Into the Unknown

Ok…ok, I know that’s the title of a song from Frozen II, but it seemed so very appropriate for that we are getting ready to face in the next several weeks. I guess I should probably give you some context and introduce ourselves before i get too involved in what is going on right now, so here it goes…

Hello! We are the Sherwoods…Sara, Brandon and Everett and this is us –>

Brandon and I met about 8 years ago, dated for awhile and got married on May 28, 2017. Everett joined our crew just shy of one year later on May 9, 2018. He was the perfect addition to our little family.

Fast forward to April 2019 when a diagnosis of Infantile Spasms (a relatively rare form of epilepsy) would turn our world upside down and change the trajectory of our lives completely. I fully plan to write a full post about our journey with Infantile Spasms in the not to distant future, but for now just know that this monster roared into our little boy’s life like an unwelcome house guest and has refused to leave ever since. After many failed medications, multiple doctors and specialists visits and more tests than i can count, it has been determined that Everett’s epilepsy is considered to be medically intractable, and if we have any hope of controlling the seizures and spasms, he will need to undergo brain surgery. Which brings us to today…we are less than 48 hours away from Everett’s surgery, a left functional hemispherectomy (which is just a big fancy word for they are going to remove a portion of the left half of his brain and then sever the connection between the hemispheres of his brain). This is the best shot we have at giving him seizure freedom.

So, now maybe my title of this post makes a little bit more sense. We are headed straight into the unknown and placing HUGE amounts of faith and trust in the medical team and Everett’s surgeon at UCLA. We are having faith that we are making the best decision possible for our little boy and his future. We are facing something that no parent should ever have to face. Believe me when i say, I wouldn’t wish this disease or decision on my very worst enemy.

I will be doing my very best to post progress and updates on here regularly over the course of the next several weeks. In the meantime, please send all the thoughts and prayers you can spare to our sweet boy on Monday morning, his mama and daddy thank you in advance.

“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a great future” Jeremiah 29:11

-Sara