Over the past few months I have been able to connect with other parents whose children also suffer from mitochondrial disorders or have passed away like Graham. Our stories are often quite similar – healthy, happy baby and then out of no where, child begins to seize or developmental regressions occur, doctors then struggle to diagnose, and when a diagnosis is finally determined, the outlook is grim. Despite these awful circumstances that affected our babies, we cling to hope and are dedicated to raising awareness and fighting for our children.
Personally, it is helpful to connect with other parents who can comprehend what it is like to spend weeks in hospitals working with doctors to determine a diagnosis for their child’s condition. These parents know what it is like to watch your previously healthy baby no longer be able to sit, or even eat on his own. These parents know what it is like to fight for their child when doctors tell you there is no hope. It is a club that I hope you never join, but if you find yourself in a similar situation, know you are not alone.
I can’t help but feel God’s impact on forming this community for me. When I toyed with the idea of creating a blog with the intention of connecting with other families who wanted to see firsthand what it was like to lose a child, I was torn over whether or not I should actually do it. There were many questions and reasons why I shouldn’t do this, such as, do I have the time for this? I am a history teacher, not a writer. There are so many other bloggers out there, what makes my voice any different? The list went on and on, but I decided to do it for Graham. God pushed me to step out of my comfort zone to create a space where I can keep his memory alive. And through this, I actually connected with other moms whose children also suffer from Alpers! I also decided to make my Instagram account public to help with promoting the blog, and through that outlet, I also met other mito moms. I even had the chance to run into one of those moms while waiting in line at Michael’s the other day. After we met, I started to think of all the things that had to align for us to meet and it just blew me away. For example, we met on a Wednesday, during the work day. The only reason why I was able to go to Michael’s during the work day was because I wasn’t working. I wasn’t working because Carter was “sick.” I use quotes, because he really wasn’t sick, but he was sent home from school for a mild fever day before. I took him to the doctor to make sure he was okay, and he was. The doctor believed there was an error in how the school took his temperature, but I decided to err on the side of caution and keep him home. By that afternoon it was clear, he was fine. He was laughing and playing and we enjoyed the extra time together. Since he wasn’t sick, I decided we should run a quick errand to return an item to Michael’s and avoid the weekend traffic. When we got there, the line was pretty long, and as we were waiting, the woman in front of me asked about Carter. As we talked about his age, his chubby cheeks, her grandbabies, what it was like meeting Santa, etc. the woman in front of her turns to me and asks me my name. Long story short, she’s another mito mom who found me on Instagram. What are the odds? I can’t help but feel God’s hand in that exchange. And He keeps doing it. He keeps connecting me with other mito families. Why? I think it’s because He knows we need each other. He knows what is in our hearts before we even realize it. He knows what will feed our soul and keep us healthy as we overcome these tragedies. I know this, because this is what I need the most.
I love all my parent friends. Anyone who is a parent knows what it is like to care and love a child with all your heart. You understand the happiness, the stress, the anxiety, the excitement, the worry, and the joy. It is easy to find a community of other parents who truly get it. And as parents, we always encourage each other and build each other up, which I appreciate daily. But as a parent who has lost a child, or to be a parent of a child who is living with any type of disease or sickness, we stand out a little. Each of us has our own story, yet we relate to one another. Our journey has been messy and complicated, which is why need each other. We get it, when sometimes it feels like no one else does.
#growgrahamgrow 