Minnie, Memories and More

Funny how it gets me sometimes.  Always when I don't see it coming.

I had a woman contact me a little while back.  Her husband is Transposition of the Great Arteries like Evie.  He's 30 plus years old.  The oldest guy I "personally" know with her heart condition.  An inspiration for me to watch his relatively "normal" healthy life.  He's the dad of two kids.  And was waiting for a heart transplant.

I hadn't checked in in a while, so I popped over to their blog tonight and read that he received his donor heart.
...and there were complications.
and he didn't make it.

Feel like the wind has been sucked out of me.  I just sat at the computer and wept.
For the wife without a husband now trying to be both mother and father to these sweet children even as she suffers her own grief.

Granted, while his heart is similar to Evie's, his surgery was performed many years before hers and progress is being made every day in the field battling this beast of CHD.  But I see another fallen heart-hero and my own heart takes another arrow!

There are days the scary questions and future complications can be pushed to the deep recesses of my brain.  Days when I can focus clearly on the now and how God has given grace for today.  Days her bouncing curls and adorable underbite and incessant giggle drown out the disturbing unknown.

Tonight Im taking a deep breath.  And going in to kiss her sleeping forehead again.  But I am grateful all the more for the amazing opportunities the Lord has provided for her to live life to the fullest and for His showers of blessings in tangible ways.

Because she has qualified for Make A Wish, the organization contacted Wish families in the area and sponsored them to go to Disney on Ice last week.  MAW is SO good to the families too!  Big kids were in school, so C and I took and opportunity to take just Izzy and Evie on a little date.

A total treat.
Popcorn and all.
Awesome seats.
Woody and friends.
Moe's lunch afterwards.

Memories.  Savoring them!