Yesterday Zach was successfully transfered from HSC Winnipeg to Calgary. Megan accompanied Zach on the entire journey, as did a registered nurse and respiratory therapist. He was first brought by a stretcher service to the Winnipeg airport, and then moved onto a Sunwest Beechcraft Super King Air 350 (twin-turboprop) med-evac flight. Finally, a stretcher service conveyed him to a Calgary hospital. Zach tolerated the move reasonably well but became more agitated on the second half of the trip.

Instead of going to Foothills Medical Centre ICU, Zach was moved to the ICU in the Peter Lougheed Centre (PLC), a hospital on the east side of Calgary. Our hope is that eventually Zach will receive a transfer to Foothills because that is the only hospital that offers an intensive neurological rehabilitation program that we hope will benefit Zach in the longer term. In the meantime, he remains in ICU care at PLC.

Yesterday, Zach got his very first Calgary visitor – Megan’s brother Mike! This was followed by several Bergsma family members (Alice’s side of the family). It is good to see Zach’s Calgary friends and family able to help more directly now that Zach has moved.

The medical team in Calgary spent yesterday and today “getting to know” Zach. Lots of tests were performed. He slept well through the night until early morning but then his heart rate climbed to 190. They increased his oxygen flow and gave him more settling meds and that seemed to help. Today he had an EKG and CT scan. By end of day, he was more relaxed and not requiring as much oxygen support. He is also “cuff down” 24 hours a day now.

Zach is consistently more relaxed when Megan or his parents are with him. He often gets upset when they leave. While this can be difficult, it’s also a hopeful sign since it shows he is increasingly aware of who is with him and how closely connected they are to him.

Please pray that God will heal Zach’s mind and enable him to communicate again. Pray that the efforts of the medical team will be blessed and that Zach’s life may continue to be preserved. Pray that Ed, Alice, Megan, and all Zach’s family and friends may put their hope and trust in God — to rest in the knowledge that God has a good purpose for Zach and that God’s promises to Zach made when he was baptized remain true today and always.

Psalm 121

I look up to the mountains;
does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.