Updates on Abel Cavin
Athens Meal Train
Aaron & Lindsey Cavin’s 3 year old son, Abel, was severely burned on Wednesday, January 24th. An estimated 25% of his body is burned. After a long night, Abel was transported to the Burn Care Center in Augusta and had his first surgery on Thursday, the 25th. It went well and he is stable, but 10-15% of his wounds are deep, 3rd degree burns. He will remain on a respirator and sedated for the next several weeks in order to aid in healing.
UPDATE # 11 - March 22, 2024 - 1:00PM
Abel is improving every day. Abel noticed a boo-boo on Micah the other day. He was quick to drop what he was doing to go over and kiss his wounds. What a sweet sense of empathy he has developed…
UPDATE #10 - March 9, 2024 - 8:23PM
Abel is home. It was sweet to all be under the same roof after 6 weeks. Thank you for praying.
UPDATE #9 - March 2, 2024 - 5:45PM
Abel was moved out of ICU Tuesday. We’ve spent the week getting educated on burn care post hospital. We are scheduled to leave the hospital at the beginning of the week…
Update #8 - February 17, 2024 - 10:55AM
Abel had surgery this week and they grafted 25% of his body. They took more skin from the donor site than they anticipated and he’s been on a ventilator since then. They will most likely take him to the Operating Room to do his dressing change and check everything over. All of his stats are good.
UPDATE #7 - Feburary 10, 2024 - 9:15pm
Abel went to the OR again yesterday. His surgeon believes his skin is ready for grafting and is planning to do all of it at the same time this coming Tuesday. Abel will go back on the ventilator for about a week after this surgery. They need him to remain completely still…
UPDATE #6 - February 3, 2024 - 8:45PM
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." Isaiah 26:3
Abel went in to the OR for more debridement. They changed his dressings and took him off the vent for a while. Physical therapy went ahead and made him sit up and helped him semi stand.
UPDATE #5 - February 2, 2024 - 11:15AM
Abel had surgery yesterday and it went ok. The doctors said that they now thought Abel had a 28% burn and that 25 of the 28% was 3rd degree. Praising the Lord that none were 4th degree, but this is still a serious burn.
They weren't able to begin the grafts. His skin is not ready yet. They had to debride his arm, leg and torso again and cut down a little more on some spots on his face. This is a slow and tedious process, but they said the slower it is the better for Abel in the long term. She said he will have at least 3 more surgeries this month and that our time might be extended a little. We have not heard the final verdict, but they will hopefully wean Abel off the vent over the next day.
UPDATE #4 - January 31, 2024 - 3:08PM
From Lindsey: Abel had a dressing change yesterday and things are healing well. His lungs are looking much clearer he continues to be on an antibiotic for whatever little lung infection he had. They just came in and told me they are most likely going to remove the vent from him tomorrow to give his body a break. Praise Jesus. Unfortunately, he will have to go back on it after the skin grafts. Abel and I do not like the ventilator. We found a place to live down the road and will move in this weekend. We are thankful for how easy and compassionate our insurance agents have been to work with. It looks like we will only be out of our home about 2-3 months.
Note: CaringBridge Site with Updates
Update #3 - January 29, 2024 - 7:00pm
From Lindsey: We are overwhelmed again with your generosity. Total strangers - opening their home to us, everyone's kindness, thoughtful notes, texts, calls, songs, food, snacks, gift cards, washing clothes, taking our goats to their homes, moving things out of our home and at my moms and so much more. We have all our needs met.
There is a lot of pain that patients and their loved ones are carrying in the unit that we are in. Visitation is allowed each day at 3 different times for 1 hour. That is the only time visitors are here. We are only allowed with Abel because he is a child. How hard for all those involved to not be able to see their loved ones at any time. They are often here for months at a time. Our hearts hurt for them.
Yesterday, I was talking to a man and I told him I liked his outfit. He said, "well I only have 3." He had lost everything in a house fire. We talked about how you realize in a moment what is most important. I have felt the same way. We did not loose as much as him, but stuff does not matter.
Aaron, of course, has met many more people than I have. He has prayed and talked to several especially while he was in the waiting room yesterday. He keeps sharing about how many hurting people there are. We have so much support, but some of these other people and even those in our community do not. This has reminded me to seek out the hurting. Hurting people are so easy to find. Thank you for meeting us in our hurt.
We have heard from hundreds of people that they are praying for Abel and believe thousands of people are. He is doing well despite the circumstances. Saturday he had to have a blood transfusion and start antibiotics for an infection. They said this is not uncommon, but the infection was in his lungs and not his wounds. Abel thankfully did not have any smoke inhalation damage or any internal burns. He had surgery again yesterday morning and unfortunately they had to cut down more of the burns on his face. This was hard to hear. They were still deeper than they were hoping. He had a little more 3rd degree burn than we were initially told. Having to cut down deeper into the skin creates more scarring and potentially more issues later, but I remind myself Abel is alive. It further reminds me of what a few more seconds would have done. It is hard to see him post surgery because he is such a little fighter and very unsettled. Some of the nurses have nicknamed him "wild man" on the unit. He is the only child here.
Yesterday evening his stats dropped and people ran in to help him. They took his ventilator off and started bagging him. There was a solid couple minutes with alarms blaring and them trying to help get him back to normal. My heart was in my throat and I was struck by fear and nausea. It took me back to how I am not in control as I watched his little body laying there helpless. They were able to get him stable and assured me this happens. I am thankful for their assurances, but I told them this isn't my normal. That was a hard moment.
I went back to Athens for a few days to be with the kids. I believe they are doing well for the circumstances and am confident we are all being sustained by prayer.
I hear a lot of people say I could not do this. You are so brave... [personally] I don't want to do this. I wish we weren't in this position, but I believe God gives us enough grace for today. I would not have been able to do this 4 years ago either, or probably even last week, but today God has given me enough grace to walk, believe, trust and love. Enough for today.
Aaron and I are holding up well. This is hard. It is hard to leave Abel here, but it is hard not to be with our other kids. Ruth came back with me and I have a dear friend who drove from Tampa to watch her in the waiting room while we sit with Abel. Ruth does not like being away from her Mama for too long.
The morning I was supposed to go back to Athens and leave Abel was hard for me. It was the first time I have really cried since this happened. I had an overwhelming fear that I could not return because I could not take care of my children - That I could not watch over them and care for them - That I could not keep them safe. In my mind, I kept recalling seeing Abel look up at me with fear and pain in his eyes. I believed I was not enough. I recognized that this was a negative belief, and this is coming about from the trauma that took place. This is not true. I can cry, I can grieve, but I cannot listen to lies. The thought is right. I am not in charge of Abel, the Lord is. We have been entrusted to care for him, but we are not in control. These are things that I know I have to work through and I will. I will get better. Abel will get better. I cannot follow all of my children around and put them in a bubble.
Someone recently told me about a study with lab rats. They were electrocuted while smelling lavender. From what I remember they found that to the 4th or 5th generation of rats that there was still an aversion to the smell of lavender. I have noticed a heightened feeling of heat and smoke in my brain. I have thought about having a bonfire or even a fire in our fireplace and fear creeps in. I have to remind myself fire is not a bad thing when it is in its proper place. I find myself wondering how Abel will respond and what we will need to do to support him. But then I remember, this is not a worry for today. There will be time to address this. I do not want this accident to affect the generations to come after me. I only want it to spur others on to Christ.
Abel's care is excellent. He has the same nurses for days in a row and there are only about 5 that will care for him total while he is here. We haven't even met them all. The continuity of care is incredible for the pediatric patients here.
Thank you again. From the sincerest place in our hearts. I write this probably more for myself than anyone else. One day it will help me remember the faithfulness of God and in the time being it is helping me process the brokenness in our world and in our current situation.
Abel's has had a better day today. He has some cruddy stuff in his lungs that they are trying to break up. He needs to have both of his lungs clear. His temperature has remained more stable today as well. I was thinking the first 48 hours were the most critical, but they said as long as he is on the ventilator this will be a rollercoaster and he is still considered fragile.
My burns are healing, but they hurt constantly. They are a constant reminder of the pain my son is in. In a small way I can image God's broken heart as his Son hung innocently on the cross. I know I am not the first mother to ache for her hurting child. It currently feels like there can be no greater pain. Thank you for praying and for loving us all so well. We are thankful for our community far and wide.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21
UPDATE # 2 - January 27th, 2024 - 7:41 P.M.
From Aaron: Abel is doing well after the first surgery on Thursday. He will be sedated for a while until all of his procedures are finished so the skin can heal. He is experiencing normal ups and downs with this type of injury, including temperature fluctuations and blood transfusion, which are common for this type of injury.
Personally, we want to say thank you for every person who is praying and helping with tangible day-to-day needs. Our family is very cared for by you.
Ways to pray:
Pray for Abel to know God’s Presence in his life at this time.
Pray that he come out of this desiring Jesus and Him alone for all the days of his life.
Pray that you and I would do the same…knowing and desiring that relationship with Christ for our daily bread.
UPDATE #1 - January 25th, 2024 - 9:42 A.M.
We are asking that you join us in praying for Abel Cavin, the 3 year old son of Aaron and Lindsey Cavin. On Wednesday, January 24th, he was severely burned while in his home. After a long night, they transported him to Augusta for the care he will need in the coming weeks.
25% of his body is burned (down from the initial 45% estimated last night). The next 48 hours will be critical for him and they are asking for prayer. He has some deep 3rd degree burns (8%) on his right side (arm, leg, ankle, neck, and face) and will require some future skin grafts. Today he will have his first surgery and will remain on a respirator and sedated for several weeks to aid in the healing.
Ways to pray:
Pray for Abel, Aaron, and Lindsey for the coming days and weeks ahead.
Pray for no infection and healing as the surgeries take place.
Pray for comfort for Abel as his body responds.
Pray for direction and guidance for the doctors and nurses.
Pray for safety and travel between Augusta and Athens.
Pray for peace and ultimately for God to be glorified in it all.
Thank you for your love, support, and prayer!
