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I could not think of a better time for another update than on Easter. Exactly 11 years ago tomorrow, we came home after Garrett’s first transplant. Diagnosed in utero with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, we waited 9 months for a heart….7 of those months after he was born. He lasted, at the time, longer than any child on record. He refused to quit then, and he refuses to quit today.
Since my last update in February, we attended the American Heart Association Heart Ball in Colorado Springs. It was the second year in a row that they’ve used Garrett’s story to help raise awareness and money for research. In 2011, they raised $25,000 more than the year before, in an economy worse than a year ago. The blessings continue to reign as we continue to hope that Garrett’s story will help other children and families.
Garrett was given a gift of a turkey hunt in Kansas by some really cool men who own a local company. The trip was incredible. It was shared with Warren and Hal, the brother and daddy of Darren, the boy who gave Garrett his heart in 2008. Watching these two boys grow in their relationship and enjoy the brother they both need, makes a lot of the tears, fears and heartache seem worthwhile. Garrett didn’t get his turkey, but he’s hoping for retribution next month as he repeats his last year’s hunt with our friend, Marv.
It was during the hunt last year that Garrett became sick and was almost taken from us within a week. A biopsy scheduled in May will hopefully tell us that he’s completely clear of any issues and we can relax a little more. Incredibly, just a few days before the Kansas trip last weekend, Garrett began complaining of chest and left arm pain. We took him in to the local hospital and within an hour they had him hooked up to an IV and put Flight for Life on standby. They were very concerned and thought Garrett was having little heart attacks again. Understandably, we were scared out of our wits. Garrett was petrified and at one point started pulling the monitor wires from his chest and crying that he was “out of here”. He said “daddy, I don’t want to die. I don’t want to go through this again!” I hurt for him and his momma and sister, and I’ve got to admit that some of the memories keep me looking over my shoulder, too. Sometimes it’s difficult to focus on anything, and becomes an unpleasant distraction. His anxiety is still fairly high at times and the nightmares come and go, but I know that good news on May 3rd will help all of us a ton. It will be a pretty big day as they plan to biopsy the heart and enter both sides of the heart and coronary arteries. A long and trying ordeal to be sure, but necessary.
In the mean time, Garrett’s playing baseball again. He started out pretty scared, because two out of the last three years he’s gotten sick during baseball season. It has nothing to do with baseball, but it’s hard not to think about the connection. But he finally moved past that fear and is having a great year. He went 3 for 3 at the plate the other night and 4 for 4 in the field. He’s back!
11 years ago tomorrow, the day after we celebrate the reason for our faith, God let us come home. In the time since, we’ve traveled many roads, shared a cacophony of emotions and seemingly crawled the journey through some of the bumpy times. But Christ’s promises keep us grounded and give us strength to carry the fight another day.
Life is good, so greet each day with a smile.
God bless you,
JD
Since my last update in February, we attended the American Heart Association Heart Ball in Colorado Springs. It was the second year in a row that they’ve used Garrett’s story to help raise awareness and money for research. In 2011, they raised $25,000 more than the year before, in an economy worse than a year ago. The blessings continue to reign as we continue to hope that Garrett’s story will help other children and families.
Garrett was given a gift of a turkey hunt in Kansas by some really cool men who own a local company. The trip was incredible. It was shared with Warren and Hal, the brother and daddy of Darren, the boy who gave Garrett his heart in 2008. Watching these two boys grow in their relationship and enjoy the brother they both need, makes a lot of the tears, fears and heartache seem worthwhile. Garrett didn’t get his turkey, but he’s hoping for retribution next month as he repeats his last year’s hunt with our friend, Marv.
It was during the hunt last year that Garrett became sick and was almost taken from us within a week. A biopsy scheduled in May will hopefully tell us that he’s completely clear of any issues and we can relax a little more. Incredibly, just a few days before the Kansas trip last weekend, Garrett began complaining of chest and left arm pain. We took him in to the local hospital and within an hour they had him hooked up to an IV and put Flight for Life on standby. They were very concerned and thought Garrett was having little heart attacks again. Understandably, we were scared out of our wits. Garrett was petrified and at one point started pulling the monitor wires from his chest and crying that he was “out of here”. He said “daddy, I don’t want to die. I don’t want to go through this again!” I hurt for him and his momma and sister, and I’ve got to admit that some of the memories keep me looking over my shoulder, too. Sometimes it’s difficult to focus on anything, and becomes an unpleasant distraction. His anxiety is still fairly high at times and the nightmares come and go, but I know that good news on May 3rd will help all of us a ton. It will be a pretty big day as they plan to biopsy the heart and enter both sides of the heart and coronary arteries. A long and trying ordeal to be sure, but necessary.
In the mean time, Garrett’s playing baseball again. He started out pretty scared, because two out of the last three years he’s gotten sick during baseball season. It has nothing to do with baseball, but it’s hard not to think about the connection. But he finally moved past that fear and is having a great year. He went 3 for 3 at the plate the other night and 4 for 4 in the field. He’s back!
11 years ago tomorrow, the day after we celebrate the reason for our faith, God let us come home. In the time since, we’ve traveled many roads, shared a cacophony of emotions and seemingly crawled the journey through some of the bumpy times. But Christ’s promises keep us grounded and give us strength to carry the fight another day.
Life is good, so greet each day with a smile.
God bless you,
JD
