Devastating News

The image of that day is burned into my mind, as if it had just happened yesterday, though it was over a year ago.  I had just gotten into my office at school, later than usual because we’d had some snow and a delayed opening.  I hadn't even turned on the light yet, and my phone rang.  When I picked it up, I was surprised to hear my sister’s voice, and my heart sunk.  She never calls me at school.  She and my brother-in-law had gone to an appointment that morning to go over results of an ultrasound.

“They want us to terminate the pregnancy,” she was hysterical, and I felt sick to my stomach.

“Why?  I don’t get it.  What’s wrong?”

“They did another ultrasound to look at the kidneys closer.  They said he hadn’t developed properly, that he wouldn't have the ability to urinate.”

I couldn’t even wrap my brain around what she was saying.  She and her husband had already suffered two miscarriages and undergone numerous fertility treatments.  This was the miracle baby, and I loved him as if he was already a member of our family…because he was.  We’d just gone to their house the weekend before for a big Gender Reveal party.  That’s when it hit me.

“Wait, I saw the ultrasound picture.  You know, the one where the ultrasound technician wrote “It’s a boy.” and pointed an arrow at the proof?  It couldn't have just disappeared!”

She agreed, but said the doctors still stood by their assessment.  In the days that followed, days of sadness and fear, my sister began the process of getting a second opinion, this time at Boston Children’s Hospital.  When you’ve got the bets in your backyard, that’s where you turn.

Wise guy from birth!  I bought him that bib. :)

I remember my sister telling me about their first visit, and it resonated with me what she said about how every single person, from the parking garage to the doctors, had been so incredibly kind and helpful.  They listened, they asked questions,  and answered questions.  Most importantly, they reassured the frightened parents that their little guy, though facing abnormalities with his kidneys, was not in as dire a situation as they’d been led to believe.  Might he need repairs, or even removal of a kidney?  Yes.  Might he have a restricted diet, or have to be monitored into adulthood?  Possible.  But, he would live, and he had a very good chance of growing up to be a happy, healthy boy.

That was the first time I realized, on a personal level, how lucky we are to live so close to such an amazing medical facility.  That, and the things they’ve done for my nephew and his parents since, is why I will lace up my shoes and rack up the miles again.  They are able to know what they know and do what they do because of their fundraising efforts, and I am so excited about giving my time and effort to keep that going.

Consider a donation in honor of a child you love, one who’s benefited from Boston Children’s Hospital, or one who’s been healthy enough to never have been there.  If you click the logo on the right, you’ll go right to my donation page.

Thanks, a million smiles worth!