February 4, 2002
Baby Gershwin, Heart Murmur Baby Number 10.
(If Gershwin survives and is healthy, he is being adopted by Jeannie Rogers. Jeannie is one of our volunteers, and recently lost both of her precious Bichons, Mulligan and Sundae, within 2 weeks of each other. Mulligan to kidney failure, and Sundae to diabetes.)


Baby Gershwin was born in a commercial kennel in Misourri...with a grade 5-6 heart murmur. He was born 12/03/01. He is almost 8 weeks old. I drove today to get him, and folks, it is bad.


He does not feel one bit good.

We are going to go on faith...one more time, and try rushing him to Texas A&M University to try to save his life. That is all I know to do. That is what I am feeling led to do, yet again. He weighs only 2.5 pounds. We would like to try grow him a little, but it appears that his murmur is too bad to take a chance on waiting. He does not feel good at all.:(
WE DESPERATELY NEED YOUR HELP.


P.S. I am requesting your prayers...We are presently under a Winter Storm Watch (freezing rain and snow) for Tulsa, and areas to the south...which would be my route if I were to drive. I am going to use one of our donated tickets to fly little Gershwin to Texas A&M, tomorrow morning. He will be the tenth heart murmur repair baby we have rescued. The others are listed at the bottom of this page. Thank you so much for supporting this rescue effort. We love you and thank you, more than you can ever know. More tomorrow night...from College Station, Texas.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS! THEY KEEP US GOING!

Update Wednesday Night, Feb 6, 2002
(At this time we have raised $980.00 of the needed $2000.00. They have given us an estimate of $1800.00- $2000.00 for this surgery including all meds, and hospitalization. Many thanks to those of you who have donated!)

Thanks to Sharon and Eric Krask, our Fairy Godpilots, Gershwin and I were able to fly to Austin. It started out well and then...well, Gershwin and I got stranded in the ATLANTA Airport. That's why you have not heard from us til now. Our flight to Austin, via Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Dallas, Texas, was cancelled due to a major winter storm. (The same one that prevented me from driving) Over 200 flights were cancelled in Dallas. So, they rerouted us all through Atlanta, where everyone and their dog, (pardon the pun) was trying to get on down to Austin. Gershwin is so sick that three different times, I put my hand in ths sherpa bag..to make sure he was still here with me...he is so very still. Prayer got this baby thus far. Of this I have no doubt.

While in the Atlanta Airport, I met a very nice lady named Carol Dale. (Two of my favorite names!) We hit it off, had dinner together while standing by for a flight, and in the mean time, she fell in love...with baby Gershwin.


Here is my new friend, Carol Dale, feeding little Gershwin his dinner in the Atlanta airport.


At the hotel. Gershwin attempted to shred his very first klennex...he just did not have enough energy.



I finally made it to Texas A&M, where my buddy Lucy Wendt, met me at the door. Here is Gershwin with his Aunty Lucy.


Next, here he is with his 4th year Vet Student, Elizabeth.

Ok, here is the news you have all been waiting for. The news is not the best, but we pray he is fixable. If you are a believer in the power of prayer, PLEASE CALL UPON GOD NOW. THIS IS A 911.
Gershwin has a grade 6 PDA heart murmur. It is the largest one, out of ten that we have ever presented for repair. He is scheduled for the crack-the-chest open surgery, tomorrow morning, at 11:00 A.M.
There is another problem though. His murmur is so bad, Dr. Sonja Gordon has a feeling, looking at all of the tests, it has caused pulminary hypertension...damage to the lungs. I asked her if I made the right call, to come right away, and she told me, it was right on the cusp of almost being to late. His murmur is affecting his lung ability, already...something they don't see in puppies, but usually in older dogs, who have not had their PDA repaired, and are dying.

I believe in the power of prayer. I believe when God hears over 2000 people, praying for the recovery of one of His animals, He hears us. I am believing for a miracle tomorrow. I am believing with you, they when they open him up, they can fix that hole, and he is going to be OK and rarin' to go. That's right, I am believing for and expecting a miracle. His doctor is hoping that when the hole is closed, the lung problem will reverse itself. We will know after the first 24 hours have passed, if this has happened. I will come and let you know when he is out of surgery. Hopefully, I can get someone to take the camera in, and take pics for you guys. Thank you all for praying. I plan on bringing this baby home with me Friday or Saturday in perfect and complete health. You just hide in the bushes and watch!:) Love,Robin

Update Thursday 1:45 P.M.

Gershwin made it through surgery with flying colors!!!!! He is waking up really well, on a morphine drip...(I thought about asking for one for me too, after this waiting has made me plumb nuts...No, ....I mean more nuts than normal!!! HAHAHA!)
We are 50% of the way there! The next 24 hours are critical, as we wait to see if his lung problem has been reversed! KEEP PRAYING!!!
My digital camera is up at the hospital. They are taking lots of pictures for us! My buddy Lucy, who one of the vet techs and the smiling lady at the front desk, and I are going to dinner tonight. She will bring my camera to me full of "BABY GERSHWIN'S life being saved" pictures!
We want to thank EACH one of you for your prayers and your donations and just your love...for Small Paws® and for Baby Gershwin. Praise GOD in the morning..he made it through the surgery! Looks like we may come get to fly home on Saturday! More as it becomes available! Love,Robin

Update Friday Morning 12:20 AM
I spoke with Dr. Sonja Gordon this evening. Baby Gershwin is doing SO well, and so far, is showing no signs of the lung problem! (His tummy would already be filling with fluid, and as of tonight, and it is NOT!) Please Keep praying! Here are two VERY GRAPHIC pictures of him in surgery, if you REALLY want to see!:) More tomorrow! Love,Robin

Update Friday Afternoon 2:30 P.M.
It's a miracle I do believe. Gershwin is now out of the woods. The PDA repair reversed the pulmonary problem with his lungs. He's VERY active, squirmy and making real live puppy sounds!



Here he is with Dr. Kelly Nitsche. Gershwin just finshed licking the doctor's nose. He just wagged his little tail to beat the band! (Gershwin...not the doctor.:)

Thanks to ALL of you guys, people who chose to support this rescue effort with gifts of prayers, donations, the hotel room, the airfare, and the rental car...Gershwin will be released tomorrow morning, to go home as a NORMAL Bichon, with a normal Bichon life span. He is going to go home to his new Mama, Jeannie Rogers. His new job title is: Gershwin Rogers,Executive Heart healer.:) Love,Robin

UPDATE Sunday February 10, 2002
Gershwin is home with Dale and I and there is no "off" button. He GOES and GOES and GOES somemore! He blitzes and makes puppy sounds and watches TV. Him is one happy boy.


Here he is killing my hand, as we left Texas A&M. He seems to have no idea anything was ever even wrong with him.:)


Gershwin says THANKS to all of the Small Pawsers who helped to saved his life! He wears a bodysock, (engineered by Dale), to protect his stitches.


They all like Dale. His tail never stops. (Gershwin's...not Dale's)

Update Feb 12, 2002
Gershwin will be flying to his forever Mom and home, in Las Vegas Next Monday. He will stay with us till his stitches come out.:)


Gershwin has wormed his way into following Uncle Dale around.


Dale is just a mean ol' engineer. He doesn't like these little guys at all. Can you tell?


Ok, I asked Dale if Gershwin looked thirsty to him and Ill be if he didn't he offer him MY water glass! I am afraid we are spoiling him rotten. I hope his new Mama can forgive us!:)This is one of the few shots where he is not zooming past the camera.

Update 2/18/02
Gershwin is flying home today to his new Mom in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was hard letting him go. We got attached!:) Here he is at the airport. I wished him a long, happy, and healthy life! Thanks to all of you for helping to save his life!:)

Update 2/18/02 5:50 P.M.
Gershwin is home. Jeanne's Son-in-law picked her up and drove her to the airport. Here they are at his home, with Jeannie's little Grandaughter...and baby Gershwin, heart healer extraordinnaire.:) Grow well my precious little Gershey.

UPDATE! 3/20/02

Date: 3/20/2002 9:58:04 PM Central Standard Time
From: rogersjkt@yahoo.com (jeannie rogers)
To: pup3@aol.com (Robin Pressnall)

Hi, Mama Robin -

Yes, I know - most of us Bichon rescues call you
"Auntie Robin" - but I'm different. After all, you
were my first mama - and you will always be my first
mama. So no Auntie to me are you. No siree!

Are you surprised that I can type and spell so well?
Being only three months old - and not even potty
trained - I have at least learned a few things - among
them how to use a computer keyboard. What else would
you expect from a little guy who belongs to a new mama
who makes her living with words?

And speaking of words, I understand almost all of the
words that Mom says to me. I even know the word, NO.
She says that a lot to me. A LOT, I tell ya!!!!! Of
course, I just ignore her and pretend that I have no
idea what she is saying. Actually (and this is just
between you and me and Daddy Dale), when Mom says NO
and I ignore her, it gives me a little more time to do
what I'm not supposed to be doing - like chewing on a
shoe, or eating a wicker chair, or tearing up a throw
pillow.

Truth be known, at first Mom didn't think I knew what
NO meant, so she got a "spray bottle" of water to
squirt in my face when she says the word NO. Her
daughter, Jill, suggested that she try that. Jill has
a cat - and the spray bottle works with the cat. Just
showing the spray bottle to the cat makes the cat fall
into shape!

But truth be known, cats and dogs are different.
PRAISE GOD!! I love the spray bottle! I just look at
Mom and bark, "Bring it on. The wetter the better."
So Mom decided no more spray bottle. We're back to
just words! The NO word in particular!

Hey, Mama Robin - you 'member how you and Daddy Dale
used to watch television with me? Well, Mom does
that, too, except she only watches news in the
evenings on weekdays and golf tournaments in the
afternoons on weekends. What's a fellow gotta do to
get a change of pace around here? I've tried runnin'
wild in the living room, biting on her pants legs, and
zapping the remote, but to no avail. News and golf.
News and golf. It's enough to make me want to say
AFFLLACCK!!

However, of this I am proud. I have learned to use
the doggie door! In and out, in and out, in and out.
All day long. Of course, I don't always go in and out
to do "you know what," but at least I'm trying. Mom
keeps saying, "Good boy, good boy," and that keeps me
tryin' even more.

Anyway, Mama Robin, I just wanted to let you how
things are going. GREAT!!!! You did a wonderful job
when you rescued me - and an even better job when you
fixed my heart. But you did the best job of all when
you gave me to my second mama. She and I are in love.

Gershwin Nicholas Rogers