Sophie's saving grace

Community unites; donor discovered for ailing baby

STAFFORD — There’s an old adage that it takes a village to raise a child. In Sophie Nelson’s case, it’s true.

Ted and Holly Nelson’s second daughter was born Sept. 5, 2008. Sophie Grace Nelson was born with Biliary Atresia and Situs Inversus, meaning that her liver wouldn’t cooperate with her intestines and almost all of her organs are on the opposite side. In addition her intestines were twisted, she had a hole in her heart and she had five spleens.

Since then, the 11-month-old has had surgery to fix her intestines, temporarily fix her liver, remove her gallbladder and appendix; intravenously block a hole in her heart; and, on Aug. 14, Sophie had a liver transplant from a live donor.

Many members of the community have stepped up to help the Nelson family.

Tiarra Fain, formerly of Garrisonville, has begun a non-profit organization to raise money for Sophie, called “We’re In This Together,” and placed jars to collect money in four area restaurants and two local stores. She says she “just felt compelled to help.”

610 Car Wash, and the Applebee’s in Central Park, as well as the Eagles’ Lodge, the Stafford Masonic Lodge, Tim’s II Rivershore and many, many more organizations and people have helped arrange donations and fundraisers to raise money for Sophie’s operations and medications, and to help the family commute to see their daughter, keep their house organized, and find a donor.

“People stepped out of the woodwork. Originally when I was walking around the mall with Sophie, people would stop me and ask why a tube was sticking out of my baby’s nose. After listening to the explanation, their most common response was ‘How can I help?’” said Ted Nelson.

In July, Sophie was brought into Georgetown Hospital and diagnosed with Hepatopulmonary Syndrome. Her failing liver was causing her to have difficulty breathing, and for the oxygen she breathed in to have a difficult time getting to her blood.

The blood-oxygen level in humans’ blood is usually 98 percent. Sophie’s was in the forties.

She did fairly well when she was in the oxygen tent, but “when she was taken out of the tent, she turned blue within 60 seconds,” said her father. Sophie spent the three weeks leading up to her liver transplant surgery in an oxygen tent her father built.

A lifelong friend, Stacey Shepherd, told the Nelsons that she was interested in getting tested to see whether she could be a donor for Sophie. Immediately after she was tested, they discovered that she was a perfect donor, so they went into surgery as quickly as possible.

“It was amazing. When Sophie went into her operation, she was purple, and her lips were blue. When she came out of surgery, her lips were pink and her skin was a nice color,” said Ted Nelson. The Nelsons will have more definite results in four to six weeks.

During the surgery doctors learned that, despite blood tests showing that Sophie’s liver was doing OK, her liver was hard. She would have lasted for perhaps another 48 hours.

Ted Nelson stated, “There’s a piece of Stacey Shepherd in my daughter for life. She has a second daughter now — while she didn’t give birth to her, she gave Sophie her second chance for life.”

“Thank you, everybody, for your support, for praying for her, for keeping up with Sophie’s story. Thanks, especially, Stacey, for saving my daughter’s life,” Ted Nelson said. “She’s been a real angel.”

Because of Sophie’s delicate state, the Nelsons must adopt some lifestyle changes when Sophie comes home from the hospital. One of those changes, unfortunately, involves their two beloved dogs. The dogs are Otis, a 7-year-old Neopolitin Mastiff, and Jimmy, an 8-year-old American Terrier. They need to be adopted, the Nelsons say.

The Nelsons are also hoping that Stacey Shepherd will feel well enough to attend a fundraising event at the Applebee’s in Central Park on Aug. 28. The event includes games, live bands, and of course food — all day long. For more information on Sophie’s story, upcoming fundraisers and the dogs, visit sophiegrace.org.

Megan Sweeney is a contributing writer for the Stafford County Sun. She can be reached at info@staffordcountysun.com.