Thank you for your patience. The waiting is hard on everyone, but we do have some news this morning. There are three "levels" of machines that can help a person breathe. Ira didn't do well on the first level, the ventilator, so they moved him to what's called an Oscillator. His numbers improved and he started to pink up on the top half of his body.

Overnight his numbers were not improving like they needed to be, and this morning they decided to move him to an echmo machine. The echmo machine puts oxygen directly into the blood stream and is the final option with regard to oxygenating Ira's body. This process of putting him on the machine requires surgery, so the fact that the doctors are even trying it indicates that there is some hope. The doctor told Joe and Laura that without the echmo Ira would not survive, with it, there is a chance. They told them that they are giving Ira the "benefit of the doubt." Since the echmo requires surgery, and this part is somewhat unclear, they are going to move his stomach and intestines back to the places where they should be. This is the procedure that they were waiting to see if he was viable for from the begining.

Joe sounded good this morning when I talked to him on the phone, and they are surrounded by family, friends, and world class doctors and nurses. Continue to pray as you have that God will bring a miracle. I am taking my laptop to the hospital later this afternoon, and if there is time, Joe may post something but it won't be until late this afternoon or in the evening.

Jason