Day Two at St. Mary's- Dad' perspective

Leaving St. Mary's last night was not easy. The silence in the elevator was more empty than usual, the gloomy night seemed emphasized by the current situation and arriving home without company was just strange. Nevertheless, I knew Connor and Jenn were in good hands and cared for. So, I tried to get some rest in hopes that his recovery would be progressing through the evening. Carly was at Nonnie's house. It was actually not hard to fall asleep after a day of emotions.

I awoke early and the update was good from St. Mary's. Connor was getting better. Treatments were spreading out and he was sustaining his health and breathing between them. I was relieved. The other bed in the room had remained vacant, which was also good news for them.

In route to the hospital, I made my family update calls and stopped by Panera for bagels for the wonderful nurses and doctors at St. Mary's. As I was approaching the entrance I was greeted warmly by Pastor Rick, the Pastor of our church, who was leaving. He immediately asked me how Connor was and I was a little perplexed. How closely does he speak with God anyway? = ) Actually, he explained that e-mails had been sent and he graciously offered comfort and prayers for which I was appreciative.


It was a relief to see Connor and mommy sitting together and smiling upon my arrival. He was in good spirits and doing well. His morning treatment at 7am was done and we would wait until 11am to see the results.

As we sat in the room, Jenn set an appointment for Carly with the doctor , who had a rough night at Nonnie's house. Wow, what next? Just before Jenn left Connor and I to pick up Carly, an amazing event took place. We were introduced to a gentleman who entered the room with a gift in hand. He was smiling and we listened as he greeted us generously and handed Connor the wrapped present. We didn't know what to make of the situation, but Connor had no trouble with his responsibility. He was ready to find out what this unexpected surprise was all about. He proceeded to open this gift and it was a CAT motorized forklift to play with, which was something that he, ironically, asked Santa for this Christmas. Miracle? Well, this time maybe! The gentleman openly answered some more of our questions and told of his story. He was 8 years old and was hit by a car. He was admitted to the hospital during the holiday season for 6 months. This impacted his life significantly. He remembered the isolation and depressive times there and wanted to impact children here in a positive way during their stay. What an unbelieveable and inspiring story! In short, we could not express our gratitude enough and asked him to pose with Connor in this picture. He is an example for us all.

11am treatment is happening and we are told we may leave soon after. Jenn and Carly are seeing the doctor now elsewhere and those findings are pending. We are hopeful and excited to go home and we will hopefully all be united again very soon. Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement.