The days went by. Lexi still lay in a coma. Matt told Julie, "Lexi being in a coma is all my fault."
Julie said, "What? That is not true."
Matt said, "Yes it is. I should have called the doctor when I first realized she had a fever. If we had gotten her to the hospital earlier, they would have been able to get the fluid out and decompress her heart before her fever shot up."
Julie told Matt, "Matt, it's not your fault or my fault or anyone's fault, okay? This was just one of those freak occurrences. You know that."
Matt admitted, "You're right." He looked at Lexi-his precious Lexi-who looked like she was peacefully sleeping and told Julie, "What will happen when the press gets word of this? You know they will. We live in the spotlight. When people hear about this, they'll jump to wrong conclusions and judge us. The rumors are already floating."
"What are you going to do about that?" asked Julie.
"I think I should have a televised press conference."
"But you hate press conferences," said Julie. "You've only done a press conference one time, to announce you were sick, and you hated it."
"I know," said Matt. "But this is our daughter, our baby. I think we owe that to her to get the story out correctly before the rumors really start spreading."
Julie told him, "I think that makes a lot of sense."
***
Two days later, Matt faced ESPN for the press conference about Lexi.
Matt stepped up to the microphone and said, "Good afternoon. I agreed to have this press conference to get this story out correctly for the sake of my family and especially my daughter Lexi. As I'm sure you are aware, there have been rumors that Lexi was recently hospitalized with serious health complications and in critical condition and is currently comatose. I am hear to address those rumors right now. They are true. "
He paused a bit before continuing. "Lexi came down with pneumonia a couple of weeks ago, which the doctors believe caused a secondary cardiac infection and severe cardiac tamponade with extensive pericarditis and extreme pericardial effusion. Her fever got up to 105, which they believe is what put her in a coma. That is what I want to emphasize right now. Lexi is in a coma She is not brain-dead and is not on any sort of life support. She still has brain activity and is stable. She just has not woken up yet. And frankly, I don't know why. No one knows why. We are just hoping and praying that she will. Again, she is in a coma, not brain-dead and not on life support."
Matt continued after another brief pause. "As you can imagine, this has been a very difficult time for us. Lexi's status and long-term prognosis for recovery is still uncertain at this point. I do know, however, that the longer she is in a coma, the less chance of recovery she has. So we just hope that she will wake up soon. Please give prayer and support for my family, because this is a very difficult situation and probably will be for a long time. Thank you."
***
The entire Saracen family was in the hospital, surrounding Lexi's bed. It had been a week since the press conference, and Lexi still had not woken up. However, they had gotten so much support, not just from fans in Huntington-they had expected that- but all over America. The entire country, it seemed, was rooting for Matt and his family. Matt told Lexi, "Look how many people are hoping you recover. Please, Lexi, wake up. Please." Matt almost lost it, but he managed to keep himself together for Lexi's sake.
Landon said, "Daddy, is Lexi taking a nap?"
Matt said, "Yes, Landon." Then he muttered, "A very long nap."
Lily said, "How was that press conference last week, Dad?"
"Like detention with cameras."
"Why hasn't Lexi woken up?" asked Lily.
Matt held Lily and said, "I don't know."
Landon said, "But you're the daddy. Daddies are supposed to know everything."
"I wish it were that simple, Landon, " said Julie. "But daddies don't know everything. Mommies don't know everything, either."
"What should we do?" asked Lily.
"Just talk to Lexi," said Julie. "The doctors aren't sure if she can hear us, but it can't hurt, can it?"
***
Another two weeks went by with Lexi still in a coma. It had been about a month since she had gone into it.
The doctor came in that day and said, "Matt, Julie, look... I know this is hard to hear, but.." He led them out of Lexi's room.
"What's going on?" asked Matt. Julie looked scared and on the verge of tears.
The doctor said, "Look, Lexi's condition has not changed in about a month. We've gotten her fever down and she still hasn't woken up. We should definitely have seen more positive signs by this point."
"What are you saying?" asked Julie.
"Look," said the doctor, "I just don't think Lexi will ever regain consciousness."
Matt and Julie cried harder than they ever had in their lives.
"What should we do, then?" asked Matt, after he had composed himself.
The doctor said, "There is nothing more anyone can do for Lexi. I can't swear that she'll never regain consciousness, but the longer her coma lasts, the less the chances are that she will. I would just take Lexi home and let her live out her final days with her family. She deserves that."
Matt and Julie told Lily and Landon what was going on, and Lily was so upset. She loved her "baby" sister and didn't want her to die.
Landon was confused and kept wondering about why Lexi was taking a "nap" for so long. Matt told Landon, "Lexi's not taking a nap."
"Yes she is," said Landon. "Her eyes are closed and she's breathing."
"It's not really a nap if it lasts forever," said Matt, very distraught and upset over the latest development.
The next day, they brought Lexi home to die. The put her bed downstairs and said their good-byes and waited for what appeared to be the inevitable.
Someone forgot to tell Lexi that that was what the plan was. Someone forgot to tell her that these were her last days.
***
It was ten days before Christmas and Lexi had been home for about two months. She remained in a coma, but was still alive and breathing. The doctors were surprised that she was still hanging on, but continued to tell Matt and Julie that they should be prepared for the worst to happen any time.
Matt had been rehabbing his knee that day and walked in the door and greeted Julie, Lily and Landon. Then he said, "I need to say hi to Lexi, too."
He went over to Lexi's little bed and said, "Lexi, I've been working hard at trying to get my knee all better so I can play again. You're one of the reasons I play."
Matt picked up Lexi's hand to hold it, like he had done so many times before. But this time, Lexi made a fist and drew her hand back.
Matt thought, Did that really happen? Did Lexi just make a fist and move her hand? Was I hallucinating? He decided to test it by holding her hand again. She once again made a fist and drew her hand back.
"JULIE! LILY! LANDON! COME HERE!" called Matt, amazed at what was going on.
"What is it?" asked Julie, coming in with the kids.
"Look," said Matt. He took Lexi's hand in his and she once again made a fist and drew her hand back.
"She moved!" said Julie, not believing what she was seeing.
"Yay, Lexi!" said Lily.
"You're the best!" said Landon.
That little hand movement wasn't much, but it was a sign of hope. Two days later, she began to move her arms and shoulders. The day after that, her legs got into the action. Five days before Christmas, the Saracens got an early present-Lexi's eyes briefly fluttered open. It was very clear what was going on. She was slowly, but surely, coming out of her coma.
Four days after her eyes first fluttered open, Lexi had fully emerged. It was Christmas Eve. Although Lexi was like a newborn baby and could not do anything, Matt and Julie didn't mind. Lexi was back, and that was all that mattered.
Everyone was stunned by Lexi's emergence from her three-month coma. The doctors hadn't fully explained why she had gone into it, why it had lasted as long as it did, and why she suddenly woke up. On the day after Christmas, Matt told Julie, "Lexi is a true miracle child. We never should have underestimated her. Even before she was born, the odds were a million to one against her. Yet, she beat those odds then and she's beaten the odds now. She's our miracle."
"Our Christmas miracle," said Julie. "Lexi's recovery is our Christmas miracle." She looked at Lexi and said, "That's right. We're talking about you." Lexi's cheeks turned upward, as if she were smiling. Matt and Julie marveled at their Christmas miracle and watched Lily and Landon play with their Christmas toys.
