Sun. Jan. 29th — 5 Painful Years
Five years ago today, we brought our beautiful son to the hospital for what was to be a routine appendectomy. Before the day was over, he was diagnosed with leukemia, went into septic shock, and his heart stopped. The perfect life of our “Family of Four” would be forever changed that day. In some ways, it seems like it was yesterday. And, in some ways, it seems like 10 years since I heard my son’s voice, since we hugged, since we told each other “I love you”. Andrew, I miss you so much! I love you, Pal.
Ali always has a beautiful way with words, so I decided to copy her Facebook posting from today.
5 years ago was a typical day, until I got a call from my mom saying I needed to get a ride home from school because my parents were at A.I. duPont Hospital for Children| Nemours with Andrew for what they thought would be an appendectomy. Later that night, my dad came home, sat me and my grandmother down and told us Andrew had Leukemia. I ran upstairs, packed a suitcase, and within minutes my Mom called from the hospital saying they were rushing Andrew to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and that we had to get there immediately. We got there as doctors and nurses swarmed his room…so many doctors and nurses that we weren’t even allowed in the room. Next thing I know, I see them doing chest compressions to keep my little brother alive. The doctor told us then that Andrew wouldn’t live through the night. Each time a doctor or nurse would leave or enter Andrew’s room, we would scream into the room how much we loved him, how much we still needed him and begged him not to give up. True to form, he never gave up. I’m SO proud to be “Andrew’s Sister”.
So proud to be,
Ali & Andrew’s Dad