June 21st: Courage-the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery. Second definition- Will Flynn I may have sold him short in his mental preparedness, it was far better than mine. From transplant day forward patients take a long slate of meds, require weekly to monthly to yearly scans and tests, constantly looking over the shoulder measuring the chance for rejection. The surgeon…
Sign of the Times
July 9th: Note the scene in the sky, one that I’ve been for quite a chunk of time. Through the years, rainbows have been a symbol that the personal struggle at hand has subsided and the world, even if only temporary, is again on the right axis. By chance, Will has found care for CF and…
Part 1 : The Name
The kid came into the world not breathing hard enough, already in the grasp of cystic fibrosis. I found myself on an elevator with two NICU transport nurses that asked, ” What’s his name?” I paused, still numb and looking to cling to the nearest grounding rod. The nurses asked me again. Clearing my mind…
#Forward
June 26th: The coins in life have two sides. One forced me as a parent to realize that my personal capabilities were outmatched for the matters at hand. The other forced a speciality group to embrace the challenge of an equal stranger. The result has proven that St. Louis was the best choice for Will. With every…
Transplant Talk
Awhile back somewhere early ’18, the tide shifted. Fitting the conversation initiated in a hallway of a remodeled children’s hospital floor that no matter what color you throw on the walls offers no chance for mental healing, just a reminder of how forgotten you can become to the world, medical or otherwise. Often I have…
The End of May
One of my favorite lyrics comes from The Beatles’ ” All You Need Is Love” in which resides the line ” There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.” My interruption is in order to actually live in the moment, you must surrender yourself to all things. That doesn’t mean to…
June 4th
Joy & Pain = Time & Distance What separates us? Is it joy and pain? Consider time and distance. From afar, this situation may reek of pain. Those that love you so closely want to provide an emotional healing blanket. Now from my lens, I am able to absorb the meaning of joy. Imagine being so…
Transplant Day
After officially being placed on the UNOS list for just 22 days, Will received a call at 14:08 on June 7th from the transplant team notifying us an offer was accepted. Coincidentally my grandparents 92nd wedding anniversary sewing in a cosmic tie. We made contact back home, grabbed the go bag, and took one last…