Baily and Zach are inspiring reminders to keep life in perspective
Carson, now 9 months old, has been under the weather for nearly three weeks, and heÕs finally coming around to normal again.
Let me tell you, it's been a long three weeks. I hardly recognize the kid's nose without snot oozing from the nostrils, and a solid nightÕs sleep seems a distant memory. It's a tremendous relief to put my lips to his forehead and feel a cool 98.6 degrees.
That would be the happy ending to my sad little tale, except now both Grandma Ehde and I have the sniffles - no doubt contracted from stray germs strewn about by careless baby sneezes.
My cold will take awhile to get over, but I quickly recovered from an irritating case of self-pity Monday morning. Driving to work that day, my bones ached and the rear-view mirror reflected sleep-deprived, puffy, red-rimmed eyes.
Woe, woe was me.
That was when I heard a radio spot for Children's Miracle Network about our local families featured in this year's new "Radiothon."
Suddenly our little bout with a cold and ear infection didn't seem so serious. Some parents would give their right arms to have such ailments be their biggest concerns.
Zachary Zwaan, for example, was born with heart troubles and ended up with multiple life-threatening conditions when his brain was damaged in surgery.
His parents, Monte and Staci Zwaan, are all too familiar with self-sacrifice and the emotional roller coaster of "good days" and "bad days" of ZachÕs response to medical treatments.
Luverne's Baily Vis was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a degenerative condition that causes muscle depletion and affects respiratory functions. Baily, now 4 1/2 years old, is currently recovering from pneumonia, a collapsed lung and digestive complications, among other things.
The hospital has become a second home for his parents, Shawn and Karmen, as they spend every spare minute with him.
Remarkably, these young families don't spend much time feeling sorry for themselves. In their minds, they're the lucky ones É they thank God for every minute they're granted with their precious gifts from heaven - their little angels. Their Children's Miracle Network interviews are touching and inspiring.
Sure, these parents are weary from the struggle, but they're grateful to have the opportunity to know and love their children. That, they say, is a blessing, considering so many parents donÕt get that chance.
We would all do well to remember these testimonies of human spirit the next time clouds of self-pity gather on our horizons.
The Children's Miracle Network radiothon ends today at 5:30, but there's still time to participate. Call Luverne Community Hospital, 283-2321, for pledge information.
Send Lori an e-mail