ANN

Eric's younger sister, Ann, is in very serious medical condition. This apparently started last Thursday. She's in Medical Intensive Care and has been on a ventilator. The doctors have completed a trach and for 6 1/2 hours yesterday she breathed on her own. This is an increadibly good start. Gradually, over time, her lungs need to get stronger and stronger until she's able to live her life normally.

She is dearly loved (indeed cherished) by her 4 siblings. The siblings had military parents and they lived all over the world with the kids. The kids grew very close--probably closer than children who have access to many children in an American culture. As children, they became very close and dependant, to a degree, on each other for friendship. Ann loves Mike, Eric, Joel and Maggie. I am absolutely certain that Ann wants to see her brothers and sister.

Now that she is very sick, she is experiencing some anxiety. This anxiety is only to be expected. Ann has been through some dreadful times since last Thursday. Her brothers and sister have been told to stay away and not visit her. This was not a decision made by her physicians. She's allowed to have visitors. But, she's not permitted to see her brothers and sister. Eric and I suspect that Ann's anxiety level is increased by not being allowed to see her brothers and sister.

My greatest fear is that Ann does not know her brothers and sister have been told not to come to Wichita to see her. I fear that she's there in that hospital bed, feeling abandoned by her oldest and dearest friends--with her anxiety escalating. The people she most needs to see are her brothers and sister.

Hopefully, this decision will change in the very near future. I believe strongly that when Ann is allowed to see her brothers and sister that it will help to alleviate some of her anxiety and help her recover more rapidly.