CHD Week - Day Seven - Heart Dad

Madelynn's Dad is Amazing

He loves to just be a kid with his kids

Madelynn's Dad loves me beyond infinity

Madelynn's journey  has made wedded bliss challenging.
18 years together and I wouldn't want to take this journey
with anyone else.

Madelynn's Dad is a warrior of a different kind

This is his motto in everything he does everyday.

When Phil and I were given Madelynn's diagnosis we were stunned. The first thing we did was hug each other. He knew I would not leave the hospital and he went into a mode I had never seen. He left Madelynn and I at the hospital went and settled everything with our other two children. When he came back he was truly present in those hours before her surgery. Nothing else mattered, NOTHING.

Sharing cheerios

He was there for every scary intense moment and remembers it like it was yesterday. After a few days, reality set in. As much as he wanted to be with us at the hospital he had to go to work. If for nothing else to maintain his sanity. However, the medical bills were not going to pay themselves and we had A LOT of them coming. This is what he could do.

He worked his butt off. But when he walked through the door only his kids and I mattered.

Spring 2009

He could not fix Madelynn, the doctors needed to do that. But he could make sure Madelynn had everything she needed for the best life possible. At the time we had no idea what that would be. I had to take months off to care for her including therapy, specialists, weight checks, we met almost every specialist under the sun. During this time, we never missed a meal, or had a utility shut off; God literally threw work his way to make sure we had what we needed. I won't lie it was tricky to figure it all out and dropping payments off the day they were due happened often. But we made it.

Sometimes to save money I would cut the boys hair.

One of the funniest stories I can tell about this time......He had not seen Madelynn for a day or two. He was working and coordinating child care for our other two children. He only had about two hours. He came by the hospital to see her in his plumbing truck. Knowing full well when I saw him he was driving it I asked him where did he park it.(Anyone who has been in the hospital parking garage knows what I am talking about). He grinned and said the hospital valet parked it for him. I am just imagining one of the guest services staff in their bow tie and vest driving the plumbing truck. More importantly they understood the need for Daddy to see his little girl and took care of it.

Phil is always involved with the kids lives, not just Madelynn's.

Picking out pumpkins with Peanut October 2009.

He has helped coach Jackson's basketball team for three years.

His favorite thing to do was to put them to bed. It usually meant he fell asleep too.

However my favorite story to tell you about Phil is the kids hats. When they were born there is a picture with each of them wearing the little pink and blue striped hat. It was recommended that he take the hat home for the pets to smell so they knew a baby was coming. We wanted to make sure they were already familiar with the child. What I could not fathom is that the hat would never leave his pocket. If you ever see Phil in public ask him to see what is in his pocket. He will pull out the three hats from when each of the children were born. He never leaves the house without them.

I took this picture in 2008. You can tell by how clean they are whose they are.
One day the kids will have this story to remember forever.

I don't know what Heart Dads talk about. I can't tell you how they process raising a CHD Warrior. What I do know is most men are fixers. If something is broke they fix it. Having a child born with a broken heart is traditionally beyond their scope of repair. What I do know is he never gave up on Madelynn or us. For every intense, scary, raging moment he was there and fought everyday with me. I would have never made it this far in our journey without him. He is probably the reason Madelynn had so much fight in her.

Daddy just got home from work. Can you tell how I rate?

I love my Heart Dad Warrior probably as much as she does.

Happy CHD Week!

TTFN~