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When I was 23 days old, my dad and mom rushed me to the hospital because I had intense abdominal pain and I vomited a huge amount of milk. My skin turned yellower as the hours passed and my stool got darker until blood came out. I didn't know that I was already experiencing an acute intestinal malrotation and severe infection in the blood (sepsis). The good news is that the doctors were able to sa

ve my life! The bad news is that I went through 3 major surgeries within 2 weeks of confinement, leaving me with just 13cm of small intestines. Because of this, I am now suffering from extreme short bowel syndrome. I cannot absorb all the nutrients required for me to grow. But I am doing my best to fight and live on! I will wait until my intestines adapt and become mature to absorb more nutrients. Please continue to pray for my miraculous recovery. Thank you very much for helping me. I cannot wait to see you all when I grow bigger and I get better! May God bless you and your family a thousand fold!

10/07/2025

Nathan got to ring THE bell yesterday after his PET scan officially showed NO sign of PTLD!

He was declared in remission a few months ago, but yesterday, his scans came back impeccable. Truly you are cancer free Nathan!

Anak… you may not fully understand how incredibly special this moment was… even if it happened on a whim, and you wanted it as quiet as possible with just me and your brilliant oncologist there. But I am so, so proud of you.

You know Nathan, not all cancer patients get to ring this bell. My mom, among plenty others, never got to… and maybe that’s why I’m extra emotional writing this.

All that torturous pain you endured fighting severe intestinal rejection just to get through three cycles of chemo - thank you, anak, for not giving up.

Father God, thank you for your faithfulness and this incredible blessing. Even when my faith wavered, You never did. Your mercy and goodness carried us when strength and hope ran thin. May You continue to bless Nathan with better health, strength, and a bright, joy-filled future ahead as we face the daunting path toward a second transplant.

And for every child, parent, and warrior still in the fight - may the same grace, healing, and unwavering love of God surround you. May miracles find their way to you, just as they did for us.

My brave warrior… you did it. Congratulations, Nathan! We may have lost the battle with your first transplant, but you won this round of the fight!!

Prayer warriors, our deepest thanks for all these years of lifting Nathan and our family up in prayer. God bless you all.

06/25/2025

Passport renewal: DONE!! 🙌

After multiple attempts since October 2024, we finally got this done. Nathan’s health hurdles kept pushing the date back so this is huge sigh of relief especially with the expiration just 2 weeks away. Thank you, Lord God!

This brave boy powered through the blistering heat and humidity with a GJ tube (each with its own drain), a Gordon drain, a wound vac, and TPN with lipids - all while dealing with low endurance and pain from the drain suture site. (This photo was even taken before he was fully connected again to his 3.6L IV nutrition and lipid bags!)

Whew. That was a lot of driving back and forth between Chicago and Cincinnati and so much careful maneuvering with all his lines and equipment. But we got it done and even squeezed in a Jollibee lunch and a quick trip at The Bean.

Thank you, Lord God. These “happy problems” mean living our new normal at home and not in the hospital until it’s time once more for transplant.

Here’s to more family road trips and moments outside the hospital walls!

06/23/2025

Finally, Nathan is home after over 4 months!!
Team Riva is complete once more! ❤️

You made it, anak. Cancer-free and well, intestine-free. Never would I have imagined that someone can live without intestines, but by God’s grace, the gift of TPN and experienced medical teams, here you are home with us. And my, how good home looks on you my brave boy. We missed you terribly.

Praise You, O merciful and loving God. Salamat po, Panginoon.

06/14/2025

Update:

Phew. Quite the day we’ve had, barely 24 hrs in from arriving. We’re back from the OR, and praise God, the procedure went well with no sutures needed.

The dehiscence was about 10 cm long, and a wound vac was placed to help with healing. The main cause of the separation was ineffective drainage from the JP drain, which led to fluid buildup that ultimately broke through his midline incision since it was the path of least resistance.

Nathan is expected to have the wound vac in place for about 6–8 weeks. His JP accordion drain was replaced with a Gordon drain, repositioned for more effective suction. They pulled out about 500 mL of fluid - quite a substantial amount, especially considering a JP was already in place. This explains why we were having to change his midline dressing every 2 hours.

They also found a large fluid pocket near the base of the duodenum (first part of the intestines), which had been pressing up on his abdomen. His g-tube was switched to a gj tube for better drainage and decompression.

Lots of new drains and he is in pain, but all things considered, these changes were essential for his healing to move forward. We will just have to manage this temporary new normal until transplant.

His TPN was also adjusted to better support him nutritionally with albumin, vitamin K, and vitamin C being increased. If his liver markers don’t improve, we may need to switch from SMOFlipid to Omegaven, but for now we’re monitoring his labs.

Nathan, we are so proud of you. I know you feel tired and discouraged with yet another trip to the OR, but we hope and pray this is finally the turning point. You are so brave, my love. One day at a time. God’s got you.

****

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

We arrived back at Cincinnati Children’s late yesterday afternoon and had a relatively stable night.

However, we’ve been dealing with his JP drains losing suction and the leakage from his still open midline wounds increasing.

This morning, the surgeon evaluated the site and confirmed dehiscence. Once again, his fascia separated. This is an immediate surgical intervention due to the high risk of infection. We will do a CT scan to confirm the extent of dehiscence.

I am so heartbroken, and truthfully this caught me completely offguard. Nathan is finally doing well. He is the most joyful I’ve seen in months. And now, we are suddenly back to antibiotics, procedures and pain. Please lift our brave warrior in prayer. The trauma we barely began to process from the past months is now being repeated.

I’m praying that:
- The CT scan reveals only minimal intervention is needed
- The surgeon assigned is experienced and steady, and that this time, the sutures hold for good
- The new drains can effectively remove the fluid buildup so that true healing can begin
- Nathan finds the strength to recover not just physically, but emotionally and mentally
- And for Archie and myself, that we find the grace and faith to endure this repeated heartbreak

It’s so hard to hold onto hope when complications come without warning. But we are still here. Still holding on. Please keep Nathan close in your prayers today. I am still grateful that we are closer to home. I hope our dream to take Nathan home and stay home comes true after recovering from this surgery.

06/13/2025

Home bound! Thank you, Nebraska!

Cincinnati, see you in a bit. 😭 Lord, maraming salamat po!!

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