Update on Oliver

Spoke with my baby brother Oliver's daughter this morning, Rebecca, on his status in ICU.  Oliver is in the above photo, in the back, in the middle.  Rebecca states his CO2 levels are down from 146 to 70, not yet normal but MUCH better than when he was admitted; they have taken out a lot of thick gunk in his lungs, thus the respiratory failure.  The doctor got his BP up which was affecting his kidneys, thus the renal failure.  He's pee-ing now.  He is on life-support systems, including a ventilator.  The doctor will try experimenting with his toleration level of discomfort with the ventilator to see how much they can adjust Rx's used to sedate him.  It is not likely he will come off the ventilator.  We are preparing ourselves for the worst.  
Rebecca is a strong woman, holding up everyone else while maintaining her duties as a wife & mother of six children.  The picture below is old and 2 of the kids are missing in this picture.  My grandson Alex, son of my son Giovanni, is on the far right in the picture.  

     From left to right: Alex, Ozbaldo, Rebecca holding Gabriella, Jesus- Daddy-, Daniel, and my Alex.  I will try to update the pictures on my next visit with them.  Hopefully, not soon!  We are NOT telling Mom at this point bc it would be too difficult on her.  
As a 9 yo when Oliver was born, I VIVIDLY recall the day we drove from our farmhouse in Sherwood Oregon into Portland to pick Mom up after she gave birth to Oliver.  We are in a station wagon.  It is raining.  Our breath against the car windows makes them foggy & we write or doodle on the windows.  Dad tells us to stop.  
     We arrive at the hospital, and Mom is ushered to the car.  She gets in, says nothing to us, but just silently stares out the window at the hospital.  Then with tears forming in her eyes, her voice cracking while trying to hold back the tears, she says, "This is the only baby I've ever been not able to bring home."  The depth of her sadness was palpable.  You never heard 5 kids sitting in a car behave so silently.  
     Mom's extreme sadness made such an impression on me that day that 53 years later it still makes me cry to recall it & write it down for this blog, so my children & their children, and Rebecca & her children understand a mother's love for her children is quite possibly the most amazing thing given us by our Creator.  
       NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE LOVE OF A MOTHER FOR HER CHILDREN.  
It is so close to Oliver's birthday, and Mother's Day: we don't know what we will be experiencing on these days, this year, yet.  
Unrelated, yet, connected, today is YOM HASHOAH.  I will explain that connection more on the next blog post.