellos que nos han contactado y nos han expresado su amor y preocupacion sincera para con nuestra familia. Gracias por mantener a nuestro pequeno Lorenzo en sus oraciones. Hemos recibido algunos donativos y estamos tan agradecidos por ellos. Esta experiencia nos hace mas humildes por lo que agradecemos a Nuestro Padre Celestial por ella. A pesar de que aun falta para llegar a la cantidad necesaria sabemos que sera posible. Gracias y les amamos!

Donations/Donativos

We are so grateful for your love and prayers. In the first post, below, we explained the main purpose of this blog. Please feel free to forward this blog address to as many people as you'd like. Our deadline is Tuesday, December 9, 2008.

If you would like to make any donation to help with the cost and expenses of Lorenzo's surgery, you may do so by making a deposit at:

Account in US:
Chase Bank
Bank Address: 10620 S State Street, Sandy, UT 84070
Account Number 803253442 CHECKING
Routing Number 124001545 (Think this is also the BIC code)
Swift Number: CHASEUS33
The account is under Jorge A and Sheila M Reyes.

Account in Mexico:
Banco Banamex
Account Number 5177125681916095
This account is under Martha Rojas Zepeda (Lorenzo's grandma)

If you are unable to make the deposit at a Chase branch, you can mail us your donation at

PO Box 775
Riverton, UT 84065

Once again, thank you for your love and support. You may contact us via telephone or via email at sheilam.reyes@gmail.com.

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Estamos tan agradecidos por su amor y oraciones. En el primer "post" explicamos el proposito principal de este blog. Por favor, sientanse en la libertad de re-enviar este blog a toda la gente que conozcan. La fecha limite que nos han dado es el martes, 9 de diciembre de 2008.

Si desea hacer algun donativo para ayudar con el costo y gastos de la operacion de Lorenzo, puede hacerlo haciendo un deposito en una de las siguientes cuentas bancarias:

Cuenta bancaria en EU:
Chase Bank
Direccion del banco: 10620 S State Street, Sandy, UT 84070
Numero de Cuenta 803253442 CHEQUES
Numero de Ruta 124001545 (creemos que este es tambien el codigo BIC)
Numero Swift: CHASEUS33
Esta cuenta esta a nombre de Jorge A y Sheila M Reyes.

Cuenta bancaria en Mexico:
Banco Banamex
Numero de Cuenta 5177125681916095
Esta cuenta esta a nombre de Martha Rojas Zepeda (abuela de Lorenzo)

Si no tiene la posibilidad de hacer un deposito en alguna sucursal de Chase o Banamex, puede enviarnos su donativo a:

PO Box 775
Riverton, UT 84065

Una vez mas, muchas gracias por su amor y apoyo. Puede contactarnos por telefono o por medio de nuestro correo electronico a sheilam.reyes@gmail.com.

Pre-Op Pictures/Fotografias antes de la Cirugia

Here are some pictures for you to see how Lorenzo's head looks. Many people do not even notice it unless we bring it up.

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Estas son algunas fotografias de la cabeza de Lorenzo. Muchas personas no lo notan a menos que nosotros digamos algo al respecto.

Lorenzo's Life in Pictures/Fotografias de la Vida de Lorenzo

Lorenzo's Story/La Historia de Lorenzo

Our baby Lorenzo was born Saturday, May 10th, 2008 at 6:22am via C-section in Gilbert, AZ. He has been a wonderful blessing into our family and has been his older brother's, Emilio, joy since day one.

A week after his birth, Lorenzo was seen by his pediatrician and noticed his forehead was a little misshapen but thought it might go back to how it should be. A month went by and the pediatrician noticed his forehead was still misshapen so decided to send him to get a CT-scan. Once the results came back, it was clear Lorenzo had Metopic Craniosyntosis, also known as Trigonocephaly, which required surgery. We did some research and ended up visiting an excellent, well-recommended neurosurgeon in Phoenix.

The surgery recommended involved an ear-to-ear incision and a very aggressive procedure that would have involved 4 hours in surgery, blood transfusions, morphine, 4 days in the hospital, a lot of swelling, along with some risks. As parents, we were afraid but knew Lorenzo had to undergo surgery for this condition. This surgery was recommended to be done at 8-9 months of age so it was originally scheduled of February 3, 2009.

As life makes its turns, we relocated to Salt Lake City, UT. Once we arrived we decided to research for a new neurosurgeon and see what our options would be... as a second opinion. In this process, we bumped into a neurosurgeon in San Antonio, TX who performed an endoscopic surgery that would only require 1 1/2" incision, 1 hr surgery, 1 day in the hospital, NO blood transfusions, NO medications, NO swelling his eyes shut. It seemed to us a bit obvious. Lorenzo would have to wear a helmet for 1 year approximately... but we would without a doubt prefer this than the other surgery. There is a catch though... this surgery is only done until they are 6 - 7 months old and Lorenzo just turned 6 months. This cuts our time a little short. A surgery was scheduled for December 11th.

If this condition is left untreated, he has a high chance of suffering from severe headaches, have his vision impaired severely, have developmental delays, among others.

Just yesterday morning, we found out Lorenzo's health insurance won't cover the surgery in San Antonio, TX because it is out of state, out of network. We have found ourselves 3 weeks away form surgery and no coverage. For this purpose we have decided to start this blog for our baby Lorenzo.

It is rarely that we ask for other people's help, financially speaking, and feel very humble to do so. We have 3 weeks to raise $21,000 which will cover the doctor's pre-op and post-op appointments, the surgery, a CT scan, the hospital, and Lorenzo's first helmet.

We have opened an account if you would be interested in supporting us and helping Lorenzo. We are deeply and sincerely appreciative of your love, help and prayers. There is no greater love than the love of two parents. We want to be able to give our son the medical treatment he needs but cannot do it on our own.


Nuestro pequeno Lorenzo nacio el sabado, 10 de mayo de 2008 por cesarea en Gilbert, AZ. Lorenzo ha sido una gran bendicion para nuestra familia y ha sido gran gozo para su hermano mayor, Emilio, desde el primer dia.

Una semana despues de su nacimineto, Lorenzo fue atendido por su pediatra quien noto que la forma de su frente no era normal, pero pensamos que se moldearia a su forma normal. Luego de un mes, su pediatra lo vio nuevamente y noto que su frente aun no tenia forma normal, por lo que decidio enviarlo a que le hicieran un CT-scan. Una vez recibimos los resultados era claro que Lorenzo tenia Craniosintosis Metopica, tambien conocida como Trigonocefalia, condicion que requiere de cirugia para ser corregida. Hicimos una investigacion a fondo hasta que logramos ser referidos a un neurocirujano bien recomendado en Phoenix, AZ.

La cirugia recomendada originalmente envolvia una incision de oreja a oreja y un procedimiento sumamente agresivo el cual habria de envolver 4 horas en cirugia, transfusiones de sangre, morfina, 4 dias en el hospital, hinchazon extrema, junto con algunos riesgos. Como padres, sentimos miedo pero sabiamos que Lorenzo debia de pasar por cirugia para esta condicion. Esta cirugia debia de hacerse entre los 8 y 9 meses de edad, asi que la fecha fue originalmente puesta para el 3 de febrero de 2009.

A medida que la vida da sus vueltas y nos da sus sorpresas, nos mudamos para la Cuidad de Lago Salado en Utah. Cuando llegamos decidimos investigar un nuevo neurocirujano e investigar cuales serian nuestras opciones... como segunda opinion. En este proceso encontramos a un neurocirujano en San Antonio, TX que hace una cirugia tipo endoscopico, la cual unicamnete requiere una incision de 1 1/2 pulgadas, 1 hora en cirugia, 1 dia en el hospital, CERO transfusiones de sangre, CERO medicamentos, CERO hinchazon de sus ojos al punto de cerrarse. Nos parecio un poco obvio. Lorenzo tendria que usar un casco por aproximadamente 1 ano... pero sin ninguna duda preferimos esto a la otra cirugia. Lo interesante del caso es... la cirugia unicamente se hace hasta que tienen 6 a 7 meses de edad y Lorenzo acaba de cumplir los 6 meses. Esto nos acorta el tiempo. La cirugia ha sido programada para el jueves, 11 de diciembre.

Si esta condicion no se trata, Lorenzo tiene probabilidades altas de sufrir severos dolores de cabeza mas adelante, tener problemas de vision severos, tener problemas de aprendizaje, entre otros.

En la tarde de ayer no enteramos que el plan medico de Lorenzo no cubrira la cirugia en San Antonio, TX porque esta fuera del estado, fuera de la red de medicos. Nos encontramos en una situacion a 3 semanas de la cirugia y sin cobertura medica. Por este proposito hemos decidido comenzar este blog por nuestro pequeno Lorenzo.

Es muy raro que pidamos ayuda de otros, economicamente hablando, y nos sentimos muy humildes de tener que hacerlo. Tenemos 3 semanas para recaudar $21,000 lo cual cubriria las citas con el neurocirujano antes y despues de la cirugia, la cirugia, un CT scan, el hospital y el primer casco de Lorenzo.

Hemos abierto una cuenta bancaria si estas interesado en apoyarnos y en ayudar a Lorenzo. Estamos profunda y sinceramente agradecidos por su amor, ayuda y oraciones. No hay amor mayor que el de dos padres. Deseamos poder darle a nuestro hijo el cuidado y atencion medica que necesita pero no podemos hacerlo sin tu ayuda.