Will is a special boy with a special heart.
Nearly 3 years ago, Will survived open heart surgery.
I remember the ER visit where we knew something was wrong, but we didn’t know what it could be. I remember how small he looked in that big bed.
I remember the doctor coming in at 3am on Sept 10th to tell us that Will was struggling to breathe and they would need to intubate him. I remember that same doctor telling us an hour later that our son had a critical heart defect that would require surgery. I remember signing the forms and releases to get our son on a life flight before the sun came up. I remember the life flight team taking him away, the first moment I was ever apart from him. I remember the drive to Oklahoma City and rushing through the hospital to find him.
I remember the next week, where our baby was sedated, trying to heal his other organs that had been damaged by lack of blood flow.
I remember the morning, on September 16th, where I watched my 17-day old baby take a left down a hallway while we took a right. I put his life in the hands of a brilliant team who saved it.
I remember waiting in that small room with Ben to my left while we held our breath for five hours. The tears after the nurse telling us it was over, he made it, he’s resting.
I remember seeing him after they brought him back. We saw his beating heart. We touched his beating heart. It was beautiful. It was terrible.
Will is the strongest person I know. He is resilient, he is brave, he is special.