And so it began...

Gavin recovered from pacemaker surgery remarkably well. It was by far the easiest surgery of all four. The hardest part was getting him through the emotional roller coaster that we would ride on for months to come. Gavin came out of surgery with a partial smile and thumbs up. The days that followed, would show a different side of Gavin. He cried a lot. It was off and on, random, never knowing when it would hit. He didn't want to play in the hospital play room with the other kids, wasn't interested in talking about his feelings. Just lots of crying. We flew home about 2 weeks after surgery. Our life was back to "our normal."

Back up to my April 13th post. When Brandon discussed the foundation with Adam he also requested that Gavin come to his draft party. Of course, we were excited and honored that the Weeden's asked us to be a part of such a special day. Gavin didn't have a clue as to what the draft meant or what a big deal it was for Brandon. As much as we tried to explain, he didn't fully get it.

Gavin continued to recover at home, still dealing with his emotional up's & down's. He definitely felt good enough to travel to the city to see his best friend Brandon. And we knew it would put a huge smile on his face. So we loaded up and headed to Brandon's parents house. Once we arrived it was the usual excitement from Gavin. Hugging Brandon, high-fiving him, you know boy stuff. Brandon equally shows excitement towards  Gavin, always welcoming him and letting him know he missed him. It was a great night, lots of wonderful people in attendance. All of which were so loving to Gavin.

Through all the chaos, phone calls, & interviews Brandon made time to stop and talk to Gavin. Half way through the evening Gavin was sitting next to Brandon on the couch watching the draft. A special moment for Gavin, one he still talks about today.

Brandon received the phone call that he was drafted to the Cleveland Browns. It was a surreal moment. Watching the excitement in Brandon's face and seeing our son jumping up and down next to him. Going back to what I said earlier, Gavin really didn't understand what was going on but still his bud was excited so he was going to be excited to! Then Gavin turned to us and said "see, I told you Cleveland would pick him."

April 13, 2012

Gavin was in the hospital recovering from his pacemaker surgery. Physically, Gavin was doing great, he was recovering as expected. However, emotionally he was struggling. He cried a lot and was having a hard time expressing his feelings. Something he continues to struggle with, most likely due to what he's been through in his life. Back to that day, April 13th, a day that forever changed our life. 

Adam received a phone call from Brandon Weeden. A little history, Brandon & his wife Melanie have been a part of our life since Gavin was 8 months old. They have become life long friends. Melanie was working with Adam at the time. Brandon had just finished his MLB career & started his football career at Oklahoma State. After an amazing run at OSU, he was drafted first round for the Cleveland Browns. Through out Gavin's journey, hospital stays, etc Brandon & Melanie had made a point to text, call, check in with Gavin. So on this day when Adam received the phone call, we just thought it was the usual checking on Gavin. However, during the call Brandon shared with Adam that he wanted to start a foundation in honor of Gavin. He wanted to make awareness about Hypo plastic left heart syndrome. Do whatever he could to help others that were going through our same situation. That moment will forever play in my head. I will never ever forget it. I am filled with emotion every time I think about that moment and what has transpired since. 

It's been a LONG time

Well, it's been a long time since I blogged. So long that I forgot my password to Gavin's original blog. Every one tells me I should get back to it so they can keep up with Gavin. So much has happened the last three years. To read Gavin's story from the beginning go to www.gavinparker.blogspot.com. Gavin also has a caring bridge site where we kept everyone up to date with his fourth open chest surgery in April. He had a pace maker placed. Since April our life has changed in the most incredible way. So I'd like to start fresh and share what amazing things God has put into place in our life.