Perspective

Today has been a hard day.

We belong to a club - a club that you wouldn't want to belong to. It's a club where the membership requirements are to have a child with a Congenital Heart Defect. There are so many out there that belong to this club and it ties and binds us together. Many of us never meet, but we are bound together by circumstances and we keep up to date with our blogs. Sometimes we have the chance to meet and we share our stories with each other. We talk a language not many people speak - but we all understand it. We should all be given honorary nursing degrees with the medical knowledge we must learn and the medical procedures we have to perform on our sweet babies and children. We have been through thick and thin, endured long hospital stays, been on roller coaster rides of emotions and wondered how long we would be permitted to be parents to a special heart baby. Some children live a long time, others are too perfect and return to Heavenly Father all too soon.

We have been following a sweet baby named Gracie who was born 11 days before Carter. She spent about the same amount of time in the hospital as Carter - and although we never met (she was in PICU - we were in NICU) we feel like we know her. She was born with HLHS (Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome - basically half of a heart). After some disappointing news, the family learned the only way to have Gracie remain here with her family would be through a heart transplant. They got the call three days after being placed on the transplant list and rejoiced in their second chance. However, the heart they received wasn't the best and it wouldn't work for Gracie. She came out of a 13 hour surgery on life support (ECMO). They relisted her to hopefully get a new heart - but her body has worn out and she will no longer make it through another surgery. Her sweet, sweet family is telling her good-bye today. Life is not fair is it? If you would like to read her story click on "Gracie's Blog".

So today my perspective changes. We have watched other heart babies earn their wings all too soon and each one is a reminder of how precious life is. We are deeply affected by their lives and we mourn with their families. I spent a lot of today with tears in my eyes hoping that this family is feeling the strength of their Savior as the angels usher sweet Gracie into heaven. So my day was not bad - it was hard - but someone else's was harder. Carter has not had an easy life - I wonder how much he will be required to go through - but he is here and he is happy. Please pray for these sweet heart babies - they need all the prayers they can get. They have tough lives - they have to endure much - they are special. Give your children an extra special hug tonight just because you can....life is so precious and beautiful.