September 11th 2009 was a bitter sweet day for George and me. We had spent 116 days in the NICU of the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and cultivated some special relationships with nurses, respiratory therapists, doctors and other hospital staff. These people were there for us during our darkest NICU days, and there were many… Not only were they healthcare professionals, but they were teachers, counselors and friends. The care and love extended to our little family never went unnoticed and will never be forgotten.
As the world mourned for the many victims lost on 9/11 we grew excited with anticipation knowing our daughter was coming home on that very day. By then she weighed a little over 4 lbs. Just to give you an idea, that’s about the same as a 6 apples. She was tiny! Our baby came home with many extras: oxygen tanks, tubing, a compressor, monitor, nebulizers, medications and a list of appointment dates to see a slew of doctors.
The car was loaded with all necessary items including our little baby. I sat in the back seat with Elizabeth while George chauffeured the Queen home. She slept the whole way but I couldn’t keep my eyes off her for fear she would stop breathing. Her lungs were still small and delicate due to chronic lung disease. We watched closely all night for signs of respiratory distress, kept her medication and feeding schedule just like it was done in the hospital. Goodness, her bedroom looked like a mini hospital so it was very hard to relax and grasp that we were finally home.
As always, George and I worked as a team taking turns throughout the night allowing one to sleep while the other administered meds, fed and gave breathing treatments. We had 116 days to plan how we would handle the situation and by the grace of God Elizabeth’s homecoming was a success.
9/11 brings back painful and joyful memories. Every year it serves as a marker of a season that changed my life forever.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
Special Needs Child 