Robbie is waiting for a heart - again. Robbie is in Toronto with his family again as he waits for a second heart transplant. Unfortunately, his body is rejecting the heart he received in 1999 when he was a baby. He wated 11 months for that one and so is hoping he doesn't have to wait as long this time. Robbie, right, & his brother Luke. The doctors gave Robbie an angiogram, a test where dye is injected into an artery so doctors can take "pictures" of the heart and see how the blood is circulating. The angiogram revealed a coronary artery disease, a form of transplant rejection. It's known as the black box of transplant medicine, since there has not been much research into it. Ron wishes that "Maybe the good side of this situation is we can spur some (research ) on." The trip to Toronto for tests was only supposed to be a 10 day affair but the family was really taken by surprise when they found out his heart was being rejected and that he needs a transplant again. Life in downtown Toronto is not the same as their regular outdoor way of life in Courtney, B.C. It's quite a struggle for the family to adapt to the hustle and bustle and of course the winter weather. Dad Ron says, "He's a goer. He's such a full-of-life kid." And for those of you who know him, he really is! The families expenses are being covered this time by the David Foster organization, which set them up in an apartment. Ron also says his job as an apprentice electrician has also been secured. The family stayed at Toronto's Ronald McDonald House during their last visit and although Robbie now has the company of his one year old brother Luke , he visits Toronto's Ronald McDonald house regularly so that he can play with other children and be a part of the many activities they offer the children and families. July 24th, 2003 - YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After 8 months in Toronto, we are finally packing up and heading home. We are so excited. Robbie is doing very well, his last biopsy went well and the results were very good. Luke is still causing lots and lots of trouble. We are very, very lucky and extremely grateful. Love, Robbie, Luke, Sue and Ron May 13th, 2003 - Hello everyone, Of course we hope all is well with you and yours. Robbie is doing very well. He went in for a semi emergency biopsy on Saturday, there was quite a collection of fluid in the cavity that surrounds the heart. There was quite the concern that he may have been rejecting the new organ, and of course he was feeling very crappy - we were very worried. In the Cath Lab they inserted a drainage tube into this cavity to allow the fluid to drain and at the same time they performed a biopsy. The biopsy results ended up being excellent, there is no rejection which of course is awsome. Since Sat. the fluid has slowly drained away and Robbie has been feeling better and more active each day. He has been getting out of bed quite frequently now even though he has a few drainage tubes still attached. His mood is really good and the doctors are very happy with things. He is still draining a bit of fluid (we call it body snot) from the heart drain and from the left lung cavity but it is expected that one of the tubes will be pulled out tomorrow. We are getting very close to getting out of the hospital soon! Little brother Luke is fine but a little more confused than usual. Robbie's Godmother, Joanne is here taking care of Luke which has been an awesome help for us. We hope we can get her and Luke in for a visit soon, there are still strict SARS restrictions at the hospital. Susan is doing well, she has knitted about 8 sweaters since the transplant, the thong she knitted for me is itchy as hell! We are actually starting to get excited about coming home soon but of course that all depends on how Robbie does. Thats it for now, Transplant boy is ordering me to get him a chocolate milk. He must be feeling better..... Thank you all again for all your prayers and support. Ron, Sue, Luke and the Superkid - Robbie May 10th, 2003 - Robbie is doing ok, we had a minor setback over the last few days. He developed some fluid around his heart which had to be removed in the Cath Lab. He has another tube that is draining stuff now. They also did his first biopsy while they were in there. He has been quite grumpy. We'll keep you informed. Ron May 5th, 2003 - Hi Everyone, here's a Robbie update for you, Robbie is now on minimal oxygen with nasal prongs, a miracle after less than 4 days after surgery! His hands are now IV free which is wonderful except he keeps trying to get up. When you ask where he thinks he is going he says he is going to show me where the Pop machine in the hallway is! He is being be transferred out of Intensive Care up to the ward today, they wanted to send him yesterday but there was no bed available. He is still royally annoyed about the fluid restriction and is driving everyone crazy asking for drinks. He is eating soft stuff without any problems and is peeing well. He has encountered one complication, "a stupid glitch", as Inspector Gadget would say. It appears that the lymphatic system was nicked during the surgery, this has produced increased fatty fluid in the chest cavity, this problem in not uncommon in open chest surgeries. He will have to be on a no fat diet for 6 weeks while this little injury heals. As usual we will handle this hurdle on day at a time. It's probably a good time for the whole family to be on a low fat diet for a while anyways. Cardiac wise, the Doc's are very pleased. Robbie's Godmother, Joanne Mawhinney will be arriving on the 8th to take over the unenviable task from Grandma of taking care of Lukezilla! We are so blessed to have so many great people and wonderful support in our lives. The ICU, unfortunatley as usual, is full of critically ill children, It really puts life into perspective. We are blessed that Robbie is doing well. As always, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, Love, Robbie's Family May 2nd 2003 - Hello Everyone, As you may have already heard/read, Robbie received a new heart yesterday. The surgery was quite long, roughly 11 hrs due to scar tissue from his previous transplant. He is doing well even though he is listed in critical condition. The docs are very pleased so far with his progress, and are trying to keep him sedated but he's giving them a run for their money! He woke up for a few seconds last night and looked up at Mom, she asked him if he knew he had a new heart and he nodded. The plan is to get him off the ventilator today before he pulls the tube out himself! He's such a scrappy little bugger! He looks very good except for all the stuff that is attached to him but we know from our previous experience that each day stuff gets removed. We are very exhausted but Grandma has arrived from Montreal to help out with Little brother Luke. The SARS restrictions are still very tight at the hospital which means Sue and I cannot be with Robbie at the same time so we are doing a bit of a tag team thing. With luck Robbie will be up on the ward next week demanding hotdogs, videos, etc. Thanks to everyone for their continued thoughts and prayers, we are so grateful to everyone for all the wonderful support. We ask everyone to please pray for the donor family at this time. In their moment of grief they granted several children a new chance at life. What heroes. We will post another update in a few days. The Thompsons April 16th, 2003 - Hi all, We are still hanging in there! The SARS thing is very stressful, originally the team was putting a hold on all transplants so we made plans for going home until things settled down, then they decided to forge on and asked us to stay. We don't venture out in public much, no more streetcar, bus, subway rides and the hospital has very strict restrictions in place. No more school for Robbie, no more clinics either. Needless to say we are very homesick and wonder if this nightmare is ever going to end! Robbie and his family would like to hear some words or poems offering support to them at this difficult time. One of Robbie's favorite things to do is draw different fire trucks & special 6-wheeler cars & write stories about them. I'm sure he'd love to hear one of yours. Sept 4, 2003 - Robbie's Cherry Picker May 28, 2003 - Hey Robbie! I heard that you are out of the hospital now and running around and doing all kinds of fun stuff. Go Go Robbie Go............see you really soon. Here's a poem for you - Cher Robbie had a red truck It had six wheels and a spare And when he rode upon it's cab He felt bigger than a bear Travelling around the country He had so much to see Farms and rivers and cities His truck kept going like a beauty He didn't ever have to stop He had a whole kitchen on board And he'd put it on auto pilot And eat hot dogs and chicken bird So if you ever see him Honk your horn, wave and smile Because he's quite the boy That Robbie Thompson sure makes me smile. May 24, 2003 - Robbie, I am so glad you are enjoying the stickers that the man at Sandylion Stickers gave me to give to you. Did you find any girls to give the Barbie stickers to? :-) I bet even James Bond wishes he had some. It feels like ages since I saw you. The good thing is, you are almost finished that special diet you are on where you have to eat no fat. I bet you could write a book about "Robbie's Do's and Don'ts of No Fat Eating" when you get out of the hospital. It's no fun I bet. I wonder how many friends you have made there - lots i think. I am really looking forward to seeing you soon and until then - huggalugs to you and your mom and dad and luke the nuke. Cher May 14, 2003 - Robbie, Robbie!, Robbie !!, ROBBIE !!!!!, That's from all of us , Sandy, Derek, Jay and CONOR. We're so excited that you are on the road to recovery...getting better, closer to coming home. Your dad sent us some great family pictures and you look good... real good...gooder than good, but your dad. Well he was very pale ,in fact white and that red nose! Has he got a cold? Did your mom knit him that clown's suit? The boys miss you and want you to rest up and get well. Jay has seen Treasure Planet at least 10 times and Conor is making many Lego inventions. Good weather has come and we are getting out more. Tonight the boys helped me slug hunt. We found some crabs at the beach on Mother's Day. Would you like us to send you some? I recommend them over the slugs. Take Care , you are in our dreams. Sandy for the whole Luty clan May 9, 2003 - hellow oogie and ron luke and robbie i just moved,the place is huge with tons o land heres a pic from the end of the back yard hope all is well and sars free ;-) all my love, peter May 7, 2003 - Hey Robbie!!! We're so glad that you're doing great. We wish you all the very best and pray for a very speedy recovery. Stay strong buddy and keep smiling :) Hugs and kisses to you and may God's Blessings keep coming upon you. Ron & Sue... Keep strong, you're doing a heck-of-a-job, keep it up and have faith. Louis, Odelia and Rachel Moco (hprh) May 7, 2003 - Hi my friend Robbie it's me Seth!!!! I was so happy to hear you got another new heart!! You are my friend. I like your heart. I just had my new heart day yesterday it's 4 years old. We had cupcakes and I blew out a candle. I got a basketball, Harry Potter owl and cards, and a Power Rangers t-shirt. Now you and I will celebrate our new heart days close together. I will hopefully see you on Monday with my mommy because we will be at the hospital for a test. Do you have any new jokes to tell me? We can play video games. Love your friend Seth xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo May 6, 2003 - Hello Robbie and Family, We would like to tell you that we are thrilled to know that you are doing so well. You have touched our hearts. Our son Elijah also had heart surgery at Sick Kids. We hope that one day you two can meet. YOU are truly an inspiration...and your sweet face makes everyone smile. YOU are truly what a hero is all about. I hope that I can see you at Sick Kids some time soon. I am also a volunteer in the hospital and I often saw you come into the reading room to get books. I hope that I will get to see you again soon. My family and I will continue to keep you in our prayers. Love, Delilah, Larry and Elijah Shand (CHDer) May 6, 2003 - Hey Robbie, We were so happy to hear the great news that you're doing so well! Have you made it to the pop machine yet? Get Dad to buy you and Luke one on us! Hurry home buddy, I need your help to fix my motorcycles. Sending you "BIG HUGS and LOTS of LOVE" . . . Your Pals Henry - Lucy - Rob P.S.- Give Mom, Dad and Luke a "BIG HUG" from us! May 6, 2003 - Hello Robbie, Luke,Sue and Ron All your friends at Child Development Services in Courtenay are so happy to hear how you are doing. We thank your mom and dad for keeping us informed. What a neat web site. Keep up the good work of getting stronger and I can't wait to see you at the Farmer's Market. Love Lee May 6, 2003 - Fred loves Robbie and wants Robbie to take him home. Mostly he misses following Robbie around eating the trail of food left behind on the floor. Ron and Sue: we will call on the weekend. Have waited because we know that things are still intense and that your dealing with a lot of stuff. Saw you on BCTV last night. Love janet, Doug, Andrew, Sally and Lucy May 6, 2003 - Hi Robbie! We hope you are doing well today. We met you at Sick Kids when you first arrived in Toronto in 1998. Amber was in for her Fontan. We hope you have a speedy recovery and please know that you will be in our prayers. Hi Ron and Sue...hope you guys are holding up well! Sue Mom to Amber 6 HLHS & Tyler 3 HH http://www.geocities.com/hlhs_kids/Amber.html May 6, 2003 - +    Get well!    +         Robbie Dear Robbie and family, We all here have been praying for you, especially the children they know what it is like for you. They also have a little brother who had open heart surgery. We are glad to hear that all has been going so well. Keep being strong, you look absolutely wonderful. We will continue to pray so that you will be back home soon with all your family. Many Blessing to you all. The kids here say hello and wish you the best for a quick recovery. Debbie-13, Michael-8, Adam-4, Jacob-2(TOF) Dan and JoAnne Price May 6, 2003 - Dear Robbie, We are praying every night for you and happy to see you are getting "cranky", the fighter in you has come out. Your heart friend! Rootbeer Hugs and Kisses Colena Mary (HLHS 3 years old) Caledon, Ontario May 6, 2003 - Hi Robbie! This is a message from Bridget! I am sending you a great big huge hug because I LOVE YOU and MISS YOU so much! We are all so happy you have your new heart and we pray that you get home quick! Isaac is learning how to jump on the trampoline like you do so well. He’s like you and will not get off the trampoline when I ask him to! Any ideas? Ethan is growing up quick. He’s getting bigger and louder each day. He loves to listen to his voice! A new boy moved into your neighbourhood. He’s almost 3 and his name is Hayden. He’s lots of fun and I know will enjoy playing with you and Luke when you get home! Enjoy your visit with Joanne when you get to see her. She sure misses you too! Love you Robbie and we pray that you come home soon! Love Bridget, Isaac, Ethan, Jonah and Richard May 6, 2003 - Hi little buddy!!! Its your big buddy Jim from the Comox Valley Kinsmen. You know the guy who runs the Baseball tournament every year. Well me and the other Kinsmen are working very hard again this year for another big tournament. We are so happy that you got your new heart and your going to be all better. We hope you will be better and strong enough to throw the first pitch this year, we cant have a good tournament with you buddy!! Stay strong and work on gettin better.....OK?? Well thats it for me.... I miss you lots and your always in my thoughts Your Big Buddy Jim May 5, 2003 - Hello Crazy Leggs, I am so happy that you have another chance. You are such a wonderful kid and you deserve all the happiness you can get. Remember Luke needs you to show him the ropes and how to get around your Mom and Dad. I'm sure you have already figured that one out. I'm sure many people will send their best wishes, hopes and prayers.....you have mine too. I remember when you were waiting for your first transplant and I spent quite a bit of time talking to your Mom and Dad. You have great parents and that makes you a very special person. I wish you much love and happiness as you travel this road called life. I sure enjoy hearing about your fun new experiences. I am going to try and make arrangements to have Elmo (the one you had your picture with) delivered to you. Hopefully it will give both you and Luke some laughs. Take Care my sweet, you will always be in my heart as well as Luke and your Mom & Dad. Love Linda Gotman May 2, 2003 - One day, a big red fire truck pulled up beside a donut store and the driver got out to buy a donut. He didn't realize that James Bond was racing along behind him, on his way to visit Inspector Gadget - who was swinging from the top of the CN tower. James Bond had to swerve to avoid the truck but he was such a good driver and loved his fast car so much, he was fine. Just fine. Inspector gadget was so happy to see Bond, they decided to go for a drive together and visit Robbie at Sick Kids. Robbie was so happy to see them, he grew a great big smile and he felt all warm and fuzzy inside. They thought he was a very good boy and said they would come back to see him again very soon. Dear Robbie, James Bond's car is waiting for you along with one of those good looking girls that James always seems to get! Hurry up and get better so we can go for a ride! Cher His family asks that any donations be made in Robbie's name to Toronto's Ronald McDonald House www.rmhtoronto.org or the Hospital for Sick Children. www.sickkids.on.ca