LUCAS AND MOM ARE FINE NOW, THANK YOU.

It was a real emergency, so the doctors in Juneau opted to life-flight Dana to Anchorage. With complication of high blood pressure and preeclampsia, both of which were critical and life threatening factors to Dana, and for other reasons, they felt the crisis was sufficient to shift the delivery to a better prepared and equipped facility. The medivac Lear Jet had Dana and Geoffrey in Anchorage, about 600 miles away, in ninety minutes. After a few necessary tests upon arrival, Dana was prepped for surgery - her second Cesarean section - and the delivery began.

Meanwhile the rest of us held our breath and prayed, and prayed, and prayed. It was a long time before we received word that all went well and Dana was safe and Lucas John was going to be all right too.

It turned out that the medical caution exercised in Juneau saved their lives. What we didn't know then was that other unknown factors were at play which had put both of them at high risk should the delivery have been attempted in Juneau. In fact, had they not arrived at the Anchorage hospital when they did, these unanticipated and unforeseen complications would probably been fatal to both of them. I don't know yet whether the doctors in Juneau or Anchorage knew this before surgery. My impression is that this fact was discovered during the delivery itself. Nevertheless, I am certain that God was aware of the hazard and had a hand in the swift and timely transport to ensure their ultimate safety and survival.

One worry with any premature birth - and Lucas was three weeks early - is whether the baby's lungs are adequately developed. Fortunately, his lungs seem to be doing fine and he is also doing all the things that newborns, especially preemies are supposed to do: seeking food, demonstrating a good sucking reflex, expelling the prebirth bowel contents, responding to normal stimuli, etc. Although a little jaundice is anticipated, that will be normal, and we are grateful, of course, for "normal" in any baby. (Especially this one who kept us all "guessing" for a while.)

Thank you to all those friends and family who contacted us with concern and/or congratulations for Lucas John and his parents. We are most appreciative of your concern and have been delighted to tell the joyful good news about the happy outcome. Now the big task is to arrange transportation home to Juneau (and Eli) on Friday. If you know of anyone with a big pile of "air miles" to share, let us know and we will put you in contact with Geoffrey. Most of all, big thank you to all who were a part of the enormous prayer effort in their behalf. Turn your pleas now into songs of thanksgiving.