A Little Faith

[x129K 1,393]

Summer of 2002, both my sister in law and little brother, as well as my wife and I, were expecting our firstborns. All was going great and we were all very excited.

About 3 weeks before they were due, the doctors noticed "something of concern" with their baby in the sonogram..and they were sent for a more detailed eval down in Westchester. The news was devastating to say the least. The baby's internal organs including the heart were not properly formed, among other abnormalities..they were told she would not survive birth.

In August, they were scheduled for delivery at Wetchester Med...still shell shocked from the news. I remember driving down on August 14th....not knowing what to say, especially since our child appeared to be totally healthy and trying to not be overly excited in front of them.

The delivery was tough to say the least...not only did my brother have to fear losing his first born, but his wife nearly died during the process...the staff at WMC worked their hardest, stabilizing her, and delivering the baby, a little girl, aptly named Faith. She did in fact survive birth...barely...and the second she was born she was whisked away to NICU for so many tests and procedures...

My brother couldnt talk...his wife couldn't even so much as open her eyes..we didn't know what to do, what to say..

My brother was shown how to baptise Faith by our Preist...which he did, as well as her Last Rites..could you imagine that!? I still can't.

We were able to see Faith quickly..and I will be honest..knowing what I knew..I thought it would be best of she passed quickly...when I met her...her eyes were wide open..her little fingers moving...so much about her that day was amazing, but I still can picture her beautiful blue eyes..the eyes of a fighter! I knew right then that no matter what actions needed to be taken, no matter the cost..that little Faith deserved every chance in the world to survive.

And fight she did!

She was taken to Columbia Pres by Stat Flight ground crew..the very same people I had worked with so many times on Empress chopper jobs...My brother was told not to expect her to live through the trip. BUT she did! Faith and her mother spent months living at Colmbia Pres...so many surgeries..rebuilt her heart, as she was born with a single chamber..her kidneys...a feeding tube, chest tubes, so many other things they patched, fixed, or made..amazing work..GOD'S WORK.

MY little brother aged 30 years in that time..barely working so they could be together as a family..just in case..so many times they were prepared for the inevitable.

In November, our Son was born, 100 precent healthy. I would be lying if I said we didnt feel a tinge of guilt, but moreso releived.

Right before Christmas 2002, little Faith came home. Amazing.

She was in and out of the hospital alot...for a long time..more surgeries..got very sick easy..

This all took one helluva toll on my Brother and his Wife. They lived like zombies..no emotion at all..just numb.

We were on vacation in Myrtle Beach the next summer when the house phone rang in the middle of the night..my brother crying that Faith was being airlifted to WMC by Stat Flight and she wasn't going to make it. And we are 13 hours away..

Well...she did survive another battle!

As she grew, she lived a very normal life..but was still plagued by medical issues..a long term feeding tube..frail..

Faith and her mother just returned from her first vacation to Scotland, where her mom was born and raised before coming to th US..

Today we got together to celebrate Faith's NINTH birthday.. This little FIGHTER is as normal as any other 9 year old today..she is the TOUGHEST, BRAVEST, SWEETEST person I know. She could teach volumes on being a survivor...she has more fight in her than I ever will. A NINTH birthday for a wee little lass who wasn't supposed to survive birth. Guess she showed them!

So even though we read daily that the police, fire, EMS, hospital, and medevac staffs are overpaid, under appreciated, overworked, etc..know that there are peopl eout there who benefited from your actions, your training, and your skills..people who appreciate you and what you do - because as little, well, not so little anymore, Faith can prove...you are needed and appreciated..from the Doctors who reconstructed her heart, to the nurses who changed her, to the medics that responded to their house when she collapsed, to the firemen who stood by while the chopper took off with her, to the Trooper who didn't ticket my mother on the TSP...all of you made a difference.

Thank you.

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY FAITHY...I LOVE YOU!

[GoDucks23 6]

WOW! God Bless her! Happy birthday and many many more!

[sfrd18 360]

What a touching, amazing, and unbelievable story! May God bless and watch over her! Happy, Happy Birthday Faith!!!

[FDNY 10-75 640]

Happy Birthday Faith!!! God bless!!

[PFDRes47cue 653]

Beautiful story about what sounds to be an truly amazing child. God Bless her and her strong parents. Enjoy life to the fullest everyday and may you have many more happy birthdays ahead of you.

[JBE 328]

The Force is strong with this one. Happy Birthday, kiddo.

[ex-commish 490]

God Bless!!!