This memorial website was created in the memory of our loved one, Lincoln Sutton who was born in Peru,Indiana on January 29, 2003 and passed away on April 28, 2006 at the age of 3. We will remember her forever.



























           

       Lincoln Grace Sutton was born a gorgeous baby girl on January 29, 2003 in Indiana. She weighed 4lbs. 15oz. and was 16 in. long. I had complications and was in the hospital from 29 to 35 weeks and then she was born. The doctors thought that Lincoln was going to have a very hard time breathing on her own, but she was born perfect, beautiful and healthy. My husband and I got to take her home 3 days later and it was the happiest day of our life. She was finally all ours. 

          At eight days old she started screaming and crying and she would not eat. I took her to the doctors’ office and he said she just had air in her tummy. We took her home and she did alright for a while and then started screaming again. We got her to settle down and by the next morning she was very still. I was getting ready to get in the shower so I could take her to the doc again and I heard my mom scream “she isn’t breathing!”. Immediately we rushed to the hospital. The only way I could get her to breathe was to rub her back very hard so she did not ride in her car seat she rode in her mommy’s arms. 

        We get to the office and the doc was so scared he ran to the E.R. with her in his arms. They told us she was dying and they didn’t know what it was.  An hour later we found out that it was strep b meningitis, the deadliest kind. She was life-lined down to Riley Children’s Hospital and the docs down there told us even  if she lived her brain would be gone forever. She made it and they said she was the strongest baby they had ever seen.  We took her home three weeks later, another very happy day of ours. 

       Lincoln was 5 weeks old when we had the baby shower. The day before the shower she had a check-up since being discharged from Riley. I took her to the doctor and he said she looked good, but he neededto measure her head. He said it was rare, but sometimes babies that have that type of meningitis can develop hydrocephalus and one of the symptoms is the head growing at an unusual rate.  She was fine that day though, but all weekend I kept thinking that her head looked bigger. I know, I know, it sounded like I was being very paranoid, but I really thought so.  My mom continued to tell me it was my imagination. Lincoln started getting sick and for some reason I swore I saw some stretch marks on her forehead. I took her to the doctor and sure enough she had hydrocephalus. Her head grew almost 3 cm in 6 days and on a normal newborn it is supposed to be 1 cm a month. This was her first shunt and her first brain surgery and she was only 6 weeks old. We came home from the hospital 4 days later and again another happy day.  

          She did very well until May 26, 2003 she had a massive seizure that lasted 34 minutes.  They then started her on THE MEDS. We had a very long hard road with Lincoln, but she was always a joy to be around.  Lincoln had some hearing problems that they said could get worse so at 17 months old I started to teach her sign language. She learned 12 words in 2 days and she knew them till the day she died. So so smart.  We had our little things like we would find out she was 4 months behind developmentally or she needed a different medicine because it was just not working. 

        On January 5, 2005 Lincoln became ill and her shunt was not working. See Lincoln had very severe hydrocephalus and if her shunt was not functioning, the fluid would build up rapidly and start to crush her brain almost immediately. This time was not so bad.  She had the surgery and was out in 2 days. Three weeks later she fell very ill and could not open her eyes or barely move at all.  Lincoln had to have her shunt replaced, but this time the entire thing had to be taken out and a new one put in ( usually it is either the top or bottom).  That was on January 26, 2005 and Lincoln spent her second birthday in the hospital. Then just two weeks later it hit her again. This time was the worst. We almost lost her on the way to surgery. The doctor had to use a needle and syringe to draw the fluid out of her head so that she would make it to the O.R.  She made it through everything, but this time I had to re-teach her almost everything. I quit my job as a hair stylist and became a full time mom. I always said, 
“ I hate not having the money, but God forbid if something happened and she passed away and I was at work I would never forgive myself.”  I am so glad that I got to have all that time with my baby. 

         I had eleven wonderful months with Lincoln Grace Sutton.  In September of 2005 they had noticed at the hospital that Lincoln had a bad aspiration problem and had to be on honey consistency.  She was so good with it. She was still having quite a few seizures and the continued to up her meds. She also was very small for her age, 23 pounds and 34 inches tall. 

        Lincoln had been diagnosed with sleep apnea and the doctors thought that the problem was most likely in the brain.  First, they had to take out her tonsils and adenoids and if she still had problems with sleep apnea they would diagnose her with a brain malformation known as chiari malformation. On April 24, 2006 Lincoln was scheduled to have her t&a.  She went in to the O.R. at 1:15 pm and came out in very much pain.  I just figured that this was the smallest surgery she had been through and everything would be fine. The first night was okay, but she still would not drink and the pain meds did not seem to help. The second night was horrible.  Her spo2 continued to go down into the lower 80’s every 5 to 10 minutes throughout the entire night. The next morning the nurse was very rude to me because i was so scared, and I will never forget that.The third night before she went to sleep she finally drank 4 oz. and I was so very happy to see her feeling better.  I could tell the pain was still bothering her, but she was drinking!  As she was sleeping that Wednesday night her spo2 dropped down into the lower 70’s all night long. I was so naïve. I just wanted to go home and I thought she was feeling better. The next morning  the doctor said not to worry about last night (through a nurse) and he discharged her over the phone and did not come and check on her that day.  

        I made the two hour drive to home and since my husband works seconds, I spent the entire evening and afternoon with Lincoln. She was just not acting right, but they told me at the hospital that kids feel like they are dying after a t &a so I assumed it was going to be okay. She cried and whined the whole time, except for when Dora was on, until Daddy came home. 

        She fell asleep in his arms that night at 12:15 am. Eric was in the recliner and told me to go get some rest seeing as how I had been alone with her at the hospital for 4 days.  The next thing I remember is him running in our bedroom yelling “she’s not breathing”.  I told him to call 911 and I gently laid her on our bed and tried C.P.R.  It was not working and I was hysterical.  The ambulance came and bagged her until we got to the hospital and the told us.  All her doctor could say was “I’m sorry” over and over again. She had been in heaven already. Lincoln had not seen her daddy in five days and she spent her final hours lying pressed against his heart. Lincoln left this earth wrapped in her fathers arms and entered heaven into her Fathers arms.  

        Lincoln Grace Sutton passed away from a codeine overdose.  It is still being looked into, but I believe that her body was not processing it correctly and dumped it all at once.  They said healthy levels for Lincoln were 30-50 and she had 1600 in her system. Our precious little girl had been through so much and now she is at peace with Christ.  




Please be careful about what medications you give your children, especially when they are to young to communicate with you how they are feeling.





To Clint's parents, Alan and Debra Reagan, for sponsoring Lincoln's site.
Please visit Clint's site
http://www.clint-reagan.memory-of.com

This is Lincoln and Lauren
Angels Friends Forever





    
                        Twinkle, Twinkle little Lincoln
                        How I wonder what you're thinkin'
                        Sent to us from way up high
                        Our little blessing from the sky
                        Twinkle, Twinkle little Lincoln
                        How I wonder what you're thinkin'
                                                   (mommy  started singing this 
                                                  to me when i was a newborn)
                                                                       love, 
                                                                   mommy


                                            
                                                     




Thank you to Dianne-Nicky Whites loving mother.




Almost every time Lincoln was in the hospital she would get a slinky. She always wore it as a bracelet. The first time i sent it down the stairs she could barely breath she was laughing so much. It was so cute




It is a rainy and dreary day. Mommy sure does miss your smile that could brighten up any day. I miss you so much.
Love,
Mommy




This is the last picture I took of Lincoln, one week and five days before she passed away. She was running from Emily so she wouldn't get her eggs. If you look there are eggs behind her on the ground. every little step she would take an egg would hop out of her basket. We all could not stop laughing







The hole in mommy and daddy's heart is much, much bigger.



Lincoln loved Hello Kitty so much she made up a song about her. Of course there were only two words. Hello and Kitty, but she sang it so beautifully.


I really do love shoes and unfortunatley I taught Lincoln my bad (I say good) habits.










Lincoln and her friend Lauren in heaven.
Thank you Stephanie, Lauren's mom




Thank you to Luann-Johhna Rusk's gramma.