My cute cousin is getting married. Cute? More like adorable! Fantastic! Gorgeous!...Anyhooo...she is getting married. My cousins are all beautiful souls. And just as beautiful on the outside.
In leau of gifts for her wedding she is requesting that her guests donate money to the Venice Children's Hospital. When I saw this I had to weep.
*WARNING SERIOUS CONTENT*
My oldest son was born with a congenital heart condition (have your babies checked!!). We didn't find this out until he was 4 years old. The Doctors at Primary Children's Medical Center have been so good to us...to instruct us, to guide us, and to help us know where to go. They have even been so good as to revive Mr. Wonderful from fainting! We spend a great deal of time up there and feel grateful to be so close to such a wonderful facility.
The thing that solidified my love for children's hospitals is that when Shorty was born, he needed to be life flighted to PCMC. I (having just given birth 20 min. before) was unable to attend my very precious cargo on that long journey. The life flight crew got my little bug all ready and brought him to me before they left for SLC. They opened his little incubator and let me give him a few final kisses that would have to tide him (and me) over for a while, until I could get to him in a week or so.
He was life flighted and the best Dr. in the world fixed up my baby! He was careful and steady and diligent. The nurses immediately started taking pictures of him once he was in recovery in the NICU. They would send me those pics. through hospital mail everyday...I seriously slept with one under my pillow in that lonely hospital room (I hope no one ever has to know the loneliness a mother feels when she can't hold her baby...ugh, tummy hurting thinking of a week...let alone a lifetime...boohooo). The nurses would call me whenever he woke up. They were never grouchy when I would call in the middle of the night and ask that they hold the phone to his chubby little cheek while I would sing "I am a Child of God" at 2 a.m. They would tell me how much breast milk he had and encourage me by saying, "You make solid cream!", "It's liquid gold!".
The thing that makes me love these places of turmoil and solace, however, is one experience in particular. The day I brought my little one home from his too long stay at the hospital, he wriggled, and jiggled just a little too much. He tore out all of his stitches...inside and out. I panicked! I threw him in the car and made the drive up to SLC. When we got there and the Dr. looked at the wide gaping wound...they said they couldn't do anything. His little new baby skin was too delicate to stitch up again and he would have to heal on his own. I was so scarred. My heart was beating so fast. They told me they could keep him or I could take him home. I cried, and cried, and cried...I couldn't possibly take care of him with two other Little's running around. I would have to leave him there. Then one of the Dr's. working on him pulled me aside and said, "Of course you can do this! There isn't anyone better suited to do it! You are his mother."
I knew then and there that I could do it...not just that I could, but that I would. I would do this and learn and grow along with him.
For the next 12 months I took care of him at home (well, I still take care of him...its just not as intense medical that I was doing before!). The nurses would call frequently, we would see the Dr. 1-3 times a week and a Home Health care nurse came to check on the baby once a week. For a whole year! We were never billed for this, but I know these angels were being paid. Because people are generous enough to donate to these organizations we were able to be together as a family and I was able to take care of my little bug. Because of people who have dedicated their lives to saving my babies lives, I have been blessed, my family has been blessed and we have learned how to survive!
Thank you, dear cousin, who would rather save lives than flip an omelet with an $80 spatula!
5 comments:
That is a beautiful request from your cute cousin! There can be such a bond with awesome nurses and doctors when you are in a crisis! Thanks for sharing the story. Hope you have a great weekend!
Mindy, I had no idea! great post, you are such an amazing mommy. It is so true, when you can't be with those little angels its like a little (big!) piece of your soul is missing. What a great cousin :)
WOW: As a nurse I am so touched that someone would donate all that $. What a selfless person! You have also touched me as someone who realizes how hard medical personnel work to help other people. It can sometimes be a thankless experience....but cheers to all doctors and nurses across the board! As a Mommy; I know the pain of not having your little ones next to you. I had 4 of my 5 babies snatched away to NICU; I had to leave the hospital without them. I had excellent doctors and nurses take care of them; without them and their care and support, I never would have made it through. Thankfully, the one baby I had (my little caboose) who was supposed to be the sickest of them all, rallied after delivery and was able to stay with me after her birth, the only baby I have ever seen and held after delivery. It was the most awesome experience; much different than all the others. That experience healed many difficult wounds. I'm so glad to have you as an example; and now I love you even more (if possible) after sharing those similar experiences!! You're an amazing Mommy!! Luv yer guts!!
I am very thankful that shorty made it through this.
It was tough to read this and remember that time, but also a good thing; specifically with regard to the fact that he made it through this and can be such a good big brother to shorty jr.
Okay, so I found you!!! You do have a blog! How fun! I shall now read it everyday!
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