Special Friends....Special Wishes......

Another birthday wish...to a very special boy with a very special heart....Caden Marshall Smith is one today! The story of Caden: Our neighbor-friend Erin came to us last winter to let us know of a family who found out in utero that they were having a baby with HLHS. Immediately, I wanted to run to that family, hug them and tell them that everything was going to be okay....B was living proof that kiddos are tough, resilient and thrive even after enduring the medical marathons at such a young age. But, well, strangers just don't do that...right? With the help of Erin, we started an e-mail correspondence with the Smith's, offering encouragement as they embarked on this new journey. I remember cheering at my computer after I had read how they chose to have Caden's surgeries performed in Milwaukee (they live in Illinois). I know I might be biased, but CHW is absolutely the best with their amazing staff of doctors and nurses. Caden was born on March 11th, and we followed his progress on the blog his parents created for him. His first surgery, the Norwood, was performed on March 16th. That evening, we found ourselves in the same PICU, surrounded by the same doctors and nurses Caden was with that day/night. I remember as we walked out of there, I looked down the hallway and wondered about the Smith family...were they there? Were they in a room just like we were 2.5 years ago, watching their son fight for his life? How will we ever break the news to this family...this family who we've been encouraging and giving hope to? Even though we were walking away with empty arms, my heart was still thinking of another family and their own fears through all of this. :sigh:

We briefly met the Smith's for the first time in October at the Brigg's and Al Walk/Run. We were finally able to connect with them this past weekend at the Healing Garden event. I know God has connected us with special people in our lives - the Smith's and the story of how we are connected is proof in how God is assisting us in every step we make on this journey. We received a special gift from the Smith's today - thank you Melissa and David. Happy Birthday Caden!

PS...I'm unsure of the random scribble/scrabble comments we are receiving on the blog...just ignore until Rich or myself can remove them.