Day 38 | OCTOBER 18, 2021

Good Evening Friends, today is day 38 of our new and amazing life!

Wow! Today is a very good day!

I arrived at the hospital extra early today, due to a patient advocacy issue that I will briefly talk about below, but being there early gave me the benefit to see my beautiful Charlie Anne waking up.

She was so beautiful and happy today, we are both so excited for tomorrow's surgery!

Her first CEA application, tomorrow Charlie enters her second stage on this journey, she will enter the reconstruction stage, and leave behind the acute stage! I dreamed of this day! I am still in shock that we are here so soon! Thanks be to God for Charlie’s unbelievable recovery so far!

Without going into details, this past weekend, I had an issue at the hospital when they stopped me from doing a civil legal procedure, what the procedure is does not really matter for this journal purposes, but what matter is that it was a civil matter, the hospital decided to claim that they could make a determination on the patient consent ability, well , here is what I learned, they do not!

Hospitals in Virginia , don’t have legal grounds to deemed a individual incapacitated in matters of civil law, they can only do so in medical matters. So back to my story, when they stopped me and escorted me out, I told them that I would be back today after consulting with our attorney and that I did. After few hours and few meetings with different departments, the hospital agreed with me and let me do my civil legal procedure , what I would like to bring awareness today is, Hospital Policies can’t trump State or Federal Law, a lot of times Hospitals will enforce their policies and sometimes those policies can violate patients and family members rights. Be sure to know your rights and fight for what is right.

I once again feel very sorry about the less fortunate , who don’t have access to council or the resources and social economic status to enforce what is legal and right , against a large hospital. I think it is important to continue to bring awareness to Patients Rights.

Now back to Charlie!

We talked about the surgery , she had a few questions and I was able to give her some answers as her doctor.

I was able to meet today with the Epicel sales rep, she has been with the company for over 20 years! And is a wealth of knowledge, she answered all my questions , and I am so excited for Charlie’s outcome! Especially about how Epicel healing and scarring works compared to regular skin grafts . I also learned a good amount about the care of Epicel in the first 18 months.

I am so thankful for the scientists at Epicel, their product truly is the difference between life and death!

We also talked a little more about the house modifications , how an elevator is a must, plus other items in Charlie’s list.

I have asked the doctor, based on one of your suggestions , to give me her hair once they shave it, so I can have a wig made for her with her own hair. If anyone knows of a very good wig maker, I would love their contact please .

Yes! Tomorrow is the big day! Charlie will be at the OR at 7:30am, and her surgery should finish around 4pm, it will be a very long day for her, but I will be there for when she returns.

I am so ready for this next phase!

Please continue with your prayers, we will need now more than ever! The faster that Charlie’s heals and remains free of infection, the sooner she will come home !

Thank you for your love and generosity!

May God Bless You

André