The loss of your child. I cannot fathom such a thing, yet it consumes me entirely sometimes. Often, these times are just moments; sometimes, they are nightmares. To even think such a thing can quicken your pulse and give pause to your breath.
To think on it for more than a moment can make you lightheaded . . . woozy . . . fearful. Your senses become hyper sensitive as you verify the life of your child…”Where is she?” “Breathing ok?” “Napping ok?” “Still playing in the backyard without incident?”
I recently had a scare of this in the family, as a cousin’s child was admitted to the hospital in what seemed to be a metabolic shock due to a rare genetic disorder. While this may have been related, it appears to have been a case of infant botulism that set off the symptoms, and sent young Maddie T. to the hospital. Maddie T. is recovering well, and as of today, is back home with her parents and will undergo several therapies for a while to get back to full capability in this world. Maddie T. is five months old. All is going well and she appears to have a long life ahead of her. Praise the Lord above!
Unfortunately, this week, one family’s worst nightmare has become reality. Yesterday, Tuesday, April 7, 2009, Maddie Spohr, a mere 17 months old, passed away. I just learned of her today via my friends on Twitter. She was born prematurely, and had some breathing troubles, but had apparently been doing well, all things considered. She developed a cough this past weekend, and ended up in the hospital. She won’t be walking out of the hospital . . .
I can’t provide much more info on her or her family at the moment, as the family’s primary website is currently unavailable (due to poor policies and customer service by Bluehost…don’t use them if you want a reliable site that can be there in a time of need…) – but I will link to it once it appears to be working again.
The parents wish for all good wishes to be expressed as donations to the March of Dimes, which helped them during Maddie’s premature delivery. In Pittsburgh, spearheaded by @burghbaby via her blog post titled “For Maddie,” people are donating more than their money; they are creating a team to walk in the March for Babies in tribute of Maddie Spohr.
If you are a parent, please consider donating. If you live in Pittsburgh, and are free May 9th, how about joining the team for the walk? (Unfortunately, I plan to be out of town that weekend, and will not be able to walk with the team. I will be there in spirit.)
Thank God for Maddie T.’s wonderful recovery. Pray for the Spohrs as they go through this awful loss of their Maddie. I hope I never have to find out first hand how it would change me. I dare not think on it too long, for it would tear me apart, and may just be tempting fate. Who knows?
For the families of both Maddies: we, collectively, are here. Take care.
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