A Moving Video Tribute to Baby Dominic Pio

What a beautiful video tribute to the little boy whose struggle for survival has brought so many to their knees in the past month. We must continue to pray for Baby Dominic Pio and his family.

God Bless the entire Gundrum family 

and grant them a very Merry Christmas!

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Baby Dominic Pio Progressing

Pre-surgery Wednesday

In my busy-ness I have been a bit neglectful this week of keeping up with the progress of Baby Dominic. His mom reports that he continues to progress in Boston. He had another surgery this morning, and his diabetes persists. But his wounds are healing up. He had an infection in a place on his face, and there is concern that cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) may be leaking. They may have to put in a stint. But Dominic Pio is having some periods without excruciating pain -- enough to cuddle with Mom and be able to watch Sesame Street. Please keep praying!

[UPDATE Thursday 12/19/12]
Dominic's mom, Mary, posted a photo of him after the surgery where they had to open a whole between his eyes to drain fluid. He is recovering, and he seems to be in less pain. His siblings are visiting him, and Mary says he is really responding to them. That's great news!

Post-surgery Wednesday

A Tale of Two Domi(e)nics

Dominic and his dad

Over the last week I have been updating readers on the progress of Baby Dominic as he recovers from life-altering surgery. His family feared losing him in the aftermath of his facial reconstruction. He is still not out of the water yet, but there is great hope and he is making progress every day. His family cannot wait to be reunited when Dominic is able to go home. There will be great rejoicing when that milestone is reached. I pray that it will be soon. Families need to be together to love and support one another.

Sadly, though, there is another Domenic who needs our prayers. This is Domenic with an "E", and he is across the ocean in Sweden. Domenic also desperately wants and needs to be with his family -- his mother and father. However, the government has decided that is not going to happen. A Swedish appellate court this week reversed an earlier court decision by a lower court that would have sent Domenic home. Instead, the appellate court has said that the parental rights of Domenic's parents, Christer and Annie, should be terminated. Domenic was taken away from his parents 3 1/2 years ago, and now his hope for being returned to them is dimming.

Domenic and his mom

What did Domenic's parents do that is so horrible that the Swedish government has taken their only child away from them? They homeschooled him. I know, it almost makes you laugh because it is so preposterous. But that is the truth. I have written more on my other blog, so I will refer you there for more details.

Please add Domenic to your prayer list. He and Dominic both need our prayers so that they can each be re-united with their families who love them beyond measure.

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Baby Dominic Pio, Mother Mary, and Aunt Becky

Baby Dominic continues to make progress. Keep checking his website to see his progress. His mom, Mary, writes when she can, but she has 7 other children that need her love and care also.

Mary's sister Becky occasionally writes in her stead on http://www.dominicpio.com/, and she also writes a blog of her own called Roses for Mary. At first I thought it was a blog about her sister Mary, but then I saw that it is about her business. Becky makes rosaries with roses in them -- roses for Mary. If you are looking for a nice Christmas gift, this is a terrific website to visit.

I borrowed this image from Roses for Mary to
show an example of the rosaries Becky makes.

And Becky has another blog called "A Blog for Grandma" where she writes about her life with her husband kids mostly. I was captivated reading her most recent entries. In particular, she writes about meeting her nephew, Dominic Pio, for the first time just last month around Thanksgiving. She describes the concern she felt over her own five children seeing Dominic for the first time in light of his facial deformities. Here is what Becky writes about the events:

And so I had plenty of reason to be nervous about the kids seeing Dominic for the first time. I had prepared them as best I could with showing them pictures of Dominic, watching videos, showing them how he is a not just a typical baby, but very special in the eyes of God. I told them how when God gives a child a handicap, He also gives them a few extra gifts as well--gifts that most typical people don't have. I then told them, "So get all your questions out now--I don't want you guys asking Uncle Mark and Aunt Mary all sorts of things about Dominic's "bubble" because it might hurt their feelings." They didn't have any questions at the time. But they had a lot of sympathy for Dominic to which Lucy loudly lamented when she first met him, "Poor Dominic! How will he ever be able to pick his nose?!"

Isn't that precious? Out of the mouths of babes. I will return to Becky's blogs to see how business is going and how her life is progressing!

God bless you, Becky. And God bless Mary and Baby Dominic Pio!

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Baby Dominic Pio Continues to Make Progress

Baby Dominic Pio's mother posted a couple of pictures of herself and her husband holding Dominic -- their first chance to have substantial contact since the surgery a week ago.

Mom and Dad Gundrum holding Baby Dominic

Baby Dominic sleeping with his favorite blanket

They say God never gives us more than we can handle. I think sometimes He comes pretty close!

Keep getting well, Baby Dominic!

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Update on Dominic Pio and His Battle for Survival

Baby Dominic Pio needs prayers immediately. The little angel is struggling for his life. His mom has posted additional post-surgery pictures and is asking people to pray for him.

 

His brain is recovering, but there are other complications that caused him to code yesterday. Please storm Heaven with your prayers and ask any believer that you know to pray for this little boy and his family.

Please Pray for Baby Dominic Pio

I just read a new blog set up by the parents of a special little boy. His name is Dominic Pio, and he was born with facial deformities that defy explanation. It is almost as if two faces were joined into one, with a "bubble" in the middle of his face. The condition is called frontonasal dysplasia with encephalocele.

Dominic with siblings

Dominic, who was named after St. (Padre) Pio, is undergoing corrective surgery this week in Boston -- today, in fact.The latest report is that the "bubble" has been successfully removed. Little Dominic still has a long way to go though. So please join your prayers with all those who are praying for this special little boy and his family.

His family asks for prayers, so I am passing on this information. I am praying for strength and precision on behalf of the doctors who work to create a new face for this little boy. He has a loving family, and he deserves to be as "normal" as possible.

UPDATE 12/5/12: Post-surgery, Dominic Pio survived and is in recovery. Check back to his website where his mom is posting updates on his progress along with pictures like the one below.

STILL PRAYING FOR YOU, DOMINIC PIO!

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