After spending 48 days straight in the Children's Hospital, the Thiessen's are taking a moment to rejoice as their daughter is finally showing signs of getting better.

"This weekend just felt like, suddenly there was hope for us going home at some point, and finally seeing some sort of improvement," says Cari Thiessen, Hallie's mom. 

Hallie is only two-years-old but she's been in the hospital with health complications for much of her life. She suffers from Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease (EGID) which basically makes Hallie's body act like it's allergic to food. This means she has a feeding tube that brings formula straight to her stomach.

Cari, Hallie's mom has spent almost the entire past 48 days in the hospital with her daughter, watching her get infections, allergic reactions, and complications from what should have been an easy surgery.

On February 8, Cari posted a victory to her Facebook alongside a little video of Hallie spinning in circles and giggling. 

"The reason for the length of our stay has been to put out all of these fires. Also, because she's been on TPN, which is just nutrition that goes through an IV rather than through her GI system, we haven't been able to go home on that."

The family is waiting to take Hallie home and it will take her being off TPN and taking in food or nutrition properly through her mouth. 

"We were basically at a standstill as we were at 5 ml's an hour for weeks and weeks. It's not very much as our goal was 45 ml's an hour."

After praying and asking for prayers for their daughter, something changed early in February. 

"All of a sudden this last weekend it was like there was a giant shift. She was doing great and they started letting her take her formula by a bottle. Within two days she was at her full formula feeds."

Most of the nutrition is now coming to Hallie orally, but some of it still goes through the tube. 

"We still have a ways to go because we still have to ween off TPN and we have some antibiotics left from her sepsis, but it finally feels so hopeful."

Hallie can now go 12 hours throughout the day not hooked up to tubes, which means she gets to roam the halls. 

"When she's tube-free, the biggest thing she likes to do is walk many laps around the ward and dance for all the nurses. She's quite a little charmer as she wants to play peek-a-boo and dance with everyone."

Jon Thiessen, Hallie's dad is often at home with their other daughter Addison who just turned five. Sometimes the couples switch roles for a few hours, but Addison hasn't seen her little sister in almost 50 days, because of COVID restricting visitors at the hospital. 

"Thank goodness we live in an era where we have video chat. So at least they get to see each other that way," says Cari.

The family still doesn't have any idea as to when Hallie might be discharged. The time has been quite taxing on Cari as a mother, but she says her 'village' has been helping them all out. 

"For me, I always find so much comfort and relief in worship music. I have it playing in the background in our hospital room all the time. When I don't have the words, those songs do. I really lean into God through my time sitting in those worship songs, letting Him recharge me."

The family is asking for prayers that Hallie will be able to go home soon, as well as taking the victory at this moment of her taking formula orally.

"Being in a hospital, especially during COVID is incredibly lonely, so knowing that you have people's prayers helps tremendously."

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