Just yesterday a friend of mine had a graveside for her six month old child. As I sit here feeding and looking into the eyes of my healthy very much alive little baby girl it just makes me want to cry. I can only imagine the pain that must of come from her little boys death and will come for a long time yet.
Let me tell you a little bit about the events of this boys life. Allan was born in April about three months earlier than he should have been. But before he was ever born they knew he was going to have to be a fighter to survive. Allan was born with his intestines growing outside of his body. That wouldn't have been too major of a complication if he had been a little older when he was born. Being that he was so young it added other complications. Many of the doctors were surprised as he survived first one week, then two weeks, then a month, then two months and even 6 months. He was a fighter surgery after surgery and complication after complication he kept hanging in there. With each day there was a little more hope that he would survive. At one point there was even talk about how maybe in a month they would be able to bring him home.
Home, something they longed for. They spent their time back and forth between Tucson and here trying to be with him as much as possible but also having other responsibilities. Thank goodness for the Ronald McDonald house. It was a place for them to stay and have food anytime of the day they needed. This was a practically free service provided to those who have children in the hospital for long stays. If they had to rack up hotel bills while there they wouldn't have survived financially.
Allan, after surviving through all of the other complications, contracted pneumonia which was the last thing his little body could handle.
As my husband and I talked about all that had happened to this little family and this little boys life, my first thought was that it would have been easier for his parents if he had passed on shortly after birth than to survive this long and get their hopes up just to have him die of pneumonia. I quickly changed my mind as my husband expressed his feelings. He said if it was him he would look at each day with the child as a treasure or a gift, even though it would be hard. We have to be grateful for each day we have. After the hurt is healed or at least lessened the memories of the moments they had together will still be there.
Say a little prayer for the Mattices and live each day to the fullest.
3 comments:
Hi Cindy,
This is such a heartbreaking story! I'm so sorry to hear that this happened to your friend. The sad thing is, this also sounds exactly like what happened to one of my PTO friends family members this last week as well. They also had the funeral for their 6 month old son this weekend as well. He was their only child. Such heartbreaking times for both of these families! Makes you want to hold your little ones a little tighter and a little longer huh?
Love,
Jennie
I cannot even comprehend such a thing!
Oh my goodness. It helps you to think of how miniscule your own problems are. I cannot imagine the horror of losing a child. I think that is the thing that I could never handle.
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