"A perfect heart"

Words that made the bells of my heart ring. Noah went into heart failure last week and after a lot of pain for all involved was whisked back up to Edmonton for a heart-transplant. The first text rang into my phone Saturday morning letting us all know they had found a heart and he was going in. And it was not until Sunday morning that I received the news that he had made it through the surgery and later in the afternoon that Melanie announced that Noah had a perfect heart and a new birth.
Could you imagine more beautiful words to be able to share than those. A perfect heart ... maybe for some horribly unfortunate reason Noah started out life with the wrong heart. And all this time his little body has been trying to tell us that. What magic that the heart givers mistake could be fixed here on earth. I can not wait to see and hold the whole family, to look into Mel's eyes and see the joy that the perfect heart brings to a mother.
I went to visit the family last week as they were waiting for a bed in Edmonton. When I walked into the room Melanie was leaning on the bed with Noah's little fingers wrapped around hers. She was pouring every ounce of love upon him in kisses and whispers. I had been teary all day and began to loose my composure. I stood at the door and watched what the love of a mother looks like in its purest form. Tears poured down my face. I walked into the room, placed my hand on her back, and she turned to look. Her eyes ... the pain ... the love. We hugged and cried.
I pray that I never have to see that kind of pain in a friend's eyes again. I wanted so badly to be able to take some of it away and felt so utterly powerless.
Melanie shared with me that she worried what people would think of God if Noah were to leave us. I wonder if she will ever know how much her and Christian's faith, openness, and realness have impacted and challenged me and so many. I feel so blessed to know this family. I feel excited to watch Noah grow-up. I know that there is, and will always be, many struggles ahead for that perfect little heart. But none of those struggles will be a result of a need for love.
Please continue to keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.