Cassie has had a busy last couple days in her recovery process. She underwent a lengthy surgical procedure to cleanup an infection of the chest wound from her original surgery. While the team is confident they have cleared the infection they will closely monitor the area. They have scheduled take her back into the OR tomorrow for another washout to ensure there is no remaining infection prior to chest closure.

Breathing continues to be a substantial challenge and her ability to independently breathe on room air varies daily. Over the past week the team has performed bilateral Thoracentesis’, a procedure performed to removed excess fluid from the lung space. Both procedures were deemed successful and removed approximately 1.5-2 L of fluid each from her pulmonary system. The medical staff is hoping that the fluid removal will allow more proper expansion of the lungs and ease her ability to breathe. 

Therapy continues to work with her as her tolerance permits and the family has seen substantial progress in her hand and wrist ability. The team is currently happy with healing of her lower residual limbs and plan to continue to monitor progress to set her up for best long term functionality. 

As she navigates the ever fluctuating nature of each hour, day and week – Cassie continues to push through with strength, resilience and her radiant smile.