Ella's Story: MRSA treatment

If you haven't read the first post about Ella's Story and her current situation in hospital, have a look at it here: http://carscameraschronicillness.blogspot.com/2011/06/ellas-story-hospital.html

Photographer: Emily Jakas

 Date: June 11th, 2011

 Camera: iPhone

Ella is still having a very hard time, and is just starting some pretty drastic treatment for the MRSA infection in particular. Here is an update from earlier tonight about the current situation from her mum Emily:

"Ella will begin to undergo treatment for the MRSA tomorrow. Side effects of the drugs will cause Ella's sweat, saliva and urine to go red. Please don't be alarmed by this.

She will also require a bacteria wash to clean her whole body of more MRSA infections. She has had the burn doctor come and dress a sore that has appeared on her hand.

Unfortunately this treatment will also affect Ella's seizure medications, which may cause breakthrough seizures to happen. She has been moved to a room closer to the nurses desk, with a see-through door. She will also have a one on one nurse start who will have emergency medication on hand. Ella will be in hospital for at least another week or so, and then she may be eligible for hospital in the home from about Tuesday.

She will require treatment via oral antibiotics for the next 6 months, on top of her usual antibiotics that she is on every day. This infection is quite serious and is resistant to most treatment. They need to get this right and attack it aggressively before her body builds up immunity to the treatment. If they don't get it sorted, the MRSA can come back and then treatment will be even harder to get on top of.

It may be another few weeks before Ella is discharged, as her lungs are still in bad shape. She also has Pertussis and E. Coli in her lungs, as well as Rhinovirus and Adnovirus. This has all caused the bacterial pneumonia.

Her gastrostomy surgery that was planned on Tuesday is being postponed and a few things are being worked out by the anesthesiologist.

This is all a little bit overwhelming right now for all of us. We thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts who have been helping us move, pack and look after Ella in hospital. A big thanks to grandma and Baba for taking day and night shifts to give daddy a break from staying overnight after a long day at work.

I am home with Scarlett and missing my beautiful girl Ella terribly. But i also have to keep Scarlett safe as she is only a baby."

Emily

So things are very hard for the whole family at the moment, and the near future will be hard for Ella as she gets treated for her multiple lung infections, on top of all her other problems. 

Here are a few pictures of Ella in some happier times. This first pair shows Ella as a newborn, and on her 1st birthday.

Photographer: Rohan Phillips 
Camera: Nikon D70s 
Lens: (newborn) Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5, (1st birthday) Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D 
Exposure: 1/50 @ f/3.5, ISO 1600, 1/125 @ f/2.5, ISO 400

 Ella got to meet some of her favourite performers 'The Wiggles' last year, after seeing one of their live shows in December 2010.

All photos by Emily Jakas, December 2010.

 

If you're reading this as a parent of young children, Emily is part of a three person team running a small boutique kids' clothing and accessories business called 'Original Mini Moo', along with two other mums. They have 9 children between  them; three with special needs of various descriptions, including Ella, and hand-make their merchandise at home when they have a little bit of time to spare.

So if you're after some handmade clothes, toys, hats or rugs for your little ones, and want to support some busy and hard-working mothers, you can browse a selection of items for sale on their Facebook page, just click on the Mini Moo logo or this link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Moo/189892247687519

You can email them for further information at mini.moo.store@gmail.com