Five Years On

Five years on and the memories are still vivid

Of a tiny baby being wheeled away, off into the twilight of life versus death

Five years since the longest wait to see you again

Covered with wires, the bright intensity and babble of foreign medical languages which we had yet to learn.

Five years since the sleepless 3am visits and somehow existing

With the unexpected kindness of staff, family and precious friendships

Five years since we took you home for a while, heart working well

And yet you were not well, the sleepless nights, the return to monitors, oxygen, constant alarms

The delayed return to work, the fear that we didn’t know what was wrong, of holding our breath and living on pins

Would you make it? 

Sitting on the campbed in new makeshift residence and living out of bags

The sun trying to force its way through the blinds and tell us it was going to be ok in the end

Five years on, you are a picture of strength, happiness and cheekiness

Five years on we are stronger and almost healed…

Today marks the five year anniversary of my son Jake’s open heart surgery. To say it was a tough time is really quite an understatement. With thanks to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House for all their fantastic work and to family and friends for their love and care.

9/2/2016