A Heartfelt Recovery

Here's an update on my brother Luke. It has now been four weeks since his open-heart surgery and he is continuing to improve day by day. His aortic valve had to be completely replaced and his mitral valve was badly damaged but reparable. The week after surgery he spent in the hospital, things were very hard and painful for him that week. But he was able to go home less than a week after surgery. His lungs still need to regain their functioning ability, and his sternum still feels painful, but much better. He has come such a long way in such a short time.
He had lost 28 pounds as his heart was failing, which he has only gained back 3. But his coloring has come back to his skin and he looks good.
The day Luke returned to Utah from Brazil, I kept feeling like I could not do anything for him. I wish I could have been by his side in the hospital room or even to visit him after his surgery, but I had too much tying me down in Nebraska. Then I had an idea to express my love and hope for him to have a good recovery...a special recovery quilt. I knew Luke would have six weeks where he couldn't do much, and I knew he often gets cold. (Come to find out that since his surgery, he has been REALLY cold.)So I found some masculine fabrics in his favorite colors: green, blue, and red. Lexie really wanted to sew something for Luke too, and she embroidered a special message in the middle all by herself. I love how the quilt turned out, and I hope it wraps Luke in comfort as he continues to get better and that he knows how much we love him.