"A Time I Had Courage"

I love William's second-grade teacher, Ms. Webb. She gets her students -- and especially my 8-year-old -- thinking about life ... in funny, silly and serious ways. One of her assignments recently was to have her students write about "A Time I Had Courage." 

William was only 27 months old the time he had to have the most courage ever, so he has little if any original memory of this time, but we have talked to him about it enough, he has seen photos of this time enough, and he has heard us tell his story to others enough, that he knows a lot about this particular time he had courage. 

I'm not going to tell his story this time, though. He has done that all on his own . With William's permission, here is his story about "A Time I Had Courage."

Happy Heart Day, William! Five Years!

Five years ago today, we gave our son over to the pediatric heart team with the UF Health Congenital Heart Center so they could fix his heart. Some days it feels like it was just yesterday, other days like it was a lifetime ago.

But one thing that never wavers or changes is our gratitude. Five years later, we are still so grateful to our pediatrician Dr. Dean Dalrymple and local pediatric radiologist Dr. Charles Williams, who finally diagnosed William at age 1, after he'd been so sick for a year. Grateful to Dr. Jay Fricker for taking care of William's heart until Shands hired a pediatric heart surgeon. Deeply grateful to that pediatric heart surgeon -- Dr. Mark Bleiweis -- for choosing Shands and for Shands choosing him. Because of these doctors, William is a happy, healthy, soon-to-be second grader who doesn't have a care in the world.

William, immediately after surgery to
repair his partial anomalous
pulmonary venous return, June 29, 2006.

William with big brother Martin, the day after surgery.
Uncomfortable, but loved listening to his bunny's heart.

Sitting up in a chair the day after surgery.
Not a happy camper, but when his brother
asked, "Does it hurt?,"
William replied, "No, not much."

Hanging out in bed on Day 2, still feeling sore, still hooked
up to chest tubes that drained blood from his chest cavity.

Back in the chair again on Day 3. This
time he gives his Grandma a smile.

Day 4 and feeling good. Getting ready
to go home! Yes, surgery was on a
Thursday. We were HOME by the next
Monday! That's how William and
Dr. Bleiweis roll.

"Seriously, Dr. Bleiweis. I am SO ready to go home!"

Saying so long to his favorite PICU Nurse Josh Campbell.

Since surgery, we have yearly checkups. We have echos.

We have EKGs.

Sometimes, we have CT scans of our chest
and visit our surgeon so he can see how much |
we've grown and how awesome we're doing
(doctors love to see that with all their patients!)

We even go to Gainesville to walk in the AHA
Heart Walk with our pediatric cardiologist
and pediatric nurse. We love Shands and AHA!

But mostly, we simply revel in every day. Feeling blessed that everything is going so well, and that William is happy and healthy. If you'd like to read more about William's journey, go to www.carepages.com; his CarePage name is MasterWilliam.

Happy 5th Heart Day, William!

We love you so, so much!

William Scores His First, Long-Awaited Soccer Trophy

Since William was 3, he has begged for his brother to give him one of
his dozen, prized soccer trophies. We, of course, have told William
when he plays soccer when he's older, he'll earn his own soccer trophy.
He just had to be patient. Today was the day he earned his first trophy!

Dear Coaches Stephen and Brian:

Thank you so much for being great coaches. It’s been such a positive start to William’s soccer “career.” Not every volunteer coach gets the right mix of skill-building, fun and positive reinforcement, but you both got it right all season.

So you know just what a wonderful milestone this soccer season has been for our family …

Letting William run free and wild on the field, and letting him decide when he needs to take a break, has been a huge step for us. William was born with a heart defect. When he was 2 years old, his heart was repaired through open-heart surgery at Shands Children's Hospital.

William has always had the all-clear to play whatever sports he likes, but as worried parents who weren't sure what a "heart kid" could do, we bite our nails – and have had to learn to bite our tongues – when William plays sports. We have to remind ourselves that he really is just a regular kid.

Watching William in his first practice and in his first game were sweet, sweet milestones. Because there were times, when William was a baby, that we weren’t sure he would make it at all, never mind be able to run around on a soccer field, passing the ball to his teammates and scoring goals. I've never seen a kid smile so much running up and down a soccer field. William has had a blast, and Joaquin, Martin and I have totally enjoyed watching him play.

Thank you both for helping make William’s first soccer season such a memorable one. We are very grateful.

Karen, Joaquin and Martin

Always Grateful

My now 6-year-old son William spent most of the first year of his life sick. Constantly sick. No one seemed to be able to figure out what was wrong. One doctor kept telling us William was sick because he was in daycare.

Finally, just 12 days short of his 1st birthday, William was diagnosed with scimitar syndrome (sometimes called partial anomalous pulmonary venous return). A year after that -- four years ago today -- on June 29, 2006, William's beautiful little heart was repaired at Shands Children's Hospital at the University of Florida.

We are ever, ever grateful to Dr. Mark Bleiweis for his special gift of fixing babies' hearts. We thank God often, still today, for pediatrician Dean Dalrymple and pediatric radiologist Charles Williams for their sense of urgency, curiosity and diligence in getting to the root of William's illnesses. If not for these amazing people, we might still be wondering what was wrong. And we are always thankful for William's pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Jay Fricker, who makes sure William continues to do well. 

One of William's biggest supporters and cheerleaders, though, doesn't often get public praise, but he certainly deserves it for his eternal patience, his constant support, his everyday care and never-ending hugs and love. I think God specifically chose Martin as William's big brother because He knew that William would have a rough start in life and that Martin would take extra-special care of William. They have a beautiful brotherly bond, especially for siblings who are nine years apart. They are best Bubbas.

After four years, 14 years, 40 years, we will always pause on this day -- June 29 -- and thank God for His presence in William's and our lives, and for guiding us to the people William needed to be whole and healthy.

Happy Heart Day, William. We love you and are so glad you are here and whole and healthy and happy.