And on a June evening in 1984 my mom started having contractions. What started as an exciting day - full of anticipation - spiraled into a terrifying experience where my mom and little brother both nearly lost their lives. I go into detail about the experience because Michael's first moments on this earth were foreshadowing of his life to come. He has had to fight from day one. And my parents have been his strongest advocates.
My father was watching the baby's heart monitor at the hospital; something wasn't right. He repeatedly told the nurses he was concerned. Nurses assured him nothing was wrong, and that the monitor had been malfunctioning all week. But something was wrong. The umbilical cord was wrapped tightly around my brother, Michael's neck. Doctors didn't recognize the severity of the issue until it was almost too late. With each contraction, the cord wound tighter, and the necessary oxygen Michael needed, was cut off. Michael was slowly suffocating. This went on for four hours. Time was running out. Mom was wheeled in for an Emergency C-Section.
My mom says the anesthesiologist, Dr. Lind, saved her and Michael's lives that night. She remembers the anesthesiologist yelling, "Where is the doctor?!?" A nurse replied, "He is scrubbing up..." To that the anesthesiologist replied,
"He doesn't have time to scrub - if he doesn't get here now, there won't be a baby!"
Mom remembers hearing rapid footsteps - the doctor running to the table where she was strapped down. The doctor grabbed a scalpel and cut mom's stomach horizontally. Her body lifted off the table in pain. There had been no time for anesthesia. Within the hour, Michael was born by c-section on Father's Day -- June 17th.
During the C-Section, the doctor cut mom's uterine artery. Unbeknown to medical officials, mom was stitched up and sent to recovery. She was bleeding internally. Dr. Lind, the anesthesiologist, recognized the problem nearly five hours later. At this point, mom had lost so much blood that her body was shutting down. Dr. Lind frantically pushed mom's bed to the Emergency Room.
"I need you to open your eyes, Ronda," he said. "Take a breath! Do it....breathe'" he pleaded.
"I am so tired," Mom mumbled. "Leave me alone." Her eyes closed.
"No! I won't let you die. You are too young," he yelled.
My mom was 29-years-old. I was almost three, and my father would need her help and support to raise a special little boy who would end up shaping all of our lives for the better.
"Live Ronda," Dr Lind yelled. He slapped mom's face. "Wake up!!"
An on-call surgeon performed surgery on mom, sewing up her uterine artery. The scar from the original c-section cut ultimately hindered her from ever being able to carry another baby.
Mom didn't know if Michael had survived. She hadn't held him. The nurses hadn't said anything to her about him. In recovery again, she had a ventilator to help her breathe. Because she couldn't speak, she signaled for a pen and wrote,
"I want to see my baby" over and over again.
Nurses said no, because both Mom and Michael were in such serious condition. She continued to plead through writing. She finally held Michael, for the first time, four days later. She received 28 pints of blood transfused into her body, to make up for the blood loss from the cut uterine artery. During the blood transfusion, mom received some compromised blood; she contracted a blood disease that wasn't discovered until 13 years later. She now functions on 7 percent of her liver - she has undergone treatments that nearly took her life....and she has survived.
Michael was in the NICU for 17 days. Physicians were very tight lipped about his diagnosis and future well being. My parents felt alone, scared and overwhelmed. Three weeks after Michael was born, a letter came in the mail. It was addressed to the Parents of Baby Boy Wiscombe. The letter informed my parents that a pediatric neurologist had examined Michael during his hospital stay. The words were cold and harsh. The neurologist urged my parents to forget - forget that Michael was born, forget that he was part of this family;
"Put him away. Let him become a ward of the state. Forget that you had him. He will be a vegetable; deaf and blind."
My parents were hurt and upset. My father called the neurologist, whom they had never met.
"First of all," he said. "This baby has a name. His name is Michael.
And secondly, you don't throw people away like trash; you don't just give up on them and forget you had them because they're not perfect."
Words that would be a pattern for the rest of their lives. Never giving up. Always thinking of Michael and his quality of life - first. Michael was 15 Months old before a medical professional gave my parents an official diagnosis. He has cerebral palsy, he suffered brain damage due to the lack of oxygen during his traumatic birth. His muscle control is weak. He relies on my parents for every daily need; bathing, feeding, diaper changing, dressing and administering medications. Of course it hasn't been easy. But our family has rallied around Michael.
Michael has changed us.
He has made us better and more aware of what really matters in life.
And as my only sibling, Michael has been my encouragement, support and example.
So what a miraculous event for me to watch him take center stage; to see my brother in the spotlight. Michael spent a majority of his childhood watching other kids play little league, soccer and run track...while he looked on from the sidelines, in his wheelchair. The day of the Bear Lake Brawl was HIS day; his day to be the star, the athlete, the one everyone came to see.
Jody teamed up with his dad and brother. The three of them helped Michael cross the Finish Line at the Bear Lake Brawl Triathlon 2013. Pretty Remarkable.
Michael was so excited, he didn't sleep the night before! Here is the star of the show - getting ready for the race to begin.
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| Pre-Race with Michael's biggest fans |
It was a perfect September day on Bear Lake. Jody pulled Michael during the swim portion, while Jeff, Jody's brother, swam along side to make sure Michael was doing okay. Michael did better than just okay - I think he was so relaxed out there on the water, that he even fell asleep for a part of the swim. Meanwhile, Jody and Jeff were treading water like crazy! Swimming in the lake is a challenge; it's easy to get disoriented. And pulling a kayak, carrying a person, would be even more difficult. But they did it, and with great speed. Michael barely even got wet. It was so inspirational to watch Jody, Jeff and Greg help Michael swim, bike and run.
“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”
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| My sister-in-law, Lacey and Father in Law, Greg Completing the Swim Portion |
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Jeff pulled Michael on the bike, while Greg followed behind to make sure everything was okay. Michael really liked the bicycle portion of the race. |
I am so proud of Jody for helping to make this dream become a reality for Michael! Months prior to the race, Jody started 'training' with Michael. He spent a number of summer evenings running or biking with Michael - Michael always got very excited when it was a
'training day'.
Gracie was so good to check on her uncle and make sure he was feeling okay - post race.
He's a hero. He needs someone to help pull him along, someone to push him across the finish line - but don't we all, at some point? That's why we're here on earth - to lend a hand, to be someone's legs when they can't possibly make it on their own.
“It has been said that life has treated me harshly; and sometimes I have complained in my heart because many pleasures of human experience have been withheld from me…however, if much has been denied me, much, very much, has been given me…”
― Helen Keller, The Open Door
