Prayers for Barbara Seranella — UPDATED

The mystery community has known for some time that Barbara Seranella, well-acclaimed author of the Munch Mancini novels, has been on the wait list for a liver transplant and has been hospitalized for several weeks. Unfortunately, according to a recent post on the DorothyL mailing list, she’s taken a turn for a worse and is in the ICU.

I know I’m far from the only one hoping she pulls through and recovers fully. Seranella’s books are among my very favorites, and she should be around to write many, many more.

UPDATE: According to Randall Hicks, who posted this on the 4 Mystery Addicts mailing list, Seranella’s condition worsened because of a stomach infection, not due to her failing liver or a resulting lung infection. However, a liver just became available and even though Seranella is much sicker than before the doctors believe performing the transplant this afternoon is “their only option.” The operation will take ten hours to complete.

UPDATE, JULY 14, 11:30 AM: Good news has prevailed! Another report from the 4MA list:

Barbara made it through the liver transplant and the doctor thinks it went well. They started the operation a bit later than planned, about 7:30 p.m., and finished earlier than planned, at about 1:30 a.m. (that’s got to be good, right?).

So great news so far. She is not conscious yet, of course, and may not be for awhile. The next three days are critical to see if her body will accept the liver.