Wink from Heaven: Thankful

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Thankful

Sometimes the hospital can be a tender place to be...tonight I'm thinking of things I'm thankful for during this hospital stay:
* Nurses and techs who are compassionate!
* A visitor!
* A surprise balloon and teddy bear!
* 60 cent mashed potatoes in the cafeteria!
* A remodeled front entrance
* Meeting special families.
* Free ice water
* Leaving the PICU! (who knew you could use the phone, have visitors, use the bathroom and eat in your very own room!)
* Meeting a special down syndrome friend in the PICU
* BYU and UTAH rivalry among patients and staff
* A special visit from Josh and Matthew
* A few moments alone with my hubby in the cafeteria
* New knowledge
* Selfless service from family and friends
* Yummy surprises
* Driving to the hospital listening to Christmas music
* Driving home from the hospital while listening to Christmas music
* Not ONE bad weather day to drive in!
* A special friend who has "been there" with a trach child
* Kind comments to read when I got home at night
* Chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies in the cafeteria
* a parking spot every day
* Soft hands (they have good hand lotion in Caleb's care box)
* unlimited rocking chair time
* The Calder game (the book I read)
* Secret Leaf rakers
* Oxygen
* Only two IV's!
* Tissues
* A pink little boy
* Answered prayers
* Courage

5 comments:

Amber said...: You are such an amazing woman. Thank you for sharing your story. Love to Caleb..xxx; November 26, 2008 at 1:18 AM
Amber said...: You are such an amazing woman. Thank you for sharing your story. Love to Caleb..xxx; November 26, 2008 at 1:18 AM
Becky said...: what a sweet, beautiful picture of Caleb. He looks so peaceful and comfortable. I love your list April. I too am thankful to have met you. Even though I went through this first, you have also taught me and I thank you for that. You are a great example to others. Wish I were closer....are you going home today?; November 26, 2008 at 5:30 AM
The 5 Disney Lovers said...: Our experience at PCH was very short compared to your many but we had a wonderful experience there too. Your thankful thoughts sure took me back to when we were at PCH in the PICU with Brayden. Many things that touched our hearts too. Its a scary place to be but also a very touching place to be also. We too met many amazing pts, wonderful nurses, families and drs. I too was thankful for the water and ice machine. :-) That post sure took me back and reminded me of that experience in our life that helped us to realize life is too fragile and too many things in life just do not matter. Thanks for your post April. :-); November 26, 2008 at 9:46 AM
Janene Baadsgaard said...: I am grateful for my daughter April who is full of gratitude even on hard days, full of love even when she is exhausted and full of sunshine even when the storm clouds are overheard. I LOVE YOU!!!!! MOM; November 27, 2008 at 7:33 PM

Prayer for Caleb

(written by Caleb's Grandma in her weekly column -2008-)

In my family we have a secret code to communicate our love for each other when we are out in public. We wink. When one of us is about to perform or speak, we look for a family member’s face in the crowd. Then we wink at each other. Closing one eye and winking is our secret code for saying, “I love you. You can do it. You’re wonderful.”

About three years ago, my grandson Caleb was born into our family. He must have known before birth that he would never be able to speak to us because he was born with one eyelid permanently closed. So, he is always “winking” at us, always communicating, “I love you. You can do it. You’re wonderful.”

Caleb has one eye lid permanently closed because he is missing one of his eyes . . . and he is also missing his brain. All the doctors said he would die soon after birth. They were wrong. Caleb is three years old. He is a medical miracle. The doctors say he can’t see, hear, speak, think or move. Those who know and love Caleb understand he has his own unique way of experiencing the world and communicating his love to those around him.

After Caleb was born the hospice people told us to buy a burial plot and continually warned us of his imminent death. We soon learned you can not live well in a state of fear and sadness. We decided we could spend Caleb’s entire life anxious and scared he might die at any moment, or we could celebrate each day we were blessed to have him with us. In the beginning, my daughter April celebrated Caleb’s birthday every week instead of every year with balloons and cupcakes because we simply did not know how long we would have him with us. We stopped the cupcakes after we gained ten pounds, but the celebrating goes on.

We all prayed for a miracle when we first learned about Caleb’s condition. We got one. Caleb’s birth, life and mission have had a deep and lasting impact on our lives. His spirit, eternal identity and most of all the loving, individual relationship he has with each of us is truly a miracle. Because of Caleb we know that each of us has a divine purpose and that the physical body is a sacred gift we should never take for granted. We better understand the worth of a soul and the resiliency of the human spirit.

Caleb’s five year old brother Matthew said, “Grandma. The doctors said Caleb was going to die, but he didn’t. That’s the first miracle I ever saw!”

Sometimes Caleb’s baby brother Mitchell pulls out his feeding tube while they hold hands riding together in their double stroller. Sometimes the only intervention that can get Caleb’s heart rate up is when his older brothers Josh and Matty crawl in his crib, hug him and sing, “I am a Child of God.” ...If you have a moment please offer a prayer for the little boy who has never been able to utter a single word and yet has taught everyone who knows and loves him – all the secrets of a rich and meaningful life.