team michael

Dear Friends, Please see the below email from the Malone family: The Malone family - including Michael - decided to come home today. His chest tube was removed yesterday, and he tolerated the procedure well enough to be given the OK to leave the hospital. His catheter was also removed, so Michael is going home with oxygen and his port accessed so that hospice can administer IV medication. He still has fluid in his left lung, but given the circumstances, inserting a new tube has its own set of risks and would have only lengthened his stay, without any definitive promise of improvement. The remainder of his care will now be through hospice. Michael did have one uplifting moment today. To better understand the moment, here is an excerpt from a speech that Mike Malone gave to their church and to the Baylor School of Nursing: One of Michael's favorite things is the reality TV show The Biggest Loser. At first, we thought it was about the teams and the competition. The teams are designated by colors, which Michael loves, and they have intense competitions and challenges, which he enjoys immensely. And the trainers are his heroes. But over time,…

Dear Friends, UPDATE: Michael was admitted to ICU at Cook's Children's on Thursday because he was having difficulty breathing and had a mass on his left shoulder. He had just returned from a two day trip to the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, where he was being evaluated for potential MIBG treatment. Unfortunately, a CT scan and chest x-ray on Friday revealed that Michael had fluid in his chest cavity and numerous new tumors covering his body that had invaded his kidney and liver. A chest tube was installed to relieve the pressure on his heart and lungs. His doctors believe that he has a very limited amount of time, possibly less than a week, before his organs begin to fail. His family hopes to move him home by Monday to spend the remainder of his time surrounded by family and friends in the comfort of his home. Michael has fought a brave fight over the past two and a half years. He has shown great courage and has been an inspiration to all who have had the blessing of knowing him. Find hope in his strength, peace in his perseverance, and encouragement in the fact that he…

Dear Friends, UPDATE: May was a full month for Michael and his family filled with some wonderful moments. Michael received visits from such famous athletes as Troy Aikman and Michael Young. They each visited the Malone home and spent time with Michael, signing items and visiting with the family. Last week, Michael graduated from Meadowbrook Kindergarten in a beautiful ceremony. What an accomplishment and special moment for the family. Michael also had three Friday afternoon parties in his front yard with friends and family. These events included pizza, hamburgers, a Marble Slab ice cream bar, bounce houses and water slides. Not a bad way to spend May! The most exciting Friday party was on May 11th when Michael was visited by the local FBI, Homeland Security, and Dallas/University Park/Highland Park police officers. The visit included a helicopter fly-by and was covered by all of the major local news stations. Please see the following link from the home page of the Diplomatic Security Service: state.gov/m/ds/. Thank you to all of the friends who graciously donated and supported the May Friday parties. And thank you to all of you who set up special events for Michael, like the visit from the Highland Park…