By Kelly Kazek
Like all moms, Jessica Crowe would sometimes become frustrated when her toddler, Noah, would call her repeatedly: “Mama, Mama, Mama.”
But today, “Mama” is the only word Jessica wants to hear.
“How ignorant I was,” Jessica wrote on the family’s blog Wednesday. “I just want to hear him say, ‘Mama.’”
Noah, 21 months old, has not spoken since undergoing surgery Tuesday at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham to remove a large and fast-growing tumor from his brain. He remained intubated Wednesday afternoon and doctors were uncertain how the surgery would impact his motor and speech skills.
Noah’s dad, John David, minister of music at Friendship United Methodist Church, said an MRI Wednesday afternoon gave the family an expected Thanksgiving blessing — the surgeon could no longer see the tumor.
Before the scan, the surgeon was concerned that a small portion of the tumor near the brain stem remained and the Crowes thought another surgery was likely in Noah’s future.
“He does not believe Noah will need any other surgeries,” John David said.
In addition, the scan showed less damage to the brain than expected from the eight-hour-long procedure. Neurologists were concerned Noah would lose some speech and motor skills, particularly on his right side.
But when Jessica and John David finally were able to see Noah on Wednesday, a Thanksgiving eve miracle occurred — Noah could move his right side.
“I put my finger down beside him and he squeezed it with his right hand,” John David said. “And he was kicking with his right foot. We’re so overjoyed and we all know it’s God working through this and answering our prayers.”
Noah was expected to be off the ventilator Wednesday night and possibly into a more private room today, where the family will celebrate Thanksgiving.
The Crowes are staying at the Ronald McDonald House near the hospital.
Signs of trouble
Only a week ago, Noah was playing in the dirt and watching Sesame Street. Then, concerned with his sudden loss of motor skills, Jessica took Noah to a doctor Friday and Noah was taken by medical helicopter to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, where he was given massive doses of steroids to hold the tumor at bay as Noah was prepared for surgery.
Once neurologists opened Noah’s skull on Tuesday and saw the tumor, they realized how close the child had been to death.
“Once they could see it, they did say it was every bit as big as a grown man’s fist,” John David said. “He told us only 5 percent of brain tumors in children ever get this big. If we hadn’t taken Noah to the hospital on Friday and they hadn’t found it and began steroids to stop its growth, he would have been dead by Sunday.”
The team of surgeons also faced the difficult task of maneuvering around the myriad of blood vessels entangled in the tumor.
“The tumor had aggressively attached itself to key parts of the brain and had several veins going through it,” John David said. “They had to work meticulously and slowly as a team to make sure Noah remained stable. As the surgeons cut away parts of the tumor, they would have to stop frequently to put blood back in his body and get his blood pressure back to normal. It was very orchestrated — very good teamwork.”
Noah lost 1.25 times his total blood volume during the surgery, he said.
Waiting and praying
Jessica was heartsick Wednesday morning because Noah was awake but she and John David could only see him in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for a limited amount of time.
“It is so difficult not to be able to be with my son,” she blogged. “My prayer right now is that Noah will be at peace and content in his little bed watching Elmo, that he recognizes his nurse (he’s had her once before, and the next shift will bring another familiar face), and he is not afraid.”
The couple is posting frequent updates at the Web site http://prayfornoah.weebly.com/ to keep friends and family informed of his progress.
In addition, family and friends can donate to a fund set up to help cover the Crowes expenses at any Compass Bank across North Alabama. Ask for an account in the names Jessica or Noah Crowe to make donations.
The Crowes must await the pathology report before they know how long Noah will be in the hospital and what the next steps will be.
John David said they have been overwhelmed by the amount of support from the community, which has been keeping up-to-date through Facebook posts and phone calls. A Facebook prayer chain began Monday and continues to grow.
“We are completely humbled,” John David said. “We love our community and feel the love from our community.”
Jessica blogged about her faith in God on the Pray for Noah Web site: “This is the path He has chosen for our family. It may not be what I had hoped, or what John and I planned, but it is what it is. And I am trusting Him to take us step by step, never letting us look too far ahead as to not get overwhelmed.”
